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ON fragile ladders and across rushing waters, families risk their health and safety just to reach school. For nearly two decades, children from Sitio Dagat-Dagatan in Cainta have faced this daily struggle, reflecting the broader challenge highlighted by EDCOM II: millions of Filipino children still lack safe access to early learning, resources, and facilities. Parents carry not just their children, but the weight of ensuring education against all odds. BERNARD TESTA

ANOTHER ‘SILENT CRISIS’ At a time when very young Filipino children need interventions to support the stage wherein their bodies, especially their brains, are fast developing, they receive woefully inadequate learning materials. The latest EDCOM II report has sounded the alarm. By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco

HILE key learning activities at home are crucial to support early learning and brain development, the findings in the Second Congressional Commission on Education’s (EDCOM II) Final Report showed that less than half of Filipino households with young children have the most basic resources needed to lay the foundation for language, reasoning, and emotional regulation. According to the findings that will be released on January 26, only 48 percent of households with children aged 0 to 4 years own educational toys, while just 40 percent have children’s books at home. These figures, the findings stressed, point to a critical gap in early stimulation at the household level—at a time when science shows that more than one million neural connections form every second during the first years of life. It added that for millions of Filipino children, particularly those from low-income households, this lack of learning resources at home means that public Child Development Centers (CDCs) serve as their primary—and often only—source of early stimulation.

Nutrition, logistics also challenge learners

WORSE, such serious neglect of

human capital happens not only as a result of the lack of vital learning resources, but also because of the severe stunting and nutrition-related issues that have hounded Filipino schoolchildren. Compounding this nutrition crisis is the widespread incidence of parasitism among young learners, making deworming another indispensable front in fighting poverty and ill health. A journalist who covered the efforts to rehabilitate the public school system in conflict-ravaged parts of Mindanao in the ’70s, mostly provinces now under the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), recalled visiting one classroom in Maguindanao where over a hundred pupils were crammed, with the dilapidated desks so few that many of them sat, cross-legged, on the floor, cradling on their laps chopped-off wooden

thousands of young Filipinos from fulfilling their potential.

Lack of a functional CDC

DESPITE long-standing mandates to establish one in every community, EDCOM II found that the early childhood system is severely strained as more than 4,600 barangays still lack a functional CDC. Even where centers exist, quality remains uneven: only 14.2 percent of CDCs have been upgraded over the past decade to meet current standards, leaving many facilities without age-appropriate, inclusive, and developmentally Continued on A2

HIGH-SCHOOL students stand on a makeshift platform of two bancas joined by planks to cross Daraitan River in Tanay, Rizal, in this January 2, 2025, file photo. Half of the high schoolers and some elementary pupils from nearby sitios face this daily risk to reach the village’s only accessible school, with their studies often disrupted by rising waters during bad weather. The scene reflects the challenges highlighted by EDCOM II: millions of Filipino children contend with unsafe access and limited learning resources, putting early education and development at risk. NONOY LACZA

“desks”—looking more like primitive chopping boards or the native sangkalan—where they wrote down the day’s lessons. Students lugging laptops today could learn a thing or two about patience and perseverance from these hapless pupils who had to make do with sangkalan “laptops”. When the education reporter interviewed students across more than a dozen schools in four provinces in those rehabilitative years, the deep inequities became starker. These children not only had inadequate, primitive tools in the classroom, getting there was a huge challenge daily. In one school, many students reached their class each day by crossing three rivers, the smaller ones on bamboo sleds drawn by carabaos. When swollen

by rains, these rivers can be very dangerous for students. The long trek to school—on average, two hours one way—has young pupils exposed to the elements, with woefully tiny food packs, often just plain boiled rice wrapped in banana leaf or the boiled green banana to sustain them for the trek and the daily class. Recent photos in some media outlets showed the logistics nightmare continues for some learners: students unable to cross a river in Cainta to reach school, others still relying on cables to carry them on to the next barrio to reach their school. Given all these, it’s clear that the inadequacy of learning materials is not the only handicap that stymies learning and prevents

SIKHAYAN FESTIVAL: Honoring the rich heritage of Sta. Rosa and the vibrant Rosense way of living. A6-A7

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 59.4400 n JAPAN 0.3747 n UK 79.5664 n HK 7.6232 n CHINA 8.5304 n SINGAPORE 46.1562 n AUSTRALIA 39.8129 n EU 69.0098 n KOREA 0.0404 n SAUDI ARABIA 15.8507 Source: BSP (January 16, 2026)

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This is where the smart green tech money is heading in 2026

By Coco Liu | Bloomberg

HIS year will be a formative one for climate tech investors, after a surprising—and at times, unsettled—2025. President Donald Trump’s tax bill has cut support for many green technologies, but it’s also provided clarity for investors. Coupled with the Fed’s recent interest rate cuts, climate tech backers are planning to write more checks in 2026. They also have a clear idea of where to place their bets. Trump’s policies, the rise of artificial intelligence and electrification — all trends that influenced the 2025 investment landscape — will again hold sway over 2026. Startups looking for funding will also have to make a strong business case that goes well beyond cutting carbon. “The bar for climate tech investment is higher than ever before,” said Sean O’Sullivan, founder and managing partner at SOSV, one of the most active venture capitalists in the sector. “Emissions reduction is not sufficient to justify investment.” But as climate tech investors crowd into a handful of bright spots, soaring valuations in sectors like the sizzling-hot nuclear industry are giving some funders pause. Other factors, such as intensified natural catastrophes, are driving funders to consider backing companies focused on adaptation, a long-overlooked sector. Equity investment and value of mergers and acquisitions in the US climate tech sector amounted to roughly $42 billion during the first nine months of last year, according to the latest available data from BloombergNEF. With worries of an AI bubble on

the horizon, this year will test how durable the climate tech investing sector is. Bloomberg News spoke with over a dozen investors about where they think smart green money should — or shouldn’t — head to this year.

BULLISH Clean energy

DESPITE AI bubble speculation, almost every investor Bloomberg News spoke with said that they still see companies serving data center energy demand as good bets. That list ranges from next-generation geothermal startups to renewable energy project developers and software firms working on energy efficiency improvements. US data center energy demand is projected to increase 130% by 2030 from 2024 levels, according to the International Energy Agency. Even if just half of the projected growth materializes, it is still a “huge opportunity,” said Rajesh Swaminathan, a partner at Khosla Ventures. The AI boom isn’t the only reason investors are excited about energy-related startups. The growing adoption of electric vehicles and heat pumps is also spurring energy demand, as is the Trump administration’s push to revive domestic manufacturing. Another reason to be bullish: There are growing opportunities to buy out clean energy companies that have seen valuations dip, according to Hans Kobler, founder and managing partner at Energy Impact Partners. Although

several US-based wind and solar firms went under in recent years, amid higher financing costs and shifting political winds, the economics of renewable energy “fundamentally makes sense” in many places, Kobler said.

Grid tech

THE Nasdaq’s main grid index outpaced other major stock indexes with nearly 30% gains in 2025. But even after such a good run, investors say they simply can’t get enough of grid tech stocks. Beyond growing power demand, overdue infrastructure upgrades are likely to help the rally continue this year and beyond. “We see the opportunity to compound returns and have outsized returns in grid technology over the next 10 years,” said Chat Reynders, chief executive officer at Reynders, McVeigh Capital Management, a Boston-based investment firm. US grid investment reached $115 billion — about a quarter of the global total — last year, and that figure is projected to climb to more than $128 billion over the next two years, according to BNEF. That will benefit companies ranging from hardware makers to software developers and utility-scale energy storage providers. “We want an energy system which is affordable, reliable and cheaper, and that comes with having a reliable grid,” said Bala Nagarajan, managing director at S2G Investments. “All of those factors give me comfort that 2026 will continue to be a pretty robust year for grid tech.”

Disaster readiness

THERE’S going to be “more appetite” for funding adaptation projects as climate change makes extreme weather worse, said Jens Peers, chief investment officer of sustainable equities at Mirova US.

His firm is looking to invest in public companies serving communities facing substantial climate risk, Peers said. Those services can be as diverse as post-disaster clean-up and building infrastructure like artificial islands to protect the coastline against storm surge. In the US, disaster readiness and recovery are already big business. An index of about 100 large public companies working on disaster preparedness and response has outperformed the S&P 500 by 6.5% a year from October 2015 to October 2025, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

DIVIDED Nuclear power

NUCLEAR startups received about a fifth of all climate venture funding during the first nine months of 2025, and publicly-traded nuclear firms enjoyed a stock rally, driven in large part by the technology’s promise to meet AI energy demand. But investor sentiment is mixed about whether the sector remains a good opportunity in 2026. The surge in valuations for nuclear companies has some investors on the fence. Small modular reactor company Oklo Inc., for instance, saw its shares gain more than 200% last year, despite generating no revenue and having a long way to go before commercial operations. As the fundamentals of many nuclear stocks cannot justify their valuations, the need to “pivot away is pretty obvious,” said Garvin Jabusch, chief investment officer at Green Alpha Advisors. Kobler of Energy Impact Partners

also urged caution. While his firm has invested in nuclear energy before, he said it’s unlikely to again due to the sector’s capital-intensive nature and a long (and possibly bumpy) journey to monetize the technology. But some of the largest climate tech investors remain committed to the sector, particularly fusion. Tech billionaire Chris Sacca’s venture firm is raising a new fund earmarked for nuclear fusion. Swaminathan from Khosla Ventures said that his team will also “double down” on nuclear investment in 2026. While acknowledging that the sector has become red hot, he said, “the valuation today is very, very reasonable” given the potential. The flourishing industry has also lured in some unexpected newcomers. Trump Media & Technology Group Corp., the company behind the president’s social media platform, announced in December that it would merge with nuclear fusion startup TAE Technologies in an eyebrow-raising deal valued at more than $6 billion.

BEARISH Alternative proteins

US-based alternative protein companies saw a major investor pullback in 2025, with venture funding for cell culture technology down about 90% compared to a year ago, according to Pitchbook. And it’s unlikely they’ll see a change of fortune this year. “So far, too few companies in alternative proteins have lived up to the promise of increasing affordability while reducing emissions,” said O’Sullivan of SOSV. Despite years of efforts, most startups working on

growing meat from animal cells still struggle to compete with the status quo on their product’s cost, taste and appearance. That problem is only compounded by slow progress in winning regulatory approval for commercial sales. “It is a challenging place to invest in,” said O’Sullivan, whose firm has bankrolled a stable of alternative protein makers but become increasingly cautious to support more.

Sustainable agriculture

SOME Agri-tech subsectors, such as automation and precision farming, are likely to see investor support thanks to a persistent labor shortage and farmers’ desire to cut costs. But the funding environment is “really challenging” for many others in sustainable agriculture, said Josh Posamentier, managing partner and cofounder of Congruent Ventures. One case in point is climate-resilient crops. While it’s vital to develop new crop varieties that can withstand intense heat or tolerate pest attacks, “there is no capital for that right now because there is no exit environment,” Posamentier said. Mergers and acquisitions for US crop farming plunged to zero in the first nine months of 2025 from $38 million a year ago, according to BNEF. That came after the sector’s M&A deals already plummeted by nearly 97% in dollar terms in 2024 from the 2023 levels. “It has really put a freeze on that space,” Posamentier said, a reality that he said won’t change unless the exit environment improves.

ANOTHER ‘SILENT CRISIS’ Continued from A1

aligned learning materials. The Commission also uncovered extreme inequities in local government investment in early childhood learning. In some low-income and geographically isolated municipalities, annual budgets for learning materials are as low as P1,900 per CDC, barely enough to replace a single set of basic play materials. Meanwhile, better-resourced local government units (LGUs) are able to invest hundreds of thousands of pesos in purpose-built learning spaces. As a result, a child’s access to early learning depends heavily on where they are born, rather than on national standards or developmental needs.

Critical phase

EQUALLY concerning, EDCOM II found that children aged 0 to 2 years—who are in the most critical phase of brain development—receive the fewest and least appropriate learning materials across homes, centers, and communitybased programs. Most existing resources are designed for older preschoolers, while sensory-rich, interactive, and caregiver-guided materials essential during the first 1,000 days of life are largely absent. This leaves the group with the highest developmental returns effectively unsupported at the very stage when intervention matters most. “This is a silent crisis that begins long before a child ever enters a classroom,” said EDCOM II Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee. Yee added that the fact that less than half of Filipino households have access to basic early learning tools like books and edu-

cational toys shows “how early disadvantage is already taking root.” “Science tells us that over a million neural connections form every second in the earliest years of life.... When we fail to support families and communities during this window, we are effectively forfeiting the highest-return investment we can make in human capital—and consigning many children to start school already behind,” he added.

Deep-seated cultural, informational barriers

THE EDCOM also identified deepseated cultural and informational barriers that compound material scarcity. A whopping 97 percent of parents surveyed believe that children under five are “too young” for structured early learning, a misconception that has contributed to low participation rates of just 21 to 29 percent among three- to four-yearolds in early childhood programs. Without early intervention, these disadvantages accumulate into what the Commission describes as a “learning tax,” where children from disadvantaged households arrive at formal schooling already lagging significantly behind in foundational literacy, numeracy, and self-regulation skills.

RA 12199 full implementation

TO reverse these trends, EDCOM II is calling for the full and urgent implementation of Republic Act 12199, or the ECCD System Act, which mandates dedicated local government funding for early childhood services and the professionalization of the ECCD workforce. The Commission further recommends the need for the National Book Development Board (NBDB) to work closely with the ECCD Council, in supporting the development of low-cost, high-

impact learning materials—such as story cards, picture books, and play-based guides—that can be used both in CDCs and at home. By equipping caregivers with practical tools and guidance on play-based learning using everyday household items, the system can empower families to nurture children’s development even in resource-constrained settings.

DepEd: Learner nutrition a core program

MEANWHILE, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday reiterated that strengthening early childhood education remains central to the government’s education reform agenda. Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said reforms in the early grades must go beyond curriculum design, stressing that learner readiness, nutrition, and classroom realities shape learning outcomes just as much as policy frameworks. As part of this approach, DepEd reported that learner nutrition is now being treated as a core education input rather than a supplementary program. For SY 2025–2026, some 3.47 million learners, including all kindergarten pupils, received hot meals while 2.85 million learners benefited from milk feeding under the SchoolBased Feeding Program (SBFP). Kindergarten enrollment rose to 1.98 million learners, the highest recorded in the past four years. “Kaya sinasadya nating iangat ang [That’s why we deliberately stepped up] early childhood care and development efforts. Dahil gutom ang isa sa pinakamalaking hadlang sa pagkatuto, at kapag mahina ang pundasyon, mahirap umusad ang buong sistema [Because hunger is one of the biggest obstacles to learning, and because the foundation is weak, the whole system can barely progress],” he said Beginning School Year 2026– 2027, DepEd plans to expand the SBFP further, targeting 4.64 million learners nationwide, including all Kindergarten and Grade 1. This is to reinforce the government’s position that strong foundations in the early years are essential to the long-term success of education reforms. Angara said that the department is also strengthening play-based learning as it awarded 228,740 sets of kindergarten educational toys and 2,216,383 million kinder activity sheets.

Editor: Angel R. Calso

The World

Sunday, January 18, 2026

Trump moves to make technology giants pay for surging power costs

By Jennifer A. Dlouhy & Naureen S. Malik

RESIDENT Donald Trump and the governors of several US Northeastern states agreed to push for an emergency wholesale electricity auction that would compel technology companies to effectively fund new power plants. The unprecedented plan, set to be announced Friday morning, seeks to address growing tensions over how the nation can supply electricity to power-hungry data centers—seen as necessary to help win the global AI race—without simultaneously hiking utility bills for homes and businesses. The Trump administration and some US governors plan to direct grid operator PJM Interconnection LLC to hold an auction for tech companies to bid on 15-year contracts for new electricity generation capacity. If the auction proceeds as envisaged, tech giants would pay for power over the duration of the contracts, whether they use the electricity or not, providing secure revenues for years in a market notorious for price volatility and generator bankruptcies. The auction would deliver contracts supporting the construction of some $15 billion worth of new power plants, said a White House official granted anonymity to detail the approach. Still, representatives of PJM won’t be in attendance when the plan is laid out Friday. “We don’t have a lot to say on this,” PJM spokesman Jeffrey Shields said by e-mail. “We were not invited to the event they are apparently having tomorrow and we will not be there.” The White House didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. The push by the administration

and the governors—which will come in the form of a non-binding “statement of principles” signed by Trump’s National Energy Dominance Council and the governors of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and other states—responds to growing concern about power demand far outpacing supply in the region managed by PJM. The grid operator serves more than 67 million people from the Mid-Atlantic to the Midwest. PJM is already home to the world’s biggest concentration of data centers, in northern Virginia. It expects peak demand across its system to jump 17% by 2030 from this year’s high. Trump has repeatedly described power plants being built alongside data centers, and on Monday, he doubled down on the idea, insisting in a social media post that the big technology companies that construct data centers must “pay their own way.” “I never want Americans to pay higher Electricity bills because of Data Centers,” Trump wrote in his post. Cost-of-living concerns are already weighing heavily on Republicans’ bid to maintain control of the House and Senate in this November’s congressional elections. While Trump has stressed the plummeting cost of oil and gasoline since he took office last January, electricity prices have climbed due to rising demand—and there’s a building backlash against data centers that are fueling the surge.

A POWER substation near a data center in Ashburn, Virginia. NATHAN HOWARD/BLOOMBERG

The average US retail price for electricity gained 7.4% in September to a record 18.07 cents per kilowatt-hour, the biggest gain since December 2023. Residential prices have jumped even higher, rising by 10.5% between January and August 2025, marking one of the largest increases in more than a decade, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. Friday’s action is being cast as a one-time emergency intervention into the PJM market, necessary because of the rapid rise in electricity prices in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Trump administration and governors will urge the grid operator to return to market fundamentals after the acute problem is addressed, the White House official said. The administration’s prescription for PJM is what’s known as a reliability backstop auction— something the grid operator already envisioned in the wake of repeated failed sales. But the administration and governors’ plan would mean holding the emer-

gency auction right away after one clear failure—with unusual terms meant to foster a wave of rapid, new construction and the only bidders being data center owners and operators. While PJM already holds auctions procuring electricity supplies, those are 12-month periods. In the auction encouraged by Trump and the governors for 15-year contracts, start-up times for the new power plants are likely to be staggered. The White House and governors are urging PJM to hold the special one-time auction by the end of September. “It sounds like a significant improvement and a logical extension of bring-your-own new generation,” Joe Bowring, president of PJM’ s independent watchdog Monitoring Analytics LLC, said in a telephone interview. “While a ‘statement of principles’ doesn’t appear to include a legal mandate for PJM to act, pressure from the Trump administration and a bipartisan coalition of PJM states is very likely to motivate a considerable response” from

the grid operator, said Timothy Fox, an analyst with the research firm ClearView Energy Partners. This plan also could fast track the development of natural gas generation and potentially nuclear plants by guaranteeing revenues – and profits – specifically to support data campuses needed to deploy artificial intelligence. The approach could benefit larger tech companies at the expense of smaller firms. Amazon.com Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Microsoft Corp. are less exposed to electricity price fluctuations since they can pass those costs on to customers, said Gil Luria, analyst at DA Davidson & Co. However, dozens of smaller companies, including Nebius and CoreWeave that offer artificial intelligence infrastructure to cloudcomputing companies on multiyear contracts, could be more exposed to big price swings since they are on the hook to absorb higher electricity costs, he said. “If they have to pay more for electricity, their margins will get squeezed,” Luria said.

The effort has the potential to help PJM tackle a significant roadblock: improving the accuracy of its forecasts for demand growth. With tech giants paying for the power plants they need, the approach could weed out speculative projects that have skewed demand growth projections. The involvement of governors – including Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro and Maryland’s Wes Moore, both Democrats – is seen by the Trump administration as helping to anchor the effort, since state policies have driven recent changes in the power mix, including the retirement of coal and gas plants. The initiative is also seen aiding hyperscalers by ensuring reliable power supply, and it could be a model for other parts of the country, the White House official said. Gover nors are committing to implement and assign these costs to the data centers, ensuring the price of these new power plants doesn’t land on the average household, the White House official said. PJM’s auctions have emerged as a political flashpoint in the national debate about affordability after prices reached record levels in 2024. Although Pennsylvania’s Shapiro struck a deal with PJM to cap prices in future auctions, costs hit new highs in two subsequent sales. The most recent auction, in December, also fell 6.6 gigawatts short of supplies, which PJM blamed on the frenzy to build massive data centers. PJM is now being asked to extend the price cap for auctions held through this year, the White House official said. While the statement of principles being signed Friday isn’t a binding legal document, administration officials have discussed the plan with a host of stakeholders, from PJM executives and state officials, to utilities, powerplant developers, Wall Street and the hyperscalers building these data centers, the official said. With assistance from Spencer Soper/Bloomberg

Forget tariff wars: EU and Mercosur build one of the world’s biggest free-trade zones By Isabel Debre

The Associated Press

AÑUELAS, Argentina— Talks on a landmark free trade deal between the European Union and four South American countries started so long ago that the euro wasn’t even in circulation, China hadn’t yet joined the World Trade Organization and Venezuela was still America’s top oil provider. But against a starkly different geopolitical background and tough odds—including backlash from powerful protectionist lobbies— the EU and the South American alliance known as Mercosur are expected to formally sign their quarter-century-in-the-making trade pact this Saturday at a ceremony in Paraguay. This is the first major trade agreement for Mercosur, which includes the region’s two biggest economies, Brazil and Argentina, along with Paraguay and Uruguay. Bolivia, the newest member, was not involved in negotiations but can join the agreement in the coming years. The trans-Atlantic trade deal— lifting tariffs on products ranging from Argentine steaks and Brazilian copper to German cars and Italian wine—still has to be ratified by the European Parliament. The significance of creating one of the world’s largest free-trade zones—home to more than 700 million people and accounting for a quarter of global gross domestic

slash customs red tape. “He sees this agreement as a way to revitalize and re-signify Mercosur,” said Marcelo Elizondo, an Argentine economic analyst specializing in international trade. The free-trade fever has also infected Brazil’s long-closed economy. Apex, a Brazilian government investment agency, estimates that EU-bound agricultural exports like instant coffee, poultry and orange juice will rake in $7 billion in coming years.

product—while President Donald Trump yanks the United States out of the international economy is not lost on the signatories.

For once, it’s not about Trump vs. China

EUROPEAN Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the deal last week as a powerful endorsement of multilateralism “in the face of an increasingly hostile and transactional world.” Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, 80, called it a rare “victory for dialogue, negotiation and the bet on cooperation.” That victory comes at the expense of the US and China, experts say, as Trump aggressively asserts American authority in the resource-rich region and Beijing uses its massive trade and loans to build influence. “It’s a signal that South American economies are seeking to hedge away from this great power competition between the US and China,” said Lee Schlenker, a research associate with the Global South program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a Washington think tank. “It shows that South America can continue to flex its muscles in the international sphere, to diversify its trade partners and exert a certain level of autonomy it’s often denied.”

South American ranchers rejoice THE accord grants South Ameri-

Europe’s farmer lobby wins concessions A WORKER moves cattle at the Agricultural and Livestock Market in Canuelas, Argentina, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. AP/NATACHA PISARENKO

can nations, renowned for their fertile land and skilled farmers, increased access at a preferential tax rate to Europe’s vast market for agricultural goods. Here in Argentina, exporters reckon they’ll save tens of millions of dollars a year thanks to the deal’s immediate elimination of a 20% tariff on the EU’s longstanding quota scheme for highquality meat imports. It’s a breakthrough for Argentina, a nation dominated for decades by left-leaning populist governments that kept the economy closed to the outside world and prioritized the domestic market to the extent of imposing taxes on farm exports to keep food prices down.

“We’re in the midst of a paradigm shift here,” said Carlos Colombo, the president of Cañuelas Cattle Market in Buenos Aires province where over 12,000 cattle are sold daily, many destined for Europe and China. “Argentina has reopened itself to the world.” A rgentine President Jav ier Milei may be Trump’s strongest ideological ally in Latin America— sharing his disdain for the United Nations and the Paris climate accord—but no one can call the radical libertarian a protectionist. At first, he derided the notoriously slow-moving Mercosur as irrelevant and threatened to ditch it. But he changed his tune since realizing the bloc’s potential to sweep away tariffs and

SQUEEZED by environmental regulations and fearing a flood of cheap food products from across the Atlantic, farmers have blocked highways and descended on the streets of European capitals in an explosion of outrage against the agreement. The EU has scrambled to soothe their concerns over decades of negotiations, adding environmental and animal welfare safeguards to the accord and imposing strict quotas for South American exports of meat and sugar to ensure homegrown produce stays competitive. Even so, the angry farmers ultimately persuaded France, Poland and a few other states to oppose the deal in last week’s internal EU vote, depriving the accord’s supporters of what they hoped would be a show of unity. Italy and other agricultural powerhouses only came around after the EU offered

farmers generous subsidies to the tune of $52 billion. “It’s a sizable bribe,” said Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. “EU leaders decided that the deal is so important at this moment, it’s worth it.”

‘Cows for cars’

SOME have dubbed the deal “cows for cars,” reflecting the perception that Europe’s auto industry will also win big. Clobbered by growing competition with China and sky-high US tariffs, vaunted German auto giants like Volkswagen and BMW are glad for the boost, as are producers in Europe’s pharmaceutical, construction and machinery sectors gaining access to hundreds of millions more consumers. Experts say that the elimination of 35% tariffs on auto parts and cars gives European industrial exporters a rare chance to claw back their South American market share from cheaper Chinese rivals. “Failing to sign the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement risked pushing Latin American economies closer to Beijing’s orbit,” said Agathe Demarais, a senior policy fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations. The Associated Press writer Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo contributed to this report.

The World

Sunday, January 18, 2026

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Criminal investigation raises key question: Whether Chair Powell leaves Fed in May By Christopher Rugaber

AP Economics Writer

ASHINGTON—The Justice Department’s investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has brought heightened attention to a key drama that will play out at the central bank in the coming months: Will Powell leave the Fed when his term as chair ends, or will he take the unusual step of remaining a governor? Powell’s term as Fed chair finishes on May 15, but because of the central bank’s complex structure, he has a separate term as one of seven members of its governing board that lasts until January 31, 2028. Historically, nearly all Fed chairs have stepped down from the board when they are no longer chair. But Powell could be the first in nearly 50 years to stay on as a governor. Many Fed-watchers believe that the criminal investigation into Powell’s testimony about cost overruns for Fed building renovations was intended to intimidate him out of taking that step. If Powell stays on the board, it would deny the White House a chance to gain a majority, undercutting the Trump administration’s efforts to seize greater control over what has for decades been an institution largely insulated from dayto-day politics.

“I find it very difficult to see Powell leaving before midnight on Jan. 31, 2028,” said David Wilcox, a former top economist at the Fed and senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. “This is a mortal threat to the governance structure of the Fed as we’ve known it for 90 years. And I think that Powell does take that threat exceedingly seriously, and therefore will believe that it is his solemn duty to continue to occupy his seat on the board of governors.” Powell, 72, was appointed as Fed chair by Trump in 2018, and must step down from the position in May because his second fouryear term is ending. He has declined several times to comment on his plans beyond that when asked by reporters. A spokesperson declined to comment for this story. Trump has sought to push out

Powell before his time is up, obsessively attacking him for not cutting rates as sharply as the president wants, particularly in light of ongoing concerns about high costs for groceries, utilities, and housing that have remained a salient political issue even as inflation has cooled. On Tuesday, Trump highlighted that mortgage rates have declined in the past year. “If I had the help of the Fed, it would be easier,” he said. “But that jerk will be gone soon.” Or maybe not. Here is a look at the impacts of whether or not Powell stays on the board could have: What happens if Powell stays on the board Trump said Tuesday that he hopes to name a new Fed chair in the next few weeks. But that could get held up by the criminal investigation of Powell. Several Republican senators, including at least two on the banking committee who would have to approve Trump’s nominees to the Fed, have expressed skepticism that Powell committed crimes during his testimony last June regarding the Fed’s $2.5 billion renovation of two office buildings, a project that Trump has criticized as excessive. That testimony is the subject of subpoenas sent to the Fed by US attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, said he would not vote for any Fed nominees until the legal cloud around Powell is resolved. That would be enough to delay a nomination from getting out of the banking committee. If no new chair of the Fed’s board has been confirmed by May

What past Fed chairs have done

JEROME POWELL AL DRAGO/BLOOMBERG

15, then Powell could remain in that post until a replacement has been confirmed. As a result, the Fed might not cut interest rates anywhere near as quickly as Trump wants. If Powell stays on as a governor even after he is no longer chair, Trump could still name someone to lead the Fed but that would give him a total of three appointments on the board—including two from his first term—and short of a majority. So even if Trump nominates a chair who seeks to do the president’s bidding regarding interest rates, that person “would have very little persuasive power with his colleagues,” said Wilcox, who is also director of research at Bloomberg Economics. Powell, along with other members of the Fed’s 19-member interest-rate setting committee, could outvote the new chair. That hasn’t happened since 1986.

What happens if Powell leaves the board

I N t h a t c a s e , Tr u m p c o u l d

nominate a fourth person to the board and gain a majority. He could even then add a fifth, if the Supreme Court allows his attempt to fire Governor Lisa Cook to proceed. The high court will hear her case on Wednesday. A majority on the board would enable the White House to make sweeping changes to the Fed. Trump’s Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, has advocated numerous reforms to reduce the central bank’s influence in the economy and financial markets. Trump’s majority on the Fed’s board could also remove some of the presidents of the 12 regional banks, who are members of the Fed’s rate-setting committee. The New York Fed president has a vote on the committee and four others vote on a rotating basis. Several of those bank presidents have expressed opposition to the deep rate cuts that Trump has demanded. The board of governors could seek to have them fired if a chair wanted to do so.

WHILE nearly all Fed chairs have left the board of governors before their terms were up, there is some precedent for Powell to stay. In 1978, then-Chair Arthur Burns stayed on the board for about three weeks after his chairmanship ended. But in 1948, then-Fed chairman Marriner Eccles remained as a governor for three years after finishing as chair, in part because President Harry Truman asked him to remain. In 1951, however, he played a key role in undercutting the Truman administration in a dispute over interest rates, which led to the Fed-Treasur y Accord that established the moder n Fed as a largely independent institution. Eccles became a symbol of Fed independence, though some academics say that reputation is overstated. The Fed’s principal office building—currently under renovation and at the center of the criminal investigation of Powell— is named after him. Truman then appointed a Treasury official, William McChesney Martin, to the Fed chairmanship and assumed he would do his bidding. Yet Martin defied Truman and raised interest rates. Years later, Truman ran into Martin in New York City and called him a “traitor.” The Fed’s second office building in Washington is named after Martin. “So, it’s a cautionary tale also for Trump, thinking he’s going to get his own Fed chair in there,” said Lev Menand, a law professor at Columbia University who studies the Fed. “Martin didn’t do what Truman wanted.”

Switzerland is asking itself: Is 10 million people too many? By Levin Stamm, Hugo Miller, Bastian Benrath-Wright & Paula Doenecke

HEN the population in Davos surges next week during the World Economic Forum’s annual gathering, residents of the Swiss town will grit their teeth and suffer through the overcrowding, traffic chaos and disruption. After all, local stores, offices and even churches earn big sums renting out space to the elite crowd. The headache lasts just a week, but the feelings in the mountain town are symbolic of tensions playing out all year round across Switzerland. And unlike in Davos, the Swiss increasingly feel that globalization has become a Faustian pact they’re no longer happy with. Similar to countries from the US to France and the UK, worries about immigration and sovereignty are top of people’s minds. The population has grown about five times faster than the neighboring European Union over the past decade as foreign workers were

drawn in by high wages and quality of life. About 27% of the people living there aren’t Swiss citizens. But in Switzerland, the debate doesn’t only focus on refugees or low-skilled workers. Instead, there’s a proposal to cap the overall population at 10 million, and the public will likely vote on it this year. The idea has come under fire from executives and bankers, and opponents say it would threaten crucial agreements with the European Union—the country’s biggest export market—and cripple the economy. Despite that, a December poll has revealed widespread support from almost half the electorate, across all age groups. Behind that are fears that Swiss culture will be eroded, but also that all foreigners, regardless of their contribution to the economy, put strains on things like housing and healthcare. “Our public transport and highways are at their capacity limits, the emergency rooms are overcrowded,” said 22-year-old Angel Okaside from Thun, a postcardperfect lakeside town built around

a 12th-century castle. “You notice it in every area of life.” The qualified nurse has been active in politics since his teens. He feels so strongly, he entered local politics with the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), the group pushing the “No 10 Million Switzerland” initiative. The cap targets immigration, not birth rates, with restrictions kicking in at certain population levels.

Minaret ban

THE SVP has long run on an antiimmigration platform, which has helped it become the country’s largest party. In 2007, it ran a much-criticized poster in which white sheep kicked a black sheep from a field covered in the Swiss flag, and it backed a ban on minarets that passed in a national vote in 2009. Such a model is paying election dividends elsewhere too. In neighboring Germany and France, the Alternative for Germany and Marine Le Pen’s National Rally have both jumped in popularity by depicting a Europe threatened

by unchecked immigration. The issue goes deep in Switzerland, where there’s already a stringent treatment of foreigners. To obtain a passport, they must wait a decade, tick off a long list of requirements and could, mostly in smaller villages, still be denied by the voting town assembly. There’s also pride in not taking sides in international affairs. Switzerland resisted joining the United Nations for decades, only becoming a member in 2002, and remains outside the EU, despite being surrounded by member states. The immigration debate taps into concerns about national identity, much-cherished neutrality, and where the country stands in an era of unstable geopolitics and increased global tensions. The big question is how open or closed the nation wants to be—or can afford to be—in such a world. For centuries and through two World Wars, Switzerland literally used its mountains to ward off enemies or unwanted visitors. Until the late 19th century, it was a country of emigration, one with few natural resources. One of its

biggest exports was mercenaries, and the striped, pantalooned Swiss Guards who protect the Vatican are a striking reminder of that era. It was only really in the 20th century that Switzerland transformed from a relatively poor country into one of the world’s richest. A postwar banking boom and the growth of multinationals made it wealthy, with a roster of blue-chip firms like UBS, Nestle, Swatch, Roche and Richemont. That meant increased labor demand, which a 1999 deal with the EU on the free movement of people helped to fill. Growth in wealth management and commodity trading also attracted a host of high-earners. “Let’s not kid ourselves: immigration has been and is still the sine qua non of this kind of economic success,” said Stefan Legge, head of tax and trade policy at the University of St Gallen. “Switzerland’s watches, finance, pharma industries, Nestle: they all have an extraordinary share of foreigners in their staff and, quite often, as their founders.”

Shiny facade

VISITORS to Zurich ’s Bahnhofstrasse, where a spotless tram shows up ever y 2-3 minutes, or Geneva’s met ic u lously-m a i ntained Old Town, might struggle to understand what could possibly be wrong in Switzerland, where everything appears to r u n — ap pro pr i ate ly — l i k e clockwork. Despite the country’s wealth, there’s resentment that not ev-

eryone is getting their fair share of the pie. And, with economic growth being driven by immigration, output per capita has slipped in recent years. Behind the surface of luxury boutiques, pristine lakes and snow-capped mountains, that’s fueling a backlash against immigrants. And in a uniquely Swiss twist, it’s wealthy foreign workers who are being scapegoated as much as poorer newcomers. Switzerland’s success in cultivating corporate giants is driving frustration among those not in high-paid jobs in finance, pharma and technology, and who lament the sky-high rents and increasing urbanization. “They’re building even more and it keeps going up, then there will be even less forest,” said Roland Meyer, a bike shop owner in Zurich. “I just think we really need to put on the brakes before things get out of hand. And then we can see what we can do.” Switzerland ’s population is c u r rent ly about 9.1 m i l l ion. When 9.5 million is crossed, the initiative would deny entrance to newcomers like asylum seekers and families of foreign residents. At 10 million, further measures would be introduced, and if the numbers don’t decline, then Switzerland would quit the free-movement accord it has with the EU. That would threaten the country’s access to the EU’s single market and make it harder for Swiss companies to recruit in the bloc. See “Switzerland,” A5

The World

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Sunday, January 18, 2026

In their words: Greenlanders talk about Trump’s desire to own their Arctic island By Emma Burrows

AP European Security Correspondent

UUK, Greenland—US President Donald Trump has turned the Arctic island of Greenland into a geopolitical hotspot with his demands to own it and suggestions that the US could take it by force.

The island is a semiautonomous region of Denmark, and Denmark’s foreign minister said Wednesday after a meeting at the White House that a “fundamental disagreement” remains with Trump over the island. The crisis is dominating the lives of Greenlanders and “people are not sleeping, children are afraid, and it just fills everything these days. And we can’t really understand it,” Naaja Nathanielsen, a Greenlandic minister said at a meeting with lawmakers in Britain’s Parliament this week. Here’s a look at what Greenlanders think:

Trump “undermining” Greenlandic culture

TRUMP has dismissed Denmark’s defenses in Greenland, suggesting

it’s “two dog sleds.” By saying that, Trump is “undermining us as a people,” Mari Laursen told AP. Laursen said she used to work on a fishing trawler but is now studying law. She approached AP to say she thought previous examples of cooperation between Greenlanders and Americans are “often overlooked when Trump talks about dog sleds.” She said during World War II, Greenlandic hunters on their dog sleds worked in conjunction with the US military to detect Nazi German forces on the island. “The Arctic climate and environment are so different from maybe what they (Americans) are used to with the warships and helicopters and tanks. A dog sled is

more efficient. It can go where no warship and helicopter can go,” Laursen said.

land “there are laws and stuff, and health insurance...we can go to the doctors and nurses...we don’t have to pay anything,” she said adding “I don’t want the US to take that away from us.”

Greenlanders don’t believe Trump’s claims

Trump has repeatedly claimed Russian and Chinese ships are swarming the seas around Greenland. Plenty of Greenlanders who spoke to AP dismissed that claim. “I think he (Trump) should mind his own business,” said Lars Vintner, a heating engineer. “What’s he going to do with Greenland? He speaks of Russians and Chinese and everything in Greenlandic waters or in our country. We are only 57,000 people. The only Chinese I see is when I go to the fast-food market. And every summer we go sailing and we go hunting and I never saw Russian or Chinese ships here in Greenland,” he said. Down at Nuuk’s small harbor, Gerth Josefsen spoke to AP as he attached small fish as bait to his lines. He said, “I don’t see them (the ships)” and said he had only seen “a Russian fishing boat ten years ago.”

Trump is interested in Greenland’s critical minerals

MAYA MARTINSEN, 21, a shop worker, told AP she doesn’t believe Trump wants Greenland to enhance America’s security.

Greenland is at the center of a media storm

A WOMAN walks on a street past a Greenlandic national flag in Nuuk, Greenland, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. AP/EVGENIY MALOLETKA

“I know it’s not national security. I think it’s for the oils and minerals that we have that are untouched,” she said, suggesting the Americans are treating her home like a “business trade.” She said she thought it was good that American, Greenlandic and Danish officials met in the White House Wednesday and said she believes that “the Danish and Greenlandic people are mostly on the same side,” despite some Greenlanders wanting independence. “It is nerve-wrecking, that the Americans aren’t changing their

mind,” she said, adding that she welcomed the news that Denmark and its allies would be sending troops to Greenland because “it’s important that the people we work closest with, that they send support.”

Greenlanders get support from Denmark

TUUTA MIKAELSEN, a 22-yearold student, told AP that she hopes the US got the message from Danish and Greenlandic officials to “back off.” She said she didn’t want to join the United States because in Green-

IN Greenland’s parliament, Juno Berthelsen, MP for the Naleraq opposition party that campaigns for independence in the Greenlandic parliament told AP that he has done multiple media interviews every day for the last two weeks. When asked by AP what he would say to Trump and Vice President JD Vance if he had the chance, Berthelsen said: “I would tell them, of course, that—as we’ve seen—a lot of Republicans as well as Democrats are not in favor of having such an aggressive rhetoric and talk about military intervention, invasion. So we would tell them to move beyond that and continue this diplomatic dialogue and making sure that the Greenlandic people are the ones who are at the very center of this conversation.” “It is our country,” he said. “Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people.” Kwiyeon Ha and Evgeniy Maloletka contributed to this report.

At Dutch hearing, a chipmaker’s fate tests Europe’s strategy to ‘de-risk’ from China By Jenny Leonard, Haze Fan & Sarah Jacob

N effort by Europe to stand up to China and retain local technology is approaching a breaking point. In a fight over a critical link in the global supply chain, chipmaker Nexperia BV was wrested away from its Chinese owner by a Dutch court and now one of the leaders in so-called legacy chips is racing to defend its independence. If the Nijmegen-based company is successful, Europe would hold on to valuable semiconductor manufacturing expertise and hand the region a rare victory over China. By pushing back over Nexperia, Europe aims to “set a precedent for what ‘ de-risking’ means,” said Benedetta Girardi, program coordinator at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, referring to Europe’s objective of reducing dependencies on China. The intention is to show that Europe “wants sovereignty and autonomy as part of the conversation” over tech, even as it seeks to maintain trade relations with a key partner. Since a Dutch court intervened in Nexperia’s ownership in October, the standoff has threatened

Switzerland. . . Continued from A4

Opponents says the measure would be economically damaging because it would ultimately force Swiss employers to invest elsewhere if they can’t get the talent they need locally. Roche, which employs 15,000 people from 120 nationalities in Switzerland, is among those opposed to the initiative. It “jeopardizes the bilateral agreements with the EU and thus the prosperity of Switzerland,” said Annette Luther, head of external affairs at

to disrupt auto production in Europe and around the world. On one side, there’s the core of the company, which is in the hands of court-appointed trustees in the Netherlands; the other side is a key production site that’s aligned with dispossessed owner Wingtech Technology Co.—an electronics firm that’s 30%-owned by entities close to the Chinese state. As Nexperia seeks to expand non-Chinese production capacity, Wingtech has stepped up efforts to regain control over the chipmaker it’s owned since 2019. It has initiated talks with the courtappointed trustees to try to settle the dispute, while also appealing to the Dutch supreme court over the suspension of its ownership rights. A court hearing on Wednesday will determine whether there’s a quick resolution or a drawn-out legal tussle. The Amsterdam court could order an investigation into the chipmaker if it sees reasons to doubt how Nexperia was managed. On the flipside, the measures taken against Wingtech’s ownership of Nexperia and its founder could be dropped if the court opts against a probe. The hearing is expected to have wide-ranging implications not just for Nexperia’s future, but the

sustainability of the automotive supply chain and geopolitical ties. Behind the scenes, meanwhile, the two Nexperias are preparing for a potential future without the other. For Nexperia China, that means finding alternative sources of wafers—the thin, flat slices of semiconductor material that’s usually made of silicon. For the Dutch parent, it means expanding other production sites to have enough capacity to meet customer demand. Both efforts are complex. “Facing the predicament arising from the improper interference by the Dutch government, Nexperia China has actively carried out ‘production self-rescue’,” including procuring wafers elsewhere, Wingtech Chairwoman Ruby Yang told Bloomberg in an interview. “Our wafer procurement cooperation in the Chinese market is a natural extension of this strategy,” she said, adding that the initiative is aimed at improving operations “rather than serving as a wholesale replacement for the existing supply chain.” According to Yang, the Dutch side is investing about $300 million to expand other facilities with the goal of having 90% of its production capacity outside China by mid-2026. The projects demon-

strate “a clear intent to de-couple from China,” she said. The expansion plans at Nexperia’s sites in Malaysia and the Philippines aim to add tens of billions of units to annual capacity, according to people close to the situation. The company confirmed efforts to “accelerate existing capacity-expansion plans” but declined to comment on specific figures or targets. With some Nexperia rivals such as US-based OnSemi signaling that they could scale up to take over Nexperia’s orders, there’s pressure to act fast and there’s little margin for error. The messy dispute has prompted banks to withdraw hundreds of millions of dollars of financing to Nexperia, including an untapped $800 million revolving credit line, said the people, who asked not to be identified since the discussions are private. The chipmaker said it is “debt-free and has a strong liquidity position, which is unaffected by events in recent months,” a spokesperson said in response to Bloomberg questions. The acrimony publicly emerged in October when a court in Amsterdam ordered Wingtech’s ownership rights placed in a trust over allegations the firm was im-

properly transferring technology from Europe to China. It also suspended Wingtech founder Zhang Xuezheng as Nexperia’s chief executive officer on claims he was diverting resources to affiliated companies and hobbling the Dutch chipmaker. Wingtech has denied wrongdoing. The court decision prompted Nexperia’s site in Guangdong— which has capacity for over 50 billion units a year, or about half of the group’s pre-crisis production—to stop cooperating with its parent in the Netherlands, which in turn halted wafer deliveries to China. Alongside the internal corporate feud, the Dutch and Chinese governments stepped in. The Netherlands imposed oversight powers on national security grounds and Beijing restricted Nexperia’s exports from China. The political spat eased after deliveries were allowed to resume, but China continues to press for the Dutch to back down. “There is clearly an intention to turn Wingtech into kind of a future champion,” said Mathieu Duchâtel, director of international studies at think tank Institut Montaigne. “For the Europeans, what it showed is the key importance

of having safe access to assembly capacity, which is clearly a weak point.” While Nexperia is a bit player in the global semiconductor industry, its importance is in its ability to produce chips that perform simple functions like controlling power supply at high volumes—about 3,000 components every second. While they’re low-tech, the components are used in almost every electronic device. Nexperia’s operations are set up for an era of seamless global commerce. Wafers from facilities in Germany and the UK are shipped for testing and assembly to sites in China, Malaysia and the Philippines. From there, finished components are delivered to customers around the world, including back to Europe. Concerns about supplies has spurred some big customers— such as auto-parts supplier Robert Bosch GmbH—to shuttle wafers from Nexperia facilities in Europe to China, according to people familiar with the matter. The process is costly and complex and consequently not seen as a longterm solution, the people said. With

the drugmaker. Economiesuisse, a business lobby, calls it the “chaos initiative.” UBS Chief Executive Officer Sergio Ermotti said the country has to be able to bring in labor. “We must take the public’s concerns about the consequences of immigration seriously,” he said in an interview published Thursday in Tages-Anzeiger. “At the same time, we as a country must remain open to urgently needed skilled workers.” Switzerland’s future prosperity is inextricably linked to the bloc that surrounds it. Aware of the EU’s importance, the Swiss gov-

ernment hammered out a new deal with it in 2024, which will require the country to stick to free movement. A national vote will also be needed on that agreement, and it will not be an easy sell to the public. For Cédric Wermuth, co-president of the Social Democratic Party, aligning more tightly with Europe is the only choice. The EU buys about half of Swiss exports, and the trade, money and labor that its 450 million people have to offer is right on the country’s doorstep. Meanwhile, relations with the US have been on a rollercoaster after it hit Switzerland with a

whopping 39% tariff last summer. A better deal was announced in December, though the fine print is still being worked out. “There is no alternative to close relations with Europe,” said Wermuth. “Beijing, Moscow, Washington are just not reliable partners. This initiative is not defending Switzerland as we know it, it’s putting it at risk.”

jets to how farmers should rear their cows. They’ve become part of the Swiss political game, and even if initiatives fail, there’s a consolation prize in the public debate generated. The SVP has used them to push back against a more globalized Switzerland. It also opposed a decision to abandon centuries of strict neutrality in 2022 and embrace EU sanctions on Russia after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For Wermuth, ideas like the population cap are the wrong approach to frustrations about

healthcare and housing. Rather than scapegoating certain people, he says there are domestic policy options that the government should be implementing. But the proposal has tapped into many people’s anxiety. “I notice how migration in our neighboring countries leads to much bigger problems than here in Switzerland,” said 19-year-old Leandro Aeschbacher, from Unterseen, near the tourist town of Interlaken. “Giving up a little bit of growth for a Switzerland that’s livable for its population is worth it.” With assistance from Fabienne Kinzel-

Direct democracy

NATIONAL votes on issues are a key feature of Switzerland’s brand of direct democracy, with multiple plebiscites every year on everything from taxation to fighter

assistance from William Wilkes, Charlotte Hughes-Morgan, Chunying Zhang and Patrick Van Oosterom/Bloomberg

mann/Bloomberg

S A N TA R O S A

A BusinessMirror Special Feature

Sunday, January 18, 2026

FESTIVAL

SIKHAYAN 2026

Celebrating Culture and the Rosense Spirit of Santa Rosa

HE City of Santa Rosa, Laguna marks two meaningful milestones on January 18 this year: the 27th Sikhayan Festival and the 234th Founding Anniversary of the city. More than commemorations, these occasions reflect the values that continue to shape Santa Rosa’s journey: steady progress, a deep connection to heritage, and a profound commitment to its people.

Santa Rosa de Lima Parish Church is among the oldest and historical structures in the City of Santa Rosa built during the colonial era.

Serving as one of the City’s mark of history is the City Plaza where the tallest pylon in the Philippines is located.

through participation, unity, and shared purpose. As Sikhayan unfolds, it highlights what makes Santa Rosa distinct: a festival where people remain at the heart of the celebration. At the center of Santa Rosa’s cultural narrative is the Heritage Square, a space dedicated to preserving and showcasing the city’s history. This commitment was formally established through Ordinance No. 2122-2019, which declared the Old Poblacion as the City of Santa Rosa Heritage Square and set guidelines for its protection and use. The ordinance envisions the area as a cultural and historical hub by thoughtfully blending old and new. Authentic architectural

Street dancers in vibrant traditional costumes bring color, rhythm, and Rosense pride to the streets during the Sikhayan Festival

Culture in Santa Rosa is not only seen in landmarks and public spaces. It also lives in its people. In recognition of this, the city adopted “Rosense” as the collective name for its residents, as cited in Ordinance No. 2240-2025, also known as the Gawad Rosense Ordinance. The ordinance establishes the Gawad Rosense as a triennial recognition program honoring residents of Santa Rosa who have excelled in their chosen fields. It celebrates outstanding achievements, encourages others to strive for excellence, and helps foster a culture of continuous improvement that supports the city’s broader development. To be Rosense is to carry pride rooted in community values such as resilience, creativity, cooperation, and hope. By uniting its people under one name, Santa Rosa strengthens a sense of belonging and reminds every Rosense that they are an essential part of the city’s continuing story.

Sikhayan: A Celebration of People

Reyna ng Sikhayan, who carries the image of Santa Rosa de Lima, is portrayed by every group participating in Sikhayan's street dance competition.

The Heritage Square

styles from the past are revived and integrated into a cohesive Heritage Square, bringing together the Santa Rosa de Lima Parish Church, the City Museum, the City Plaza, heritage houses, and key government offices, alongside newer developments such as heritage-inspired commercial buildings and establishments. Each structure reflects a vital part of Santa Rosa’s story, while the overall design creates a balanced environment where heritage and modern growth can coexist. In this space, Santa Rosa becomes a true meeting point of the old and the new, of tradition and innovation. More than an architectural landmark, the Heritage Square stands as proof that development and preservation can meaningfully thrive side by side.

The Rosense Identity

Mayor Arlene B. Arcillas and Vice Mayor Arnold B. Arcillas (left), joined by celebrity Alden Richards, lead the celebration of the Sikhayan Festival, honoring Santa Rosa’s vibrant culture and unity.

Under the leadership of Mayor Arlene B. Arcillas, whose governance is anchored on “Serbisyong Makatao, Lungsod na Makabago,” Santa Rosa has consistently pursued development that is inclusive, people-centered, and respectful of its cultural roots, with the strong support of Vice Mayor Arnold Arcillas and the Sangguniang Panlungsod. Through the years, the city has shown that it is not only a place of growth and opportunity, but also a community strengthened by history, culture, and shared identity. Guided by the theme “SIKHAYAN 2026: Buhay na Kultura tungo sa Komunidad na Masigla at Nagkakaisa,” this year’s celebration affirms that culture is not static. It is living, evolving, and strengthened

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The Santa Rosa City Museum was the old government building of Santa Rosa redesigned to relive the rich history of the City.

Antique street lights along Zavalla Street and F. Gomez Street

The Tiongco House is one of the preserved ancestral homes located in the Old Poblacion, which is now known as the Heritage Square.

Santa Rosa Arch, originally known as the Bantayang Bato, is the famous landmark of the city which served as lookout during Spanish colonial era.

The street dance competition participated by different schools and barangays is part of the annual celebration of Sikhayan Festival

What truly sets Sikhayan apart is its soul. While many festivals highlight delicacies, traditions, and other cultural symbols, Sikhayan fully embraces its theme, “Buhay na Kultura tungo sa Komunidad na Masigla at Nagkakaisa,” by placing people at the center of the celebration. Sikhayan honors everyday Rosenses: workers, farmers, artists, educators, youth, elders, and families who give life to the city. It is a platform where culture is not merely performed, but lived, shared, and strengthened through community participation. It shows that culture flourishes when people are united and involved. Through Sikhayan, Santa Rosa celebrates not only tradition, but also the collective spirit that sustains progress. It is a city where culture grows through the lives of those who proudly call it home.

B6 Sunday, January 18, 2026

Three MR.DIY Pampanga Stores Receive DTI Gold Bagwis Award

R.DIY Philippines announced that three of its North Luzon stores have earned the Gold Bagwis Award from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), recognizing the brand’s adherence to fair trade practices, consumer protection standards, and quality customer service. MR.DIY Primark Macabebe, MR.DIY Apalit, and MR.DIY Jumbo Jenra Apalit were formally awarded last December 2025, following their first application for the Gold-level Bagwis recognition. The recognized stores have steadily built strong community presence since their opening. MR.DIY Apalit, a freestanding store which opened in August 2023, and MR.DIY Jumbo Jenra Apalit, which opened in March 2024, have become top-of-mind destinations for quality products and excellent customer service among local shoppers. Meanwhile, MR.DIY Primark Macabebe, which opened in September 2021, serves as the only MR.DIY store in the Municipality of Macabebe, catering not only to residents of Macabebe but also to the neighboring town of Masantol by providing affordable, high-quality home improvement and household essentials. The DTI Bagwis Awards is a national recognition program that honors business establishments that consistently uphold consumer rights, practice fair pricing, comply with trade and product standards, and maintain effective customer service mechanisms.

MR.DIY Jumbo Jenra Apalit team beams with pride as they receive the prestigious DTI GOLD BAGWIS Award, a symbol of their unwavering commitment to consumer rights, ethical business practices, and service excellence. The Gold Bagwis Award is granted to establishments that have met DTI’s rigorous evaluation criteria, reflecting a strong commitment to responsible and customer-focused retail operations. By earning the Gold Bagwis Award, the recognized MR.DIY stores reinforce the company’s commitment to ethical business practices and to creating a shopping

environment that is safe, reliable, and responsive to the needs of Filipino families and communities. As MR.DIY Philippines continues to grow its nationwide presence, the company remains focused on delivering value-driven retail experiences that make everyday living simple, joyful, and complete for customers.

Okada Manila Welcomes the Lunar New Year with Festive Experiences

KADA Manila, the True Forbes 5-star integrated resort celebrates the Lunar New Year with a resortwide lineup of offers for dining, leisure, retail, and wellness experiences designed to mark the season of good fortune. From January 8 to March 3, 2026, the celebration unfolds through curated moments that invite guests to return for festive meals, family-friendly activities, seasonal stays, and time-honored traditions. Reward Circle members can look forward to exclusive Lunar New Year highlights, led by Echoes of Fortune, a Lunar New Year Dinner Concert happening on February 28 at Cove Manila, featuring performances by Gigi De Lana, Younha, and Wen Lan, with prizes at stake throughout the evening. Beyond the concert, Reward Circle members can enjoy access to other curated experiences throughout the season, with guests invited to sign up to enjoy memberonly privileges and events. Festive dining follows through the Lunar New Year lineup, with offerings designed for gathering and tradition. At Red Spice, Fortune Cake Treats adds a thoughtful touch to the season, with guests receiving a complimentary Chinese New Year rice cake or pan-fried radish cake for a minimum purchase worth P1,500 nett from February 9 to 23. The Pastry Shop complements the occasion with limited-time Lunar New Year cakes such as the Mandarin Orange Entremet for P2,500 nett and Mandarin Petit Gateaux for P450 nett, available from February 15 to 18. From February 17 to 28, Sundown Specials invites guests unwind with handcrafted cocktails offered at P350 nett across Okada Lounge, Okada Dining, and Red Spice. On February 17, Okada Manila marks the Lunar New Year with traditional festivities that welcome prosperity and abundance. At 8 am along the Pearl Wing Driveway, guests can witness a ceremonial ritual followed by vibrant lion dance performances, before the Cai Qing blessing at 10 am symbolizing luck and a promising year ahead. Lunar New Year installations displayed across the resort further enhance the celebration, offering guests visual highlights and photo moments throughout the day. The celebration extends into guest stays with Truly Exceptional Stays, a seasonal room offer designed for those looking to welcome the year with comfort and ease. Available at a starting room rate of P11,999, the offer includes P2,500 worth of dining credits, with exclusive access to the Executive Lounge for selected suite bookings. Guests can book from January 9 to March 30

Okada Manila Welcomes the Lunar New Year with Festive Experiences. for stays between until March 31 and enjoy a relaxed and festive retreat. Leisure and wellness add another dimension to the festivities. PLAY Kids’ Club hosts Lucky Play Days until March 3, comprising Lunar New Year-themed crafts and games with passes priced at P699 for children and P299 for adults. Thrillscape introduces New Year Power Ups until March 3, with the New Year’s Resolution Package available at P1,888 for new challengers and the New Adventures Package at P1,488 for returning guests. At The Retreat Spa, the Lunar Glow Facial is offered at a special rate of P3,888 throughout January, giving guests a refreshing way to begin the year, complete with a complimentary surprise gift. Festive shopping completes the experience, with Fortune Finds allowing guests at The Gift Boutique and The Play Store to receive Ang Bao rewards with a minimum spend of P2,000 from February 1 to 22. Guests can also take home the Lucky Bear Bundle for PHP 2,500 featuring Okada Manila lucky bears, Okada Manila bear shirts, and Cheongsam dresses. Through this Lunar New Year lineup, Okada Manila brings together a range of experiences that give guests more ways to celebrate, return, and enjoy the season of good fortune across the resort. To know more about Okada Manila’s Lunar New Year 2026 promotions, visit https://okdmnl.ph/GoodFortune2026 or follow Okada Manila on social media.

Iloilo City wins 2 global awards for cleanliness, ecosystem restoration

LOILO City began 2026 on a high note, earning two prestigious international recognitions for its commitment to cleanliness and ecosystem restoration. For the second time, Iloilo City has been honored with the ASEAN Clean Tourist City Award, reaffirming its dedication to

sustainable, community-driven tourism. Mayor Raisa Treñas expressed pride in the achievement. “We are very proud that once again our city has been recognized as an ASEAN Clean Tourist City. This honor is for all Ilonggos, so let us continue to work together to maintain the

cleanliness, well-being, and beauty of our beloved city,” she said. The validation and on-site inspection were conducted on July 25, 2025 by the Department of Tourism Central Office – Office of Tourism Standards. The official awarding ceremony will take place in Cebu City on January 30, 2026. Iloilo City first received the award in 2019, covering the 2020–2022 cycle. Also, Iloilo City has been recognized as a Role Model City by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center for advancing ecosystem restoration and implementing nature-based solutions (NbS) in urban spaces. This honor contributes to the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, highlighting Iloilo’s successful track record in integrating NbS to create greener, more resilient communities. These twin recognitions underscore Iloilo City’s growing reputation as a model for clean, sustainable, and resilient urban development. As the city continues to inspire Ilonggos and the global community, it strengthens its role as a leader in tourism excellence and environmental stewardship.

ArenaPlus issues statement on malicious, misleading deepfake videos circulating online

RENAPLUS, the flagship sportsbook brand of leading and pioneering digital entertainment company DigiPlus Interactive Corp., strongly denounces the fraudulent fake videos circulating online that misuses the ArenaPlus brand identity. These videos, which are fake, unauthorized, and even used private individuals that are not connected to the Brand, did not originate from ArenaPlus, nor were created, approved, commissioned, produced, or released by ArenaPlus in any form. The fabricated videos constitute a malicious misappropriation of ArenaPlus assets, designed to deceive the public and falsely link our brand to unauthorized messaging and unauthorized endorsement from individuals not related or connected to the Brand.

The videos do not reflect ArenaPlus’ views, operations, messaging, standards, or official communications. Any claim or implication that it is connected to ArenaPlus is false. ArenaPlus condemns these actions in the strongest possible terms. The content in question grossly misrepresents our values, operations, and official communications. ArenaPlus, in conjunction with its parent company DigiPlus, is treating this matter with the utmost seriousness and is actively taking steps to identify the source of these fraudulent videos. To safeguard ArenaPlus’ brand integrity, we are currently coordinating with digital platform providers and relevant authorities to halt the circulation of these fabricated contents and pursue all appropriate legal actions. The public is strongly urged to

disregard the videos and refrain from sharing unverified content. For accurate information about ArenaPlus, players and the rest of the public should refer only to official ArenaPlus platforms, as well as its verified social media pages: • FB page https://www.facebook.com/ arenaplusofficial/ • X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/ arenaplusph • Instagram: https://www.instagram. com/arenaplusph • TikTok: arenaplusph Additional information about ArenaPlus and DigiPlus Interactive Corp. is available at https://www.digiplus.com.ph ArenaPlus remains committed to protecting its brand, its players, and the integrity of the digital spaces in which it operates.

Puregold’s ‘Pusong Panalo’ brightens students’ path in remote Rizal village

N an upland village in Tanay, Rizal, children would trek for up to one hour before sunrise just to make it to class. Many from poor and indigenous families, these students have no choice but to walk just to get an education. To help make their daily trek safer and their school days brighter, leading supermarket chain Puregold Price Club Inc. recently brought a comprehensive support package for Alas-Asin Elementary school. The company’s support includes a reliable power source through solar panels, health and dental checkups, and essential goods, including school supplies for students and grocery packs for families. It also built a new playground, giving the community’s children a well-equipped space for play. To support teachers and learners’ families, Puregold also delivered livelihood packages to provide them with new means to earn a living. “Ang ganda ng lente ng Puregold, nakita kami. Sobrang liwanag, nakita ‘yung pangangailangan ng school,” according to school head Marvie Guinto. “Although green ang kulay niyo, ginintuan ang puso ng mga staff.” She noted how Puregold’s gift bags were packed with goodies that many of the children had never even seen or tried before. “Sobrang saya po kasi po kami ang napili ng Puregold at nabigyan po kami ng pagkain, drinks, at snacks, mga chocolate po, tsinelas at damit,” said one of the beneficiary students.

“‘Yung mga blessings nila, sobra na. ‘Yung dala nila masyadong madami. Thank you po Puregold sa mga biyaya na binigay niyo sa amin,” another student said. Alas-Asin was the sixth school to benefit from Puregold’s “Pusong Panalo” program in 2025, as the top retailer sustained its program that aims to bridge the gap between urban and rural areas by providing much needed aid to overlooked communities. The program, which started in 2024, has reached eight schools across the country so far, with the goal of providing urgent support, including learning technology, essential goods, classroom renovations, and solar panel installations for 30 more schools by 2028. “Puregold believes that education is the key to a better life. For these children, this school represents their hope for a brighter future. We came here to provide better tools and facilities so these students can achieve their dreams,” said Puregold President Vincent Co. Puregold believes that every Filipino child with a “gintong pangarap” deserves a fighting chance. Its Pusong Panalo program is looking for more schools to help. If you know of a school in a remote or underserved area that needs a helping hand, you may reach out to Puregold through the following channels. Facebook: Message the official Puregold Page. Email: alingpuring@puregold.com.ph Mail: Puregold Price Club Inc., 900 D. Romualdez St., Paco, Manila, 1007.

www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Sunday, January 18, 2026 A9

Autism isn’t one-size-fits-all: Landmark study reveals four distinct subtypes New genetic research shows autism’s diversity is rooted in biology, opening doors to personalized care

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

UTISM has always been described as a spectrum, but for families, doctors, and educators, that word often feels too vague. It suggests variety, yes, but doesn’t explain why one child may struggle with language while another excels verbally but faces severe anxiety. A groundbreaking study published in Nature Genetics last July 2025 now offers a clearer picture: Autism isn’t just a spectrum, it’s a collection of distinct subtypes, each shaped by unique biological patterns. The research, led by scientists at Princeton University, the Flatiron Institute, and the Simons Foundation, analyzed data from more than 5,300 children with autism. By combining detailed behavioral information with genetic data, the team identified four major groups of autistic children, each with its own mix of challenges, strengths, and developmental pathways. The findings could reshape how autism is understood—and how support is tailored to individuals.

The human face of autism’s diversity FOR decades, families and clinicians have observed that autism looks different from child to child. Some children speak fluently but struggle with social cues. Others face profound developmental delays, needing lifelong support. Until now, science has struggled to explain these differences

in a systematic way. “This study shows that autism isn’t one-size-fits-all,” co-author Olga Troyanskaya of Princeton University said. “We can now see clear patterns that reflect both behavior and biology. That’s a huge step toward understanding each child’s needs.”

Four subtypes, four stories THE researchers used advanced statistical modeling to sort children into categories based on 239 different traits, ranging from social communication skills to developmental milestones like walking and talking. The result was four distinct subtypes:

Social/behavioral CHILDREN in this group struggle most with social skills, repetitive behaviors, and conditions like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety. Interestingly, they do not show developmental delays, meaning they reach milestones like walking and talking on time. For families, this often means navigating behavioral challenges rather than developmental ones.

Mixed autism with developmental delay THIS group faces language and motor delays, intellectual disability, and sometimes self-injury. However, they are less likely to experience ADHD or depression compared to other groups. Parents often notice early signs, such as delayed speech or difficulty with coordination.

Moderate challenges THESE children show milder difficulties overall. They may struggle more than nonautistic peers, but their challenges are less severe compared to other autistic groups. For many families, this group represents children who need support but may thrive with targeted interventions.

Broadly affected THE most severely impacted group, these children face wide-ranging difficulties across nearly every area—social, behavioral, developmental, and psychiatric. They are more likely to require multiple interventions, from speech therapy to medication, and often face co-occurring conditions like intellectual disability.

Beyond labels: Why this matters FOR families, the study validates what many already know: autism is not a single condition. It’s a collection of different experiences. By identifying subtypes, researchers hope to move toward more personalized care. “Parents often ask, ‘What does this diagnosis mean for my child?’” said lead author Aviya Litman. “Our findings suggest that the answer depends on which subtype their child falls into. Each group has its own trajectory, shaped by biology.”

AMERICAN banker Donald Triplett (September 8, 1933-June 15, 2023) was the first individual diagnosed with autism. Diagnosed in 1943, he was noted for his savant abilities, or distinguished talents in science or arts, particularly in his naming musical notes played on a piano and the ability to perform rapid mental multiplication. WIKIPEDIA CC BY-SA 4.0

The genetic connection ONE of the most striking aspects of the study is how these subtypes align with genetic differences. The researchers found that each group is linked to distinct genetic signals: a. Children in the Social/behavioral and Broadly affected groups showed strong genetic links to ADHD and depression. b. The Broadly affected group carried more rare, spontaneous mutations in critical genes, which may explain their severe developmental challenges. c. The Mixed autism with developmental delay group often inherited genetic variations from their parents, suggesting a stronger familial component. d. The Moderate challenges group showed mutations in less-essential genes, hinting at subtler biological disruptions.

Even more remarkable, the timing of these genetic changes matched up with developmental milestones. For example, disruptions in certain genes aligned with delays in walking or speaking. This connection between biology and behavior could help doctors predict outcomes earlier and design interventions that match each child’s needs.

It also suggests that science is mov ing closer to understanding those differences in ways that could improve care. “ This research doesn’t just tell us about genes,” Troyanskaya said. “It tells us about children, families, and the diverse ways autism shapes lives. That’s what makes it so powerful.”

Replication and reliability

Looking ahead

TO ensure their findings weren’t unique to one dataset, the researchers tested their model on another large autism study, the Simons Simplex Collection. The results were nearly identical, confirming that the four subtypes are consistent across different groups of children. This replication strengthens confidence that the categories reflect real differences, not statistical quirks.

THE study’s authors say that their findings are not about reducing autism to rigid categories but about recognizing its diversity and grounding it in biology. As co-author Olga Troyanskaya of Princeton University explained: “Autism is not a single condition but a collection of distinct biological programs. By uncovering these subtypes, we can begin to understand each child’s unique trajectory and move toward more personalized care.” Lead author Aviya Litman underscored the importance of validating family experiences. “Families and clinicians have long known that autism looks different from child to child. Our work shows those differences are systematic, not random, and rooted in biology,” Litman said. Natalie Sauerwald of the Flatiron Institute highlighted the study’s practical implications: “By linking traits to genetics, we can move beyond labels and start thinking about autism in terms of distinct pathways. That opens the door to more targeted support for children and families.” Together, their voices capture the essence of the study: autism is diverse, deeply individual, and now increasingly understood through the lens of biology. By mapping its subtypes, science is taking a step closer to care that ref lects each child ’s unique story.

A step toward precision medicine FOR years, autism treatment has relied on broad strategies—speech therapy, behavioral interventions, medication—applied across the spectrum. While helpful, these approaches don’t always account for individual differences. By mapping autism into subtypes, doctors may one day tailor therapies more precisely. Imagine a future where a child’s genetic profile helps guide treatment: one child may benefit most from early language interventions, while another may need support for managing anxiety. This is the promise of precision medicine in autism—care that reflects the unique biology of each child.

Families at the center FOR families, the study offers both validation and hope. It confirms that the differences they see in their children are real and rooted in biology.

Biotech crops’ unseen roles in global fight against 1B tons of food waste By Clement Dionglay

S TA R K and hear t-wrenching paradox haunts the modern world: while nearly one-tenth of humanity goes to bed hungry, a tidal wave of nourishing food is wasted. Tons of perfectly edible food are lost from the field to the fridge daily. It represents not just wasted grain, spoiled fruit, or discarded leftovers, but squandered labor, precious water, and the energy of countless human hands. Think of the farmer whose harvest rots from disease, or the mother who must choose between bills and a meal, and the sheer volume of resources in landfills, stirs a profound sense of guilt and helplessness. This global trend demands that we look beyond our plates and find powerful, systemic solutions to save the food that the world so desperately needs.

How much food is wasted globally?

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reported that global food wastage reached approximately 1.05 billion tons in 2022, covering retail, food service, and household consumption. This figure represents 132 kilograms (kg) of food waste for every person on the planet annually. Households alone accounted for the largest share of this waste at 79kg per capita. Furthermore, this consumer-level waste occurs on top of the estimated 13 percent of the world’s food supply that is lost during handling and processing before it even reaches the retail stage. Food loss and waste are a massive driver of climate change, generating 8 percent to 10 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

This contamination fuels an unstable climate, leading to extreme weather events, such as droughts and devastating floods, creating a vicious cycle of changes in climate that severely disrupt the food system, reducing crop yields, lowering the nutritional value of harvests, and threatening global food security.

the impulse to throw them away. Non-browning crops, particularly Innate potato, are engineered with traits that not only prevent enzymatic browning (the color change when cut), but also decrease black spot bruising from impacts during harvesting, packing, and transportation. This dual-action protection ensures the crops maintain quality longer during storage and are less likely to be rejected by distributors or retailers. By delaying the browning process, the produce is more stable and visually fresh over longer periods, buying more time for the food to move from the packing house to the consumer’s basket before it’s deemed unsaleable.

Biotech crops fighting global fwaste

ENTER biotech crops, also known as genetically modified (GM) crops. Often lauded for their role in increasing yields and reducing pesticide use, these scientific innovations are also playing a crucial, often overlooked, role in a different kind of food security: reducing food wastage across the entire supply chain. How do biotech crops help in the fight against global food loss and waste?

1. Insect-resistant crops

INSECT-RESISTANT crops containing genes from the soil-dwelling bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), are one of the most effective biotechnological tools for directly reducing pre-harvest food loss caused by insect pests. They contribute to decreasing global food waste by protecting crops in the field, increasing marketable yield, and lowering the reliance on pesticides. Bt is the most commonly used biological pesticide worldwide. Insect resistant crops have their own internal defense mechanism. They are engineered to produce proteins that are toxic to specific insect pests (such as the European corn borer, Asiatic corn borer, eggplant fruit and shoot borer, or the cotton bollworm), but are safe for humans,

NEW banana varieties with improved reduced-browning characteristics have been determined as non-genetically modified organisms in the Philippines. The Certificates of Non-Coverage from JDC 01 s. 2021 was granted by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry on June 21, 2024, to reduced browning banana developed by Tropic Biosciences through the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system. The bananas have the potential to reduce food waste and carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to removing 2 million cars from the road per year. ISAAA BIOTECH UPDATES WEB PAGE

livestock, and most beneficial insects. Bt technology in crops—such as corn, cotton, and eggplant—ensures that the harvest is healthy and undamaged. This means that insect-resistant crops are protected 24/7. Insect resistance also helps achieve higher-quality produce. The crops have less internal and external damage and look better, withstand handling and storage better, and meet the quality standards required by retailers and consumers. Lastly, insect-resistant crops lower farmers’ reliance on pesticides. While reducing pesticide use is an environmental benefit, it also has a practical impact on crop loss.

2. Non-browning crops

NON-BROWNING and reduced browning crops significantly reduce global food waste by preventing the cosmetic damage that triggers consumers and retailers to reject perfectly edible produce. Using genetic engineering or gene editing, breeders suppress the production of the enzyme responsible for the browning reaction. Browning and bruising are often perceived as signs of spoilage or old age, leading consumers to choose unblemished produce and discard items that have only superficial damage. Non-browning crops remain visually appealing for much longer after being cut or slightly bumped, reducing

3. Delayed-ripening crops

DELAYED-RIPENING crops significantly reduce global food waste by extending the marketable life of perishable produce, primarily fruits and vegetables, allowing them more time to move through the supply chain before spoilage. By genetically modifying the plant’s natural ripening process— often by regulating the production, or signaling of the plant hormone ethylene—the time from harvest to full ripeness is dramatically extended. This is crucial for long-distance shipping, where conventional varieties would spoil before arrival. A slower-ripening crop is less susceptible to quality degradation if there are minor delays or disruptions in delivery, which is particularly common in developing nations.

4. Drought- and salinitytolerant crops

DROUGHT- and salinity-tolerant crops

reduce global food waste by preventing pre-harvest losses and ensuring stable yields even when climate change and poor irrigation practices make the environment hostile. These biotech and conventionally bred crops act as a vital insurance policy against the environmental stresses that can cause crop failure, which is a major source of food loss. Abiotic stresses like drought (water scarcity) and high salinity (excess salt) are estimated to cause substantial crop losses, often exceeding 50 percent for major crops globally. Tolerant crops directly address this by mitigating the damage at the source by preventing crop failure and protecting the quality and nutritional value of crops.

The bigger picture

BY making crops more robust against threats, extending their freshness, and reducing spoilage, biotech crops are an indispensable tool in the global fight against food loss and waste. This is not only about efficiency, but also about making our food systems more sustainable, feeding more people with the same resources, and reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture. As we look for comprehensive solutions to global food security and sustainability, the quiet but powerful contribution of biotech crops to reducing food waste deserves greater recognition. They are helping us ensure that the food we grow fulfills its purpose: nourishing the world, one bite at a time. Clement Dionglay is a project associate at International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications Inc.

A10 Sunday, January 18, 2026

Faith

Sunday Editor: Lyn Resurreccion • www.businessmirror.com.ph

Pope Leo XIV proclaims Franciscan Jubilee Year

ATICAN—Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a “Special Year of St. Francis” to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death. During this time of grace, which will extend until January 2027, the faithful are granted the opportunity to obtain a plenary indulgence.

This Franciscan Jubilee Year, considered a gift for the entire Church and an occasion for authentic spiritual renewal, was inaugurated on January 10 with a decree issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See. Until January 10, 2027, the faithful can obtain this grace under the usual conditions—sacramental confession, Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the pope— by making a pilgrimage to any Franciscan conventual church or place of worship dedicated to St. Francis anywhere in the world. Furthermore, the elderly, the

sick, and those who, for serious reasons, cannot leave their homes can obtain the plenary indulgence by spiritually joining in the jubilee celebrations and offering their prayers, pains, or sufferings to God. In a world where “the virtual takes over the real, disagreements and social violence are part of everyday life, and peace becomes more insecure and distant every day, this Year of St. Francis spurs all of us, each according to our possibilities, to imitate the poor man of Assisi, to form ourselves as far as possible on the model of

Pilgrim image of Our Lady of Guadalupe to visit PHL

A 13th-century fresco of St. Francis of Assisi by the Florentine painter Cimabue, one of the earliest depictions of the saint, is located in the lower church of the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Assisi, Italy. JACOB STEIN/CRUX STATIONALIS VIA CNA Christ,” the decree states. For the Order of Friars Minor, this time is also an opportunity for the faithful to become “models of holiness of life and constant witnesses of peace.” On the occasion of this anniversary, Pope Leo XIV addressed a letter to the ministers general of the Franciscan Family Conference in which he emphasized that “in this era, marked by so many seemingly endless wars, by internal and social

divisions that create distrust and fear, he continues to speak. Not because he offers technical solutions, but because his life points to the authentic source of peace.” In this regard, he highlighted that St. Francis reminds us that “peace with God, peace among people, and peace with creation are inseparable dimensions of a single call to universal reconciliation.” Almudena Martínez-

Bordiú/Catholic News Agency

Cebu archbishop urges Sinulog festival organizers: Reject gambling sponsors A RCHBISHOP Alberto Uy of Cebu urged organizers of this year’s Sinulog Festival to reject gambling sponsorships, warning such partnerships threaten the religious integrity of the annual celebration. He said Sinulog is foremost a religious feast honoring the Santo Niño, not merely a cultural event or tourism attraction. “It is, above all, a religious celebration, rooted in our faith and centered on the Child Jesus. Its spiritual meaning must be preserved, protected, and respected,” Uy said. He warned that accepting gambling sponsors sends conflicting moral signals to devotees and the public, undermining values symbolized by the Child Jesus. Uy cited concerns linking gambling to addiction, family breakdown and financial hardship, particularly among the poor and

most vulnerable. “We cannot ask the Santo Niño to bless our families while inviting support from industries that have, in many cases, contributed to family breakdown and poverty,” he said. The archbishop also said allowing sacred celebrations

to be funded by gamblingrelated industries risks creating scandal and eroding the Church’s credibility. He stressed that Sinulog serves as a tool for evangelization, drawing pilgrims and young people seeking faith, guidance and inspiration.

Commercial sponsorships from gambling sectors, he added, risk shifting public perception of Sinulog from a sacred feast to a profit-driven spectacle. “My appeal is simple yet heartfelt: Let the Sinulog remain a festival that truly reflects the joy, purity, and light of the Santo Niño,” Uy said. He encouraged organizers to instead seek partners aligned with faith, family and community values, saying responsible stewardship protects the festival’s spiritual character. The Sinulog Festival is an annual religious and cultural celebration honoring the Holy Child Jesus in Cebu, often called the cradle of Christianity in Asia. One of the country’s most renowned festivals, Sinulog draws millions of local and foreign visitors each year. The festival is held every third Sunday of January. CBCP News

HE pilgrim image of Our Lady of Guadalupe from Mexico will visit the Philippines later this year, marking a key event ahead of the 500th anniversary of the Marian apparitions. The Association of Catholic Shrines and Pilgrimages in the Philippines (ACSP) said the visit supports national participation in celebrations leading to the 2031 jubilee. The visit forms part of the Novena Intercontinental Guadalupana, a global devotional program running from 2025 to 2031, the association said. “An official visit of the Pilgrim Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe from Mexico to the Philippines will be held from June to December 2026,” ACSP said. The image is expected to visit selected cathedrals and parishes across the country dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe. ACSP said the full itinerary and detailed schedule for the visit will be announced in the coming weeks. The visit follows a partnership between the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines and the Mexican Bishops’ Conference. The collaboration aims to strengthen national celebrations of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, observed annually on December 12, the group said. It said this had already begun last year during the Jubilee of Hope and will continue in the coming years “to solidify its status as a national event.” Beyond the image visit, ACSP said it will produce Filipino catechetical materials on Guadalupan devotion for parish use. The long-term program also includes an official Filipino pilgrimage to Mexico in November 2026, involving selected Guadalupan shrines and parishes. Another pilgrimage is scheduled for 2028 at the Shrine of Guadalupe de Extremadura in Spain, honoring the Spanish devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. ACSP said it will also organize national Guadalupan congresses beginning in 2027 to deepen understanding and devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. The National Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Makati City will host the first congress in 2027, followed by other Guadalupan shrines in 2029, 2031 and 2033. A historical book documenting Philippine Guadalupan devotion from 1687 to the present is expected to be completed by 2031. The program also links Philippine shrines to a global “Guadalupan Triangle” network connecting devotional sites in Mexico, Spain and the Philippines. CBCP News

THE pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe from Mexico at a shrine dedicated to her in the Archdiocese of Chicago on August 27, 2025, during a pilgrimage across the United States last year. SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE-ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO/FACEBOOK

Two kinds of seed and two kinds of people Pope Leo XIV confers 'Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice By Chairman Lee Man-hee

N the religious world, there are two kinds of spirit and two kinds of people depending on which spirit’s “seed” (figurative expression in the Bible that means “word,” see Luke 8:11) which they have received. Those who belong to each spirit become the possession of that spirit and become their house (see Matthew 13, and 1 Corinthians 3:16). At the first coming, Jesus sowed God’s seed in his field, but the devil came and sowed his own seed. Thus, both God’s seed and the devil’s seed were sown in Jesus’ field, that is, Jesus’ church. However, fearing that the weeds which grew from the devil’s seed might also uproot the wheat which grew from God’s seed, the weeds were not pulled out and they grew together until the time of the harvest (the end time) (Matthew 13:2930). The harvest is said to be the end of the age (Matthew 13:39). This harvest is the fulfillment of the New Testament Book of Revelation which is the end of a superficial and false faith (see Revelation 6 and 14). Sowing and harvesting are a figurative manner of explanation based on the

CHAIRMAN Lee Man-hee leads Shincheonji Church of Jesus the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, which is currently testifying about the fulfilled realities of the Book of Revelation. He also leads Heavenly Culture World Peace Restoration of Light, an international peace organization that promotes world peace through interfaith harmony, international law and peace education.

farming of this world. The time of Jesus’ first coming was the time of sowing, and his second coming is the time of harvest. If you are not harvested during this harvest, you will not be saved. Christians, from which of the two seeds were you born? And were you harvested during the harvest? At his second coming, Jesus will send angels to harvest those born of God’s seed (Matthew 24:29-31). This is explained in Matthew 13 and Revelation 14.

Christians, have you been born of God’s seed? Have you been harvested? Have you been sealed? Have you been registered in the 12 tribes of the promised new kingdom? (Revelation 7) Check for yourself. It would be for your own good. Those born of God’s seed are those who are harvested during the harvest, those who are sealed, those who are registered in the 12 tribes of the promised new kingdom and those who have not added to or taken away from the Book of Revelation (Revelation 22:18-19). These are those who are created, according to the Book of Revelation, without adding or taking away from it. At the harvest time spoken of in Revelation, one must be harvested, sealed, and registered with the 12 tribes of the promised new kingdom to welcome the second coming of Jesus. Furthermore, one must not add or take away from the Book of Revelation. Those who desire to be saved must keep these words in mind. At the time of harvest which is the time of the fulfillment of Revelation, only those who are born of God’s seed among the two kinds of seed and belong to God will be saved. Amen.

Award' on Santisima Trinidad’s 1st parish priest

OPE Leo XIV has decreed the conferment of Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (For the Church and the Pope) recognition upon Rev. Fr. Domingo V. Baybay. Santisima Trinidad Parish posted on its Facebook on January 8 the announcement of Pope Leo XIV “in recognition of his [Babay’s] outstanding commitment and service to the Church’s mission and the Holy Father.” The award will be formally conferred during a Eucharistic celebration on January 30, at 6 p.m. at the Santisima Trinidad Parish. The liturgical celebration and the conferral rites will be presided over by His Eminence Jose F. Cardinal Advincula, Archbishop of Manila. Santisima Trinidad, with its current parish priest, Fr. Carmelo “Jek” Arada, invited the parishioners to attend the special occasion. Santisima Trinidad said on Facebook the award on Baybay, its first parish priest, is a “big blessing for the parish and community.” Baybay’s recognition highlights his

FR. Domingo Baybay SANTISIMA TRINIDAD PARISH FACEBOOK PHOTO

contribution to the life and mission of the Church, marking a moment of honor not only for himself but also for the local ecclesial community he serves. He celebrated his 53rd sacerdotal anniversary in 2025, or over five decades of service to the Church He played a critical role in converting

Santisima Trinidad’s predecessor—the neglected Iglesia Independista de Santisima Trinidad, a break away from the Philippine Independent Church, or Aglipayan—into a Roman Catholic parish in the 1990s. Then-Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, converted the 1935-built Iglesia Independista into Catholic that became the Santisima Trinidad Parish, on March 25, 1994. Appointed as its first parish priest, Baybay battled years of legal battle over the property where the church has been standing. Baybay previously served as a formator at St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Tabaco, Albay, and has held various appointments within the Archdiocese of Manila. The Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Award is traditionally granted as a sign of the pope’s appreciation for long and meritorious service, underscoring the recipient’s dedication to ecclesial mission and fidelity to the Holy Father. Established in 1888 by Pope Leo XIII, the decoration remains a rare and significant distinction within the Church. Lyn Resurreccion

Biodiversity Sunday BusinessMirror

Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014

Sunday, January 18, 2026 A11

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Mimaropa, a haven for marine turtles

Ideal habitats, strong protection measures, and active partnership make the Southwestern Tagalog Region a safe and perfect place for marine turtles to thrive By Jonathan L. Mayuga

raised on the impact of tourism, including disturbance of the environment and carrying capacity of the island.” Ocampo said shorelines should also be maintained free from artificial lights and structures, especially in sea turtle nesting areas, since sea level is rising and coastal areas are becoming crowded.

N New Year’s Day, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) released 88 olive ridley turtle hatchlings in Sitio Boac, Barangay Iriron, Calintaan in Occidental Mindoro. The nest of the olive ridley hatchlings was discovered along Sitio Boac beach on November 17, 2025, a known nesting site in the area. To protect the eggs, they were relocated to higher ground by Pawikan Patrollers and members of Bantay Dagat (Sea Patrol), as well as the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council of Calintaan under the guidance and super vision of the DENR Mimaropa (Mindoro Occidental and Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan). Forty-five days later, one by one, the little turtle hatchlings emerged. Meanwhile, just as the release of the tur tles was done, the Pawikan Patrollers received a report of marine turtle at Anonong nesting site in Barangay Concepcion, also in Calintaan. The patrollers, after verifying the report, moved to transfer 113 eggs to a temporary hatchery at Ragara Beach, also in Barangay Concepcion, for protection and to ensure proper incubation.

Partnership for Pawikan Conservation

GREEN turtle PHOTO CREDIT TO DANNY OCAMPO HAWKSBILL turtle PHOTO CREDIT TO DANNY OCAMPO

Threatened species

OLIVE RIDLEY is one of the five marine turtle species that naturally occur in the Philippines. K n ow n l o c a l l y a s p aw i k a n , t h e species—which include the green turtle, hawksbill, leatherback, and loggerhead— are considered threatened due to habitat loss and poaching. Of them, the green turtle is the most common species found in the Philippines. According to FlipScience, a Filipinoowned science-centric online news and features portal, the green turtle is also the most common nester, and commonly seen in shallow coastal waters, grazing on seagrass. The hawksbill turtle, known for its bird-like beak, is frequently spotted near coral reefs. It feeds on sponges and, like the parrot fish, is important to keep corals healthy. Sponges and corals often compete for the same rocky surfaces. Fast-growing sponges can sometimes overgrow or smother living corals. Olive ridley is commonly nest among marine turtles, particularly in Northwest Palawan, while the leatherback is the largest, and the loggerhead is the rarest of the five in the species in the country. Protecting eggs, nesting sites The DENR is protecting pawikan and

PAWIKAN conservation champions release hatchlings in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. PHOTO CONTRIBUTION FROM DENR CENTRO SAN JOSE AND DENR MIMAROPA

their nesting sites through the Pawikan Conservation Program. According to the Asean Centre for Biodiversity, the primary marine turtle nesting sites in the country are concentrated in the southwestern Sulu Sea and various coastal areas in the country. The Turtle Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Tawi-Tawi is the most significant and regionally important for the species’ survival. Marine turtles are ancient, prehistoric animals that are long-distance swimmers and are highly migratory. They know no boundaries and once they are at sea, they travel across oceans to feed, breed, and only return to where they were hatched to lay eggs.

Haven for marine turtles

DENR Mimaropa maintains marine turtle hatchery facilities in selected areas. A temporary, makeshift hatchery is currently operating in Calintaan, Occidental Mindoro, while another facility is located in Abra de Ilog also in the province, within a private resort that is implemented in

coordination with concerned stakeholders. Currently, there are 290 marine turtle nests across the region, with Romblon having the largest number of identified nests. There are 86 nests in Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, five in Marinduque, 136 in Romblon, and 61 in Palawan. In 2025, a total of 4,683 marine turtle hatchings were released into the wild in the five Mimaropa provinces. In Calintaan, DENR works closely with trained and accredited Pawikan Patrollers, who play a critical role in nest monitoring, protection, and communitybased conservation efforts. DENR is collaborating with local government units (LGUs), other government a g e n c i e s, p r i vate i n d i v i d u a l s, a n d conservation groups.

Ideal for marine turtles

REGION IV-B, known as the Mimaropa Region but formally called the Southwestern Tagalog Region, is fast emerging as a haven for marine turtles. It is highly significant as a marine turtle haven due to its extensive coastal

MARINE turtle hatchlings race to the sea during release in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. PHOTO CONTRIBUTION FROM DENR CENRO SAN JOSE AND DENR MIMAROPA

areas and surrounding seas, which serve as critical habitats for nesting, feeding, and migration of marine turtles, said Efren L. delos Reyes, Community Environment and Natural Resource Officer of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. As an island region surrounded by vast waters, Mimaropa provides essential natural conditions required by marine turtles, including suitable sandy shorelines for egg-laying, relatively clean coastal and marine environment, and sufficient food resources necessary for their survival, delos Reyes told the B usiness M irror via telephone interview.

Serious threats

DELOS REYES said marine turtles face several serious threats, including climate change, particularly sea-level rise that inundates nesting beaches; marine pollution, such as plastics and discarded fishing gear that cause ingestion and entanglement; illegal trade of turtle scutes (bony plate on a turtle’s shell); diseases; and coastal development, including poorly planned seawall construction that disrupts natural

nesting habitats. Danny Ocampo, a master diver and ocean conservation advocate, said marine turtles have varied diets, including jellyfish, making ocean plastic pollution a deadly threat to adult pawikan. “Plastics are sometimes mistaken by sea turtles as jellyfish and unknowingly eat them. Plastics sometimes get mixed with floating jellyfishes so they ingest them accidentally. There have been documented deaths of sea turtles and other marine animals from ingesting plastics,” Ocampo told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on January 15. Abandoned, or ghost, nets are among the top plastics polluting the oceans. They become death traps to marine animals, including sea turtles, he said. “Sea turtles are migratory species, though their tourism value is important, considerations should be made about whether headstarting them should be considered or included in tourism activities,” he said. He cited that Apo Island is known for sea turtle tourism “but concerns have been

IN Calintaan, as well as other provinces and towns in the region, DENR Mimaropa implements marine turtle conservation through nest monitoring, hatchling protection, and release. With the help of various conservation partners, the DENR-Mimaropa is protecting marine turtle habitats and strictly enforcing wildlife laws, while implementing information and education campaigns about the importance of the turtles to the environment. “Despite limited financial resources, conservation efforts are sustained through strong partnerships with LGUs, other government agencies, private groups, and committed individuals, enabling the continued protection of marine turtles in the region,” Ocampo said. Assistant Director Mariglo Laririt of DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau said there is no measurement for the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in conservation. “The work that needs to be done is immense, and the effort must match it. How does one begin to measure the need to work together? So much has been lost and damaged that we need everyone to help in the restoration of what has been destroyed and conserving what is left, for the sake of all living things present and future?” Laririt pointed out to the BusinessMirror via Messenger on January 16. Laririt lamented: “There have been too many generations of humans freeloading off planet Earth. If we understand the concept of paying rent and spending for utilities, we must give back to the ecosystems that provide the services that underpin life,” she said. The best way to do this is by working “together,” she noted. Laririt explained that humans need to protect and conserve marine turtles because we are responsible for pushing them to different levels of endangerment by harming them, by harvesting them, and by destroying their habitats. “ We understand the concept of restitution—when someone offends us, we want them to pay us back,” she pointed out. “So we have to restore the damage we wrought upon marine turtles. The good news is that we can,” Laririt said.

Seafdec achieves world’s first natural captive spawning of ‘tulingan’

OR the first time, a mackerel tuna— also known as “kawakawa” and “tulingan” in the Philippines, long considered nearly impossible to breed—has reproduced naturally in captive conditions at a research center in the Philippines. The tuna (Euthynnus affinis) was spawned at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (Seafdec/AQD) in Tigbauan, Iloilo, without the use of hormone injections, said the Center’s news release. The first spawning event under fully captive conditions was recorded in July 2025, with repeated spawning observed through September.

Overcoming a long-standing aquaculture barrier

“TUNA species pose exceptional challenges for aquaculture due to their highly migratory behavior, rapid swimming speeds, and acute sensitivity to confinement stress,” shared Dr. Takahiro Sajiki, deputy chief of Seafdec/AQD and co-manager of the Japanese Trust Fund that supported the research project. He added that these traits have limited breeding efforts, forcing most tuna farming operations to rely on wild-caught juveniles.

ONE of the first naturally spawned mackerel tuna fry, photographed under a microscope three days after hatching.

SEAFDEC/AQD ASSOCIATE Researcher Irene Cabanilla-Legaspi (left) examines the reproductive development of mackerel tuna samples during the early years of her research in 2021.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SEAFDEC/AQD.

Tulingan, a small neritic tuna—or found in the shallow part of the ocean near a coast— widely consumed in Southeast Asia, has been particularly difficult to maintain and develop to maturity in enclosed systems, as well as induce to spawn under captive conditions.

Years of research behind the breakthrough

THE milestone is the result of systematic, longterm research and broodstock management at

Seafdec/AQD, despite early challenges with stress-related mortality and poor adaptation to domestication. “Rather than relying on artificial spawning induction, we refined broodstock care, continuously monitored the fish, and used controlled environmental techniques to create conditions conducive to natural reproduction,” said Irene Cabanilla-Legaspi, the SEAFDEC/ AQD researcher who has led the kawakawa project since 2020.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SEAFDEC/AQD.

“Years of careful observation and environmental control culminated in the release of eggs by captive kawakawa in an enclosed tank,” she added.

From wild juveniles to captive spawners

THE broodstock were sourced from juvenile kawakawa collected using an “otoshi-ami” fish trap in Antique province. Before transport, the fish underwent

several days of conditioning to prepare them for confinement stress and the long journey to tank facilities in the Seafdec/AQD Tigbauan Main Station. “Transport protocols were strictly followed to maximize survival. Water temperature was lowered, each fish was handled individually, and temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen levels were monitored hourly. Water samples were also collected for bacterial analyses,” according to Dr. Leobert de la Peña, head of Seafdec/AQD’s Research Division. These measures resulted in high survival rates, even three days after transport, according to the research team.

Hatchery conditioning

AT the hatchery, the juveniles were maintained in tanks with carefully regulated water quality and feeding regimes to minimize stress and promote fast growth and maturation. Over time, the fish adapted to captive conditions and released viable eggs, confirming that kawakawa can complete the reproductive cycle in a fully enclosed system without hormonal intervention. “This achievement brings us closer to establishing a full-cycle culture technology for

kawakawa from egg to larva, juvenile, adult, and back to spawning,” said Dan Baliao, chief of Seafdec/AQD.

Implications for sustainable tuna production

KAWAKAWA is valued for its firm flesh with a similar flavor and texture to bluefin tuna. However, unlike large oceanic tuna species, such as bluefin, it matures rapidly and thrives in coastal waters, making it a promising candidate for sustainable aquaculture. Notably, it also has high levels of the nutrient docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). “Developing reliable breeding and culture techniques for kawakawa could reduce dependence on wild-caught stocks and help stabilize tuna production,” Baliao said. “However, we may need more years of dedication and persistence to replicate these results to ensure consistency, and scale them up to commercial production.” The research was conducted under the Japanese Trust Fund–supported project, “Development of Full-Life Cycle Culture and Stable Production Technology of Kawakawa (Euthynnus affinis).”

Sports BusinessMirror

A12 Sunday, January 18, 2026

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph | Editor: Jun Lomibao

Heat’s on Down Under

The ladies of the Australian Open—(from left) Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova—react during a press conference ahead of the championship in Melbourne before the weekend. AP

ELBOURNE, Australia—On his much belated farewell tour to the tournament he first described as the “Happy Slam,” Roger Federer has held court on contemporary tennis. The 20-time major winner was as diplomatic as ever, of course and said he wouldn’t be the one to remind Carlos Alcaraz about how hard it is to complete a career Grand Slam when you’ve already got three of the four major titles. He also wouldn’t enter discussion on speculation that Serena Williams might be considering a comeback—a rumor the 23-time major winner has denied. Federer won five US Open titles, five at Wimbledon and three in Australia before he finally completed his career Grand Slam in 2009 with a victory at Roland Garros, where Rafael Nadal was dominant on the clay. Top-ranked Alcaraz won the backto-back Wimbledon titles in 2023 and ’24, and two French titles in a row in 2024 and last year, and won the US Open in 2022 and last year. He’s never gone past the quarterfinals in Australia, where archrival Jannik Sinner has won the past two titles. “He knows about it. It’s like Rory [McIlroy] going for the Masters, you

Federer diplomatic as ever

ROGER FEDERER (right) chats with Casper Ruud at the Rod Laver Arena during an exhibition match ahead of the Australian Open on Friday. The grand slam tournament starts Sunday. AP know, those things are tough,” Federer said Thursday, shortly after the draw was held for the first major of the year. His momentum (now) shifts toward the first round and then it’s point for point mentality. That’s what it is.

“But it’s true, at his young age, to be able to complete the career Grand Slam already now, I mean, would be crazy....I hope he does because for the game, that would be an unbelievable special moment.”

Of course, there’s 127 other men in the draw with other ideas, Federer noted, including his own long-time rival and 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic. The A lcaraz-Sinner has emerged in the last two years, with the pair splitting the eight majors between them. “The rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner, I think, is a great one. They play incredible tennis,” Federer said. “That French Open final was unreal. It just ended up in this most crazy fashion, maybe one of the greatest games we’ve ever had in our sport.” Federer is bac k v isit ing t he Aust ra l ia n O pen for t he f irst t ime since his sem if ina l loss in 2020 a nd his l ater retirement in 2022, and he’ ll play a leading role in the tournament’s first gala opening ceremony to be staged on Saturday night. He was asked about the prospects of Serena Williams returning to the tour. Williams last month issued a social media post saying she›s “NOT

Snoop Dogg on-air presence, global appeal keeps growing

OS ANGELES—Snoop Dogg arrived at Intuit Dome hours before tipoff, long before most fans filled the arena and even before some players. Dressed in a gray suit and black turtleneck, a diamond-encrusted Peacock pendant resting on his chest and purple Chuck Taylor sneakers with gold laces nodding to his lifelong Los Angeles Lakers allegiance, Snoop didn’t rush. He didn’t posture. He waited for his moment to shine as a National Basketball Association (NBA) analyst alongside Reggie Miller and Terry Gannon for Peacock’s recent Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers broadcast during the second half. With an AP reporter trailing him through the arena for an allaccess, behind-the-scenes look at his preparation—including time in the green room ahead of the broadcast—Snoop made it clear that this wasn’t a cameo. “I don’t believe NBC would have given me this opportunity if they thought I was coming in there playing

games,” said Snoop, who won over global audiences during the Paris Olympics in 2024. “It’s not so much about me. It›s so much about what the game is needing right now.” In recent months, Snoop underscored his ease in live, unscripted settings across major TV stages. He continued his work on NBC’s “The Voice,” performed during Netflix›s Christmas Day National Football League broadcast, went viral at the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl and presented and did interviews at Sunday’s Golden Globes—where Amy Poehler and Stephen Graham praised his presence. That visibility has coincided with a deepening relationship with NBCUniversal, which continues to expand his role across sports and entertainment with next month’s Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, including NBA coverage. Before opening tip of the January 5 game, Snoop sat in production meetings and joined the coaches’ meetings with Steve Kerr and Tyronn Lue. AP

THE 1 Point Slam isn’t likely to be a one-hit wonder. The first question to Jannick Sinner in the official pre-tournament news conference was, jokingly, asked how he could expect an Australian Open three-peat if he couldn›t beat an

OS ANGELES—Nadia Comaneci, Apolo Ohno, Bart Conner and Cullen Jones were among the more than 300 Olympic and Paralympic athletes who gathered Tuesday under the peristyle at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where the Summer Games will open in 2028. In an effort to promote Wednesday’s registration launch for tickets to the Los Angeles Games, the athletes representing 28 different Olympics dating to 1960 joined Janet Evans in a short countdown to the SNOOP Dogg with Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (center) and former player and lead game analyst Reggie Miller (left) following the team’s game against the Golden State Warriors recently in Inglewood, California. AP

FORMER Olympians gather for a group photo at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum ahead of the launch for ticket registration to the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. AP

Contracts in the nine figures were being thrown around, and the temptation to jump ship just got too much for some top, as well as up and coming pros. LIV wasn’t just poaching the from the bottom of the barrel, they were skimming off the very top. The war went on for a few years, with fans being split between the loyal PGA Tour guys, the take the get paid with generational wealth guys, and those who didn’t care as long as great golf was being played, wherever it was. The defections continued with top talent like Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith cashing in just as their games were at their peak.

THE golf universe is abuzz and it’s not about any tournament. Late last year, five-time major winner Brooks Koepka announced his departure from LIV Golf and his intention to return to the PGA Tour. The magnitude of his return pales in comparison only to the bombshell of top PGA Tour players defecting to LIV in 2022. To say that Brooks’ decision to come back is a major shift in the PGA Tour vs LIV saga is a huge understatement. LET’S first rewind to October 2021. Greg Norman, former world No. 1, is named CEO of LIV Golf, a league to rival the PGA Tour. Norman has always wanted more international events on the PGA Tour, since his prime in the 1990s, but was never successful. With backing from the Saudi Public Investment Fund, he saw a partnership that can provide an almost unlimited source of funding. This was around the time immediately after the worst of the Covid Pandemic, and just as golf was getting back up, this rival tour posed a serious threat to professional golf’s status quo. With backing from Saudi Arabia, issues about human rights and morality quickly surfaced. Players were quick to dismiss LIV and immediately pledged loyalty to their respective tours. Legacy, and not money was what mattered to everyone, it seemed. Of course, this all changed once the recruitment began.

1-point Australian Open prep

amateur in a one-point exhibition. “Yeah, hopefully I have a bit more control over three of five sets!” Sinner said. The second question also related to the pressure of the instant success or failure nature of the competition that featured a mix of stars against club players, women against men and was ultimately won by little-known local amateur Jordan Smith at a soldout Rod Laver Arena. The format included a rock, paper and scissors contest to see who served in the one-point match. “I was not a big fan in the beginning but when you are there and playing and seeing other matches play, it was so fun,” he said. “To [have a] packed stadium before the main event, it’s great.” He also loved the against-all-odds result. “There was no better ending, I would say, especially for the first edition, that an amateur wins,” he said. “He really needs it in a very positive way.” AP

Olympic legends reunite in LA for ’28 games tickets campaign

Koepka gets his cake

The History

coming back ” after a spokesman for the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said the 23-time Grand Slam champion had registered with the sport’s drug-testing body. That is the first step that would be required by a player seeking to come out of retirement. “I mean, I heard that she entered the doping program, and then I heard that she said she’s not coming back,” Federer said. “I mean, obviously for the game it would be incredible...Serena is such a legend to come back. “If she decides not to do it, or just maybe give herself an option—it’s great to have options in life, in my opinion. Let’s see what she does and wait for an announcement, or not.”

Money vs Legacy Offers to defect started to make people rethink their stand. Tens of millions were dangled by LIV, initially to players who were a little over the hill and weren’t expecting to win PGA events, much less any majors. Names like Pat Perez, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, started to come up in discussions. Huge signing bonuses for these players whose careers were winding down quickly became no brainers. Many thought “good riddance” and “good for you,” since these players won’t really make much of an impact with their departures. But as the months progressed, LIV got some of the biggest names in golf. Major winners and PGA Tour icons like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and the man of the hour, Brooks Koepka, suddenly announced their defection. It was around spring of 2022, and the battle was truly on.

THIS was always the choice for the very best golfers in the world when LIV came along. Do I choose to take my chances and earn riches the hard way, with no guarantees? With forms always at risk, and with injuries being an ever-present threat, it was understandable for some top players to choose LIV. What didn’t sit well with pros and fans were the excuses and sudden gripes against the PGA Tour when trying to justify why they left. Some used family time as an excuse, since LIV had fewer events then. Some said players and caddies were treated better at LIV. For those who stayed loyal to the PGA Tour, they were making a stand for history and legacy. That money will never be their top motivation for playing professional golf. That’s why access to majors and golf rankings were tightly guarded, as not to let those who took the cash and left have the same privileges as those who stayed.

lighting of the Olympic Cauldron against a clear blue winter sky. “LA is committed to delivering an athlete-centered games and that can only happen if athletes are actually at the center of our planning,” said Evans, the Olympic champion swimmer who is chief athlete officer for the LA28 organizing committee. The get-together felt like a homecoming to Ohno, the most decorated US Winter Olympian ever with eight short track speedskating medals. “I walked in and I literally saw like 50 of my friends that I’d grown up in the Olympic training center with for many years,” he said. “I haven’t seen some of these people for 10 years or more.” The athletes met with LA28 officials beforehand, with several offering suggestions on how to improve the athlete experience. “We have the athlete voice in the areas that really need to be heard,” said Jones, the retired swimmer who joined the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee last summer as associate director of athlete marketing. “I’m really excited to see what LA28 looks like.” AP

So why return?

BROOKS KOEPKA was always pretty honest about his reasons for leaving. It was a financial decision at a time when his game and his health were not in the best of places. He was also pretty candid about being disappointed at the growth of LIV Golf, that the league wasn’t getting the viewership they were aiming for. Of course, there is also the issue of access to major championships, which Brooks had being a recent major winner, but that exemption can run out too. So with his contract up for renewal in 2025, Koepka did the improbable and sent word that he’d like to return to the PGA Tour.

Reparations

OF course, Brooks Koepka didn’t expect the warmest of welcomes. There is a price to pay for leaving. $5 million to be paid to a charity was a start. Not being eligible for bonuses and FedEx Cup payouts was another price to pay. A host of other penalties were included in the deal, which all totaled, could deny Brooks of potential earnings of around $85 million. Most players and pundits say it was as fair as it could have been. Given Brooks’ influence and caliber, the PGA Tour viewed his return as a positive. Rahm, Smith and Bryson all announced they would be staying at LIV, but for how much longer is anybody’s guess. Koepka was in a unique position at the right times. He left and got paid at an uncertain time. He now returns to a tour with more open arms after thwarting the threat that was LIV Golf. At least for now, it seems like Brooks got to have his cake and ate it too.

BusinessMirror

January 18, 2026

How young women are transforming the art market

BusinessMirror JANUARY 18, 2026 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

SUNG WITH EXPERIENCE

YOUR MUSI

Josh Groban returns to Manila with songs that finally make sense

Story by Justine Xyrah Garcia

ome ballads need time and American singersongwriter Josh Groban learned that slowly. He recorded songs about grief and devotion at 17, an age when the voice knew how to carry them but the life behind it hadn’t happened yet. Two decades later, the meaning caught up and Manila gets that version next month. In a virtual press conference with BusinessMirror’s SoundStrip and other Philippine media organizations, Josh said Manila is where he says he first felt “seen.” Not politely received, but understood. “I haven't had to explain myself to the Philippines. They’ve gotten me from day one. It was the first place outside of America that I really truly felt that,” Josh said. “So every time I perform in the Philippines, it's an opportunity for me to show my gratitude for that connection and for giving me that platform to do what I do… I felt really seen by my fans in the Philippines ever since album one.”

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He talks about the Philippines with familiarity— not the superstar nostalgia of “coming home,” but more like returning to a city that listened closely. Manila took him seriously while U.S. radio was working out whether a teenage classical-pop singer belonged next to R&B and boybands. Here, the support came without hesitation. The songs made sense. The earnest delivery wasn’t something to be explained or defended. Josh talks about that era without nostalgia. For him, it’s more like a memory of being young and out of sync with his own material. “I really love singing my songs from my first album now more than I like singing them then because I've actually lived the songs now. I know what a song like to where you are feels like,” Josh explained. “I know what that loss feels like. I know I have people I can think of when I when I sing You Raise Me Up and I know what love feels like when I sing You are Love.” The Gems World Tour stop at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on February 18 carries that context —older songs, new understanding, and an audience that was already listening the first time around. Less proving, more feeling Touring sounds different when Josh talks about it now. He doesn’t tally numbers or career milestones. He now wants to focus about connection. “When you’re younger, you have pressure,” he said. “You don’t know if it’s going to last.” At 43, the urgency shifted. “Every time I come on stage now, I have one goal and that's are we going to all connect together right now?” he said, almost as if that was the only metric worth keeping. The choices he made along the way reflect that. Josh didn’t chase Top 40 trends. Streaming eventually made room for him anyway. Theater was a detour that made sense to him even if it puzzled

Josh Groban photos to Instagram

others — SweeneyTodd let him use a darker baritone and a different kind of body movement. Acting was another lane entirely. He didn’t talk about these as reinventions. Just instincts he trusted, now that he knows himself better. “I’ve been here 25 years…I don’t have anything I need to prove,” he said.

Connection that goes both ways

Manila’s listening habits played a role insustaining Josh’s early success. Fans requested songs that were not singles, including tracks like “She’s Out of My Life,” which he recorded without expecting it to travel far. It became a Manila staple. “I only sing it in Manila. I’ll sing it again this time,” he said. The setlist for February 18 remains in development, and Josh notes that he is considering what fits the Philippine audience. Local listeners respond strongly to sincerity, lyrical clarity, and vocal

power—traits that align naturally with his catalog. He says he does not want a standardized world-tour set; he wants one that meets Manila’s preferences directly. He also hinted at possible Filipino guest performers for the show but declined to name artists. “Some of my favorite singers in the world are from the Philippines,” he said. Josh describes his relationship with Filipino audiences as “a two-way gift.” He credits the country with taking his work seriously long before global platforms documented international demand, and he expresses gratitude for listeners who stayed with the music rather than the moment. “I have felt that every time I've come to Manila to perform and I need it for my soul. So I will be hopefully giving my fans in the Philippines just as much as they are giving me. It is a two-way gift and I can't wait.”

soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | JANUARY 18, 2026

ANTHEM OF HEALING Maymay Entrata shares story of resilience with single ‘Masunog Man’

BUSINESS

“

Story and photos by Patrick Villanueva

a lahat ng kanta, ito ‘yung sobrang mas personal sa’kin kasi hirap akong mag-share ng pain ko, hirap ako mag-share ng journey ko, lalo na kapag mga pagsubok… kaya sa pamamagitan ng kanta, nagagawa ko siyang ibahagi.” That’s how the Kapamilya actress-singer Maymay Entrata described her deep connection with her latest single “Masunog Man” during the single and music video launch at Tahanan Bar, Novaliches. As bubbly as Maymay is on screen, the audience saw a more vulnerable Maymay during the launch. Was it the nerves, or was it the intimate space? I believe neither. I believe that it was her tie to, and the message of, the song that made her a little emotional during the launch. And that made it all the more special to those who were present at the launch.

Song as her medium of healing

MAYMAY is most notably known for her empowering lyrics meshed with rhythmic dance moves, and “Masunog Man,” despite aligning with her usual themes of empowerment, plays a different, raw, and powerful tone that is noticeably more inspired. And, as she shared, this tune came to her during a difficult moment in her life. After losing her mom, it also became a battle

for healing for the singer. After all, the two were close and inseparable. She shared that this hurt is the most extreme that she has experienced in her life. “Sino ba namang hindi masasaktan kapag nawalan ng ina, ‘yung nagluwal sa’yo.” As difficult as the healing process may be, Maymay found the medium to turn her grieving soul into a gift for others. Saying, she let herself to be in the mindset of healing during the process of songwriting. “Healing po. Kasi ‘yung panahon na ‘yun ‘yung pagkawala ng inay ko… sabi ko imbes na i-shutdown ko ‘yung sarili ko, ilabas ko na lang ‘yung gift ko din sa pamamagitan ng kanta kasi… meron ding mga tao out there na lumalaban nang tahimik,” she shared with the media. “Gusto ko ipamahagi itong kanta dun sa mga lumalaban nang tahimik na sana po hindi nyo pagsisihan lahat ng sakripisyong binigay nyo dahil nagmamahal lang naman kayo, nagmamahal lang naman tayo ng walang hinihiling na kapalit,” she added. In its essence, she revealed that this is how Maymay shows her love. Through grit and

endearment, knowing how to absorb and accept pain, and learning that it is all essential for love. In that, it plays a big role in realizing how much love you have to share with others.

A burning passion for music

SHE became hands-on with the new release, as from songwriting to conceptualizing, Maymay and the team collaborated thoroughly to ensure that her vision would come to life in the music video. “Talagang pinag-isipan po talaga namin nang mabuti. Hindi namin ni-rush talaga… sobrang saya nung proseso kasi very talented ‘yung mga taong tumulong sakin makumpleto ‘yung kanta,” she responded to media. “Very open sila sa konsepto na gusto ko sa kanta na gusto naming mabuo,” she added. Known as the Nation’s Fangirl, she did not disappoint, as she translated her love for pop punk in her latest single “Masunog Man.” “Dati pa talaga, nasa heart ko na ‘yung pop punk na genre. So, after ng iba’t ibang genre na na-try ko, which is sobrang open ko dahil nagsimula ako from scratch, talagang nag-invest ako to learn how to sing, to perform,” said the Kapamilya star. From the goth look, co-writing the song, conceptualizing, choreography, and its overall vibe, it is clear that she gave all that she is to enter the genre that she loved. A music of passion for Maymay. Still, she made it clear that although this is the genre that she loved most, she remains open to trying new things as an artist and explore more. “Ito ‘yung favorite kong genre. Pero hindi naman nagko-close ‘yung gusto nilang genre na gagawin ko. Ayoko lang na maging komportable lang sa genre na ‘yun,” she commented. She shared that this concept is based on her life experience. “Gusto ko ipakita na ‘yung pain, in-embrace ko siya. Kasi naintindihan ko na ‘yung pain is part of love,” she answered when asked about how she conceptualized the song. “Lahat ng ‘yun, naintindihan na ng YouMeUs,” as Maymay gave props to the team for making the visuals of the final product.

And so, it is no wonder that this song lit a fire in her because piece by piece, it is a love song for her mother and herself. An assurance for both that she will be resilient, continue to pace forward and not lose her essence despite the pain. “Masunog Man” is now out on streaming platforms, and the music video and lyric video is available on YouTube on Maymay Entrata’s official page.

Maymay Entrata. Photo: ABS-CBN

How young women are transforming the art market

Gustav Klimt [Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer] for $236.4 million,” says Newman, adding that this gap exists even though men and women buying at auction seek top works by women in equal measure. Only 11 of the 500 most expensive works sold at auction from 2015 to 2025 were by women—the work of just six artists: Frida Kahlo, Louise Bourgeois, Joan Mitchell, Leonora Carrington, Georgia O’Keeffe and Tamara de Lempicka—according to data provided to Bloomberg by online marketplace Artsy. The most expensive work by a woman, Kahlo’s El sueño (La cama), ranks 70th on that list.

By Kathryn Tully

Bloomberg

OSELYN MATHEWS, chief of staff at Lucifer Lighting Co., in San Antonio, first saw paintings by multidisciplinary artist Floria González at JOHS gallery in Mexico City last year. “Her work is so vibrant, expressive, and there’s so much emotion,” she says.

When JO-HS showed works by González again this year, Mathews, 33, bought almost immediately a green-hued painting titled, It’s not Sunday, but it’s Gloomy 2024. (She declined to say for how much.) “I saw the digital catalog, and I was so taken with it. Then my godsister [art adviser Illa Gaunt] posted the same work on Instagram. I thought, ‘There’s some weird synergy going on.’” Among collectors, young women like Mathews are exerting more influence in the art market than ever before, according to the 2025 Art Basel & UBS Survey of Global Collecting. The report, which surveyed 3,100 high-net-worth collectors in 10 global markets, found that although Generation X and baby boomer men spent the most on art in their age groups, Generation Z and millennial women outspent their male peers. Millennial women spent an average of $643,700 on fine art, decorative art and antiques in 2024, per the report, while millennial men spent an average of $395,530. Gen Z women outspent Gen Z men by an even greater margin: $537,400 versus $193,810.

Different priorities

THESE young women also have different priorities when collecting. The survey found that compared with men, women bought more work by unknown artists, spent more on work by women and owned more art by women, with works by women making up 49 percent of women’s art collections, on average, compared with 40 percent of men’s. These buying trends will likely accelerate, according to the report, as more of the estimated $83 trillion of wealth passing from baby boomers globally to their spouses and younger heirs in the coming decades will go to women. Of course, this is just one report on collectors, and the first that has detected greater spending by younger women.

‘Everybody has a big role to play’

ART collector Roselyn Matthews, 33, says her female friends are also becoming more interested in buying artwork. “That wasn’t the case a few years ago,” she says. “There’s been a shift.” PHOTO BY FILIPPOFACCENDINI ON PEXELS.COM More research will be needed to support its findings. Mathews, who also discovers artists at residencies, at fairs and on Instagram, has always been immersed in art. Her father, Gilbert Mathews, who founded Lucifer Lighting, and her mother, Suzanne Mathews, are longstanding collectors. Mathews herself has a master’s degree from Sotheby’s Institute of Art. But she says her female friends are also becoming more interested in buying artwork. “That wasn’t the case a few years ago,” she says. “There’s been a shift.”

The fight for representation continues

DESPITE concerted efforts in recent years by museums, biennials and major private galleries to exhibit more female artists, the representation of women in the art market, and the price of their work, still lags behind their male peers’. Could the buying power and habits of younger women help change that? The Art Basel & UBS survey found that Gen Z women allocated 48 percent of their spending to female artists in 2024 and the first half of 2025, the highest percentage of any age group, while Gen Z men spent 42 percent on female artists on average. Millennial women devoted 47 percent of spending to female artists, compared with 42 percent of men. Former Yahoo executive and philanthropist Komal Shah, 55, has collected around 300 works by modern and contemporary female artists with her husband, Gaurav Garg, and says young women often tell her they are building collections that include an equal, or even greater, number of works by female artists. Shah founded the Making Their Mark Foundation, formerly called the Shah Garg Foundation, to highlight achievements by women artists in 2023. After falling for large abstract paintings by Laura Owens and Jacqueline Humphries at the 2014 Whitney Biennial, Shah decided her own

4 BusinessMirror

collection should champion women artists by focusing on them exclusively. “I realized how the odds were so stacked against women artists, in terms of perception and recognition, and because they had to work so much harder.” Spending by younger collectors may already be boosting sales for female artists at fairs and galleries. According to the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2025, female artists accounted for 46 percent of representation and 42 percent of sales at galleries in the primary market, where art is bought for the first time, in 2024, with sales up from 39 percent in 2023. In 2018, the report found women made up only 36 percent of artists represented at these galleries and 32 percent of sales. But the auction market is where art masterpieces are often resold, sales infor-

THERE are some promising signs for the profile and prices of for women’s work in the auction market. Works by more than 400 artists, representing more than 100 nationalities, appeared at auction in 2024 and 2025, according to Casey Lesser, Art. sy’s chief curator. “It’s a global pool,” she says. Newman points to recent auction records set for contemporary artists such as Cecily Brown and the late surrealists Dorothea Tanning and Leonor Fini. “We’ve seen a steady increase in women artists appearing at auction, both historic and present, and fetching new high prices,” she adds. In November, the New York Times reported that Christie’s sold Frida Kahlo’s self-portrait Me and My Parrots in a private transaction in 2021 for more than $100 million. Art adviser Megan Fox Kelly says it’s not unusual for masterpieces by women to fetch more through private sales, but can one sell for $100 million at auction?

‘Among collectors, young women are exerting more influence in the art market than ever before’ mation is public and benchmark prices that influence other buyers and sellers are set. Helena Newman, Sotheby’s chair of impressionist and modern art, thinks younger female collectors will inevitably start influencing the top end of this market, given the generational wealth transfer underway. That’s significant, because art by women appears at auction much less frequently, and sells for far less, than art by men. It took 11 years for a woman to set a new auction record, when Frida Kahlo’s El sueño (La cama) sold for $54.7 million at Sotheby’s in November, a record held since 2014 by Georgia O’Keeffe’s Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1, which sold for $44.4 million at the time. The record-breaking sale of Kahlo’s work “shows that there’s still a massive gender gap, because we also just sold a JANUARY 18, 2026

“I do think it’s a possibility, and I think a Kahlo could absolutely make that price,” says Newman, citing the huge institutional and private demand for Kahlo’s work, which is mostly in museums or in Mexico, where the export of her art is banned. Shah says the profiles and prices of artwork by women need to be elevated in both the primary and secondary (resale) market. While she’s encouraged by the enthusiasm of young female collectors, she says the whole art ecosystem still needs to step up. “More great shows by women will lead more people to think about works by women,” Shah says. “Curators, museum directors, collectors—everybody has a big role to play.” n Cover photo by olia danilevich on Pexels.com