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The financial space has come a long way in the Philippines as听banks, wallet services, consumer lending, and insurance are all going digital, albeit at different paces.听

The same goes for the remittance space, largely important in the country due to the large overseas Filipinos worker (OFW) population.听

鈥淢ore and more senders and recipients would like to send and receive their money digitally. Case in point would be the acceleration of digital wallets being the primary mode of receiving remittances,鈥� said Earl Allan E. Melivo, country director of cross-border digital payments service WorldRemit.听

In this B-Side episode, Mr. Melivo shares with听叠耻蝉颈苍别蝉蝉奥辞谤濒诲听reporter Bront毛 H. Lacsamana how financial inclusion can be achieved by supporting digital services in the Philippines.听

We must welcome public, private, domestic, and international players.听

With the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) regulating the financial space in support of technological innovations and the operation of multiple domestic and international players that offer beneficial services, digital channels will definitely improve.听

鈥淲ith all these combined efforts and obviously support from both the private sector and the government, we are seeing a lot of improvements and also helping the government to reach its goal of higher financial inclusion or more than 50% financial inclusion in the next five years,鈥� said Mr. Melivo.听

He added that the exponential growth of e-commerce, banks improving their digital banking channels, and people signing up for digital wallets and availing of financial services online, has shown how the Philippines is ahead of the curve.听

Cash is still king, but digital payout methods are gaining traction.听

However, cash is still the number one means of sending and receiving remittances. Companies like WorldRemit, despite acknowledging this fact, also remain hopeful for the increase of digital payout methods which they facilitate cross-border.听

鈥淵ou can see that the market is shifting towards digital receive methods, as I said, due to the emergence of digital banks and also mobile wallets,鈥� Mr. Melivo said, 鈥淪o we鈥檙e already seeing that as evidence of the industry evolving into a more efficient industry.鈥澨�

He predicts that, in the next three to five years, more remittances will be received via digital channels. The shift can happen very fast, as many companies experienced 鈥� WorldRemit, for instance, launched a send-to-mobile wallet service just a month after the Philippines went into lockdown.听

The biggest challenge in the Philippines is internet penetration.听

Improving internet quality and access will be a fundamental part of achieving financial inclusion, especially in a large country with thousands of islands.听

鈥淭he government鈥檚 drive to do financial inclusion is there, and the industry players are very much supportive and doing their best to increase financial inclusion in the country. However, there鈥檚 still a question of听when听we can provide the best possible internet technology to pave way even for the remote areas,鈥� Mr. Melivo explained.听

Mobile internet, in particular, will be vital in letting as many Filipinos as possible avail of digital services rather than rely mostly on cash remittances.听

Government needs to embrace digital culture and help educate the public.听

In the Philippines, there鈥檚 a need to educate the wider audience of financial services available in the market. This includes what they are, where to get them, the benefits, and the threats in the digital financial space.听

鈥淛ust like the traditional or offline methods, it鈥檚 susceptible to abuse, obviously hackers being wiser these days, so it鈥檚 a question of how can we further improve these services and also how we can actually try to protect consumers and educate them of the availability of these services and the full benefits of which,鈥� said Mr. Melivo.听

Though the private sector and the government’s financial sector are well underway in terms of financial technology, other public agencies need to embrace it as well.听

Only then will financial inclusion be attainable, he added.听听

Recorded remotely on Dec. 16, 2021. Produced by Bront毛 H. Lacsamana, Paolo L. Lopez听and Sam L. Marcelo.

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Money Talks is a series on personal finance sponsored by Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank).听

Money is on the mind of many people, particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent study titled 鈥淪tate of Banking and Financial Wellness鈥� by US-headquartered research firm Forrester, commissioned by fintech company Backbase, found that more than half (58%) of Filipinos identified building savings (58%) and planning for retirement (52%) among their concerns in personal finance. Debt is a top concern, with 70% of Filipinos citing it as a challenge in financial management.

In this B-Side episode, Chorie Chan, first vice-president and head of the Financial Markets – Investment Distribution Division for Countryside at Metrobank, talks money with 大象传媒, and how the pandemic has changed how we view and think about it.

TAKEAWAYS听

What has changed, and what hasn鈥檛

鈥淚 have been in banking for over 27 years now and what the pandemic taught me is this: the basic tenets of saving, budgeting and investing are still there. Am I saving enough? Am I spending too much? How should I budget my finances?鈥� Ms. Chan said.

鈥淣o matter how you think about it, no matter if you compute for unforeseen expenses, if you still have an extra amount that you couldn鈥檛 possibly need, then we talk about investing. That鈥檚 still a universal truth that has not changed over the years, pandemic or not. A universal truth that has probably evolved over the years and more so in the pandemic, would be the need to have better returns, and the need for diversity in what you can possibly invest in.鈥� 听

We must be able to assess our own financial wellness

People need to reassess how they view money in an environment of uncertainty.

鈥淏efore we seemed to have that confidence in stability. Stability of where we are if we have businesses, if we are employed. We kind of were able to project that 鈥業鈥檓 still going to have this income stream in the next couple of years.鈥� But lo and behold, the pandemic happened, and none of us are as certain as before that this could persist in the years or months to come,鈥� Ms. Chan said.

鈥淭his has become too pressing for all of us that we might want to consider expanding or deepening that amount of savings that we might need anytime soon to beyond the six-month requirement for expenses.鈥�

Saving is not investing

鈥淚 don鈥檛 equate saving with investing. A lot of us get confused that when we have extra from our inflows minus the outflow, we automatically consider that as an investable fund,鈥� Ms. Chan said.

鈥淟iquidity. The ability for anyone to convert savings into cash. Liquidity means that you are able to access your money in whatever form it is in and be able to use it for an unforeseen expense. So if there is any doubt in your mind that if say, a family member would need help or your car need maintenance in a few months, then there is an amount that you should always keep liquid, so you can spend for that unforeseen need.鈥�

Explore various ways to manage portfolio

At the end of the day, what you need to do about saving and investing will have to depend on what you need and what you hope to accomplish. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a whole wide world of ways… to discuss how and why and in what manner you can construct your portfolio. At the end of it all, it will have to be about your investment objectives, your tolerance for risk, and your requirement for liquidity,鈥� Ms. Chan said.

鈥淭he critical point that an investor has to be mindful about is the access to these financial investments, securities, or assets is so free that you can actually approach any financial institution that you鈥檙e comfortable dealing with and be led to talk to specialists within that institution. Ask them, feel free to explore, talk to people who are in touch with financial markets so they can sit down with you. Advice is free, I鈥檓 sure. And they can profile your suitability and your preferences and match these with your needs and objectives.鈥� 听

听听

Recorded remotely Nov. 4. Interview by Santiago J. Arnaiz,听大象传媒 contributor and chief operating officer of health startup Day3 Innovations. Research by Bjorn Biel 鈥淛B鈥� M. Beltran. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez听and Sam L. Marcelo.

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Thrice-a-week Zoom meetings birthed听Winning Still: Essays from the Philippine Sports Landscape during the Pandemic, an anthology of essays written by accomplished Filipino sports stakeholders and personalities.听

In this B-Side episode, Ateneo de Davao University athletics director and听Winning Still听project coordinator Emmanuel Rene 鈥淣oli鈥� S. Ayo tells听大象传媒听senior reporter Michael Angelo S. Murillo听the lessons听he听learned from听wrangling听a group of alpha individuals 鈥� including Olympic gold medalist and weightlifter听Hidilyn F. Diaz 鈥� into achieving a 鈥渃ompelling common goal.鈥�听

TAKEAWAYS听

鈥楽ink or adapt.鈥�听

鈥淚n this pandemic, you either sink or adapt. The book is about adapting, evolving amid the prevailing conditions,鈥� Mr. Ayo said. 鈥淭he pandemic has affected us but it also gave the invitation to change. Many are still struggling but there are also others who have moved forward. [Things may look impossible right now] but the thing about impossibility is it only takes one person [or moment] to remove the impossible.鈥澨�听

Break down silos.听

Winning Still听highlights the value of a compelling common goal and shared experience.听

鈥淭hroughout the meetings we gathered a lot of interesting insights. We felt that we had to share what we were discussing to more people,鈥� said Mr. Ayo. 鈥淲e like gathering people but sometimes we operate in silos. We have to come together. It is easier if you have someone with you on this journey.鈥澨�听

鈥榊ou cannot share from an empty cup.鈥�听

The knee-jerk reaction among coaches at the start of the pandemic was to put the welfare of their athletes before their own. Mr. Ayo reminded these coaches to take care of themselves and their families first. 鈥淭here is wisdom in intentional nurturing,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou have to nurture yourself and think about how you nurture yourself. 鈥� You cannot share from an empty cup.鈥�听

Recorded remotely on Sept. 17. Produced by Bront毛 H. Lacsamana, Paolo L. Lopez听and Sam L. Marcelo.

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The pandemic changed the way we eat, said Christian Wiegele, president of the Fresh Produce Group of Dole Sunshine Company.听

In this B-Side episode, he tells听大象传媒听reporter Revin听Mikhael听D.听Ochave听about the future of food and how Dole is meeting the increased demand for fruits despite the logistical challenges caused by the pandemic.听听

Mr. Wiegele, who spent 18 years with Coca-Cola, also talks about moving to an industry where the product is highly dependent on the whims of the weather. 鈥淎griculture is exposed to natural disasters… You need long-term thinking and the ability to adjust your commercial strategy depending on the volume you have available,鈥� he said. And unlike a bottle of Coke, he added, 鈥渋t takes 18 months to grow a pineapple and nine months to grow a banana.鈥�听

TAKEAWAYS听听

To improve food security, the food sector should听provide听affordable food, cut food waste, and increase production.听听听

Mr. Wiegele said companies involved in the food sector can work on three areas namely: providing affordable food solutions for all socioeconomic classes; reducing food waste; and improving yields.听听听

鈥淔ood security is very much linked to malnutrition. Unfortunately, the pandemic has shown 鈥� due to the economic pressures 鈥� that a lot of people actually have moved into poverty and not being able to afford good nutrition,鈥� Mr. Wiegele said.听听听

鈥淭here is so much food waste in the food supply chain from farm to market depending on which statistics you would use, it is somewhere between 30% and 50%,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚f you are able to increase yields, the economic situation is much better. The costs go down significantly and we can also sell produce at a lower price.鈥澨�听

Venturing into the agriculture sector needs long-term thinking.听听听

Mr. Wiegele, who spent 18 years with the Coca-Cola Company, said the difference between the two companies is in fulfilling demand.听听听

鈥淚n the case of Coca-Cola, it is a product where you can fulfill the demand at any time. In the case of Dole, you are centered on our agriculture products. Agriculture is exposed to natural disasters, to changing weather patterns, and to different soil conditions,鈥� he said.听听听

鈥淚n agriculture, you need long-term thinking and the ability to adjust your commercial strategy depending on the volume you have available. It takes 18 months to grow a pineapple and nine months to grow a banana.鈥澨�听

Supply chains remain vulnerable.听

According to Mr. Wiegele, the Philippines accounts for the majority of Dole鈥檚 banana and pineapple production.听听听

While the company鈥檚 operations have not faced major disruptions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been challenges in getting the fruit to consumers.听

鈥淚n terms of operations, I am extremely thankful to our associates in the Philippines to say that we haven鈥檛 faced any significant disruption. We鈥檝e been able to grow our fruit, harvest our fruit, and process our fruit without any major interruptions,鈥� Mr. Wiegele said.听听听

鈥淥n the supply chain side, we have definitely faced some challenges,鈥� he continued. 鈥淭here have been container shortages around the world, certain ports being closed from one day to another in some of our export markets. We鈥檝e had vessels which were filled with fruits and suddenly cannot enter the ports.鈥澨�听

Recorded remotely听this听July. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez听and Sam L. Marcelo.

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Despite saying that the pandemic response is a top priority, the executive department of the Duterte administration slashed the P50.4 billion allotted for healthcare workers鈥櫶齛llowances听and other benefits from the proposed 2022 budget.

鈥淚t鈥檚 so important for us to know exactly what the government wants to do 鈥� and what it really wants to do is reflected in the national budget. It鈥檚 not really in the public statements that officials make day in and day out during their press conferences,鈥� said Zy-za Nadine Suzara, executive director of think tank Institute for Leadership, Empowerment, and Democracy (iLead).听听

In this B-Side episode with听叠耻蝉颈苍别蝉蝉奥辞谤濒诲听reporter Kyle听Aristophere听T. Atienza, Ms. Suzara explains why the broader public should pay close attention to the ongoing budget deliberations.听

TAKEAWAYS听

Look at the line items.听

The Department of Health鈥檚听P242 billion听budget听may seem like a significant sum, but according to Ms. Suzara, it鈥檚 inadequate for a proper pandemic response.听

鈥�What鈥檚 more important is not to look at the sheer numbers,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 more important to look at are the very specific programs that are part of it.鈥�听

Vaccines, for example, are under unprogrammed appropriations. 鈥淲hen it鈥檚 part of unprogrammed appropriations, … it kind of symbolizes that it鈥檚 [vaccine procurement] actually second priority.听

Patronage-driven projects have been rebranded as sustainability projects.听听

鈥淧atronage-driven and less strategic projects like multipurpose halls and small types of infrastructure…听have been rebranded as sustainability projects under the convergence program,鈥澨齭aid Ms. Suzara. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e pretty much the same. That鈥檚 definitely a cause for concern.鈥�听

The听2022 budget听needs to address the public health crisis…听听

鈥淚f we don鈥檛 see funds for contact tracing, massive testing, boosting the public health system and providing risk allowances for health workers who are in the frontlines 鈥� as well as funds for immediately buying the vaccines 鈥� then we鈥檙e going to have a hard time containing this pandemic,鈥� said Ms. Suzara. 鈥淎nd we鈥檒l probably just see a cycle of lockdown and reopening the economy happening again and again.鈥�听

鈥� and听economic recovery.听

鈥淏uild, Build,听Build听program projects are capital expenditures which aren鈥檛 fast disbursing,鈥� said Ms. Suzara. 鈥淚n order for government spending to make an impact on our GDP, it has to be spending for fast-disbursing things.鈥澨�听

Instead of spending on the 鈥淏uild, Build,听Build鈥� projects, Ms. Suzara recommended focusing on听cash aid, distance learning, service contracting program for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers, support for micro, small and medium enterprises, among other programs that can help听Filipinos听cope with the economic impacts of the pandemic.听

Recorded remotely on Sept. 11. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez听and Sam L. Marcelo.

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You are what you listen to. By analyzing the songs that are on heavy rotation on your playlist, music solutions agency Homonym can give brands a picture of who you are: from the shampoo that you use on your head to the shoes that you wear on your feet.听听

鈥淭o us, sonic branding, or the sound part of your branding, is very important because that鈥檚 the only way you can make [people] feel. … Audio makes you feel,鈥� said Mike L. Constantino, founder of Homonym.听

In this B-Side episode, he explains to听大象传媒听reporter Bront毛 H. Lacsamana how audio data can help brands reach their target market using as an example Nissan鈥檚 2020 X-Trail ad campaign.听听

Based on Homonym鈥檚 research, the marketing push for the X-Trail, described on the Nissan website as 鈥渁n SUV with muscular styling,鈥� used 鈥淢oney听for听Food鈥� by petite singer-songwriter Barbie听Almalbis听in its spots.听听

Homonym was founded in 2016 as a one-stop shop for artists who need advice on monetizing their art, and agencies that want an endorser to sing or become a musical brand ambassador.听听

鈥淭hey call us,鈥� said Mr. Constantino.听听

TAKEAWAYS听

听Visuals make you think. Music makes you feel.听听

Audio data can help brands, and agencies and event organizers connect to their target market.听

Homonym commissions studies that provide insight into how the music habits of Filipino consumers relate to their age, gender, and lifestyle and brand preferences.听听

This data helps build a sonic identity, which involves brand harmonization and audience tuning 鈥� fancy words that mean determining a brand鈥檚 essence and tuning it with the tastes and preferences of the target market. After that, music psychology and even neuroscience come into play to determine the right fit.听听

This is how Homonym landed on Ms.听Almalbis听as the ideal artist for the Nissan X-Trail campaign, which targeted females of a certain age group.听听

鈥淓very human that was ever born, from 14 to 24 years old 鈥� that鈥檚 when they develop their personality, their identity. And music is a big part of that,鈥� said Mr. Constantino.听听

Music makes an indelible mark on females at age 11 to 13; for males, the age is 14 to 16. 鈥淚t [music from that time period] will elicit physiological effects: you鈥檒l be sweating, you鈥檒l be tapping your feet.鈥澨�听

A 鈥榤usic first鈥� approach听makes production more efficient.听听

鈥淚n the Philippines, people consider music last,鈥� said Mr. Constantino. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to do a storyboard, they have the talents and everything in place, and then they鈥檙e going to give it to the scorers and say,听lagyan听mo听ng听music [put in the music].鈥澨�听

This is music curation, which Homonym can provide. But the agency wants more clients to consider sonic branding or putting music first.听

With music setting the mood and tone, the听production听team can make quicker听creative听decisions.听

鈥淪ometimes you have to hold their hand and take them through the journey because they鈥檙e not used to it. But here鈥檚 the thing 鈥� after they learn about the 鈥榤usic first鈥� approach, they never look back. They appreciate and incorporate it typically in the way they ideate moving forward,鈥� he said.听听

鈥楳usic influencing is a thing鈥�听

鈥淧ublishers 鈥� meaning rights owners or labels who own rights to songs 鈥� view us as an added ally to help them get their music out and get more projects, especially these days when it鈥檚 hard to get licensing going,鈥� said Mr. Constantino.听听

鈥淢usic influencing is a thing,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an entirely new community that a brand can tap.鈥�听

This B-Side episode was recorded remotely on Aug. 19. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez听and Sam L. Marcelo.

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Children are getting ready for another round of virtual classes as the Department of Education (DepEd) announced Sept. 13 as the opening date for School Year 2021鈥�2022.听

The mental health of children has been discussed by experts, who are worried about the long-term effects of lockdowns.听

In this B-Side episode, Jean L.听Goulbourn, founder of the Natasha听Goulbourn听Foundation (NGF听Mindstrong), talks to听大象传媒听reporter Patricia B. Mirasol about resilience among kids and听Ang听Katatagan, the foundation鈥檚 program with DepEd aimed at giving teachers the tools to help their students cope with the stress of remote learning.听

鈥淭he pandemic has changed the whole world of a child. They鈥檙e isolated. It鈥檚 not healthy,鈥� said Ms.听Goulbourn, who established NGF听Mindstrong听in 2007 to help individuals battle depression.听

A child鈥檚 resilience听is like a muscle听鈥�听 it听can be strengthened.听听

鈥淩esilience is about bouncing back from unexpected situations that shock, surprise, or traumatize you,鈥� said Ms.听Goulbourn. “It鈥檚 a mental decision, a survivor instinct, and an intuition from the soul. All three come into play in deciding how you react to a trauma, problem, or crisis.鈥澨�听

The NGF founder added that children are very clever and are made to survive.听鈥淭he decision to save themselves is instinctive,鈥� she said, 鈥淩esilience in children can be built.鈥�听

Instead of distracting a child from hurt, disappointment, and grief, parents should allow them to experience these emotions and express themselves.听

A sense of spirituality bolsters resilience.听

Ang听Katatagan,听NGF鈥檚 program with DepEd, trains teachers to develop resilience among Filipino school children through class activities and related projects.听听听

Teachers under this program are trained to self-reflect, communicate, and observe their actions and reactions. They are also trained to discipline children and foster in their students a sense of spirituality.听听

鈥淎 child who grows up with a sense of spirituality can handle situations better than one who… believes in no one and nothing,鈥� Ms.听Goulbourn.听听听

Through a grant from the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation,听Ang听Katatagan鈥檚听pilot batch in Cebu of 200 DepEd teachers will be deployed in schools in the said metropolis.听听

The private sector should invest in mental health.听

Ang听Katatagan, which took 5 陆 years to be approved, does not yet have a fixed funding听mechanism.听Companies and businesses need to invest more in mental health initiatives, said Ms.听Goulbourn.听听听

鈥淚t only takes P3,850 for one school teacher to understand where she is, who she is, and how she can strengthen her weak points so she鈥檚 strong enough for the children,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 for twenty-five hours of training, plus three hours for a battery of psychological tests.鈥澨�听

Section 3F of the Mental Health听Act听()听calls听for the integration of strategies to promote mental health in educational institutions, the workplace, and in communities.听听

Parents need to create an emotionally safe environment for their children.听听

鈥淚nvest time, space, and focused attention within the family,鈥� said Ms.听Goulbourn.听听

Her foundation鈥檚 crisis lines get calls from children of affluent families who have all the trappings of wealth but feel empty on the inside.听听

Depression is听听according the Department of Health and the World Health Organization.听

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to see any family ever go through what I went through as a mother, to lose a daughter due to self-harm,鈥� said Ms.听Goulbourn. 鈥淭his听Ang听Katatagan听program is very important to our foundation and to our country.鈥澨�听

This B-Side episode was recorded remotely on Aug. 17. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez听and Sam L. Marcelo.

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听

NGF听Mindstrong鈥檚听crisis hotline numbers are 8804-4673; 0918-8734673; and 0917-5584673. Individuals听can听donate听to the foundation through BPI Makati Atrium (peso savings: 3123-7249-59) and BDO SM Makati (peso savings: 000040491889).

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In this B-Side episode,听Marissa Trew, marketing manager of TZ APAC, a Singapore-based blockchain consultancy firm speaks with听大象传媒 reporter Michelle Anne P. Soliman about the potential听of听non-fungible tokens听(NFTs)听as a tool for conducting business, an investment instrument, or a revenue stream.

TAKEAWAYS听

NFTs听have听business听applications beyond crypto art and blockchain games.听听

NFTs, which represent unique听assets on a blockchain,听went mainstream because of pieces of digital art that fetched millions at auction, and celebrities like听Paris Hilton,听Snoop听Dogg,听and Grimes听launching their own digital drops.听听

But beyond these buzzworthy bits of news, NFTs听can also be used in business-to-business transactions such as licensing, supply chain management, and invoicing.听听听

“NFTs have utility far beyond being a digital asset. There’s a large enterprise use case that’s being developed,” said Ms. Trew. “There’s a lot of actual B2B use cases that NFTs are able to provide well beyond the creator economy in the digital space, in terms of music, art, and collectibles.”听

NFTs听give artists access听to an online network and market.听

In the Asia Pacific region,听artists are using听NFTs听to sell their work听鈥� not necessarily for $69 million as听Beeple听did at the Christie鈥檚 sale, but at less stratospheric听prices听(Filipino artist Luis Buenaventura III听and Argentinian comic book artist Jose Delbo听sold听222 editions of听Satoshi The Creator 鈥� Genesis听for $1,999 each).听

鈥淒igital creators use it as a way to embrace technology to showcase their work,鈥澨齭aid听Ms. Trew said.听鈥淲e saw artists making a little bit more money for their work being better able to generate sales, generate their audiences. And largely for digital artists who were traditionally making their money off commissions were now earning higher incomes just based on their original work.鈥澨�听

鈥楶roof听of听Stake鈥櫶齜lockchains听are听more energy-efficient听than their 鈥楶roof of Work鈥� counterparts.听

Proof of Work blockchains, according to Ms. Trew,听are those that require a higher amount of energy consumption such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.听听

鈥淭hey require are massive amounts of computing power because the way they process transactions are by validating and solving complex algorithmic puzzles, which requires a strong computer network,鈥� she said.听听听

Meanwhile Proof of Stake is considered a more energy-efficient option.听听

鈥淚t relies on the听amount听of value users stake to the network to do the same kind of transactions. For example,听Tezos听is based on the proof of stake consensus mechanism. And just by relative scale, it consumes some estimates put it at 2 million times less energy than Ethereum to conduct the same kinds of transactions,鈥� she said.听听

TZ Apac is a leading adoption entity supporting the Tezos ecosystem in Asia.

Investing in听NFTs听is driven by sentiment.听

鈥淭he NFT discussion about whether it’s considered a future asset class is largely down to how much sentiment and how much you value people see in owning a digital asset over a physical asset,鈥� Ms. Trew said.听听听

鈥淧eople are having a new source of emotional experience鈥here is a feeling that’s associated with owning something that’s unique, that’s one of a kind in a digital realm. And that’s very new to people,鈥� she said.听听听

鈥淭heir value comes from scarcity. So, it’s about generating demand over limited supply.鈥�听

Recorded remotely on July 14. Produced by听Paolo L. Lopez听and听Sam L. Marcelo.听听听听

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For every athlete whose Olympic dreams came true in Tokyo 鈥� like weightlifter听Hidilyn听F. Diaz and boxer听Nesthy听A.听Petecio听鈥� there are so many others whose dreams were either dashed or delayed because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.听

Tokyo 2020 was supposed to be part of the redemption arc of Mary Joy R.听Tabal, who was looking to make up for Rio 2016, where she crossed the finish line well off her personal best. But canceled race after canceled race forced her to adjust her goals.听听

Ms.听Tabal, who made history in the 2016 Rio Games by becoming the first Filipino female marathoner to compete in the Olympics,听shares the lessons she learned with听大象传媒听senior reporter Michael Angelo S. Murillo听鈥斕齦essons that we can apply to our own lives.听

TAKEAWAYS听

Goals can change mid-race.听

In Rio, Ms.听Tabal听remembers that cramping early in the race听made her shift her mindset from bettering or matching her personal best to听just听finishing the 42-kilometer race听and earning the title 鈥淥lympian.鈥澨�听

She did it and had to be transported out of the race area in a wheelchair.听

This mental resilience听served her again when the pandemic threw a wrench into her plans for Tokyo 2020.听

鈥淚 was really training and preparing to qualify for the Olympics but unfortunately so many races were canceled and I just had to deal with the reality that Tokyo was not for me.听Sayang听[too bad],鈥� said Ms.听Tabal.听

鈥淭he future is so uncertain; it keeps on changing. What鈥檚 important is to live one day at a time. You just have to focus on bettering yourself today and focus on doing something today. … Life is like a marathon,鈥澨齭he added.听听

After disappointment, move on.听

Despite the disappointment and frustrations of not being allowed to at least vie for an Olympic听spot, athletes just have to move on and take on new challenges.听

鈥淎fter the disappointment, I had to focus my attention on other things, including the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam (which has since been deferred to next year because of the pandemic). It is something to look forward to,鈥� said Ms.听Tabal.听

鈥淥ne of the learnings here is to just be prepared. Things can change anytime. An opportunity can be taken anytime. Just take it a day at a time and focus on improving.鈥�听

Keep your eye on the prize.听

Having experienced the Olympics, Ms.听Tabal听said听that focus is paramount if you听want听to excel in elite competitions.听鈥淏e an Olympian and give your 100% so there won鈥檛 be any regrets after,鈥澨齭he said.听

While the Tokyo Games got away from her, the Olympic bid is still alive for Ms.听Tabal, 32,听who has heart set听on听competing in听Paris 2024,听finishing the six major marathons听(she鈥檚听done听Boston, which leaves Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York), and competing in the SEA Games and Asian Games.听听

鈥淎nd after maybe I鈥檒l be given the chance to give back and help nurture young athletes to realize their dreams as well,鈥� she said.听

听

Recorded remotely on July 16, 2021. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez听and Sam L. Marcelo.听

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Weightlifter Hidilyn F. Diaz, 30, is one of 19 Filipinos competing in this year鈥檚 Olympic Games in Tokyo after the event was canceled last year amid a coronavirus pandemic. In this episode of B-Side, Ms. Diaz speaks with 大象传媒 senior reporter Michael Angelo S. Murillo about going for gold, and training through a pandemic away from home, away from friends, and away from family.

By the time you listen to this, she might be a two-time Olympic medalist, giving the Philippines its first-ever gold medal, adding to the silver that she won in Rio 2016. But as of this recording, we don鈥檛 know. What we do know right now is that the hope of a nation rides on her strong and capable shoulders and that her Olympic dreams burn bright.

Produced by Paolo L. Lopez听and Sam L. Marcelo.

Read the related story:听“Filipino athletes compete with coronavirus to strike gold at Tokyo Olympics”

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The Philippines, often hailed as one the most gender-equal countries in the world, placed 17th out of 156 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2021. In the Asia-Pacific region, the Philippines came in second only to New Zealand, which ranked fourth globally.听听

The report doesn鈥檛 paint the whole picture, said Nathalie Africa-Verceles, director of the Center for Women and Gender Studies at the University of the Philippines.听In this B-Side episode, Ms. Africa-Verceles speaks with Gillian M. Cortez (who was a reporter for听叠耻蝉颈苍别蝉蝉奥辞谤濒诲听at the time of the interview) about contradictions between Philippine culture and Philippine laws, in terms of gender equality.听

TAKEAWAYS听听

GENDER EQUALITY INCLUDES LGBTQ+ RIGHTS.听

鈥淭here are still many laws that need to be enacted and still many provisions of existing laws that need to be revised because there are provisions in existing laws that are discriminatory to women. But when we talk about gender, we don鈥檛 only refer to women,鈥澨齭aid听Ms. Africa-Verceles, emphasizing that gender equality includes the rights of the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning) community.听

Congress, she added, should prioritize passing the SOGIE (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression) Equality Bill.听鈥淚鈥檓 very disappointed it鈥檚 taking so long.鈥�听

THE WORKPLACE听SHOULD PROMOTE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION.听

Employers have seen the necessity to include measures that encourage diversity in the workplace, said Ms. Africa-Verceles. Weaving in measures that call for inclusivity with current worker-centered practices will ensure the security of employees from experiencing discrimination at work.听听

鈥淭here will听always听be women and gender-diverse听individuals听in your organizations so you听need听to听ensure that they do not experience discrimination, marginalization, or subordination… that is the mandate of any decent听organization,鈥� she said.听

ENCOURAGE CRITICAL THINKING AT A YOUNG AGE.听

Families and schools are crucial to听the advancement of听gender equality.听Children who are encouraged to think critically听will be able to discern听unacceptable gender stereotypes and expectations听that听have been embedded in听literary and artistic听canons, pop culture, and media.听

鈥淲hat I would like to see us doing in our families and in our schools is raising the critical awareness of children and other individuals with respect to all these constructed notions of masculinity and femininity,鈥� she said.听听

鈥淲hat we want to do is to raise a generation that knows how to critique the gender norms and stereotypes听鈥μ齜ecause if you think critically, no matter what happens in your society, you鈥檙e not going to accept it just like that because you鈥檙e able to analyze.鈥�听

听

This B-Side episode was recorded remotely on May 18. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez听and Sam L. Marcelo.

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(AFP) is moving out of The Link car park in Makati City for its 2021 edition: it鈥檚 going online and entering the world of crypto art and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

An NFT is a digital asset (a drawing, an image, a meme, an animated GIF, a video, even a tweet) and it uses the blockchain, the same technology behind bitcoin, to keep track of who owns the file. In March, a digital collage by an artist named Beeple fetched almost $70 million at a Christie鈥檚 auction, making the JPG file the most expensive NFT thus far.听

In this episode of B-Side, the three co-founders of Art Fair Philippines, Geraldine 鈥淒indin鈥� B. Araneta, Trickie C. Lopa, and Lisa O. Periquet, tell 大象传媒 reporter Michelle Anne P. Soliman how they transported the art fair from the car park into the world of crypto art.

TAKEAWAYS

The digital space is a platform unto itself.听

Mses. Lopa, Periquet, and Araneta spent the early months of last year鈥檚 lockdown immersing themselves in international art fairs that moved online.

鈥淲e had time to review the art fairs because there was a development in the way they turned out over the months.听 Everybody was trying out different formulas and ideas,鈥� Ms. Periquet said.听

鈥淔or example, we decided to embed a video in each exhibitor鈥檚 page. Because with lack of the physical interaction between the viewer and the gallerist or the artist, this is a way to learn more about the art that was showing on the page. And then one of the methods that we decided to use to also break down that kind of lack of physical interaction is a messaging service,鈥� she added.

Being online expands accessibility.听

鈥淏eing online, the barriers of time and space and distance fall apart. So, there鈥檚 actually an easier way to connect because you don鈥檛 have to travel over here with a plane, if you鈥檙e from an international spot,鈥� Ms. Periquet said of gathering more audiences.听

The digital format opened the opportunity for new programs, such as artist residencies.

鈥淲ith everyone feeling a bit cooped up indoors, the idea is also to be able to see how else we can reach out to the public and take them elsewhere,鈥� Ms. Araneta.听

Keep updated and stay curious (that means trying to understand NFTs).

AFP, together with London-based international contemporary art magazine ArtReview, is presenting a talk on NFTs.

鈥淭hey [ArtReview] will be talking about NFTs from the point of view of non crypto natives and its effect on the contemporary art scene,鈥� Ms. Lopa said. 鈥淎t the same time, one of the NFT showcase talks will bring out alternative blockchain platforms that are said to be greener than the original blockchain platform.鈥�

鈥淲ith all the publicity surrounding [NFTs], it is becoming very attractive and very much an option,鈥� Ms. Periquet said. 鈥淪o, it tells me that this whole subject is really soaking in to a much wider audience than you would imagine. It鈥檚 not just people in the crypto world. It鈥檚 now people who are interested in both the art and in investing in it as a currency.鈥澨�

This B-Side episode was recorded remotely on April 22. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez听and Sam L. Marcelo. Art Fair Philippines runs from May 6 to May 15.

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Related B-Side episode: Art fair affairs

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Alorica, a provider of customer management outsourcing solutions, has a young workforce: 30% are from Gen Z, and around 61% are millennials. 鈥淔reedom of thought is very important for them,鈥� said Irene L. Tan, vice-president for learning and development at Alorica Philippines, Inc., who added that the company has benefited from the 鈥渂rilliant ideas鈥� originating from these generational cohorts. In this episode of B-Side, she tells 大象传媒 reporter Patricia B. Mirasol how intentional communication and creating a culture of care are key to retaining young talent when most of them are working from home because of the pandemic.

TAKEAWAYS

To keep young employees engaged, have a clear message. Embrace social.

Intentional communication 鈥� clear and purposeful messaging that accounts for the feelings of the receiver 鈥� is vital since 60% of Alorica鈥檚 Philippine workforce have been working from home since the pandemic struck.

鈥淲e repackaged our whole training program so it fits the virtual setting. We focused on how [frontline leaders] coach or problem solve virtually.鈥�

Alorica produces videos, infographics, and micro-learning content to keep its young employees engaged. Its learning academy offers courses that support career pathing, leadership development, and life skills. Among these are 鈥淭il Debt Do Us Part鈥� (a personal finance course) and 鈥淏efore You Click Send鈥� (a digital communications course). Self-paced materials have proven popular in the academy because of the greater control it allows.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 very important for our young workforce to make sure we have the social media aspect with features they enjoy that we can bring in a controlled environment,鈥� she said, adding that both Gen Zs and millennials have a learning orientation that is very digital and process information in bite-sized pieces.听

Personal attitude dictates the pace of career growth…听

Self-motivation and the willingness to learn will allow employees to advance. 鈥淭he opportunities are there,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 up to you how you will grab and learn from every opportunity. It all begins with how you challenge yourself.鈥澨�

Added Ms. Tan: 鈥淲e promote 80鈥�90% of folks from within so we need to have a very strong bench training for leaders.鈥澨�

…and so does adaptability.

One鈥檚 degree should not limit one鈥檚 career path, as the skills and knowledge learned can be adapted to other fields and functions. 鈥淵ou can grow laterally in an organization,鈥� said Ms. Tan. 鈥淎daptability is one of the special traits we look for.鈥澨�

Recorded remotely on May 14. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.

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Real estate investment trusts (REITs) have been called democratizers of wealth, allowing small investors to invest in big real estate projects.

The Philippines has two REIT listings on the market, with the second listing holding the record for the most number of retail investors. Officials from the exchange have expressed hope that more real estate developers will consider offering REITs.听

In this B-Side episode, Christopher John J. Mangun, research head of AAA Southeast Equities, Inc., introduces 大象传媒 reporter Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte to REITs and their advantages.

TAKEAWAYS

REIT is a unique financial vehicle that has features of different types of investments.

A REIT can be traded in the stock market, which means investors may earn through price appreciation when share prices go up. However, because it is traded on the public market, REITs are 鈥渟ubject to volatility and price fluctuations.鈥�

Similar to time deposits or investing in government bonds, REIT investments also guarantee cash dividends.听

鈥淚t gives a guaranteed cash dividend, this is similar to what you would receive in a time deposit or in government bonds or treasury bills. So these are investments that have a fixed dividend yield and although it isn鈥檛 fixed for the REITs, they are required to submit or distribute the earnings of the company on a yearly or a quarterly basis so you get the best of both worlds,鈥� Mr. Mangun explained.听

These dividends will come from the earnings posted by REITs, 90% of which will be distributed to its shareholders.听

鈥淭he main difference between REITs and regularly listed property companies is that REIT companies are required to distribute those earnings as a dividend,鈥� Mr. Mangun said.

It is one of the best investments, especially for retail investors.

Retail investors will be given the opportunity to invest in dividend income-earning properties. Mr. Mangun noted that real estate is considered one of the safest assets in the world, but an investor would need capital to develop properties before earning returns.听

鈥淏ut from the REIT, you can just buy the REIT and make money off of the dividends already from these big companies,鈥� Mr. Mangun said.

REIT offerings help companies maximize the value of their properties.听

Mr. Mangun pointed out that current REIT offerings include properties that are already assets of listed companies.

Through a REIT listing, these companies were also able to raise more capital.听

鈥淭hey were able to raise more funds which would allow the parent companies to develop more real estate or more landbank so I think this is a win-win for investors and for companies,鈥� Mr. Mangun said.听

Investing in a REIT can tell you a lot about how markets work.听

REITs are 鈥渁n easy way to learn about how markets work,鈥� while also allowing investors to earn money.

Before investing in a REIT, investors should take a look at the company鈥檚 prospectus to check what the company is doing with the proceeds, if it will acquire new properties through debt or through higher leases. Investors should also see how much these companies earn on a yearly basis.

鈥淚t is important that we know how much these companies are making because that translates into the dividend yield, this tells you how much you will be earning on a yearly basis,鈥� Mr. Mangun said.听

This B-Side was recorded remotely on March 25, a day after the REIT of DoubleDragon Properties Corp., DDMP REIT Inc., debuted at the Philippine Stock Exchange, making it only the second listing after Ayala Land’s REIT offering in 2020. Produced by听Paolo L. Lopez听and听Sam L. Marcelo.

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Economic growth can and should be inclusive, and the way to get there is to connect small businesses and individuals with the networks that drive the modern economy.听

In this episode of B-Side, we鈥檒l hear from Alison L. Eskesen, vice-president at the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth.

Ms. Eskesen,听 a seasoned international development executive with more than 20 years of experience at the intersection of development and finance, tells 大象传媒 reporter Patricia B. Mirasol how the Center advances sustainable, equitable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world.听

鈥淐onnecting small businesses and individuals to those networks leads to revenue growth and prosperity, which over time leads to more job creation in underserved communities,鈥� Ms. Eskesen said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where you see this lift of entire communities, and not just one or two individuals who may have been supported.鈥澨�

Takeaways

Connecting microbusinesses to the digital economy requires both systemic and individual changes.

The challenges of connecting microbusinesses to the digital economy are both systemic and individual. At the systemic level, it requires infrastructure and connectivity so everyone can participate regardless of their geographic location or socioeconomic status. At the individual level, it requires bridging the knowledge gap as well as allaying the fear of change by developing skills and know-how in them.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 addressing questions such as, how can meaningful financial inclusion be extended to the underbanked?,鈥� said Ms. Eskesen.听

听Entrepreneurs should have access to tools tailored to their needs.

听Collaborating with regional partners is a way to take the particular needs of entrepreneurs into account so financial products could be created to meet those needs. Solutions have to be looked at from end-to-end to empower change. Organizations creating solutions should also be cognizant of the fact that certain locales have cultural considerations that are not relevant elsewhere.听

In South Asia, for instance, the role of family and the expectation of women in families plays a huge role in creating a ceiling as to how engaged or successful a woman entrepreneur might be. 鈥淓ither that鈥檚 because her husband may take over a business once it gets to a certain size,鈥� she said, 鈥渙r because her mother-in-law expects her not to be outside the house for such a long time.鈥澨�

Education and professional know-how are the keys to addressing inequality.

In Indonesia, Ms. Eskesen said, the government is focused on skilling because it wants the digital economy to be a larger part of their GDP (Gross Domestic Product). The Center鈥檚 Mastercard Academy 2.0 is in line with this goal, as it aims to empower 100,00 Indonesians with the necessary digital skills to succeed.听

The Center also rolled out its girls-for-tech curriculum in Indonesia, and is providing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education for 60,000 girls over the next three years.听

鈥淲e know from research that girls around the age of 14 years start to decide that they are no longer good nor interested in STEM and thus take themselves off that educational pathway,鈥� Ms. Eskesen said, 鈥渨hich then leads to gender imbalance for future jobs in the digital economy.鈥�

In the Philippines, the Center works with the Landbank of the Philippines and local government units with the goal of bringing in 10.2 million Filipinos into the formal economy and having them banked. 82% of those 10.2 million, added Ms. Eskesen, are not previously banked.听

Tertiary school subsidies have been also given to students in the poorest schools, together also with the help of Landbank and the government.

听鈥淭his is important because we don鈥檛 want to see the challenges that COVID-19 has brought to disrupt education,鈥� said Ms. Eskesen. 鈥淭hat creates ripple effects that continue and linger [even past] this pandemic.鈥�

As we come out of this pandemic, data inequality will continue to become a bigger problem and create a chasm that鈥檚 difficult to overcome.听

Data can be used to empower and enable civil society and policymakers to have the necessary information to make better decisions, which is why inequality over data access also has to be addressed as the world comes out of the pandemic.

One initiative meant to tackle this issue is , a platform that began as a collaboration between the Center and the Rockefeller Foundation. It hosted a $10 million challenge around solutions that look to solve access to credit around the world, with seven just declared winners.听

鈥淲e are waiting to see how they develop these solutions and roll them out to the market,鈥� Ms. Eskesen said.听

Access to credit, for example, is a challenge for mom-and-pop shops because most are informal, do not have collateral that traditional banks are willing to accept, and are therefore locked out of the banking system.听

The Center was able to work around this challenge in Kenya by asking for the sales data鈥攐ften going back years鈥攐f these shops from Unilever, one of their partners. They were then able to get one of their banking partners to lend loans to these mom-and-pop shops on a recreated cash flow based on the said data. The result was the creation of a digital credit facility that brings in thousands of small businesses previously unable to access these financial services.听

听鈥淭his was in Kenya, but because we did that with Unilever, we are able to think about how we can replicate it in different markets,鈥� said Ms. Eskesen. 鈥淲hen we creatively think of how we can bring in all the different pieces, we get an almost plug-and-play approach that we can then really think about replicating.鈥�

This B-Side episode was recorded remotely on March 18. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez and Sam L. Marcelo.

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Live theater is a collective experience: the audience is as much a part of the performance as the actors on stage.听 鈥淪ocial distancing is the antithesis of what we do,鈥� said Maribel A. Legarda, artistic director of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), which has been closed since March 2020. In this episode of B-Side, Ms. Legarda and Leloi T. Arcete, PETA head of public relations, tell 大象传媒 reporter Michelle Anne P. Soliman, how theater is surviving by migrating digitally and what 鈥渓ife after live鈥� looks like.

TAKEAWAYS

Embrace experimentation.

鈥淲e were forced to actually deal with this whole digital platform,鈥� said Ms. Legarda, who shared that PETA鈥檚 artist-teachers have learned how to operate cameras, edit video, and mix sound.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had to do that on the job,鈥� she said. 鈥淣ew knowledge is always new knowledge. As artists, we鈥檙e always experimenting and welcoming new ideas.

The fruits of their labor can be viewed on PETA鈥檚 online pages, which have evolved from marketing tools (which was the case prior to the pandemic) to virtual stages.

Maximize social media.

鈥淪ocial media really allows us to be on the pulse of what our audiences want and what they need,鈥� Ms. Arcete said. An online survey, for example, led to the development of a scriptwriting workshop.听

Expand your audience.听

鈥淣ow that we understand that there鈥檚 this digital aspect, there is really an audience outside of our 450-seater that goes beyond just Quezon City, Metro Manila, and Luzon. And that鈥檚 the beauty of it. You can be an OFW in Saudi, and you can watch a PETA play at your own time anywhere you are,鈥澨� Ms. Arcete said. 鈥淲e recognize that there is an audience bigger than our live audience in our theater.鈥�

Digital content expands the theater鈥檚 audience and can coexist with live performances. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a mix of stuff for the future. We鈥檝e opened Pandora鈥檚 box to the future,鈥� Ms. Legarda said. 鈥淏ut live, will always be live.鈥�

Digital documentation is a potential source of revenue.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been long planned to digitize work and organize it. It takes resources to do that,鈥� said Ms. Legarda, who said that digitalization has long been in PETA鈥檚 plans but never really prioritized. The pandemic has shown them the importance of having a digital archive and upping the production value of their documentation. 鈥淒efinitely, we will be trying to digitize, and certainly after this, we will be shooting our shows in a much better way.鈥�

PETA was lucky to have documentation of , directed by Soxie Topacio, and written by Charley de la Paz, Jr., with music from Lucien Letaba. Shot with a three-camera setup and having decent sound, the footage is of PETA鈥檚 first and only sung-through musical production staged in 1998. The musical was part of PETA鈥檚 Click and Play Stream Series, which the company would not have been able to mount without existing documentation.

Recorded remotely on March 5. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez and Sam L. Marcelo.

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Vaccine hesitancy threatens the rollout of coronavirus vaccines in the Philippines. In a Pulse Asia survey released in January, 47% of the 2,400 Filipinos polled said they were not willing to be vaccinated while 21% were undecided. 大象传媒 reporter Vann Marlo M. Villegas spoke with Dr. Lulu C. Bravo, executive director of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, about addressing vaccine hesitancy.

TAKEAWAYS

Vaccine hesitancy among the public can be addressed through education, conversation, and verified sources of information.

An 鈥渋nfodemic鈥� of inaccurate information鈥攊ncluding claims that the vaccines contain microchips or that they cause sterility鈥攊s spreading on social media and creating fear. 鈥淭he truth is that vaccines are safe and effective,鈥� said Dr. Bravo, who added that one is more likely to die from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) than from a vaccine.听

To allay vaccine-related concerns, she recommended steering vaccine-hesitant individuals to the websites of the World Health Organization, the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, and the Department of Health.

Achieving herd immunity, or having at least 70% of the population vaccinated, will minimize the transmission of the disease.

In the vernacular, Dr. Bravo said that we all need to fight against COVID by having ourselves vaccinated. If we collectively fail to persuade each other to get vaccinated, achieving herd immunity will be difficult.

Vaccines have many benefits, among them allowing the economy to recover.听

鈥淚 can give you as many 10 in a matter of one minute,鈥� said Dr. Bravo, of the myriad reasons vaccines are important. [To hear Dr. Bravo鈥檚 rundown, listen to the full episode.]

This B-Side episode was recorded remotely on February 24. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez and Sam L. Marcelo.

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The pandemic is changing the way we design our world and the way we move around in it.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e creating a journey from home to destination, then obviously everything you touch and interact with is design,鈥� said , founder and chair of PriestmanGoode, a design consultancy out of the United Kingdom that counts Airbus SE, Hong Kong鈥檚 Mass Transit Railway, and Transport for London as its clients.

鈥淕ood design is not an add-on but a crucial part of what makes a business successful,鈥� he tells 大象传媒 reporter Patricia B. Mirasol. 鈥淲hen used effectively, it can make a massive difference to any business.鈥�

TAKEAWAYS

Health and wellness are now part of every design brief because of the pandemic.

When it comes to public transit, designers are incorporating crowd control; social distancing; and self-cleaning materials that wear well, such as brass. The coronavirus has pushed health and wellness to the top of the priority list when it comes to design briefs.

鈥淭here are universal principles when it comes to good design,鈥� Mr. Priestman said, 鈥渢he first of which is that you really have to understand who you鈥檙e designing for. What are the problems you are trying to solve?鈥澨�

A key element that drives the work the design consultancy has done for its clients is the enhancement of customer service. 鈥淗ow can we create an environment that provides comfort, convenience, and efficiency for passengers?鈥� he added. 鈥淗ow can we include design elements that also make the crew and maintenance staff jobs easier?鈥�

Companies gain a competitive advantage with good design.

Design is a strategic tool that improves business profitability as well as the appeal of a product or service, said Mr. Priestman, who pointed out that good design is essential for companies wanting to compete at the international level. 鈥淒esign is not an add-on cost. It鈥檚 one that improves profitability and saves expense and money,鈥� he said, adding that most successful brands in the world use design effectively.听听

Design creates a sense of place.听

Another key element is creating a sense of place. 鈥淲e work a lot with national airlines, and our designs always focus on referencing the cultural heritage of that country, so that the interiors don鈥檛 just look like every other aircraft, but that they look distinct, and of that place,鈥� said Mr. Priestman. The rebrand of , for instance, references the classical architecture of Greece translated into cabin patterns and motifs.

Transport plays an important role in how people experience places. It becomes one of the reasons people visit a city, he said. Travelers in Hong Kong go on the Star Ferry, visitors in New York get on its iconic yellow taxis. Transport has to be a cultural experience because part of the enjoyment of travel is doing something different.听

鈥淲e鈥檙e working in Austria, where we have to create places for putting skis so people can go skiing,鈥� Mr. Priestman shared as he talked more about designing products that become a cultural symbol of a country. 鈥淚n the vestibules where you get on and off trains in China, people like to have hot water, but in the UK it鈥檚 not necessary.鈥澨�

Designing to include the needs of the elderly will be a growing trend.

One of the other important issues shaping up in the world鈥攁part from the pandemic and climate change鈥攊s its aging demographic. 鈥淭hink about designing for your grandmother or grandfather. When designing a new product, ask: can they use it? That鈥檚 what we need to constantly reference,鈥� said Mr. Priestman.

鈥淲hy take the fast train? Take the slow lane. Enjoy the travel experience,鈥� he added. 鈥淓njoy living. Design has everything to do with enhancing that.鈥澨�

This B-Side episode was recorded remotely on Jan. 13. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.

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Only 3% of invested dollars went to female-only founders in 2019. According to a in startup funding, female-only founded companies raised $6 billion dollars; their male counterparts, $195 billion.

In this episode of B-Side, Nicole Denholder, founder and CEO of , tells 大象传媒 reporter Patricia B. Mirasol why this gap exists and what women entrepreneurs鈥攁nd the business community at large鈥攃an do about it.

Next Chapter Raise is a funding ecosystem based in Asia with one mission: to get female founders funded faster.

TAKEAWAYS

Female founders face a steep uphill battle.

• Key-person risk听

鈥淢any female founders are sole founders. If they fall ill, the business could stop,鈥� said Ms. Denholder. 鈥淎 sole founder won鈥檛 have all the skills necessary anyway to build a business.鈥�

• Industry bias听

Women are expected to work in stereotypical industries such as fashion and wellness, less so in fields such as technology and engineering. 鈥淭he expectation is that women aren’t that engaged and working in those industries so how do they have that industry knowledge? Or how do they understand what the problem is? Or how do they understand the client?鈥� Ms. Denholder said.

• Lesser capital

Men start their business with twice as much financial capital as women. Women, on the other hand, bootstrap for two to three years on average, Ms. Denholder said.听

Find a co-founder that complements what you bring to the table.听

Ms. Denholder advised looking at the way the team is built and what the business needs, especially if you happen to be a sole founder.

鈥淢ake sure you have the right agreements in place, and clarity in roles and responsibilities. Regardless of gender, you need to understand what both of you bring to the table,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ver time, you need to make sure you’re continually aligned to be delivering on the business.鈥�

Even if asked the wrong questions, reply with the right answers.

Investors, too, demonstrate unconscious bias in how they assess founders. A 2018 study by Dana Kanze, Laura Huang, Mark A. Conley, and E. Tory Higgins discovered that men are asked 鈥減romotion鈥� questions, or questions about how great everything will be. Women, meanwhile, are asked 鈥減revention鈥� questions, or questions about how horrible everything will be.听

Examples of prevention-based questions are: 鈥淗ow long will it take you to break even?;鈥� 鈥淗ow predictable are your future cash flows?;鈥� and 鈥淚s it a defensible business wherein other people can鈥檛 come into the space to take share?鈥� Examples of promotion-based questions include: 鈥淗ow do you plan to monetize this?;鈥� 鈥淲hat major milestones are you targeting for this year?;鈥� and 鈥淲hat鈥檚 the brand vision?鈥�

Those asked promotion questions were more likely to answer in promotion-based ways, which left a positive taste in an investor鈥檚 mouth. The result from the study showed that male-led startups ended up receiving five times more funding, with promotion-based Q&As receiving $16.8 million in funding, as compared to the $2.3 million raised from prevention-based Q&As.

Female founders can counter this unconscious bias by being aware of the language they use in their responses. Answering in a promotion-based manner is preferable to answering in a prevention-based way. The former tend to include words such as 鈥済rowth,鈥� 鈥渁cquire,鈥� 鈥減lans,鈥� 鈥渢argets,鈥� 鈥渕ilestones,鈥� and 鈥渧ision.鈥澨�

The best funding type will depend on where you are in your business journey.

Funding a business is not one-size-fits-all. Female founders need to determine what stage the business is, what the goals are, and what the funds are needed for鈥攚hether it be working capital or investment growth.听

Those in the idea or pre-seed funding round, or the stage where startups are trying to get their idea off the ground, might seek the assistance of friends and family. Angel investors, meanwhile, may be tapped for those in the seed funding round, or the phase where the founders are perfecting their product or service.听

Ms. Denholder advised looking at accelerators and rewards-based crowdfunding in the idea stage, and then moving on to venture capital for the later stages.听

鈥淟ook too at competitions and grants programs. Often, you don’t just get money but also a bit of media. You might get mentoring. Those can really help legitimize or boost your business,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hink about it in the longer term. Plan out your funding journey alongside your business plan. If you’ve set goals and you have plans to achieve them, analyze: what money do I need to get there?鈥�

Tapping a supportive network will help leverage resources and open doors.

鈥淎t Next Chapter Raise, we built the business around three aspects: community, knowledge, and access to the investment community,鈥� said Ms. Denholder. 鈥淲e’re trying to make female founders feel they can be an equal at the table and navigate the discussions around funding.鈥�

She added: 鈥淭here鈥檚 not a lot of female role models out there. It鈥檚 really great to be able to connect women.鈥�

This B-Side episode was recorded remotely on Dec. 16, 2021. Produced by听Nina M. Diaz,听Paolo L. Lopez, and听Sam L. Marcelo.

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Everybody loves a comeback story, where the underdog鈥攂eaten and bruised鈥攚ins it all despite the odds. The sports industry has to recover from a year that saw tournaments canceled and stadiums silent and empty. In this B-Side episode, Rely San Agustin, a sports marketing professional who has been in the industry for more than 20 years, tells 大象传媒 reporter Michael Angelo S. Murillo how sports stakeholders are dealing with the harsh reality that getting fans back into the stands will take time. 鈥淎 bubble setup makes sense,鈥� said Mr. San Agustin. 鈥淪eclusion is needed. You really have to control movement in and out of the venues.鈥�

TAKEAWAYS

Last year鈥�2020鈥攊s a lost year for sports.

The effects of the coronavirus hit the revenues of various sports leagues, which were forced to shut down to comply with government quarantine, as well as budgets reserved for sports activities and programs.

鈥淲e were taken by surprise by the pandemic, leaving stakeholders scrambling for what鈥檚 next to be done to move forward,鈥� said Mr. San Agustin.

To survive, sports leagues are replicating the 鈥淣BA Bubble.鈥�

Sports leagues, such as the Philippine Basketball Association and Philippines Football League went the 鈥渂ubble鈥� way for their activities鈥攁 setup where they had all tournament participants holed up in a specific area for a duration of time to guard against the spread of the coronavirus.

It is proving to be a viable option but requires utmost commitment across all levels to succeed.听

It鈥檚 going to be a long trek back, requiring patience and the ability to adapt.

The sports industry will be among the last to return to normal, which is why stakeholders must use the time they have right now to carefully chart the path they are going to take.

But all is not lost for the sector as there are avenues to take in its return push, including bringing sports entertainment and brands to consumers through a digital approach鈥攇oing online and exploring the potential of e-sports. The role of social media is now more valuable than ever.

It is still wait-and-see for sports but it will recover gradually.听听听

This B-Side episode was recorded remotely in December 2020. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.

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Jeremy Meltzer, founder of cause marketing platform , explains how brands and consumers can make a difference, a dollar a time.

鈥淐ause marketing鈥� is a term coined in 1983 by American Express to describe its campaign to raise money for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. American Express donated one cent toward restoring the statue every time someone used its charge card. As a result, the Restoration Fund raised over $1.7 million.

Businesses on i=Change give back a dollar to a specific cause with every sale they make. “Customers understand what a dollar is,” Mr. Meltzer told 大象传媒 reporter Patricia B. Mirasol. “It’s more understandable than ‘we give back 1% of our profit to charity.'”

He added: “Don’t think about how clever you can be. Think about how authentic you can impart your message to your customers.”

TAKEAWAYS

Cause marketing differs from corporate social responsibility.

Corporate social responsibility is an umbrella phrase for how corporations behave and choose policies, guidelines, purchasing practices, and waste management. Mr. Meltzer described it as a broad term that looks at the way businesses are responsible for a whole series of indexes.听

鈥淏usinesses realize they operate as part of a broader community,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o be successful, businesses realize they need a social license to operate. A business can鈥檛 thrive in a community that doesn鈥檛. Cause marketing, on the other hand, is more specifically geared around how brands are giving back to causes hoping to achieve a marketing result.鈥�

Authenticity, transparency, and simplicity get your message across.

鈥淐ause marketing hasn鈥檛 been done properly in the past,鈥� Mr. Meltzer said. 鈥淲e set out to reimagine it as an experience for the customer and a solution for the retailer, to make it simple for them to give back and simple for them to integrate [giving back] in the customer experience.鈥�

He adds that authenticity is crucial in cause marketing. Brands need to be transparent and support causes that are aligned with their core values, else customers will see through the false ploy.听

鈥淒on’t think about how clever you can be. Think about how authentic you can impart your message to your customers,鈥� he told 大象传媒.

Mr. Meltzer cited as a company that knows how to do cause marketing: 鈥淪imilar to Patagonia, that brand has become synonymous with听 transparency, synonymous with impact, synonymous with being a steward of the community and of the environment.鈥�

It鈥檚 easier to understand a dollar than 鈥�1% of profit.鈥�

Most of the businesses on i=Change to a specific cause with every sale they make. “Customers understand what a dollar is,鈥� Mr. Meltzer explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more understandable than 鈥榃e give back 1% of our profit to charity.鈥欌�澨�

Mr. Meltzer said that being a force for change makes a business relevant, and that both product and purpose have to be part of the new normal. He hopes that more businesses become stewards of the community and the environment and that they would consciously choose to integrate these values with the way they do things.

鈥淲e cannot continue living in a world where profit is the lens in which we measure success. We are all intricately connected to our communities, to our environment, and to the broader world,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 only a lack of vision and imagination and consciousness that prevents us from understanding the importance of that.鈥�

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The disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic to global supply chains were unexpected.听听

鈥淭his has really been one of the most challenging times 鈥� in all walks of life,鈥� said Christopher Buono, managing director of UPS Philippines, who has been in the industry for 18 years.

UPS is one of several logistics groups tasked with delivering billions of coronavirus vaccine doses to the world. On top of that, it鈥檚 the holiday season and packages have to be delivered.

For the logistics industry, the new normal means operating in a peak-like environment for the entire year.

In this episode of B-Side, Mr. Buono speaks with 大象传媒 senior reporter Arjay L. Balinbin, and takes stock of this year against the backdrop of the ongoing health crisis.

TAKEAWAYS

Businesses are now rethinking how their supply chains are set up, not just from a cost-efficiency standpoint but also from a resiliency perspective.

鈥淲e鈥檝e even seen their maturity, just in the last eight to nine months, where companies got online, initially in March and April just to stay afloat, just to keep their heads above water鈥� They鈥檝e learned a lot over the last eight months, and they鈥檝e become much more mature as they work to continue to grow,鈥� Mr. Buono said.

To be resilient, he said, businesses should ensure business continuity, which can mean transforming their business model and utilizing digital channels.

Digital tools being made available to businesses help them identify growth opportunities amid the pandemic.

Mr. Buono said technology solutions allow businesses 鈥渢o look at data, tell them where their customers are, and what sort of behaviors they may have online.鈥�

For the logistics industry, the new normal means operating in a peak-like environment for the entire year.

UPS alone has gotten more than 600 flights in the second quarter of 2020 and more than 260 in the third quarter to cater to the demand coming out of Asia, Mr. Buono said.

This B-Side episode was recorded remotely on November 27. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.

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The is only getting worse during COVID-19, the World Economic Forum (WEF) warned in July. As people continue to stay home to avoid getting the coronavirus, we have also become more dependent on courier services. Unfortunately, more food delivery and e-commerce shopping also mean more plastic packaging.

In this episode of B-Side, Inna Serafin and Nikki Sevilla of tell Mariel L. Aguinaldo about biodegradable packaging alternatives that work just as well as plastic. Ms. Serafin is the strategic sales and marketing director of the eco-friendly packaging marketing and distribution company, Ms. Sevilla is its founder and chief executive officer.听

Quoting the WEF report, Ms. Serafin said: 鈥淚f we are not are careful, short-term thinking during the pandemic could lead to an even larger environmental and public calamity in the future.鈥�

TAKEAWAYS

Beware of greenwashing.

While some products banner themselves as being eco-friendly, not all of them are actually biodegradable or compostable. This misleading practice is called 鈥済reenwashing.鈥�

Ms. Sevilla founded EcoNest in 2018 after she realized that the only readily available 鈥渆co-friendly鈥� packaging at the time was plastic with plant-based additives mixed in.

鈥淔or us, we want it to be fully plant-based,鈥� she said. EcoNest carries 鈥渃assabags,鈥� bio-bags made from cassava starch, vegetable oil, and compostable polymers. These bags disintegrate in hot water at 80 degrees Celsius. EcoNest also carries Geami honeycomb wrap, which replaces plastic bubble wrap, and sugarcane food trays.

Eco-friendly packaging improves brand image. It also produces a 鈥済reen halo鈥� that gives customers a sense of fulfillment and pride.

鈥淧eople in the Philippines are aware already of plastic pollution,鈥� said Ms. Sevilla. 鈥淎 lot of people would actually support brands or companies that have a sustainability plan or are already making use of eco-packaging. They feel good that they鈥檙e doing what they can in order to protect the environment.鈥�

There are other responsible solutions鈥攁side from eco-friendly packaging鈥攖hat companies can and must start using.听

鈥淲e can鈥檛 really eliminate plastic from our lives,鈥� said Ms. Serafin, who pointed out that single-use plastics like surgical masks are crucial during the pandemic. The greater the need, then, to implement sustainable solutions where possible. 鈥淪ustainability will dictate how businesses operate in the future,鈥� said Ms. Serafin.

鈥淲e are already at a climate crisis and it鈥檚 about time that we act on it鈥� added Ms. Sevilla. 鈥淪tart somewhere: segregation, recycling鈥攖here are a lot of solutions already within reach.鈥�

This B-Side episode was recorded remotely on November 18. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.

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Typhoon season isn鈥檛 over. Before 2020 finally says goodbye, two to three more storms could make landfall and wreak havoc on a country that鈥檚 already been battered by storm after storm after storm.听

The Department of Agriculture (DA) estimates that the farming sector incurred losses worth P6.72 billion from Typhoon Ulysses alone.

Raul Q. Montemayor, national manager of the Federation of Free Farmers, talks about the impact of these natural calamities on Filipino farmers and how to protect them. Mr. Montemayor gives 大象传媒 reporter Revin Mikhael D. Ochave a crash course on the effects of the Rice Tariffication Law and what the agriculture sector will look like, moving forward.

TAKEAWAYS

Farmers need data and support that is location-specific in order to increase their preparedness and resiliency.

The DA has to translate data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration into localized information that is useful to farmers. In addition to knowing when it’s going to rain, where, and how much, farmers need to know if the amount of expected rain is too much or too little for a certain crop at a certain stage of planting, said Mr. Montemayor.听

鈥淭he needs of communities and farming areas are different,鈥� he said.

Agriculture may not be the bright spot that the DA is making it out to be.

鈥淚鈥檓 not surprised that agriculture had positive growth. We are comparing [2020] to 2019, which was a drought year,鈥� Mr. Montemayor said, who characterized the reported growth as 鈥渄eceptive.鈥� He added: 鈥淲e are just back to where started. I don鈥檛 call that a big achievement.鈥�

According to Mr. Montemayor, the DA tends to oversell its achievements: 鈥淥ur impression is that they [the DA] have a lot of hype in mass media, in public statements, but compare that with the feedback we get from the field, it is not the case.鈥澨�

The Rice Tarrification Law could become a political issue in the next election.

鈥淚t鈥檚 growing鈥攖he sense of desperation and the disappointment in the government,鈥� said Mr. Montemayor, who wants stronger language on safeguards for farmers; the return of licensing as a better way to manage imports; and the clarification of the role of the National Food Authority.

鈥淵ou go to the field, it鈥檚 all the same. It鈥檚 the same problems and, to some extent, even worse problems now than before. I鈥檓 a little bit pessimistic,鈥� said Mr. Montemayor.

This episode was recorded remotely on November 17. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.

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On November 25 and 26, 大象传媒 held a two-day virtual economic forum with the forward-looking theme 鈥淔orecast 2021: ReBoot. ReThink. ReShape.鈥澨�

The event gathered over 40 local and international speakers who discussed the great economic reset as well as the future in a post-COVID era.

B-Side is sharing excerpts from the forum, beginning with this fireside chat between Satish Shankar, regional managing partner for Bain and Company, Asia-Pacific, and Sam L. Marcelo, 大象传媒 multimedia editor.

Over the course of this public health crisis, we鈥檝e witnessed changes in consumption, specifically further shifts to essential goods and digital services.听

Nevertheless, consumption will contribute to growth in Southeast Asia, as Bain & Company estimates that the region will generate a total of US$4 trillion in terms of consumption in the next decade.听

In order to unlock the region鈥檚 full potential, it is encouraged that stakeholders ensure efficient and effective recovery from COVID-19, focus on talent development and socio-economic inclusion, upgrade infrastructure to support urbanization and resource management, and push for open and integrated regulation, with a hyper-local approach.

This episode was recorded remotely on November 26. Produced by听Nina M. Diaz,听Paolo L. Lopez, and听Sam L. Marcelo.

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Fake COVID-19 cures and preventive measures are proliferating online, in chat groups and social media. Bananas, saltwater, and onions have all made the rounds as coronavirus remedies (which they aren’t).

As the world waits for an effective vaccine against the virus, netizens may fall prey to these fake stories and forward them.

, a Filipino science news and features website, has contributed to the 鈥淐OVID-19 fake fact debunking鈥� movement in the country.

FlipScience co-founder Mikael Angelo Francisco tells 大象传媒 reporter Angelica Y. Yang how citizens can identify and debunk fake news about the virus.

TAKEAWAYS

Be wary of bold headlines.

The anatomy of a fake news story begins with a bold headline, such as 鈥淏ananas prevent coronavirus.鈥澨�

Another component is the lack of any scientific evidence or cherry-picked lines from studies, said Mr. Francisco. He added that independent websites are usually the culprits in spreading these stories, but well-meaning people who don鈥檛 do enough research can also unknowingly spread misinformation among family and friends via social media or online chat groups.

On rare occasions, big news establishments can also publish a fake news story. 鈥淛ust because it鈥檚 viral, doesn’t mean you can trust it,鈥� Mr. Francisco said.

If it鈥檚 too good to be true, it probably is.

Mr. Francisco suggested that netizens take these three steps whenever they get a forwarded message:

• Assess whether the story seems too good to be true.听
• Think about what the piece is really saying.
• Look for studies that support or debunk those claims, or ask an expert.

鈥淲hen you find something that sounds too good to be true鈥攊f it鈥檚 like a magic cure for COVID-19, or something that 鈥榯he doctors don’t want you to know about鈥欌�攖hat should raise some red flags already,鈥� he said.

Instead of passively consuming these stories, one must be critical.

鈥淔or example, going back to the advice that bananas can protect you from the COVID-19, you should think back and try to reflect on what you know about bananas. Have they ever been prescribed as a cure for any respiratory illnesses or diseases?鈥� he said.听

The last step is reading scientific studies or asking an expert to verify the claims. 鈥淚f you can’t find any reliable source that reaffirms that advice or proves that it’s true, it’s probably false,鈥� Mr. Francisco said.

Recorded remotely on November 13. Produced by听Nina M. Diaz,听Paolo L. Lopez, and听Sam L. Marcelo.

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Related stories:

Calling BS in a data-driven world
On social media, it鈥檚 better to be a skeptic

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, a Singapore-based automation and logistics platform, projects that cross-border e-commerce in the Asia-Pacific region will grow to US$ 1.5 trillion by 2023. The Southeast Asian market鈥攚hich has the highest number of young people with Internet access鈥攊s expected to account for 40% of this trajectory.

Vaibhav Dabhade, founder and CEO of Anchanto, tells 大象传媒 reporter Patricia B. Mirasol how local micro, small, and medium enterprises or (MSMEs) can compete against established brands in the online marketplace.

鈥淵ou are one product out of millions,鈥� Mr. Dabhade said. 鈥淯nless and until you optimize your catalog, unless and until you create specific marketing campaigns, your chances of getting visible without effort is almost zero.鈥�

TAKEAWAYS

Cross-border sellers have to adopt local payment methods.听

Cross-border e-commerce has been here for more than 15 years, with Alibaba being the pioneer. Buyers used to pay for their purchases upfront before Lazada pioneered the cash-on-delivery (COD) model. COD has propelled acceptance of cross-border e-commerce in Southeast Asia.

Marketplaces are creating models to minimize the impact of last-mile delivery costs.

Business has been challenged with the heavy cost of last-mile delivery amid the pandemic. According to Mr. Dabhade, limited flights have tripled the cost of shipping from the UK to Malaysia as of October 2020. To minimize the impact of such costs, companies and marketplaces are delivering products via the postal system, which is slower but cheaper.听

MSMEs need structural support.

Mr. Dabhade cited Singapore and South Korea as countries that can be used as models: Singapore provides access to consultants in content, marketing, and pricing while South Korea identifies organizations with global infrastructure that can help MSMEs sell their products overseas.

This level of support is vital because MSMEs get excited about the prospect of e-commerce only to get demotivated after months without sales. 鈥淵ou are one product out of millions,鈥� said Mr. Dabhade. 鈥淯nless and until you optimize your catalog, unless and until you create specific marketing campaigns, your chances of getting visible without effort is almost zero.鈥�

Philippine import and export guidelines remain unclear.

鈥淭he Philippine market is very similar to India,鈥� Mr. Dabhade said. 鈥淚mport and export is difficult鈥� cargo is stuck at customs so sellers get despondent.鈥�

The Filipino diaspora is a market just waiting to be tapped.听

Wherever there are Filipinos, there are stores selling Philippine-made products. These products can be optimized, but there is no structure for this as of yet, said Mr. Dabhade.

Study the market you鈥檙e planning to serve.

Entrepreneurs need to spend time to understand the main commerce restrictions of each country they plan to serve.听

Anchanto had a client whose skincare product description included the line: 鈥淭ested on Asian skin.鈥� The product, which was shipped to Canada, got stuck in customs because the language was deemed borderline discriminatory. Knowing what鈥檚 acceptable and what鈥檚 not per region will prevent your products from getting flagged at the outset, said Mr. Dabhade.

Other tips he offered are: choosing a strong payment gateway; and making the fulfillment terms and conditions clear to minimize fraudulent transactions.

Recorded remotely on October 14. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.

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The eight-month lockdown, one of the longest in the world, has kept much of the country鈥檚 workforce at home. Separation from colleagues, coupled with fears of the virus, has raised the level of anxiety among the working population.听

Nikki Vergara, co-founder and chief well-being officer of Positive Workplaces, a training and consultancy organization, tells 大象传媒 reporter Jenina P. Iba帽ez what individuals and companies can do to promote psychological well-being in the workplace (whether that means the office or the home).听

TAKEAWAYS

The absence of mental illness is not the same as mental health.

Those who feel unable to function normally should be given access to psychology professionals that can help.听

This is particularly important because Filipinos are now experiencing additional stressors鈥攕uch as worries about their health and the government鈥檚 response to the virus鈥攚hile having fewer ways to cope because of the lockdown.

鈥淪ocial ties help us cope with the most difficult parts of life. In the past, we could rely on hanging out with each other,鈥� said Ms. Vergara.听

Workers have different ways of coping with a work-from-home environment.

Workers at home have been staying in the same space throughout the day, blurring the lines between their job and other parts of their lives.

The biggest complaint among employees, said Ms. Vergara, is that 鈥減eople are unable to stop working. Citing a Google study, she advised knowing what kind of person you are鈥�?听

Segmentors distinguish work hours from leisure time while intergrators switch back and forth throughout the day. The former must identify and communicate specific hours reserved for work, while the latter must ensure they get enough reset.

Companies must then measure the well-being of their employees and be aware of the well-being issues among their workforce. If the lockdown has removed positive reinforcement measures from the company, the organization must find new ways to commend their employees.

Managers must be open to feedback, intentional about praise.

Filipino workers are inclined to work hard despite low salaries or hard conditions because they are afraid to lose their jobs. They are also hesitant to talk about their needs to sustain mental health and offer feedback about tasks, especially given a hierarchical workplace.

Managers must be open to getting feedback from employees, especially because they need to find out if the tasks they assign are doable given the pandemic.

鈥淚n uncertainty, two-way feedback is important,鈥� Ms. Vergara said, adding that managers should rethink the way they reassure employees. 鈥淐omplimenting is no longer the natural thing. Under lockdown, managers should be more intentional about praise.鈥�

Recorded remotely on October 22. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.

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It is a mistake for the Duterte administration to think that it can separate its maritime dispute with China from issues like trade, investment, and official development assistance, said International Studies Professor Renato Cruz De Castro, a trustee and convenor of the National Security and East Asian Affairs Program of the Stratbase ADR Institute.

At the United Nations General Assembly this September, 大象传媒 reported that 鈥淧resident Rodrigo R. Duterte gave his most forceful defense of a 2016 United Nations (UN) ruling favoring the Philippines in a sea dispute with China, in a move that could signal the end of friendly ties with its neighbor.鈥澨�

This October, Mr. Duterte, changed his tone in one of his recent COVID-19 addresses and reiterated that the Philippines wants to strike a government-to-government deal with China for COVID-19 vaccines.

This compartmentalizing strategy, which Mr. De Castro calls the 鈥渄ual-track approach,鈥� won’t work with China.听

鈥淐hina doesn鈥檛 play that game,鈥� he tells 大象传媒 reporter Gillian M. Cortez. 鈥淐hina is a traditional big power; it will act like any big power. It will never deal with us [the Philippines] in an equitable manner.鈥�

TAKEAWAYS

Duterte鈥檚 policy toward China is a 鈥榩olicy of appeasement.鈥�

鈥淗e [Mr. Duterte] distanced the Philippines from the United States and pushed the Philippines to the waiting arms of China,鈥� said Mr. De Castro, who cited the current administration鈥檚 concessions to China and the delays in the US-Philippine Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which the Aquino administration signed in 2014. 鈥淭he very essence of President Aquino鈥檚 foreign policy of challenging China was unraveled by his successor, President Duterte.鈥�

鈥楥hina will literally run over us.鈥�

Multiple surveys show that the majority of Filipinos do not trust China. 鈥淵our neighbors are not usually your best friend,鈥� said Mr. De Castro, who characterized China as an expansionist power intent on dominating Asia.听听

鈥淲hen China thinks its territorial integrity is being undermined, China will throw everything off the table,鈥� he said. 鈥淟et鈥檚 not fool ourselves. China has a goal鈥攖hat鈥檚 maritime expansion. If we happen to be in its path, China will literally run over us.鈥�

An international ruling has to be enforced by countries that have a stake in it.

In an online briefing, Presidential spokesman Harry L. Roque said: 鈥淵ou do not enforce an arbitral ruling 鈥μ� The assumption in international law is that all countries will comply with their international obligations particularly with the arbitral award because it freely consented to the jurisdiction of the arbitral tribunal.鈥�

Mr. Roque was wrong, said Mr. De Castro. 鈥淚nternational law has to be enforced,鈥� he said. 鈥淎ll naval powers have an interest in the ruling because they don鈥檛 want to see the South China Sea transformed into a Chinese lake.鈥澨�

Mr. Roque鈥檚 interpretation, he continued, is 鈥渁 justification for inaction, which the Duterte administration is known for when it comes to the West Philippine Sea.鈥�

There are three things that the Duterte administration can do right now, according to Mr. De Castro:

• The Philippines can file its extended continental shelf claim in the West Philippine Sea.听
• The Philippines can enforce鈥攏ot just acknowledge鈥攖he arbitral ruling.
• The Philippines can organize an international coalition of countries that have an interest in enforcing the ruling.

Recorded remotely on October 14. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.

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The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out 80% of the revenue of , a socio-ecological enterprise that handcrafts bamboo bicycles. Prior to the lockdowns, Bambike was renting out thousands of bikes a month for its , which won the company a Tripadvisor award in March. Bambike founder Bryan Benitez McClelland tells 大象传媒 reporter Patricia B. Mirasol how the company is bouncing back. 鈥淏e resilient like the bamboo,鈥� he said.

TAKEAWAYS

Recognize the value of your assets.

When Bambike鈥檚 city tours evaporated, Mr. McClelland realized that he could turn his idle fleet of bamboo bikes into who were having trouble getting to work because of the lockdowns.听听

Bicycles are enjoying a growing acceptance among a populace long burdened by poor public transport. Bambike has pivoted from conducting tours to selling bikes to customers. While operations are still not back to pre-pandemic levels, Bambike nonetheless finds itself fortuitously positioned in a growth market.听

鈥淵our business plan is never executed exactly as you wrote it鈥� We鈥檙e very fortunate to be positioned in a growth market. We are able to survive now,鈥� he said.

The future of transportation is electric.

Bambike began producing e-bikes during the pandemic. Capable of covering longer distances with less pedaling power (and less perspiration), e-bikes get people around without emitting carbon. Bambike offers a range of e-bikes, from 500-watt commuter kits for easy cruising to 1,500-watt turbo kits for long distances to 3,000-watt hauler kits for extra power.听

鈥淲e鈥檙e making sure we鈥檙e doing the right thing for people and the planet as we become part of the new green economy and the next normal,鈥� said Mr. McClelland.听

Support local.

Mr. McClelland makes a case for supporting MSMEs like Bambike instead of hopping on e-commerce platforms and importing goods. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot to be said about still purchasing things from the palengke, or going to the small shops, or finding the entrepreneurs that just opened their online stores and are trying to continue to make a living,鈥� he said.听 鈥淲e should always look to buy Filipino first. It will pay off in the long run.鈥澨�

Be like bamboo.

This year is going to be 鈥渁 year of survival, tenacity, and grit,鈥� according to Mr. McClelland, who considers Bambike to be a customer service company at heart and counts on his team to adjust to the needs of the times, whether it鈥檚 by touring clients or selling bikes. 鈥淭he goal is to keep all people employed and pull through together,鈥� he said. 鈥淏e resilient like the bamboo, where you bend but you stay strong and stay firm throughout the challenging times.鈥澨�

Recorded remotely on October 1. Produced by听Nina M. Diaz,听Paolo L. Lopez, and听Sam L. Marcelo.

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