BusinessMirror November 23, 2025

BARRIERS TO ACCOUNTABILITY

Revisiting the system slowing the flood control probe

By Justine Xyrah Garcia

EVEN as investigations into alleged multibillion-peso flood-control anomalies continue to widen across agencies, the justice system has yet to secure a major conviction.

To date, only resigned Ako Bicol party-list representative Elizaldy Co and some former officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region IV-B have been charged with malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents.

At a colloquium organized at the UP-BGC by the Office of the UP College of Law Dean, governance experts said on Thursday that this slow pace is consistent with longstanding institutional weaknesses that make corruption cases difficult to prosecute and even harder to conclude.

In the view of former Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, delays in major graft cases are rooted in a legal framework that permits parties—especially those with resources—to file successive motions and appeals.

She said this has allowed politically sensitive cases to stretch across multiple administrations.

“These dilatory tactics [are] employed by these lawyers, especially those who can afford; these rich people who can afford these high-caliber lawyers, they devise, they can resort to all dilatory tactics to delay the case, the progress of the case,” she said at the public accountability forum organized by the University of the Philippines.

She explained that motions to dismiss, motions for reconsideration and petitions for certiorari often cause cases to move repeatedly between the Sandiganbayan and the Supreme Court.

“They file a motion to dismiss…it gets denied…they file an MR…then they go to the Supreme Court on application for certiorari... It becomes a vicious cycle,” Tang said.

Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, former Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice: “These dilatory tactics [are] employed by these lawyers, especially those who can afford; these rich people who can afford these highcaliber lawyers, they devise, they can resort to all dilatory tactics to delay the case, the progress of the case.”

According to Tang, courts cannot refuse these motions.

“If a remedy is made available under the rules, they have to entertain whatever motions or petitions that they have,” she said.

This structure, she added, has contributed to corruption cases pending for decades, especially those involving powerful families or large public-works budgets.

Tang said another recurring problem is poor case build-up, particularly the failure to preserve original documents. She noted that

Malou Mangahas, co-founder, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ): “The collapse of investigative media has made it more difficult to report on corruption compared to the ’80s, the ’90s, and the 2000s.”

some accused officials were acquitted because the prosecution did not submit primary evidence.

“The accused were acquitted on the grounds that the original documents were not presented and there was no valid justification given to justify the presentation of secondary evidence,” she said.

The courts, she added, are bound by constitutional standards.

“The court is passive. It simply rules based on the evidence presented before it,” she said.

“If the evidence…does not

Solita Collás-Monsod, former socioeconomic planning secretary: “How can we work against Congress? By not electing those people back. And how can we do that? By informing the people. By letting them have all the information that they have. Because as I said, they’re not dumb.”

meet the standard required under the Constitution, the highest standard, which is beyond reasonable doubt, the court will have no choice but to acquit.”

Declining transparency, shrinking media FOR Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) cofounder Malou Mangahas, institutional weaknesses are aggravated by declining transparency in the courts and the shrinking capacity of investigative media to monitor

corruption cases. “[Freedom of information] or transparency is so important, even for people who want to know if the courts are working or not working,” she said.

Mangahas noted that the public once had easier access to Sandiganbayan records, including acquittals, archived cases and convictions. She said the judiciary has become more distant from the public over time, making it difficult for

Netherlands returns control of Nexperia to Chinese owner

By Patrick Van Oosterom and Sarah Jacob Bloomberg

THE Dutch government suspended its powers over chipmaker Nexperia, handing back control to its Chinese owner and defusing a standoff with Beijing that had begun to hamper automotive production around the world.

The order that gave the Netherlands powers to block or revise decisions at Nijmegen-based Nexperia was dropped as “a show of goodwill,” Economic Affairs Minister Vincent Karremans said Wednesday, adding that discussions with Chinese authorities are continuing.

“The Nexperia group currently shows no signs of continuing the behavior that prompted my order, nor any intention to do so,” the minister said in a letter to parliament on Wednesday.

China called it a first step in the right direction, but there remains a gap between suspending and fully revoking the order, which was the “root cause” of the global chip disruption, the ministry of commerce in Beijing said in a statement.

Shares of Wingtech Technology Co., the chipmaker’s Chinese owner, rose as much as 5.2% on Thursday morning in Shanghai.

The Dutch state invoked su -

pervisory powers over Nexperia to safeguard crucial technology, citing concerns that actions by Wingtech risked hobbling the company. Nexperia is the last manufacturer with European production capacity for so-called “legacy” chips, which are crucial in the automotive and consumer electronics sectors.

Nexperia said the developments represent “important progress” but added that the full restoration of the supply chain requires “further cooperation” from its entities in China, according to an emailed statement. Wingtech pressed the Dutch government for more action to resolve the situation and rejected the “accusations” of alleged mismanagement.

Bloomberg had reported earlier this month that the Netherlands was prepared to take the step if chip exports from the company’s site in China could be confirmed. Karremans said that there is now

“cautious optimism” that supplies of Nexperia chips are indeed flowing again.

Despite the suspension, Nexperia still has the obligation to provide information to the government about transfers of production resources or intellectual property, the economic affairs ministry said.

The move marks a significant de-escalation of a dispute that underscored the global nature of supply chains and highlighted Beijing’s growing leverage over the global economy. The spat had threatened

its kind in the world.

The Dutch economic affairs ministry this week sent a delegation to Beijing to negotiate a “mutually agreeable solution,” according to a ministry statement.

to disrupt automakers from Honda Motor Co. to Volkswagen AG. Karremans sparked the dispute in late September by invoking a Cold War-era law to gain powers over decisions at Nexperia for a year. The Chinese government retaliated by imposing export restrictions over components from the Dutch company’s facility in Guangdong, which assembles chips from wafers made in Europe and accounted for about half of its precrisis volumes.

The reversal by the Dutch government was set in motion after a breakthrough in talks earlier this month that involved Chinese and Dutch officials, with input from Germany, the European Union as well as the US. To help resolve the stalemate, Beijing agreed to loosen export restrictions from Nexperia’s Chinese plant, the largest of

While the immediate supply squeeze is set to relax, longer term issues remain.

After auto companies were forced to scramble for alternatives, Nexperia’s future role in the sector could be in doubt. Also, concerns about China’s ownership of the company goes back longer, with managers at the chipmaker approaching the Dutch government already in late 2023.

The role of Wingtech’s founder Zhang Xuezheng is also uncertain and remains a sticking point.

The Netherlands felt comfortable with handing back control because the court ruling suspending Zhang still stands, said a person familiar with the discussions.

Wingtech said the Dutch government should withdraw its support in the court case against Zhang if it has “the sincerity to solve the problem,” a spokesperson for Wingtech said in an emailed statement. “These proceedings form a threat to the continuity of Nexperia BV and therefore for the economic security of the Netherlands and Europe.”

While the ministry’s order served its purpose, it could come back into effect if supplies are once again at risk, the person said.

Karremans said the suspension was justified against the backdrop of the measures taken by the Amsterdam court and based on “the confidence that China will continue on its current course.”

With assistance from Charlotte HughesMorgan, Foster Wong, Jacob Gu and Mark Anderson

He was suspended as Nexperia’s chief executive officer by the enterprise chamber of the Amsterdam court of appeal on October 7 following a petition by the chipmaker’s management. His reinstatement was a demand by Wingtech to resolve the dispute, which also triggered a feud between Nexperia’s headquarters and its Chinese operations over financing and control.

BARRIERS TO ACCOUNTABILITY

Continued from A1 citizens to understand how cases progress.

Mangahas added that investigative journalism, which historically exposed large-scale corruption and tracked court proceedings, has weakened.

“The collapse of investigative media has made it more difficult to report on corruption compared to the ’80s, the ’90s, and the 2000s,” she said.

Because of limited data and reduced investigative capacity, Mangahas said many citizens encounter the justice system only when they are directly involved in cases—either as complainants, accused persons or witnesses— often under stressful or confusing conditions.

She said the absence of accessible information makes it harder for the public to understand where the justice system is functioning and where it is not.

“It might help build a constituency for people to look at the rule of law, to process justice in this country,” she said.

Repeated corruption flashpoints

FORMER socioeconomic planning secretary

Solita Collás-Monsod said public frustration over corruption often centers on Congress because major national accountability crises have repeatedly involved legislative abuses or congressional participation in the misuse of public funds.

“1986…it was really a pushback against corruption,” she recalled, referring to the four-day People Power uprising at Edsa that ended the 19-year authoritarian rule of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. She noted that the ouster of former president Joseph Estrada in 2000 was also corruptiondriven. The 2013 Million People March targeted pork barrel allocations routed through lawmakers, and the more recent 2025 mobilization again focused on congressional abuses.

“In other words, the Congress, very hard to mix away. So we have to work against Congress,” she said.

For Monsod, informed voters remain the strongest line of resistance.

“How can we work against Congress? By not electing those people back. And how can we do that? By informing the people. By letting them have all the information that they have. Because, as I said, they’re not dumb,” she explained.

“They’re not going to vote for these people who have stolen money out of them.”

Bottom up reform is a must MEANWHILE, former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Christian Monsod believes the country cannot rely solely on national leadership changes to fix institutional dysfunction.

He said real accountability— whether in corruption scandals, governance failures or budget misuse—must be built from the ground up, beginning with barangay leadership.

“We’re always looking for the angel of hope who will transform our country from top to bottom,” he said.

“I think the evidence is already there, that transformation is happening at the ground level and it’s possible to do it regardless of who is in power.”

He said recent elections show that political dynasties can lose when communities organize at the barangay and municipal level.

“Things are already happening at the ground. The transformation we are seeking should be from the bottom up,” he said.

For the ex-Comelec chief and former member of the Constitutional Commission that framed the 1987 Charter, the barangay election remains the most important election in the country.

“We should talk about subsidiarity, where the power is as close to the people as possible. And that’s the barangay,” he explained.

Editor: Angel R. Calso

November 23, 2025 A3

Poland’s struggle to fix its justice system holds valuable lessons for other countries

By CLAUDIA CIOBANU The Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland—When Donald Tusk’s government came to power in Poland two years ago, it had high ambitions to roll back a political takeover of the judiciary by its nationalist, conservative predecessor.

The reality proved more complicated.

Law and Justice (PiS), which ruled Poland between 2015 and 2023, established political control over key judicial institutions by stacking higher courts with friendly judges, and punishing its critics with disciplinary action or assignments to far-away locations. It appointed enough sympathetic judges to the Constitutional Tribunal that a PiSaligned president can delay government plans by sending them for constitutional review.

European courts have condemned the PiS changes, while regular Poles found themselves facing legal chaos. Efforts to undo them, however, have been blocked by two successive PiS-aligned presidents.

For over a decade, Poland has been deeply polarized between a bloc of urban, pro-EU voters backing Tusk and a mix of conservatives and other voters frustrated with Poland’s post-socialist development, who have favored PiS. The gridlock in justice further divides the population.

Tusk, who came to power promising to fix the situation, removed his first justice minister, Adam Bodnar, in July because he wasn’t seeing enough results.

“All those dreams have faded away by now and we can forget

about them,” Bodnar told The Associated Press. “We will be in a strange process for the next years.”

His successor, Waldemar Żurek, a former judge known for his opposition to PiS judicial changes, has taken a more confrontational approach.

In October, Żurek announced prosecutors were ready to press charges against former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, the architect of the PiS changes. Prosecutors allege Ziobro misused a fund for victims of violence, including for the purchase of Israeli Pegasus surveillance software.

Tusk’s party says PiS used Pegasus to spy illegally on political opponents while in power. Ziobro says he acted lawfully.

If PiS returns to power at the next parliamentary elections in two years’ time, Żurek knows he could pay a high price. He speaks with unusual ease about the possibility that he could end up in prison, saying “it would be an honor.”

“I have zero tolerance for criminals,” Żurek told The Associated Press. He said he will not allow the abuse of power to go unpunished, “even if I am threatened that I will be sitting in jail for a long time.”

Presidential veto TO fix the judicial system, the government must pass laws—but

under the Polish Constitution, those laws must be approved by the president.

This is where the coalition’s project ran aground.

Initially, Tusk’s ministers were forced to cohabit with President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally, until the end of his term in August 2025. They saw this as a temporary inconvenience.

As justice minister, Bodnar did propose draft laws and negotiated with the presidential office. Duda didn’t budge.

“It was natural to count on the change of president,” Bodnar said in an interview in Warsaw.

Among his priorities was to reestablish the independence of the body responsible for appointing judges, the National Council of the Judiciary, known by its Polish initials KRS.

In 2018, PiS changed the rules governing KRS, bringing it under party control. As a result, 60% of judges now sitting on Poland’s Supreme Court were appointed by the reshaped council.

Bodnar wanted to put KRS back under the control of judges as well as restoring the neutrality of the Constitutional Tribunal.

Instead, what happened was

that Nawrocki, an independent candidate backed by PiS, narrowly won a presidential election in June. Analysts said the failure to restore judicial independence was a factor in the defeat of Tusk’s coalition.

Where presidential approval wasn’t needed, Bodnar says he achieved positive change. He removed court presidents appointed by PiS and ended disciplinary cases against independent judges. Poland joined the European public prosecutor’s office, which means better accountability for how EU funds are spent.

Yet he was perceived as handling the process with kid gloves, advancing carefully and legalistically. Tusk felt he needed someone ready to throw the gloves off. Enter Waldemar Żurek.

Gloves off

AFTER Nawrocki’s victory, Żurek presented detailed proposals to fix the justice system, but he says there are already signals from the president’s office that they will be vetoed. In November, Nawrocki announced he would not nominate to higher courts judges who opposed PiS changes to the judicial system.

“I would much more prefer it if we could sit down at the table and talk, even in front of cameras,” Żurek said. “I want to end the Polish-Polish war.”

In the absence of legislative progress, Żurek’s office has announced efforts to prosecute allies of PiS. The cases are the result of painstaking work by prosecutors, who for months have been investigating accusations that the former government used public office for political goals.

“If we can’t introduce legislation because the president is blocking us, then we are going to go about it in a different way,” is how legal expert Jakub Jaraczewski, from NGO Democracy Reporting International, sums up Tusk’s tactics. “We will go after the ‘bad guys’ and we will make them pay.”

Even without convictions, “disclosing the truth” about the abuse of power is important for informing voters, said Bodnar.

Lessons learned NAWROCKI’S election in June indicates that a coalition of Law and Justice and the far-right would win general elections in two years if they decided to run together.

So, has Tusk’s coalition made enough progress in shoring up judicial independence to ensure PiS will not take revenge if it returns to power?

Żurek does not answer directly.

Instead, he speaks about his readiness to face any costs, including prison time, in fighting for democracy. If Tusk’s camp does manage to hold on to power, it could wait out some of the PiS appointments until they’ve retired or finished their terms, says Jaraczewski.

But the problems with the Polish judiciary run deeper than the rule-of-law crisis, he cautions. The system is plagued with delays and

inefficiencies, undermining trust.

Żurek has said he wants to fix this, listing it as one of his two priorities alongside restoring judicial independence. However, that would take time, money and cooperation between the new government and PiS appointees.

Jaraczewski says a “bigger conversation” is needed about how to safeguard democracy, pointing to Hungary, where the European Union has raised the alarm about the decline in the rule of law, and the United States, where President Donald Trump has tested the limits of executive power.

“Our constitutional orders should be strengthened against these kinds of takeovers, against the actions of politicians who openly ignore the rule of law,” Jaraczewski said.

Even then, preserving democracy will still depend on electing people inclined to respect the rules, he says.

“Political polarization makes protecting the rule of law harder, as voters will accept anything the party they support pursues—including the takeover of courts— and will reject anything that the opposite side proposes, including attempts to undo the damage,” Jaraczewski said. It’s therefore “crucial to reduce polarization and educate society.”

When PiS was in power, independent Polish judges made an unprecedented effort to reach out to normal citizens, by marching in the streets, organizing a countrywide information tour about the constitution, and speaking at music festivals.

“The democrats must go beyond the sphere of those who voted for them,” Żurek argues. “We must speak also to those who do not understand the language of lawyers, but who take part in elections and can be manipulated by politicians.”

Wall Street encourages widespread AI adoption, but not for job seekers

By Annika Inampudi & Paula Sambo

AS Wall Street’s biggest firms tout the many ways artificial intelligence is making their employees better, from tellers helping customers with account issues to investment bankers arranging multibilliondollar deals, there’s one group they don’t want using AI: job candidates.

During the pandemic, banks began using virtual interviews and online tests to screen applicants. That’s made the recruitment process faster and easier, but, with the rise of generative AI, it’s also opened the door to candidates using ChatGPT to improve their chances of being picked. Now firms are taking steps to stop such AI use, including deploying detection software, while some hopefuls say they’re merely using the same tools they’re expected to employ once hired.

“Goldman’s going to want those candidates to use GenAI in the job. Why not let them use it in the pre-hire application?” said Nathan Mondragon, who was using the firm as an example of industry practices when he spoke as chief innovation officer at Hirevue Inc., an AI-powered screening platform used by most major US banks, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

The company has seen an increase in concerns during the job application process about candidates using AI.

“Now, it’s more frequently brought up as an issue, and we have safeguard measures put in place to help counter” that, Mondragon, who’s left the firm, said. As AI threatens to eliminate entry-level jobs by automating menial tasks, the finance industry is grappling with how it can screen for employees with the critical-thinking skills needed to get the best out of AI tools that are both imperfect and constantly evolving. They’re changing their hiring processes to ensure that their candidates are truly the best and brightest without AI—even if it means using AI themselves to do that.

The finance industry has a notoriously exhaustive vetting process. The typical interview process at a bank involves an initial screening on an online platform such as Hirevue, which uses AI to shrink the candidate pool. Applicants then undergo technical interviews, where they are quizzed on practical skills and financial knowledge needed for the job. Finally, hopefuls endure a “superday”—a day-long event with multiple backto-back behavioral and technical interviews—before they receive an ultimate decision.  Still, with the industry set

to pay record bonuses this year, young people are clamoring to get their foot in the door. For some, that means using AI to help them through the process.

TestGorilla, a software company that offers a library of personality and job-specific skills tests, is used by many financial firms to screen candidates before they are interviewed by an actual person. Of the more than 5 million candidates that have been assessed by TestGorilla across industries, around 15% are flagged for “potentially suspicious activity,” a category which includes AI assistance, according to Claudia Baijens, vice president of product. In the finance sector, the rate of suspicious behavior is a few percentage points higher, she said.

When Meridith Dennes, a recruiter at search firm Prospect Rock Partners, screens candidates to send to financial firms, she looks for indicators that they’re leaning on AI. If someone uses a chatbot to generate an answer to her questions, she can usually tell.

“Anything that sounds overly rehearsed or overly generic to me, I just keep asking deeper questions until I get to the real answer,” she said. If the answers stay generic, Dennes usually passes on the candidate.

Banks want employees who add value beyond the tools they use, she said. One candidate Dennes worked with used AI to research a boutique firm’s deals, and the chatbot gave him incorrect information. He was rejected for the

role. “You have to use it as a tool to help you, but not totally rely on it,” Dennes said.

Aidan Swenson, a junior at Bentley University who just landed a finance internship, said he never considered using AI during an interview. Some of his friends who relied on chatbots during the interview process faced a steeper learning curve once they landed jobs, he said. Instead he used AI to help enhance résumé bullet points to better match the job description and had ChatGPT quiz him ahead of the interview to prepare for potential questions.

“I’m not someone that is in the belief that it will fully replace jobs,” Swenson said. “Rather it will replace people that don’t know how to use it with people that do know how to use it.”

Software companies such as Hirevue and TestGorilla have built safeguards to detect AI use, like tracking when applicants switch browser tabs or take too long to respond. TestGorilla also added an “honesty agreement,” which asks applicants to vow not to not use AI to help them in a test. Earlier this year, Goldman Sachs sent candidates, including those seeking investment-banking positions, a letter instructing them to steer clear of any digital assistance during interviews.

“This language is consistent with what we send to any of our campus

applicants across all positions,” Jennifer Zuccarelli, a Goldman spokesperson, said in an emailed statement. “We want to hear from our applicants in their own voice.” Even if an applicant passes the initial screening, banks have also shifted their technical interviews to reward those who don’t use AI too much.

Firms are giving candidates less time to complete case studies, a type of technical interview in which applicants answer questions about a specific business problem, said Jake Schneider, a recruiter at Selby Jennings. While banks once gave candidates days to provide answers, they’re now asking for that information within hours. Those are then followed by conversations with interviewers, so candidates can walk through their reasoning to show cases were completed without assistance.

“These answers are not necessarily black and white, as they were in the past,” Dennes said. To test whether an applicant really understands the technicals, firms are going beyond generic modeling or accounting questions, asking students specific questions about a financial model, the rationale behind a deal or where the industry is going, said Patrick Curtis, founder of Wall Street Oasis, a provider of interview- and skillstraining courses. With assistance from Christine Dobby /Bloomberg

Israel moves to seize major historical site in West Bank amid rising tensions and settler expansion

By Julia Frankel The Associated Press

JERUSALEM—Israel plans to seize parts of a major West Bank historic site, according to a government document, and settlers put up a new outpost overnight, even as the country faces pressure to crack down on settler violence in the Palestinian territory.

Israel’s Civil Administration announced its intention to expropriate large swaths of Sebastia, a major archaeological site in the West Bank, in the document obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday. Peace Now, an anti-settlement watchdog group, said the site is around 1,800 dunams (450 acres)—Israel’s largest seizure of archeologically important land.

The move came as Israeli settlers celebrated the creation of a new, unauthorized settlement near Bethlehem, and a Palestinian lawyer said a West Bank activist has been detained and hospitalized.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch said Israel may have committed war crimes when it forcibly expelled 32,000 Palestinians from three West Bank refugee camps this year.

Israel to seize swaths of Sebastia heritage site

THE Israeli order released Nov. 12 lists parcels of land it intends to seize in the Sebastia area. Peace Now, which provided the document to AP, said the popular archeological site, where thousands of olive trees grow, belongs to the Palestinians.

The capital of the ancient Israelite kingdom Samaria is thought

to be beneath the ruins of Sebastia, and Christians and Muslims believe it’s where John the Baptist was buried.

Israel announced plans to develop the site into a tourist attraction in 2023. Excavations have already begun and the government has allocated more than 30 million shekels ($9.24 million) to develop the site, according to Peace Now and another rights group.

The order gives Palestinians 14 days to object to the declaration.

The largest parcel of historical land previously seized by Israel was 286 dunams (70 acres) in Susya, a village in the south of the West Bank, Peace Now said.

Settlers inaugurate new illegal outpost days after Palestinian attack

ISRAELI settlers said they established a new unauthorized outpost close to Bethlehem. The chairman of the local Etzion settler council, Yaron Rosenthal, welcomed the settlement as a “return to the city of our matriarch Rachel, of King David.” Rosenthal said the new community would “strengthen the connection” between Etzion and Jerusalem.

The new outpost could be a response to the latest Palestinian at -

tack on Israelis in the West Bank. It’s close to the busy junction where on Tuesday Palestinian attackers stabbed one Israeli to death and wounded three more.

Rosenthal demanded that Israel respond forcefully and better support the settlements.

“Terrorism is fueled by the hope of a state,” he said, connecting the violence to the Palestinian Authority and a renewed push to advance efforts to secure Palestinian statehood.

Hamas did not claim responsibility for the attack, but in a statement called it “a normal response to the occupation’s attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause,” vowing that Israeli aggression wouldn’t go unchallenged.

Hagit Ofran, the director of Peace Now’s settlement watch program, said the outpost is on land that used to be an Israeli military base. Photos that settlers shared online show temporary homes at the site and bulldozers at work.

Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza—areas claimed by the Palestinians for a future state—in the 1967 war. It has settled over 500,000 Jews in the West Bank, largely on unauthorized settlements, in addition

to over 200,000 more in contested east Jerusalem.

Israel’s government is dominated by far-right proponents of the settler movement including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who formulates settlement policy, and Cabinet minister Itamar BenGvir, who oversees the nation’s police force.

Israel’s president and highranking military officials have condemned a recent wave of settler violence in the West Bank.

Palestinian activist is detained and hospitalized

A PALESTINIAN activist who documented settler violence in the West Bank has been detained and hospitalized, his lawyer told the AP Thursday. Riham Nasra said the activist, Ayman Ghrayeb Odeh, was hospitalized after his detention at a military base in the Jordan Valley.

“Israeli authorities refuse to reveal where he is, what his condition is or why he has been hospitalized,” she said.

Shin Bet, Israel’s security agency, confirmed the activist has been detained on incitement charges. Odeh could face indefinite administrative detention, a punishment

without charge or a trial based on secret evidence.

His brother, Bilal Ghrayeb, told AP he spoke briefly with Odeh shortly after his detention while he was visiting a Palestinian family in the Jordan Valley. His brother said the military confiscated Odeh’s phone and that he has not heard from him since.

“He is an activist who posts photos and writes on social media about what is happening. He is not inciting. He is not hiding anything, nothing is secret. He is only saying and posting what he sees about the lives of people in the Jordan Valley,” Ghrayeb said.

Human Rights Watch says Israel committed war crimes in the West Bank

HUMAN Rights Watch said top Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz should be investigated for war crimes. In a report published Thursday, the group said the Israeli military forcibly expelled 32,000 Palestinians from three West Bank refugee camps this year.

Israel’s military raids on refugee camps in the north of the West Bank in January and February amounted to the largest displacement in the territory since Israel captured it in 1967, Human Rights Watch said.

Israel has said its troops will stay in some camps for a year, and it’s unclear when, if ever, Palestinians will be able to return. Thousands of displaced Palestinians are living with relatives cramming into rental apartments, or living in public buildings.

Human Rights Watch said it analyzed satellite images and concluded that more than 850 homes and buildings were destroyed or

heavily damaged. The Israeli military has said it was attacking militant infrastructure and clearing space for troop movement. Israel said the “Operation Iron Wall” raids were necessary to stamp out militancy in the West Bank after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack ignited the war in Gaza. It said Thursday that troops dismantled explosive labs and exchanged fire with militants during the raids. It said in a statement that militant attacks have since decreased by 70% in the West Bank, but provided no evidence.

Human Rights Watch said Israeli authorities didn’t explain why they had to remove everyone from the camps nor why they haven’t been allowed to return. The report said the military shot at residents who attempted to reenter the camps, and that it has not provided shelter or humanitarian assistance to the displaced.

“With global attention focused on Gaza, Israeli forces have carried out war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank that should be investigated and prosecuted,” said Nadia Hardman, senior refugee and migrant rights researcher at Human Rights Watch.

The report was based on interviews with 31 Palestinians displaced from Tulkarem, Nur Shams and Jenin refugee camps. The camps resemble dense, urban slums and are home to millions of Palestinians. Human Rights Watch said it analyzed satellite imagery of the camps and found more than 850 homes and buildings have been destroyed or heavily damaged.

The Israeli military has told the AP that some of the damage was to strike militant infrastructure, while some was to clear space for easier troop movement around the camps.

Quilombos of Brazil: Guardians of Amazon fight to preserve land and tradition amid climate talks

By Teresa De Miguel The Associated Press

ELEM, Brazil—Zaqueu

BBelém Araújo cuts a leaf from an acai tree and skillfully folds and twists it, tying one end to the other to form a strong ring. He takes off his sandals, puts his bare feet into the palm ring and quickly pulls himself up the tree trunk to reach a branch of the coveted fruit.

This is how the acai berry has been harvested for generations in Brazilian quilombos, communities of descendants of runaway slaves. The minimally invasive technique doesn’t hurt the trees and helps keep Amazon forests standing.

“We understand that keeping the forest alive also keeps us alive,” said Erica Monteiro, one of the about 500 residents of Itacoa Miri, a community of unpaved streets about 40 minutes away by boat from the sprawling city of Belem, where U.N. climate talks are being held.

Over the course of the climate

conference, which began early this month and is scheduled to end on Friday, both residents of quilombos and Indigenous peoples have been pushing for the government to issue more land titles, which they see as key to defending their rights and protecting the ecosystems where they live.

Struggle to keep the forest alive

WHILE her mother grinds the acai berries freshly picked from the palm tree, Monteiro explains that this fruit is key in quilombos. It’s an important source of food and, by preserving traditional harvesting and production techniques, they protect the lush forest that surrounds their communities.

“Our life is this struggle to ensure that the forest stays alive. Sometimes the price we pay is very high,” she said.

Monteiro, a coordinator at Malungu, an association of quilombos in the state of Para, is one of the most prominent Afrodescendant leaders in the region. Her fight to protect their land from

illegal logging and land invasion for cattle ranching and soybean farming has meant threatening phone calls, attempts of extortion and intimidation.

That’s why her community fought for years to achieve what few Afro-descendants in Brazil manage to do: obtain a document recognizing their ownership of their land.

There’s almost 2,500 quilombos in the Brazilian Amazon, but only 632 have been officially mapped by federal government institutes, according to a recent study by the National Coordination of Rural Black Communities, an association of quilombolas communities.

“If you can’t prove that the land belongs to the community, agribusiness ends up doing what we call in Brazil ‘grilling,’ which is forging false documentation in their favor,” Monteiro said.

Through Malungu, Monteiro helps other quilombos in the lengthy and costly process to obtain land titles so that others can benefit as they did more than 20 years ago when they got theirs.

Since then, her community received philanthropy funding from the Ford Foundation and the Climate and Land Use Alliance (The Associated Press receives funding for climate journalism from CLUA). The support is evident in

Itacoa Miri: They have a health center and a school. There is electricity and running water.

Fight against a landfill

THE situation is very different in the quilombo of Menino Jesus, not far from Itacoa Miri. They only received their land title in November last year and it was for less than half of the territory they claimed, according to local resident Fabio Nogueira.

About 500 meters (550 yards) from his humble brick house, a company called Revita has been trying to set up a landfill that, according to Nogueira, threatens to contaminate the area’s aquifers, on which they depend on for fishing and daily life. Revita didn’t respond to an email seeking comment and there was no answer at the phone number listed for their headquarters.

“Our fear is that both the springs there (in the area where the landfill is planned) and the water in our wells will be polluted by the leachate produced by the waste,” said Nogueira, vice president of the Menino Jesus territory association. He and his community have been fighting the landfill for years, saying they were never consulted. The Public Defender’s Office has filed a lawsuit on their behalf in the State Court of Justice, but so far it hasn’t been granted.

“We feel powerless,” he said. “We are afraid that we will no longer be able to survive here because of the smell and the contamination that will come after.”

The Menino Jesus community is demanding title deeds to the entire 2,160 hectares (around 5,340 acres) of land that they claim has belonged to their inhabitants for generations. So far, only 640 hectares (about 1,580 acres) have been recognized as theirs.

“A definitive title gives us legal assurance that this land belongs to the community and that other people cannot take possession of it,” Nogueira said. He believes that if these territories are officially recognized, the

Eating more, growing less: Stagnant PHL farms linked to widening rice gap

AS of 2022 alone, Filipinos were eating 2.3 million metric tons (MMT) more rice than the country produced—an 18 percent shortfall that has locked the Philippines into deeper dependence on imported rice despite years of government programs to boost local harvests.

This widening gap is the focus of new research from Ateneo de Manila University’s John Gokongwei School of Management and Department of Environmental Science. They found that national rice output has been largely stagnant since 2017, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The study says that in the 10 years leading up to 2023, total production of palay (unmilled rice) grew just 9 percent, from 18.4 to 20.1 MMT, even as rice consumption and the population itself continued to rise.

Rice farmland barely expanded, increasing by just 1 percent (from 4.7 to 4.8 million hectares), while average yields improved by only 7 percent, from 3.9 to 4.2 MT per hectare.

Ateneo researchers Henry A. Bartelet, Alenn Jhulia D. Prodigalidad, Janelle S. Dy, and Jan Gabriel N. Manzano published

their paper, “Understanding rice production stagnation in the Philippines: Regional evidence and development implications,” in the open-access journal PLOS One.

The myth of urbanization CONTRARY to the common belief that urbanization encroaches on farmland and takes away farmland resources, the researchers did not find strong evidence that city expansion alone explains farmland stagnation. Instead, they point to a combination of limited farmland expansion, slow yield growth, climate shocks, and uneven public investment in rice areas as the main constraints on domestic production.

This is borne out by sharp regional contrasts that emerged from the data.

On the one hand, from 2018 to 2023, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) saw rice production decline by 15 percent and 11 percent, respectively, largely due to rice farmland loss; stagnant yields; repeated typhoons and droughts; and competition as farmers divert land use to other, more profitable crops.

And yet, on the other hand, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) increased its rice output by 40 percent, while Cagayan Valley (Region II) and Ilocos (Region I) posted gains of 27 percent and 16 percent, respectively. These gains are linked to expanding irrigated areas, better yields, and support

programs, such as improved seed, farm mechanization, and targeted regional initiatives.

Moreover, seed programs to help ensure robust crops and mechanization aid toward improving rice harvesting and processing have helped boost yield, while infrastructure expansion and regional

Amid ASF, swine farmers get training on biosecurity, disease management

THE swine industry continues to face challenges from diseases and biological threats with African Swine Fever (ASF) keeping many provinces on heightened alert. The situation has been causing limited farming capacity that has contributed to unstable raw and processed pork prices in the market.

In response to these challenges, the swine industry in Bohol is strengthening its preparedness through capacity building on biosecurity and disease management.

The short-course training, “Enhancing Biosecurity and Disease Management in Pig Farms,” was initiated by the Livestock Research Division (LRD) under the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).

CDC

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NThe training aims to equip smallhold and semi-commercial swine raisers and technicians with practical knowledge and skills to prevent and control swine diseases, the ASF in Bohol.

By adopting effective biosecurity measures and disease management strategies, farmers are expected to improve sustainability, productivity, and profitability of their operations.

At the opening program, Dr. Meydallyn D. Paman, OIC, Office of the Provincial Veterinarian in Bohol, and Dr. Synan S. Baguio, DOST-PCAAARRD LRD Director, underscored the importance of consistent farm practices.

“Biosecurity is not only necessary during outbreaks. It is a vital component of livestock production that must be practiced at all times,” Baguio emphasized.

A collaborative effort of farmers and experts

THE training featured lectures from experts in swine health and biosecurity.

Dr. Janice S. Garcia of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry, presented the ongoing government strategies to address ASF, such as surveillance and early detection activities, and strengthening local government response capacity.

Dr. Danilo C. Silbor of the De La Salle Araneta University talked about the importance of smart farming practices, highlighting the significance of systematic farm design, movement control, and disinfection protocols for larger farms.

Dr. Zeam Voltaire E. Amper of the DA-Regional Field Office 7 discussed cost-

effective and practical biosecurity measures for small-scale raisers.

For her part, Ma. Czarina R. Moreno of DOST-PCAARRD shared updates on DOST and DOST-PCAARRD-funded research, including diagnostic tools, vaccine platforms, and strategies to build a more resilient swine industry.

Addressing industry concerns

DURING the training, participants assessed their current farm practices, identified gaps in biosecurity, and proposed practical interventions.

Simple, yet effective measures were highlighted, including perimeter fencing, using footbaths, swine farmers’ showering and changing clothes before entering and leaving farms, maintaining visitor logbooks, transferring feeds to clean containers, and regularly disinfecting premises.

The key takeaway during the training is that biosecurity does not need to be complicated. As long as measures are consistently applied, they can effectively prevent the entry and spread of the disease in their farms.

Through this initiative, DOSTPCAARRD reaffirmed its commitment to proactive disease prevention and control in the livestock sector. The Council expects participants to adopt and sustain these biosecurity practices in their respective farms, thereby contributing to a more resilient and productive swine industry. Ma. Czarina R. Moreno/S&T Media Services

government policies have helped with farmland expansion.

In the particular case of the BARMM, increased rice yields are linked to dedicated investments in rice infrastructure on top of peace dividends in the wake of improved political stability in the region.

Better infrastructure and support needed

DESPITE the establishment and subsequent extension until 2031 of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund under the Rice Tariffication Law (RA 11203), the authors note that national programs alone have not been enough to lift productivity in lagging regions.

The successes of the BARMM, Cagayan Valley, and Ilocos may provide insights toward boosting rice production in other regions; and the experiences from less successful regions may give lessons toward avoiding the same declines elsewhere.

Closing the country’s growing rice deficit will require regionally tailored, climateresilient strategies—such as stronger irrigation systems, better-targeted support services, and financial measures that lower farmers’ costs, according to the Ateneo researchers.

The researchers expressed optimism that, with the right complement of policies and investments, local rice production can still grow and help narrow the country’s dependence on imported grain.

Searca showcases advances at natl biotechnology week

THE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) participated in the recent National Biotechnology Week 2025, held at a hotel in Manila.

Featuring the theme “gAIn Biotech, growing Artificial Intelligence, Nurturing Biotechnology,” the event convened government agencies, academic institutions, students, and private sector partners to emphasize how artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology are propelling sustainable agriculture, food security, and human capital development.

The Philippines’ Department of Education (DepEd) led this year’s celebration, with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) announced as host for 2026.

Dr. Carmela Oracion, OIC undersecretary for Learning Systems Strand at DepEd, opened the event by underscoring the value of fostering scientific curiosity and critical thinking among Filipino learners.

Janir Datukan, assistant secretary for Early Childhood Care and Development and Secretary of the Literacy Coordinating Council Secretariat at DepEd, emphasized that advances in technology must remain anchored in human values.

Searca’s interactive exhibit booth provided hands-on experiences and practical information about biotechnology and climate-smart agriculture. The booth aimed to enhance public awareness

and highlight biotechnology’s role in agricultural innovation, development, and sustainability.

Attendees accessed policy briefs, fact sheets, case studies, and publications, strengthening the bridge between research and practice across Southeast Asia.

During the closing program, Dr. Ebenezar Beloy, OIC Director III of the Bureau of Curriculum Development at DepEd, passed the role of NBW host agency to DENR. Lormelyn Claudio, Director IV of the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau, accepted the mandate, reiterating the importance of collaboration among science, technology, and innovation partners to build resilience and hope among the youth.

As part of its commitment, Searca co-organized a media forum on the biotechnology research and regulatory landscape in the Philippines with Science Communicators Philippines and CropLife Philippines.

Searca’s strong presence at NBW 2025 reinforced its ongoing dedication to agricultural advancement, education, and food systems strengthening throughout the region.

Searca’s participation in the event was spearheaded by staff from the Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resources Knowledge Platform, affirming the Center’s active role in Southeast Asian agricultural research and innovation.

website changed to contradict scientific conclusion that vaccines don’t cause autism

YORK—A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website has been changed to contradict the longtime scientific conclusion that vaccines do not cause autism, spurring outrage among a number of public health and autism experts. The CDC “vaccine safety” webpage was updated Wednesday, saying “the statement ‘Vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim.”

The change is the latest move by the US Department of Health and Human Services to revisit—and foster uncertainty about—long-held scientific consensus about the safety of vaccines and other pharmaceutical products.

It was immediately decried by scientists and advocates who have long been focused on finding the causes of autism.

“We are appalled to find that the content on the CDC webpage ‘Autism and Vaccines’ has been changed and distorted, and is now filled with anti-vaccine rhetoric and outright lies about vaccines and autism,” the Autism Science Foundation said in a statement Thursday.

Widespread scientific consensus and decades of studies have firmly concluded there is no link between vaccines and autism.

“The conclusion is clear and unambiguous,” said Dr. Susan Kressly, president of the American Academy of

Pediatrics, in a statement Thursday.

“We call on the CDC to stop wasting government resources to amplify false claims that sow doubt in one of the best tools we have to keep children healthy and thriving: routine immunizations,” she said.

The CDC has, until now, echoed the absence of a link in promoting Food and Drug Administration-licensed vaccines.

But anti-vaccines activists— including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who this year became secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)—have long claimed there is one.

It’s unclear if anyone at CDC was actually involved in the change, or whether it was done by Kennedy’s HHS, which oversees the CDC.

Many at CDC were surprised.

“I spoke with several scientists at CDC yesterday and none were aware of this change in content,” said Dr. Debra Houry, who was part of a group of CDC top officials who resigned from the agency in August. “When scientists are cut out of scientific reviews, then inaccurate and ideologic information results.”

The updated page does not cite any new research. It instead argues that past studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities.

“HHS has launched a comprehensive assessment of the causes of autism, including investigations on plausible biologic mechanisms and potential causal links. Additionally, we are

updating the CDC’s website to reflect gold standard, evidence-based science,” said HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon, in an email Thursday.

A number of former CDC officials have said that what CDC posts about certain subjects—including vaccine safety—can no longer be trusted.

Dr. Daniel Jernigan, who also resigned from the agency in August, told reporters Wednesday that Kennedy seems to be “going from evidence-based decision making to decision-based evidence making.”

US Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, earlier this year played a decisive role in approving Kennedy’s nomination for HHS secretary.

Cassidy initially voiced misgivings about

Kennedy, but in February said Kennedy had pledged—among other things—not to remove language from the CDC website pointing out that vaccines do not cause autism. The new site continues to have a headline that says “Vaccines do not cause autism,” but HHS officials put an asterisk next to it.

A note at the bottom of the page says the phrasing “has not been removed due to an agreement with the chair of the US Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee that it would remain on the CDC website.” Cassidy’s spokespersons did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mike Stobbe/Ap Medical Writer

Faith Sunday

A6 Sunday, November 23, 2025

Palestinian FM urges Filipinos to protect Christianity in Holy Land

By Malou Talosig-Bartolome

VISITING Palestinian Foreign Affairs and Expatriates

Minister Varsen Aghabekian

Shahin has urged predominantly Catholic Filipinos to take a more proactive role in supporting peace and protecting Christianity’s birthplace in the Holy Land.

Addressing Filipino and foreign diplomats in Manila on November 18, Shahin warned that continued Israeli aggression in Palestinian territories threatens Christianity’s historic roots.

“Let’s together hope and pray that the situation can be rectified; that people can live in peace and security. I know you are a Catholic nation and as Catholics, a religious nation, and I tell you that Chris tianity in occupied Palestine is in perils,” Shahin said.

“If the situation continues as is, that cradle of Christianity will be lost and it will become a museum for people to come and visit. Is this what the Christian world wants in Palestine?” she pointed out.

Shahin reminded her audience that Muslims, Christians, and Jews once lived side by side in peace.

“Muslims and Christians have lived in peace and security for

ages, and they lived in peace and security a hundred years ago with Jews. That coexistence can come back, but it needs to be nurtured— nurtured by respect for people, for whoever they are, whatever religion they belong to, whatever ethnicity they belong to,” she said.

“And we cannot have that cradle of Christianity or that piece of the Holy Land exclusive to one people only,” she explained.

Her remarks pointed to sacred sites in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Nazareth—areas regarded as the cradle of Christian civilization.

Bethlehem is revered as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, Jeru salem as the site of his crucifixion and resurrection, and Nazareth as the town where he grew up.

Together, these places form the spiritual foundation of Chris tianity and remain central to global pilgrimage, including tens

of thousands of Filipino visitors each year.

Historic visit to the Philippines

SHAHIN’S appeal was part of her five‑day official visit to the Phil ippines from November 16 to 21, marking the first‑ever trip by the highest‑ranking Palestinian Au thority official since diplomatic ties between the two territories were established on September 4, 1989.

On November 18, she was scheduled to meet Philippine For eign Affairs Secretary Ma. The resa P. Lazaro to discuss regional and international issues, as well as practical ways to strengthen bilateral relations.

Mabini Dialogue: “The Palestinian Predicament”

ON November 17, Shahin deliv ered a lecture at the DFA Foreign Service Institute’s Mabini Dia logue titled “The Palestinian Pre dicament: Latest Developments in Gaza and the West Bank.”

She underscored the Palestin ian leadership’s aspiration for “sovereignty and independence from a belligerent occupation that has been suffocating us for a long time.”

She pointed out that Pales tinians seek to end the occupa tion “through nonviolent means, meaning using international law and international mechanisms.”

October 7, 2023, and the Gaza War HER remarks were framed

against the backdrop of the Oc tober 7, 2023, Hamas‑led attack on Israel, which killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw militants take hostages into Gaza. Israel responded with a massive military campaign, cut ting off essential supplies and launching airstrikes and ground operations.

By late 2023, tens of thousands of Palestinians had been killed, and much of Gaza’s infrastructure destroyed.

Shahin reminded that Pales tinian suffering “did not start in October 2023,” but has spanned decades of occupation and dis placement.

She described recent violations

1,700 years ago, bishops, an emperor wrote a creed; millions still recite it in church

CENTURIES of church schisms show that if there’s a doctrine to be fought over, there’s a good chance Christians will fight about it.

That repeated splintering is what makes the Council of Nicaea—a meeting of bishops 1,700 years ago in present-day Turkey—so significant today. And why Pope Leo XIV is traveling on November 28 to the site of this foundational moment in Christian unity as part of his first major foreign trip as pope.

In 325, the council hashed out the first version of the “Nicene Creed”—a statement of faith that millions of Christians still recite each Sunday.

“The occasion is very, very important— the first global, ecumenical council in history and the first form of creed acknowledged by all the Christians,” said church historian Giovanni Maria Vian, coauthor of “La Scomessa di Costantino,” or “Constantine’s Gamble,” published in Italy in tandem with the anniversary.

Convened by the Roman emperor, Nicaea marked the first—but hardly the last—time that a powerful political leader took a leading role in shaping a far-reaching church policy. It was an early collaboration of church and state.

Leo will commemorate the 1,700th anniversary with Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians.

Catholic, Orthodox and most historic Protestant groups accept the creed. Despite later schisms over doctrine and other factors, Nicaea remains a point of agreement—the most widely accepted creed in Christendom.

Other events have been commemorating the council, from the global to the local.

The World Council of Churches, which includes Orthodox and Protestant groups, marked the anniversary in Egypt in October. At a Pittsburgh-area ecumenical celebration in November, the tongue-incheek catchphrase was, “Party like it’s 325.” Unified empire, divided church THE Council of Nicaea is important both for what was done and how it was done.

It involved an unprecedented gathering of at least 250 bishops from around the Roman Empire. Emperor Constantine had consolidated control over the empire after years of civil war and political intrigues.

Constantine wouldn’t formally convert to Christianity until the end of his life. But by 325, he had already been showing tolerance and favor toward a Christian sect that had emerged from the last great spasm of Roman persecution.

Constantine wanted a unified church to support his unified empire. But the church was tearing itself apart. It’s sometimes called the “Trinitarian Controversy,” though the debate wasn’t so much about whether there was a Trinity—God as Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit—but about how the Son was related to the Father.

Historians debate exactly who taught what, but an Egyptian priest named Arius gave his name to the influential doctrine of Arianism.

It depicted Jesus as the highest created being, but not equal to God. The opposing view, championed by an Egyptian bishop, said that Jesus was eternally equal to the Father.

An effort at compromise

CONSTANTINE called a council to sort things out. It’s called the first “ecumenical” or universal council, as opposed to regional ones. The bishops nearly unanimously supported a creed endorsed by the emperor. It’s a shorter version of the Nicene Creed recited in church today. It declared Jesus to be “true God” and condemned those who proclaimed Arian ideas.

The creed described Jesus as equal to the Father, of “one substance”—

“homoousios,” a term from Greek philosophy rather than the Bible.

The council also adopted a formula for determining the date of Easter, which had been controversial.

The council approved the calendar favored by Arian sympathizers, setting Easter for the Sunday after the first full moon of spring. That gave each side a win, said David Potter, author of “Constantine the Emperor” and a professor of Greek and Roman history at the University of Michigan.

“The Council of Nicaea was an extraordinary diplomatic success for Constantine, because he got the two sides to agree,” he said.

As a result, an emperor’s theological legacy endures.

“I’ve often thought that it’s nice that a piece of imperial legislation is read out every Sunday,” Potter said.

Ominous language about Jews WHEN the council set its formula for determining Easter, it made a point of distancing the observance from that of Jewish Passover. It used highly contemptuous language for Jews.

“Institutional antisemitism was absolutely a feature of the church,” Potter said.

He noted that such harsh language was common on all sides of ancient religious disputes among early Christians, Jews and pagans. But it helped set a precedent for centuries of persecution of Jewish minorities in Christian lands.

The settlement unsettled DESPITE agreement on the creed, it didn’t settle things. In fact, Arius made a comeback, returning to political favor.

Doctrinal debate raged for another couple of generations—even in the streets of the new capital of Constantinople.

“Old-clothes men, money changers, food sellers, they are all busy arguing,” wrote St. Gregory of Nyssa late in the fourth century. “If you ask someone to give you change, he philosophizes about the Begotten and the Unbegotten. If you inquire about the price of a loaf, you are told...the Father is greater and the Son inferior.”

In 381, another emperor convened a council in Constantinople. It affirmed an expanded Nicene Creed, with added lines describing the church and the Holy Spirit.

The final version became the standard text used today. It’s sometimes called the NiceneConstantinopolitan Creed.

Later -isms and schisms

THAT largely took care of the Arians, but new controversies arose in later centuries.

Some churches in Asia and Africa, including the Oriental Orthodox bodies, accepted the Nicene Creed but rejected later councils amid disputes over how to talk about Jesus being both human and divine.

Pope Leo, while in Turkey, also plans to meet with representatives of two Oriental Orthodox groups, the Armenian Apostolic and Syriac Orthodox churches.

The Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches had their own schism in the 11th century. They’d already been growing apart over such things as papal authority, but a big controversy was that the Western churches had added a clause in the Nicene Creed that the Eastern ones hadn’t agreed to.

Specifically, the original creed said the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father,” but Catholics added, “and the Son.” Protestant churches later split over other issues, though most held to the Nicene Creed.

Historic churches such as Lutherans, Anglicans and Presbyterians explicitly affirm the creed. Many modern evangelical churches that don’t officially affirm the creed, such as many Baptists, have their own statements of faith that largely agree with it.

A few notable exceptions, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, don’t accept the Nicene formula. Peter Smith/Associated Press

“There is great appreciation from Palestine toward the Philippines for the really correct positions in many occasions and in interna tional fora.”

Philippine–Israel relations: A special partnership YET while the Philippines has long expressed solidarity with Pales tine, its ties with Israel have also been described as special.

Manila and Tel Aviv enjoy strong political and diplomatic re lations, extensive cooperation in agriculture and technology, and a significant people‑to‑people con nection through the large number of Filipino caregivers and workers in Israel.

as “culminated in what we have seen in the last two years which to me…is a genocide.”

Bilateral relations and Philippine support MINISTER Shahin praised Ma nila’s consistent support to Palestine.

“I know the Philippines has been supporting Palestinians for a long time and their voting trend is superb when it comes to Pales tinian issues at the UN,” she said. She recalled that the Philip pines was one of the first countries to recognize Palestine in 1989.

Egyptian Ambassador Ned Zaki, who attended the lecture, echoed this appreciation, noting:

This dual track—supporting Palestinian rights while sustain ing special ties with Israel—un derscores the Philippines’ deli cate balancing act in Middle East diplomacy.  Shahin’s visit highlighted the complexity of this relationship, as Manila continues to navigate its role between solidarity with Palestine and strategic engage ment with Israel.

Resilience and hope DESPITE immense challenges, Shahin emphasized resilience: “We have a forward looking ap proach. We look at the future. We don’t dwell on this victim hood…Helplessness and hope lessness should not be part of our dictionary…We can do it for our own people, but we need to be given that chance.”

Archangels chorale turns 40 at today's Feast of Christ the King

By Mona Elizalde Montevirgen

TO many people, reaching the 40 in age is a milestone that is not quite old but can no longer be considered young. Reaching four decades is no mean feat. It is said to be the threshold of adulthood.

Forty is likewise a well known biblical number—40 days in the desert of temptation; 40 years of captivity and exile, etc.

It is an age where we say “tumitito”or “tumitita na” (becoming an uncle or aunty) as the commercial goes. Getting old but not quite yet.

The Archangels chorale—of St. Michael Chapel at Good Shepherd Parish in Las Piñas, under Fr. Wilmer Cacao, SMA—underwent transitions spanning generations of members, transcending boundaries and spaces.

It had name changes from Archs, to Angelicus, to Archlicus, etc, in the hope of making things fresher, more updated, more sustained. Sustain, by the way, is a music term to mean prolonging a note or tune.

There is so much to celebrate as a choir—years of music and memories, service and bittersweet situations, praise and platitudes.

But the bottomline now is not only to go on and sustain but to accord gratitude to our Divine Conductor who accorded us with endurance, musical capability and great memories to cherish. And so for all these, we simply say big thanks for all the years.

Thirty-nine years ago the Feast of Christ the King was the day the choir was born, a time of hope, waiting, peace and love. It is a short distance away from advent and Christmas and the turn of the year.

The festive mood has set in among the people awaiting the birth of Christ. Despite the busyness of many, let us not lose sight of the Reason for the Season. He is the source of every good gift given to us in our lives.

While a bunch of activities have been earlier planned and projected (recording psalms and hymns from our late choirmaster, tree planting and many more fun activities), we pause and give thanks to our Lord for the decades of sustained strength and love for Him...’til four decades more.

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

Trump admin to roll back protections for imperiled species, their habitat

BILLINGS, Montana—President Donald Trump’s administration moved to roll back protections for imperiled species and the places they live, reviving a suite of changes to Endangered Species Act regulations from the Republican’s first term that were blocked under former Democratic President Joe Biden.

The proposed changes include the elimination of the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s “blanket rule” that automatically protects animals and plants when they are classified as threatened. Government agencies instead would have to craft species-specific rules for protections, a potentially lengthy process.

The administration’s announcement answers longstanding calls for revisions to the Endangered Species Act from Republicans in Congress and industries including oil and gas, mining and agriculture.

Critics argue the landmark 1973 environmental law has been wielded too broadly, to the detriment of economic growth.

But environmentalists warned the changes could cause yearslong delays in efforts to save species such as the monarch butterfly, Florida manatee, California spotted owl and North American wolverine.

“We would have to wait until these poor animals are almost extinct before we can start protecting them. That’s absurd and heartbreaking,” said Stephanie Kurose with the Center for Biological Diversity.

Scientists and government agencies say extinctions are accelerating globally because of habitat loss and other pressures.

Trump has made oil and gas production a centerpiece of his presidency and sought to strip away environmental regulations that impede development.

Other pending proposals from the administration would revise the definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act and potentially bypass species protections for logging projects in national forests and on public lands.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement that the administration was restoring the Endangered Species Act to its original intent while respecting “the livelihoods of Americans who depend on our land and resources.”

“These revisions end years of legal confusion and regulatory overreach, delivering certainty to states, tribes, landowners and businesses while ensuring conservation efforts remain grounded in sound science and common sense,” Burgum said in a statement.

Another proposed change tasks officials with analyzing economic impacts when deciding whether habitat is critical to a species’ survival.

Case of lizard shows potential outcome of proposals

The case of the Yarrow’s spiny lizard in the Southwest exemplifies the potential consequences of the proposals.

Rapidly warming temperatures have ravaged a population of the lizard in Arizona’s Mule Mountains, pushing the reptiles further up the mountainsides toward the highest peaks and possibly toward extinction.

A petition filed Wednesday seeks protections for the lizard and the designation of critical habitat. Advocates say analyzing the economic impacts could delay protections. Designating critical habitat could be another hurdle because the primary threat to this population of spiny lizard is climate change.

“We think that the species should be listed as endangered. In fact, we are somewhat shocked that it is not already extinct,” said John Wiens, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona, who co-authored the petition.

The Interior Department was sued over the blanket protection rule in March, by the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The two groups argued the rule was illegal and discouraged states and landowners from assisting in species recovery efforts.

Species designated as “threatened” under the rule automatically qualify for the same protections as those with the more severe designation of “endangered.”

PERC Vice President Jonathan Wood said Wednesday’s proposal was a “necessary course correction.”

“This reform acknowledges the blanket rule’s unlawfulness and puts recovery back at the heart of the Endangered Species Act,” Wood said.

Proposals would undermine protections, critic says KRISTEN BOYLES with the environmental law firm Earthjustice said the changes undermine protections even more than in Trump’s first term. That includes allowing the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service to not count negative effects on species if those impacts are not regulated by the agencies themselves, Boyles said.

“The Services are required to prevent harmful consequences to species, not ignore them,” she said.

Trump officials during his first term also rolled back protections for individual species including the northern spotted owl and gray wolf.

The spotted owl decision was reversed in 2021 after officials said Trump’s political appointees used faulty science to justify opening millions of acres of West Coast forest to potential logging. Protections for wolves across most of the U.S. were restored by a federal court in 2022.

The Endangered Species Act protects more than 1,600 species in the United States and its territories. It is credited with helping save the bald eagle, California condor and scores more animals and plants from extinction since Republican President Richard Nixon signed it into law. Matthew Brown And Susan Montoya Bryan/Associated Press

THE Sierra Madre Mountain Range, the longest

Save Sierra Madre, save lives

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

SUPER Typhoon Uwan (international code name FungWong) left a path of death and destruction after it smashed the landmass of Luzon in the middle of this month. At least 33 people died, 51 were injured, and 1 person is missing.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported in November that it has affected over 2.1 million families, or 7.5 million persons, in 14,854 barangays spread across 905 cities and municipalities in 72 provinces, mostly in Luzon.

It damaged 296,787 houses, infrastructures worth P2.67 billion, which include 627 schools, 604 utility service facilities, 312 roads, and 122 government facilities.

Environmentalists said it would have been worse had it not been for Sierra Madre—which shielded Luzon from the typhoon’s strong winds and the heavy rainfall that triggered flash floods and landslides.

Such a claim was undermined by a storm chaser’s social media post, calling Sierra Madre’s protective capacity a “myth,” which stirred a spirited debate among so-called netizens.

Saving Sierra Madre THREATENED by various destructive human activities, Sierra Madre’s capacity to perform various important ecosystem functions has been greatly affected over the years.

Deforestation and illegal logging, mining and quarrying, largescale infrastructure projects, landuse conversion and agriculture, and climate change impacts have been identified as major threats to this vast mountain range.

Environmental groups have come together and formed alliances to save Sierra Madre by calling out policymakers for the destruction happening in various areas.

But even the so-called environmental defenders face a wide range of threats, including lethal and nonlethal attacks, legal harassment, and even digital abuse.

A study on Sierra Madre

A 2023 study titled “Does the Sierra Madre Mountain Range in Luzon Act as a Barrier to Typhoons?” by Gerry Bagtasa and Bernard Alan B. Racoma published by the Philippine Journal of Science, partly supports this claim.

It says that Luzon-passing tropical cyclones (TC) maintain their intensities at landfall regardless of the frictional effects of the mountain ranges.

The authors said the Sierra Madre Mountain Range reduces wind exposure and basin-wide rainfall of the Cagayan Valley. Hence, the SMMR can be considered a barrier for that region.

Meanwhile, the authors added that the weakening effect of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range reduces the wind exposure of the island of Catanduanes and eastern Bicol the most.

However, for the rest of Luzon, the SMMR enhances rainfall, which will likely compensate for the slight decrease in wind exposure—especially considering that most TCrelated damages are water/rainfall related.

Longest mountain range

SIERRA MADRE is the longest mountain range in the Philippines, which covers the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Quezon, or stretching to 540 km along Luzon’s east coast.

Its highest elevation rises up to 1,915 meter, or 6,283 ft, and stretches 540 km.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB), the devastating impact of extreme weather events, such as Uwan, underscores the critical role of Sierra Madre in protecting both the people and ecosystems.

The protective function, the DENR-BMB said, is supported by an extensive network of 27 protected areas within the mountain range.

Approximately 665,080 hectares, or 53 percent, of the mountain range’s forest cover lies within protected areas, which act as more than just patches of pristine nature, but important life-support systems that benefit Luzon.

Ecosystem services

SIERRA MADRE provides various ecosystem services—including regulating services, such as climate and disaster mitigation, while providing supporting services that sustain biodiversity through habitat connectivity and ecological stability.

It safeguards natural habitats to maintain the ecosystem intact and ensure the perpetual existence of the region’s rich and unique biodiversity.

Because of the mountain range’s vast forest, the services it provides, such as supplying essential resources including clean water, food, timber, and medicinal plants, are strongly felt.

The DENR-BMB said it also provides cultural services that go

beyond physical benefits, as Sierra Madre provides sanctuaries of beauty, peace, and inspiration, where people can reconnect, reflect, and recharge with nature.

Typhoon mitigation role

IN defense of Sierra Madre, the country’s top biodiversity official said that while she is not a weather expert, Sierra Madre and its protected areas play a vital role in mitigating the impacts of typhoons.

DENR-BMB Assistant Director Marigs Laririt told the BusinessMirror on November 17 via Messenger that the mountain range stands as the country’s natural fortress protecting communities, forests, and sustaining life across the region.

“It plays a vital role in mitigating the impacts of typhoons and climate change,” she said, citing the “numerous roles it plays when it comes to mitigating the effects of typhoons.”

Besides acting as a natural barrier, it helps regulate rainfall and influences typhoons from the Pacific Ocean through the “orographic effect,” Laririt said, citing a study titled “The Change in Rainfall from Tropical Cyclones Due to Orographic Effect of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range in Luzon, Philippines in 2016.”

Home to around 40 percent of the country’s forest cover, Sierra Madre’s forests and vegetation help mitigate the immediate impacts of storms and regulate water by reducing run-off and increasing infiltration.

Forests also stabilize soils, retaining water and reducing surface erosion, thus preventing, if not lessening, flooding and landslides.

Asked to weigh in, environmentalist Gregg Yan said: “While it’s true that the Sierra Madre doesn’t completely stop storms hitting us from the east, her mountains bleed speed from storm winds—a critical service in our era of stronger typhoons exacerbated by climate change and substandard flood control projects. Her forests help absorb water, which will otherwise flow to the lowlands.”

Yan said via Messenger on November 16 that the Sierra Madre is home to some of the country’s threatened and unique flora and fauna.

He agreed that “[it] is also a hub for biodiversity” citing the presence of golden-crowned flying fox, the Philippine warty pig, the Philippine eagle, and other types of iconic wildlife.

“To conserve these national icons while simultaneously reaping the benefits of nature-based flood control and protection from storms,

we can protect the Sierra Madre by managing deforestation—especially kaingin or [slash-and-burn] upland agriculture—and ensuring that mining operations properly rehabilitate their sites and give back to nature,” he said.

Beyond mitigating typhoons

CLIMATE justice advocate, John Leo Algo of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas, for his part, said the effects of typhoons do not end after they have left the Philippines. “As storms become more intense due to the climate crisis, their impacts are now starting to last for not just a few days, but months to years. As vital as the role of Sierra Madre is in softening the blow of typhoons, its importance in reducing climate risks is also seen through the life that should be thriving within these mountains,” he told the BusinessMirror via Messenger on November 17.

“If the Sierra Madre keeps getting deforested, communities are not only threatened by the storm itself, but the loss of ecosystem services provided by forests. These would cover food, water, livelihoods, and even cultural identities. Residents would lose their capacity to recover from typhoons in the long run or be forced to relocate, both of which prevent them from pursuing sustainable development,” he explained.

Sierra Madre’s long-term value “FOR a nation used to only seeing immediate gains and effects, the time is long overdue for all of us to look into the long-term value of our natural environment; not in monetary worth, but how it improves, protects, and saves lives,” he said.

Algo warned that the impacts of the climate crisis are projected to become more extreme, moving forward, as polluters fail to cut their emissions.

“This places the Philippines, already one of the most climatevulnerable countries, at even higher risk. The last thing we need is to have our natural environment be continuously destroyed by the actions of development aggression, enabled by corruption,” he said.

“We are not only robbed of the economic value brought by ecosystem services, but we are also deprived of our capacity to adapt to the changing climate and avoid losses and damages. There is no climate justice without good governance. The national and local governments must step up to protect the Sierra Madre and protect communities that live and depend on it,” he added.

Kerr: Spoelstra great choice for Team USA

MState’s Steve Kerr doesn’t see much of a need to pass the Olympic coaching torch to Miami’s Erik Spoelstra.

In Kerr’s mind, Spoelstra was ready for the looming challenge long ago.

Kerr—the former US Olympic men’s basketball coach—was facing off with Spoelstra—the current US Olympic men’s basketball coach—on Wednesday night for the first time since the Heat sideline boss was officially hired by USA Basketball to take over the national team.

Kerr said he has zero doubt that Spoelstra is ready for the challenge and all that comes with it.

“He was a great choice,” Kerr said before the Golden State-Miami game.

“He’s one of the great coaches of all time. Great awareness of what FIBA is about, the difference between coaching a team for seven weeks and coaching one for nine months, all of that stuff. He’s just got his finger on the pulse of it all. He’s going to be great.”

Spoelstra will lead the US men at the 2027 World Cup in Doha, Qatar and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Kerr led the Americans at the 2023 World Cup, when they finished fourth in Manila, then again on the way to Olympic gold at the Paris Games in 2024. Spoelstra was on Kerr’s staff for both events.

Later this weekend in South Florida, the US officially starts its quest to reach the 2027 World Cup—a 12-player team assembled for the first two games on the 12-game qualifying schedule will

gather for practices at the University of Miami before flying to Nicaragua to open play on November 28.

The qualifying games run through March 2027.

Spoelstra hasn’t reached out to Kerr yet to talk specifics about how he pivoted from National Basketball Association (NBA) thinking to international basketball thinking. He will, at some point.

“I’ve said it before, but I’m just so incredibly grateful for having that opportunity to be on his staff for the last two summers,” Spoelstra said. “The entire staff, we had such an amazing time. It was a life experience. It was Basketball 101. We all grew from it, just from a basketball coaching development experience. It’s the same four lines and two baskets and a basketball, but it’s a different sport, FIBA. And we were humbled in that first year and the second year, I think, the experiences that we had the summer before helped us for that Olympic experience.”

The US men have won the last five Olympic gold medals and Spoelstra will be tasked with extending that streak, and saw in Paris how difficult the job can be—with the Americans needing to rally from a double-digit deficit late to beat Serbia in the semifinals, then hold off France for the gold medal behind a dazzling show from Stephen Curry. And when “The Star-Spangled Banner” played for the Americans that night in Paris to commemorate their Olympic gold, Kerr turned to Spoelstra and said, “good luck.”

PAGCOR backs WSL Challenger Series to boost sports tourism

THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) expressed full support for the ongoing World Surf League (WSL) Challenger Series in Baler for boosting sports tourism and the country’s position as a premier surfing destination. PAGCOR chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco said the agency is proud to sponsor a global league that

The announcement that Spoelstra was taking over the team was more than a year away, but Kerr already seemed to know who the next coach needed to be.

“I was so impressed with Steve just in terms of the way he was able to manage everything,” Spoelstra said. “We all know that there is great pressure. I think he, as part of his genius, he managed that beautifully. Just getting the team, one, to handle all the expectations, and then getting the team to hit the stride at just the right time and be able to handle adversity like we did against Serbia. I think it was just great leadership on his part. That experience will be something I’ll never forget.”

Record social media engagement in NBA NATIONAL NBA games being shown on NBC/Peacock, Amazon Prime Video or ESPN have drawn more than 60 million viewers through the first month of the regular season, the league announced Thursday, noting that is the highest opening total in 15 years.

That doesn’t include the 2011-12 season, which opened on Christmas Day—traditionally one of the biggest viewership days on the NBA calendar.

Still, it’s a very positive sign for the league through the season’s first four weeks and with this being the first of an 11-year, $76 billion deal with its broadcast partners.

NBA content has commanded more than 30 billion views across social media platforms operated by the league and third parties, which is a record for this point in a season.

Sales of merchandise on NBAStore. com is up more than 20 percent, the league added, with those numbers driven in part by who the league calls “next generation stars”—like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama, Tyrese Maxey, Cooper Flagg, Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic. AP

brings elite surfers to iconic waves across the world, including celebrated Philippine surfing sites such as Siargao, La Union and Baler.

“We proudly support the WSL Series, which showcases emerging surfing talents and shines a global spotlight on the world-class waves of the Philippines,”Tengco said of the event, which started November 17 and will run until Sunday.

“This competition provides Filipino surfers with a bigger stage to showcase their skills while helping promote sustainable coastal development in surf communities,” he said. “We look forward to a successful WSL Challenger Series and to seeing more Filipino surfers make a mark on the international surfing scene.”

The WSL is the leading global platform for professional surfing, staging top-tier competitions throughout the year in celebrated surf destinations.

The Challenger Series serves as the crucial qualifying arena for athletes aspiring to join the elite WSL Championship Tour, attracting a field of seasoned professionals and rising stars from across the world.

The Philippines has long been part of the WSL map, with Siargao hosting league-sanctioned events for the past 29 years.

The country’s consistent presence in the global surfing event has helped elevate local shores—particularly Cloud 9 in Siargao, as well as surf hubs in Baler and La Union—into key destinations for both athletes and adventure tourists.

AIA Philippines is again putting the spotlight on health and wellness as it stages the Rock ’n’ Roll Running Series Manila presented by Asics on November 29 at Rizal Park—an event designed to inspire Filipinos to embrace a more active lifestyle while enjoying a vibrant, music-filled celebration.

“We’re thrilled to lead the AIA Rock ’n’ Roll Run Manila as title sponsor. Every stride amplifies our purpose—helping people live healthier, longer, better lives through a massive celebration of health, music and community,” said Melissa Henson, Chief Marketing Officer of AIA Philippines. “We can’t wait to see thousands of

connected, and healthy.” More than just a race, the AIA Rock ’n’ Roll Run Manila reinforces AIA’s long-standing commitment to promoting physical and mental wellbeing through sports and community engagement.

Aguilar, 8, bags 4th world crown in UAE tournament

By Josef Ramos

ALEIA AIELLE AGUILAR is only eight years old but added another milestone in her budding career in jiu-jitsu—she’s now a world champion four times over.

Aguilar, who’s from a family known for the sport, proved too strong against Sarah Abuhijleh of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), 3-0, to clinch the Kids 2 of Girls Gi 22 kgs Class A (grey belt division) title in the Abu Dhabi World Professional JiuJitsu Championships (AJP). She earlier beat Maitha Almas, also of UAE, via submission armbar in the semifinal of the event held last Thursday.

“I’m so thankful to God that I won again,” said Aielle as she basked in triumph witnessed by her father, Alvin Aguilar, founding father of Filipino mixed martial arts, at the Madubala Arena in the UAE capital. It was Aielle’s fourth world title in the AJP championships, considered one of the most prestigious jiu-jitsu tournaments held annually in Abu Dhabi.

“Thank you all, especially those who have been giving me encouraging words before this event,” the young Aguilar added.

The annual Abu Dhabi showpiece features the best jiu-jitsu artists from all over the world and has gained significant respect in the BJJ—Brazilian Jiu-jitsu that emphasizes ground fighting and submission techniques—community.

“I focus on every move. Be patient in practice because that is the key to winning,” Aguilar said. Before Abu Dhabi, Aielle already won two prestigious titles—the IBJJF PAN kids in Orlando, Florida, and the Marianas Open in Guam. Aguilar is world champion in both IBJJF and the AJP, known for its high-stakes competition and prestigious events, including the Abu Dhabi world Pro.

Federer elected to Hall of Fame in 1st year of eligibility

By Howard Fendrich The Associated Press

WELL, this will come as no surprise to anyone who’s paid any attention over the past quarter-century: Roger Federer was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, the Rhode Island-based Hall announced Wednesday.

The first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles, and part of an era of unprecedented greatness with rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic—during what Federer termed “a golden time for tennis”—he was

the only candidate to receive enough support in the player category for the Hall’s class of 2026.

Players can be considered after five years away from the tour and need to be selected by 75 percent of the voting group, which includes tennis media, historians, industry leaders, members of the Hall and fans.

The Hall does not reveal voting results.

TV announcer and journalist Mary Carillo, who also was a player, was elected in the contributor category. The induction ceremony is in August.

“I’ve always valued the history of tennis and the example set by those who came before me,” Federer said. “To be recognized in this way by the sport and by my peers is deeply humbling.”

He is one of eight men with a career Grand Slam, collecting eight championships at Wimbledon, six at the Australian Open, five at the US Open and one at the French Open.

“I didn’t predict I was going to have this many majors,” Federer once said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I was hoping to maybe have one, to be quite honest, at the very beginning of my career.”

Federer’s first Slam title came at the All England Club in 2003, and he broke Pete Sampras’ then-record for a male of 14 major titles by winning Wimbledon in 2009, defeating Andy Roddick 16-14 in the fifth set of the final. Federer claimed his 20th at the 2018 Australian Open.

“I don’t really feel like I’m playing for the records,” Federer once told the AP. “I play this game because I love it.” His

and

he does, he does with elegance,” Alcaraz said. “I appreciate that. He took the game to another level...that’s what I admire the most.” At the height of his powers, Federer reached a record 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals from 2005-07, winning eight. That dominance extended to appearing in 18 of 19 Slam finals; he also put together streaks of 23 semifinals and 36 quarterfinals at majors.

The Impact of MAMA 2025 on Filipino Fan Culture

2 NOVEMBER 23, 2025 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

BUILT FROM GRIT

How

Costa Cashman stands on business, redefines ‘Gangsta’

Story by Bless Ogerio

COSTA Cashman doesn’t slow down these days.

Once just a part of the underground collective O SIDE MAFIA, Cashman has long grown past being just a rapper. These days, he’s an artist, producer, businessman, and owner of his own record label, juggling roles with the same relentless energy that first made him stand out in the local hiphop circuit.

“Lately, it’s been really busy,” Cash told SoundStrip in Filipino. “Because now I have a company. At the same time, I’m still an artist. Sometimes I go home just to change clothes. But I’m happy because I love what I do.”

It’s a schedule that sounds chaotic—out of the house by 8:00 a.m., back at 4:00 a.m.— but Cashman wears the grind with pride. For him, that’s the point. “I want to understand everything,” he added.

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The business of being ‘Gangsta’

HIS latest single, Gangsta, released in October 2025 with Fern and produced by dot.jaime, strips the word of its clichés. Instead of aggression, it’s a manifesto for independence, which is his blueprint for turning struggle into stability.

“It’s like standing on business,” he explained. “You don’t fold. Because in life, a lot of things will test you. But you can’t fold. Because once you do, that’s it, you’re not gangsta.”

The word, for him, has evolved. “Now that I have a company, it’s real business. Professional. I’ve learned things. Before, I didn’t. I never really experienced that. But now, I’m correcting the mistakes I made before, and that’s what being gangsta means to me,” he said.

“It’s no longer about being aggressive or reckless. That’s dumb s**t to me now.”

It’s the kind of self-awareness that’s become rare in a scene where many still equate credibility with chaos. For Cashman, “gangsta” has become a testament to survival.

“Yes, I guess I’m moving away from the struggle,” he admitted. “But that’s really my language. That’s how I express who I am. Even if I move away from the struggle, what I do is still gangsta.”

Real over rehearsed

IF you listen closely, there’s a discipline beneath his bars. Cashman’s writing is becoming stripped down and unpretentious.

“The line ‘Ayos lang gamitan, basta sabog pitaka ko, binibitaw ko real shit,’ that’s really my favorite line in Gangsta,” he said when asked which lyric stands out most to him.

“Because in this world, everyone uses each other in some way. But if you’re being used the right way, it’s okay. Just because someone benefits from you doesn’t mean it’s bad,” Cashman explained.

The realness, he said, lies in how he connects with listeners. “I’d rather you feel me, bro, than pretend,” he added. “Even if I don’t have bars, as long as what I’m saying is real, that’s what matters. Some bars are so deep that you can’t even understand them.”

This clarity of intention bleeds into his creative process. “Sometimes the lyrics come before the beat, sometimes it starts with a vibe,” he said. “But the songs that hit, we never force them. Because once you force it, it’s no longer authentic.”

industry friends like Shoreline because of how distinct their writing and structure are.

“We want something timeless, something you can still play in 2030,” he said.

But at the end of the day, Cash’s formula is simple: don’t fake it. “No matter how good you are, if it’s not authentic, people won’t feel it,” he said. “What matters most is that people feel it.” In an age when virality can mimic authenticity, Cashman refuses to compromise. “I see a lot of artists who are good, but when you meet them in person, that’s not really who they are,” he said.

“For me, everything I write is based on what I’ve been through. I want my own trademark. No one’s like me. One of none.”

The philosophy feels both old-school and forward-thinking: stay real, or stay irrelevant.

“Everything I write comes from what I truly want to do,” he said. “There are others who are great, sure, but I’m still different. Because this is me.”

The next for Cash

WHAT’S next for Costa Cashman?

“Maybe I can’t really say,” he said. “But I hope I finally get the things I want. That everything I do succeeds like before. I took a gamble for a long time, and now I’m taking another one. I just hope I win again.”

He paused, then smiled. “Just manifesting. Maybe by then I’ll have a sports car, my own house, my money’s stable. I want to wake up one day and just decide to go to Boracay.”

Until then, he’s still standing on business, making art that’s less about looking gangsta, and more about earning it.

BAGETS AT HEART

Some things haven’t changed for Raymond Lauchengco

Story by Jingo Zapata

ayond Lauchengco believes some of the greatest moments in his life have been unplanned — especially his fruitful career in musical theater, the movies (“Bagets”), and OPM.

His coming concert, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” will be held at The Theatre at Solaire on Nov. 28, a day before he turns 60 — an age that belies his youthful looks and attitude.

In this email chat, he talks about his new single, “My Favorite Story,” his book of essays and artworks, “Dancing with the Wind,” among other wonderful happenstance, including his wife Mia — whom he met while looking to buy art frames.

Your new single, “My Favorite Story,” is addressed to everyone you love. Did you ask Odette for it, or did she send it to you ready for recording?

I was touring with Odette last year in the US for the continuation of her 40th Anniversary All Hits concert series. And because Odette gave me my very first hit (“I Need You Back”), as well as one

of my biggest ones (“Farewell”), I had it in my head to ask her for another song that I could record for my milestone year. A kind of full circle moment with the composer who made me a singer. She loved the idea and, right off the top of her head, suggested three possibilities. She played each one (I was riding in her car at the time), and I loved all three. In fact, I could imagine myself singing each one. But because we were looking to release a single, I had to choose one.

I chose “My Favorite Story” because it was the perfect song to capture the message I wanted to convey at this time, that the most extraordinary thing about my life has been the people God placed in it — from family to friends, and every single person I’ve had the privilege of connecting with through music.

“My Favorite Story” is my thank-you song for them.

Among the art pieces featured in your book, “Dance with the Wind,” which ones did you struggle to create, or took a long time to finish, and why?

The three pieces of one-of-a-kind furniture were the biggest and heaviest. And my tools, especially my chisels, were very small. At the time I had no power tools for cutting — only an old, rusty saw which made the work very challenging.

The three pieces were Atlas, Silver Lake, and Twin Lakes. They were all tables — two side tables and a coffee table. All three had glass tops which had to be perfectly level to the ground in all directions, otherwise it would be a disaster.

I also had no precision tools, only my eyes and a conventional bubble gauge. Three of the glass tops were cantilevered, which meant that the base had to support and balance them off with any additional weight placed on them.

You didn’t really plan on recording a new single and publishing a book. Was this, somehow, also the case when you met Mia for the first time?

Definitely! I’ve reached the age where you can look back and realize how some of the most beautiful and life-changing moments have happened without so much as a plan or an inkling. It is only in retrospect that you are able to appreciate how one thing led to another. I like to think of these moments as being God’s movement in our lives. You also told me that Mia felt uncomfortable when you first asked her out because she wanted to maintain a professional relationship. How did you convince her to forget that she’s an art gallery owner and you’re her client?

I simply told her that I could take my business elsewhere if it made her feel uncomfortable that I wanted to date her. There are many framers all over the city, but I can’t say the same for someone you know is a God-send.

When did you realize you wanted to marry her? When I was unable to imagine myself doing anything worthwhile without her. At your presscon you were happy to announce that Sharon Cuneta has finally found time to join you onstage on Nov. 28. Are you rehearsing a number or two with her?

Absolutely! The number is from the golden age of OPM movie theme songs. Why Ice Seguerra and Mitch Valdes as your other guests?

Ice because we are the same type of balladeers, but in different packages. We both like sentimental, quiet songs that speak straight to the heart. No frills, no unnecessary vocal gymnastics, just heartfelt messages. Mitch because I need a guru. Someone wise and with enough experience to show me how to navigate the new ways of being a senior.

Martin Nievera will be there, too. It's always been a dream of mine to sing with the Concert King!

What new things have you discovered about yourself as a singer turning 60? That it isn’t about me. It never has been. Instead, it’s all about the people

for whom I sing. And the mere fact that people still want to listen to me after more than 40 years is the gift that keeps on giving.

How do you deal with the physical and mental drawbacks of aging? Some things about aging you just have to accept and embrace. While I think that people actually get better as they get older, the body begins to lag behind a bit. We may have had more energy as teenagers, but then again, we weren’t very smart back then. Nowadays, we have more smarts but less energy, so, it kind of balances things, hahaha! What bagets stuff do you still indulge in? I’m still very curious and adventurous. I still love exploring, discovering new things and learning. I don’t think that part of me will ever change.

“My Favorite Story” is on Spotify. “Dance with the Wind” is available for preorder at raymondlauchengco. com. Concertgoers who buy the book or concert merchandise bundles get a free meet-and-greet pass after the show.

The Impact of MAMA 2025 on Filipino Fan Culture

By Orville Tan

F

OR Filipino

K-pop fans, the upcoming Mnet Asian Music Awards 2025 (MAMA 2025) is a full-blown fiesta of fandom.

When November 28-29 rolls around, living rooms all over the Philippines will transform into vibrant concert arenas as fans rally behind their idols in Hong Kong. The buzz is almost electric: group watch parties are in the works, Twitter feeds are alive, and “MAMA night” is marked on calendars. Fans see their values reflected in these artists, so when a beloved group takes home a big win, it feels incredibly personal.

Global Awards, Local Excitement

MAMA 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most star-studded editions yet, and Filipino fans are riding the wave of announcements with unmatched enthusiasm.

Nominations were unveiled in midOctober, with K-pop powerhouses like BLACKPINK leading the charge. In fact, the group has emerged as the most-nominated act this year, racking up an impressive 23 nods. Hashtags like #BlackpinkMAMA2025 have been trending as fans rallied their voting teams.

From PH EXO-Ls to BABYMONSTER’s growing fanbase, everyone is buzzing to see their idols get recognition. The nominees represent a wide range of K-pop generations, and Filipinos have favorites in every category, whether it’s Seventeen and TXT

for Best Male Group or aespa and TWICE for Best Female Group. Each nomination feels like a victory for the fandom.

In 2021, the Philippines was recognized as the second-highest country for K-pop Twitter activity globally. Fandom names have become part of everyday conversation: ARMYs, BLINKs, NCTzens, ONCEs, and more. That incredible fan energy is now focused on MAMA, every tweet, vote, and cheer contributing to the chorus of support.

Voting Fever and Fan Power

THE countdown to MAMA 2025 turned into an election season for K-pop fans. Fan voting is a vital part of MAMA, especially for the Worldwide Fans’ Choice awards. Voting began in October on Mnet’s global app and through Twitter/X hashtags, and Filipino fan communities sprang into action. They’ve organized daily voting re-

minders, tutorial threads, and even voteswap systems. Voting ended November 10, 10:59 PM Philippine time.

To keep the energy up, fanbases engage in friendly competitions. On a local fan platform called FanFlare, the August idol rankings saw TXT, TWICE’s Chaeyoung, and NMIXX snag the top spots, thanks to enthusiastic support from Filipino fans. Fans joke about becoming nocturnal during voting season, adjusting their schedules to Korean Standard Time and checking server clocks on navyism, a server time checking portal.

Fandom Without Borders

THE success of UNIS, the first K-pop group made up of Filipinas to win at last year’s MAMA, sparked joy across the nation. “Finally, after 25 years, Filipino K-Pop idols have won a MAMA award!” This milestone inspires more young talents and encour-

ages fans to support Asian artists across the board. The Philippines has had a longstanding connection with MAMA, from Sarah Geronimo’s Best Asian Artist (Philippines) in 2012 to SB19 shining on the global stage, and Sandara “Dara” Park cherished as an adopted Filipina star. These ties make Filipino fans feel personally invested.

With Hong Kong a short flight away, some die-hard fans are pooling resources to attend. For those at home, streaming platforms ensure no one misses a moment. The Filipino fandom experience is interactive and communal, with trending topics, fan art, live updates, and multilingual congratulations whenever a beloved artist wins.

Bringing K-culture Closer to Home

AMID global excitement, fan culture in the Philippines is becoming localized. A major player is FanFlare, a homegrown fan platform revolutionizing how projects are organized. While MAMA focuses on global recognition, FanFlare makes local impact. FanFlare encourages shining the spotlight at home. It’s now easier to rent an LED billboard along EDSA or host a themed café event. NMIXX’s Philippine fanbase used FanFlare to aim for a billboard in Cubao. TXT fans in the Philippines used it to snag an ad in Seoul’s famous Hongdae district. HORI7ON’s Anchors use it to promote their boys on radio, as well as run ads in Hongdae for months at a time.

With MAMA 2025 just around the corner, its influence on Filipino fan culture is deep and varied. It’s the swell of pride when Asian artists shine. When the lights at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium illuminate the night on November 28 and 29, a million lights in the Philippines will shine right along with them.

The best fictional bands in film history

THE Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters has become the most watched film in Netflix history. The all-pervasive musical phenomenon centers on two fictional K-pop bands, Huntr/X and Saja Boys.

If you somehow haven’t yet seen it, think of an anime-inspired version of Star Wars via West Side Story. It’s not the first film to find major success with fictional bands. Here are some movie bands that transcended and overshadowed their celluloid source material to soar into a life of their own.

n Spinal Tap

RELEASED in 1984, the This is Spinal Tap mockumentary charted the struggling career of the eponymous heavy metal band.

Director Rob Reiner both paid homage and satirized the self-importance of preceding rock documentaries and their source material–the bands.

This is Spinal Tap laid the blueprint for appreciation of these types of bands and films for years to come, leaving us with now culturally ingrained scenes such as “these go to eleven” and “he died in a bizarre gardening accident.”

n Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes PERHAPS not the most instantly recognizable name on this list, this band are onscreen in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) for little under a minute, but their impact and legacy lives on.

This seven-piece ensemble house band soundtrack the Mos Eisley Cantina scene

in George Lucas’ first Star Wars film. The scene itself introduces many weird and wonderful non-human creatures from across the galaxies to the audience for the first time, with the house band performing simultaneously familiar and futuristic swing music. Prompted by Lucas to try something in the style of Benny Goodman, composer John Williams delivered a piece of music so memorable that the non-existent Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes have been covered multiple times by artists in styles ranging from techno to metal, electro and country.

n The Commitments

THE Commitments blasted onto screens in 1991 seemingly a fully formed musical entity, all sweat, bulging veins and soul

power. In reality, director Alan Parker had scoured the streets of Dublin in search of young musicians he felt would suit the look and personalities of the characters from the pages of Roddy Doyle’s novel. Parker secured the likes of then 16-yearold old Andrew Strong as the bands lead vocalist, Glen Hansard as lead guitarist, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Bronagh Gallagher and Angeline Ball as “The Commitmentettes”, as well as real band The Corrs in a variety of supporting cameo roles. The film gave us a visceral and often hilarious look at life in a band on the mean streets of “Barrytown”. Crucially, all the songs featured in the film were performed live on set by the musicians and singers, perhaps someway contributing to the enormous success of the accompanying soundtrack album. The Conversation