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Yasmina Reza鈥檚 Art and a painting鈥檚 power to destroy friendships

By Sam L. Marcelo

Theater Review
Art
By Yasmina Reza
Presented by Repertory Philippines

IN YASMINA REZA鈥檚 Art, a 15-year friendship among three men falls apart when one of them shells out 200,000 francs for a white painting 鈥� about five feet by four, with a white background… completely white 鈥� and another decries it as 鈥渁 piece of shit.鈥�

Directed by Victor Lirio for the 88^th season of Repertory Philippines, Art revolves around Serge (British-Filipino actor Martin Sarreal), a dermatologist and the smug owner of the divisive white painting; Marc (London-based actor Freddy Sawyer), an aeronautical engineer who cannot stomach that one of his closest friends quotes French poetry, recommends Seneca, and deploys words like 鈥渄econstruction鈥� without a hint of irony; and Yvan (Gawad Buhay awardee Brian Sy), a neophyte in the stationery business who finds himself caught in the middle of the sometimes intellectual, sometimes physical argument while he鈥檚 on the precipice of a personal meltdown due to his impending nuptials.

Central to the comedy鈥檚 plot is Marc鈥檚 dilemma: 鈥淚 love Serge and I can鈥檛 love the Serge who鈥檚 capable of buying that painting.鈥� The white painting isn鈥檛 just a white painting, after all; it is a stand-in for values, ethics, and morals that are often split along class lines. In an hour-and-a-half, Art summarizes Pierre Bourdieu鈥檚 Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste in a much more entertaining and lighthearted manner.

Transported into the present year for reasons unknown (except maybe sartorial 鈥� as Marc, a traditionalist, is still beholden to his skinny jeans even if they went out of style in the 2010s, while Serge, who fancies himself a modern man, is dressed in the wider and more generous cut of pants du jour; yet curiously they kept giving the painting鈥檚 price in francs not euros), Art unfolds on a spare stage with minimal props, the most important of which is the white painting 鈥� about five feet by four, completely white, we are constantly reminded 鈥� that possesses all the requisite markers of a prestige object: it is a piece by a well-known painter, from the right period of his career (it鈥檚 an Antrios and not just any Antrios 鈥� but a seventies Antrios, says Serge); coveted by a blue-chip gallerist and collector (namechecked by Serge); and validated by a major cultural institution (there are three Antrioses in the Pompidou, says Serge). An aside: Real-life art handlers would have a heart attack seeing how this fictional artwork is moved around with utter disregard for the painted surface.

With multiple monologues and fast-paced banter, Art (translated from the original French by British playwright Christopher Hampton), gives each actor his turn in the spotlight.

Sarreal, with his posh British accent (perfected, perhaps, in Bridgerton, where he played Lord Barnell in Season 3), perpetually raised eyebrow, and perennial crooked grin (the kind that would merit being smacked off one鈥檚 face) exudes the pomposity of a man suffering from a Napoleon complex. As Sarreal鈥檚 antagonist, Sawyer is sarcastic, aggressive, and angry 鈥� his towering physique adding another layer to the conflict between Marc and Serge. And in the middle 鈥� ever the pacifist, ever the referee, ever the overlooked amoeba 鈥� is Sy, whose Yvan is a sweaty quivering ball of beta-male energy capable of rousing both sympathy and irritation.

Praised for its global and long-lasting appeal, Art debuted in 1994 and enjoyed successful runs in London and New York, garnering a slew of awards (multiple Olivier Awards, Tony Awards, and Drama Desk Awards). At the opening gala, Repertory Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Mindy Perez-Rubio remarked that the company was fortunate to produce the play for local audiences as it is scheduled to open on Broadway this August with Neil Patrick Harris, alongside James Corden and Bobby Cannavale.

The staging of Reza鈥檚 Art and its accompanying commentary on the value of art is timely as cultural institutions in the West 鈥� America, specifically 鈥� are under attack. One hopes that the Marcs of the world, those who loudly condemn art as 鈥渟hit,鈥� experience a change of heart and see the poetry hiding in a white canvas, five feet by four, with a white background… completely white.

(Rep鈥檚 production of Art is on a limited run until June 29, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and matinee performances on Sundays at 3:30 p.m., at the Rep Eastwood Theater, Eastwood City Walk 2, Eastwood Ave., Bagumbayan, in Quezon City.)

Sam L. Marcelo is the head of publications at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) Manila and the managing editor at Exploding Galaxies Press, Inc. Prior to joining the world of books, Marcelo was a newspaper journalist who covered the arts-and-culture beat for 大象传媒.

Interest piqued?

Here is a list of recommendations related to Yasmina Reza鈥檚 Art

鈥� 鈥淲hy these all-white paintings are in museums and mine aren鈥檛,鈥� posted Sept. 8, 2017 by Vox, YouTube, https://youtu.be/9aGRHOpMRUg

Antrios might be fictional but Robert Ryman 鈥� whose all-white painting Bridge (1980) was hammered at $20,605,000 at a 2015 Christie鈥檚 sale 鈥� is not. In this Vox video, a curator discusses the minimalist movement and how a square of white paint requires the viewer to 鈥渄o a lot more work鈥� before being rewarded. Art is also mentioned in a supercut of men raging and freaking out due to the 鈥渟uper pretentious meets uber pretentious nonsense鈥� of modern art.

鈥� Roman Mars, host, 99% Invisible, podcast, episode 347, 鈥淭he Many Deaths of a Painting,鈥� March 26, 2019, https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-many-deaths-of-a-painting/

Marc鈥檚 loathing for Serge鈥檚 Antrios isn鈥檛 unusual. This podcast episode talks about a work by abstract expressionist Barnett Newman and 鈥渁 reaction the painting received that was so intense, so violent, it set off a chain of events that shook the art world to its core.鈥�

鈥� John Logan, Red, 2009

Art and Red would make the perfect double bill. Where Art has a white rectangle, Red has a dark rectangle. Where Art is a comedy told from the perspective of the people looking at a painting, Red 鈥� based on the life of AbEx painter Mark Rothko 鈥� is a drama told from the perspective of the artist who paints them. (Incidentally, Bart Guingona has starred in local productions of Art and Red.)

鈥� Don Thompson, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art (St. Martin鈥檚 Griffin, 2008)

How can a white painting be worth 200,000 francs? How can The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living by Damien Hirst be worth millions? Don Thompson explains the machinery of the art market and its eye-watering prices.

鈥� Craig Damrauer, New Math Modern Art, https://www.wonderstore.assortedbitsofwisdom.com/shop/p/new-math-modern-art

MODERN ART = I COULD DO THAT + YEAH, BUT YOU DIDN鈥橳.

(Yours for $140.)

JOHN LOGAN鈥橲听straight play Red does a better job of introducing painter Mark Rothko, Abstract Expressionism, and the angst of artists than Clement Greenberg鈥檚 criticism ever will.

A decade after he first played Rothko in Logan鈥檚 two-hander, Bart Guingona reprises the role of the art-world giant known for painting rectangles floating in color fields, for expressing big emotions through pigments, for withdrawing his Seagram murals from the Four Seasons Restaurant in New York City because he couldn鈥檛 bear to see his work as the background for clinking silverware and idle chatter, and for offing himself in 1970.

Mr. Guingona, who called Rothko 鈥渁 genius asshole鈥� in 2013, has more sympathy for the artist, who, along with the likes of Barnett Newman and Clyfford Still, wished to convey 鈥渢ragedy, ecstasy, and doom鈥� through color.

鈥淭his is a much deeper etching of the play because I think I understand now: He protected his work like they were his children. [Painting] is like getting a piece of your flesh, of yourself, and putting it out there unprotected. And you need to protect it 鈥� that never occurred to me before,鈥� said Mr. Guingona, who now plays 鈥渁 more nuanced version鈥� of the genius asshole and academic snob. 鈥淗e had to be the way he was because he was protecting his creation.鈥�

Opposite Mr. Guingona is JC Santos, who plays Rothko鈥檚 fictional assistant, Ken, with the eager vulnerability of a puppy exposing its soft underbelly to its master, hungry for attention and tummy rubs. This dynamic, more avuncular than antagonistic, sets up a different emotional payoff than the 2013 version which featured Joaquin Valdes, whose onstage chemistry with Mr. Guingona had all the fragility 鈥渢wo alpha males鈥� butting heads, as the veteran actor put it.

鈥淸JC鈥檚 Ken] is a child,鈥� said Mr. Guingona. 鈥淵ou see Rothko as cruel, particularly to someone who鈥檚 so open. When the play shifts later on, the tenderness becomes even more pronounced.鈥�

The two go back-and-forth for 90 minutes, without intermission, trading barbs and monologues in vivid language as when Rothko and Ken play a word association game sparked by the color red. Found in scene 2, this verbal fillip is populated by persimmons and pomegranates, flame and dead Fauvists, Santa Claus and Satan, showcasing how Logan鈥檚 concrete writing is far more accessible than Greenberg鈥檚 critic-speak. (To wit: 鈥淣ewman and Rothko turn away from the painterliness of Abstract Expressionism as though to save the objects of painterliness 鈥� color and openness 鈥� from painterliness itself. This is why their art could be called a synthesis of painterly and non-painterly or, better, a transcending of the differences between the two.鈥�)

Mr. Guingona and Mr. Santos took a crash course in art history to prepare for Red, bringing back memories of their formal training in theater arts (Mr. Guingona studied directing in London; Mr. Santos, acting in New York City).

鈥淵ou come into class, you have books that you have to read and all the theories are there,鈥� said Mr. Guingona. 鈥淭he beauty of that is that once you know all the theories and you put them into practice, you can just toss the books out. It becomes second nature.鈥�

Red is an example of how diverse voices enrich the conversation. Those who are baffled by the syntax of art exhibition text 鈥� distinct enough to be given a name (International Art English) and parodied 鈥� will find an alternative in Logan鈥檚 play, which rarely, if ever, lapses into nominalizations and jargon.

The more doorways to enter the wonderful, crazy world of art, the better.

Nan Z. Da, an English professor at the University of Notre Dame, talked about 鈥渃urious crossings鈥� in a piece about 鈥減reserving the generic, categorical distinctions that separate different forms of writing鈥�: 鈥淎cademic writing has to look different than nonfiction writing, has to look different than journalism, and so forth, for much the same reason that interdisciplinarity means nothing if disciplines don鈥檛 have operational closure, don鈥檛 have integrity. You have to have categorical and systemic partitioning, even hard generic distinctions, in order to see curious crossings.鈥� (Nan Z. Da and Jessica Swoboda, 鈥淐urious Crossings: A conversation with Nan Z. Da,鈥� The Point, April 19, 2022, thepointmag.com/dialogue/curious-crossings/).

And to borrow from the Tony Award-winning play itself, these different registers are not in conflict but in symbiosis: 鈥淭hey need each other. Dionysus鈥� passion is focused 鈥� is made bearable 鈥� by Apollo鈥檚 will to form. In fact, the only way we can endure the sheer ferocity of Dionysus鈥� emotion is because we have the control and intelligence of Apollo, otherwise the emotion would overwhelm us.鈥�

For Mr. Santos, who is the reason that Red is back on stage after 10 years, the play is a shot in the arm for those who languished over the pandemic: 鈥淚 want this to be a reminder for us 鈥� and for other artists 鈥� to be inspired again.鈥�

Prior to joining a contemporary art museum and a small independent press as a publishing consultant, Sam L. Marcelo was a reporter and editor at 大象传媒.

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Dance
Encantada by Agnes D. Locsin
Alice Reyes Dance Philippines
Samsung Performing Arts Theater: April 14 and 15, 7:30 p.m.; April 15, 2 p.m.
Manila Metropolitan Theater: April 21 and 22, 7:30 p.m.; April 22, 2 p.m.

WIDESPREAD听acclaim and the newly bestowed mantle of National Artist for Dance have done nothing to ease pre-opening night jitters for Agnes D. Locsin, who is restaging her magnum opus 鈥� a full-length piece titled Encantada that tackles the rapacious appetite of man, the destruction of the environment, and the violation of the sacred feminine 鈥� to open the season of Alice Reyes Dance Philippines (ARDP).

鈥淚t鈥檚 bloody,鈥� she said in a video call with 大象传媒. 鈥淔or me, the pressure is the work, the beauty of the work. 鈥� My standards have gotten higher.鈥�

鈥楲OCSIN, WE HAVE A CLASSIC鈥�
First staged in February 1992, Encantada is a landmark piece that introduced audiences to Ms. Locsin鈥檚 neo-ethnic choreography 鈥� a fusion of ethnic dance, modern dance, and classical ballet 鈥� and later helped cement her legacy as a terpsichorean pioneer.

Featuring music by Joey Ayala and a libretto by Al Santos, Encantada and the nascent sketches leading up to it are detailed over two chapters in Ms. Locsin鈥檚 book Philippine Neo-Ethnic Choreography: A Creative Process (2012).

鈥淟et me as early as now clarify that a lot of unpleasant things occur in any creative endeavor,鈥� Ms. Locsin wrote of the year-long process of making Encantada with Messrs. Ayala and Santos. 鈥淥urs was what I call a necessary occurrence. We were a perfect creative team but highly volatile. Three strong personalities, each one capable of taking the directorial seat.鈥�

In the end, Ms. Locsin had the final say.

The multimillion production is a generous display of the breadth and depth of her research-based choreography. Listed in her book are references to Catholic gestures of genuflection and flagellation, Marinduque鈥檚 Moriones festival, Manobo healing rituals, Cebu鈥檚 Sinulog festival, Baguio鈥檚 Grand Ca帽ao Festival, Balinese trance dancing, and Kalibo鈥檚 Ati-Atihan festival.

The climactic 鈥�Digmaan鈥� section, which takes place in the middle of the 贰苍肠补苍迟补诲补鈥檚 second act, was a challenge to choreograph since the members of the triumvirate each had their own idea of what it had to be and what it had to accomplish.

In her book, she writes that packed in that 鈥�10-minute visualization of a battle in epic proportions鈥� are 鈥渞itual fighting, deforestation, rape of nature, and kaingin.鈥�

鈥淚 dug into it,鈥� she said in the video call of the war scene, which was inspired by Mindanao鈥檚 Moro-Moro and Luzon鈥檚 Commedia dell鈥橝rte. 鈥淚 think I succeeded. 鈥� It was 鈥� and will probably always be 鈥� my favorite.鈥�

Despite the standing ovations Encantada received during its premiere, almost 20 years had to pass before its creators realized the abiding cultural impact of the piece and their place in the pantheon of Philippine dance.

Ms. Locsin remembers that after catching a show at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in 2011 鈥� the last time Encantada was restaged 鈥� Mr. Ayala turned to her and said: 鈥淟ocsin, we have a classic.鈥� And gave her a high five.

(Long-time collaborators, Ms. Locsin and Mr. Ayala met as students at Ateneo de Davao University; they call each other by their last names as schoolmates are wont to do.)

This year鈥檚 restaging, overseen by Ms. Locsin, 65, stays as faithful to the original as possible. The iconic Encantada mountain by National Artist for Theater and Design Salvador 鈥淏adong鈥� F. Bernal will rise in the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, which approximates the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) in size; and Manila Metropolitan Theater, which has a smaller footprint.

A cast of about 35 dancers, composed of ARDP members who are experiencing Ms. Locsin鈥檚 muscular yet precise choreography for the first time and several veterans whose bodies were forged by it, are tasked with preserving the integrity of her vision.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e the future,鈥� she said of this intergenerational mix. 鈥淎s much as possible, we impart to the dancers how it should and must be done to the best of their ability.鈥�

鈥楶REPARAR KA鈥�
Georgette Sanchez-Vargas, 48, was standing in the middle of a hardware store when she received a message from Ms. Locsin: 鈥淧reparar ka.鈥� (Ilonggo for 鈥淏e prepared.鈥�)

It was a foregone conclusion that Ms. Sanchez-Vargas, who was 16 when she started working with Ms. Locsin, would reprise 贰苍肠补苍迟补诲补鈥檚 gut-wrenching title role (for which she won a Gawad Buhay Award in 2011).

She feels that she is now better prepared for the task, having more life experience to draw on. 鈥淪o many things have happened in the past few years,鈥� she said in the vernacular.

Her connection to the piece is deep and familial: she has danced in every iteration of Encantada and she is related to its choreographer (Ms. Locsin is the cousin of Ms. Sanchez-Vargas鈥� mother).

鈥淚 appreciate the images created by Agnes more. 鈥� The way she taught us how to control our bodies is amazing,鈥� she said. 鈥淲ith Agnes, everything is particular 鈥� even your fingers and the way you stand. It鈥檚 very intense.鈥�

Returning to the stage with Ms. Sanchez-Vargas are Kris-Belle Paclibar-Mamangun, a former member of Cirque du Soleil, who will alternate in the role of Babaylan with Carissa Adea (who won a Gawad Buhay Award for her performance in 2011).

Compared to these three, ARDP鈥檚 Monica A. Gana is a neophyte when it comes to the neo-ethnic style. She recently got a taste of it when she performed in Ms. Locsin Igorot, as part of a show that paid tribute to Ms. Locsin and ARDP founder Alice G. Reyes.

鈥淚t was quite mind boggling to be able to understand how one could feel the ground on shoes that were originally created to make dancers look like they鈥檙e floating onstage. But that鈥檚 where the attention to detail came in,鈥� Ms. Gana said in an e-mail. 鈥淚t was how you would tap or stomp your shoe on the floor. The lengthening of the entire body while still being connected to the ground as we bourree on pointe. Even in doing the traveling combination of steps, instead of thinking of hitting positions like the arabesque or the grand jete, it was more of how I will transfer my 鈥榗enter.鈥欌��

When she watched a recording of the 2011 performance, Ms. Gana was struck by the athleticism and stamina Encantada required of the ensemble.

鈥淚n most ballets, there are big group dance sections but most of the physically demanding steps are done by the leads. But in Encantada, it鈥檚 everyone,鈥� she said. 鈥淎 number of my colleagues have performed Encantada and they all affirmed how demanding it was not only physically but emotionally. But, when they shared their stories, it seemed like it was one of their best career experiences. 鈥� We have to work together to breathe and dance as one. No one should be left behind. We each have a responsibility to support and bring each other up.鈥�

EVERGREEN MESSAGE
The message of Encantada is as enduring as Ms. Locsin鈥檚 neo-ethnic choreography. The piece, which opened in the wake of a flash flood that devastated Ormoc City in November 1991 and claimed thousands of lives, comes down hard on humanity鈥檚 disregard for the environment.

鈥淲e do a lot of things to destroy nature. It will come back to us,鈥� said Ms. Sanchez-Vargas. 鈥淜arma is a bitch. You鈥檒l see it in the ballet.鈥�

Aside from Encantada, Ms. Locsin has choreographed Alay sa Puno, a suite of dances meditating on the movement of trees: Ugat, Dahon, Puno, Sanga, Bulak, and Bunga.

In her downtime, she tends to her mini forest, which she calls her Santuario ng Puno, composed of hardwood and ornamental trees. 鈥淭hey grow so slowly,鈥� she said with a laugh of the acacia, narra, and molave she has planted. 鈥淢amamatay na lang ako, wala pa itong mga puno ko.鈥�

While her saplings need more time to spread their roots and stretch skyward, Ms. Locsin鈥檚 neo-ethnic choreography has already reached its zenith with Encantada.

Prior to joining a contemporary art museum and a small independent press as a publishing consultant, Sam L. Marcelo was a reporter and editor at 大象传媒.

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Patis Tesoro and Florica Zaharia on conserving local textiles

By Sam L. Marcelo

FASHION designer Patis Tesoro and Romanian textile conservator Florica Zaharia are bonded by the belief that what we wear can be art, as worthy of care and attention as the monuments erected in honor of heroes and the paintings that fetch millions at auctions.

鈥淎lmost anything can become an art object if it serves the purpose of the collection,鈥� said Ms. Zaharia, conservator emerita at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and director and co-owner of the Muzeul Textilelor in Romania.

A hemp kitchen towel made by Ms. Zaharia鈥檚 mother carries in itself 鈥� stains and all 鈥� Ms. Zaharia鈥檚 personal history, her family history, as well as a portion of hemp鈥檚 history. To someone like Ms. Zaharia, who is fluent in the language of fabric, the towel speaks volumes about process, technology, and cultural context.

鈥淲e used to take textile for granted. We wear them every day, we use them every day,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut we have made big progress in bringing textile to a different level, 鈥� to the level of art objects.鈥�

The Romanian conservator, who has several 辫颈帽补 pieces by Ms. Tesoro in her collection, described the fabric as 鈥渙ne of the finest fibers in the world.鈥�

鈥淚 think when you see something as beautiful as this, you get excited,鈥� she said.

鈥楽ALON DE PATIS鈥�
Ms. Zaharia, who met Ms. Tesoro in 2019 at the International Festival of Extraordinary Textiles (FITE) in Romania, was in the Philippines this January to share conservation practices that can be applied to local textiles such 辫颈帽补, abaca, silk, and Philippine cotton.

鈥淲e immediately connected,鈥� said Ms. Zaharia of Ms. Tesoro, who invited her to visit. 鈥淪he is wonderful and so complex. Patis is a rare artist who is a creator and, at the same time, is doing a lot of work in preserving the materials and techniques that are typical to the Philippines, which is an enormous, enormous task. She does both 鈥� creation and preservation 鈥� with incredible energy.鈥�

On a rainy Saturday, Ms. Zaharia, who wore a linen dress and a braided fabric necklace resembling a thick rope of gold (made by a Japanese artist, she said), held court at PatisTito Garden Cafe in San Pablo City, Laguna, a beautifully busy place rioting with color and bursting at the seams with details, much like the mind of Ms. Tesoro.

鈥淭he dream is to make this a creative mentorship place where you meet different kinds of people,鈥� said Ms. Tesoro, who wants to make the borders separating academic and artistic disciplines more porous.

A long-table lunch assembled the 鈥渄oers鈥� (as Ms. Tesoro鈥檚 daughter, Nina Tesoro-Poblador, put it) in the fashion designer鈥檚 orbit, including an agriculturist, an artist, a curator, a dog trainer, a mambabatok (a traditional Kalinga tattooist), a photographer, a psychiatrist, a scientist, a sound engineer, and a weaver.

Ms. Zaharia occupied the place of honor while Ms. Tesoro 鈥� the Grand Dame of Philippine Fashion credited with reviving 辫颈帽补 in the 1980s and 鈥�90s 鈥� flitted from one guest to the next, entertaining and dispensing wit and wisdom gained from a career spanning decades.

Asked if this coterie was her 鈥淪alon de Patis鈥� (a play on salon de Paris, a gathering of like-minded people in the drawing rooms of France), Ms. Tesoro chuckled in amused agreement and moved on to the next conversation.

Within earshot were exchanges on chicken manure and maggots, cotton and circular economy 鈥� all over a meal prepared by Jonas Ng, the chef behind James & Daughters restaurant at Estancia at Capitol Commons in Pasig City.

Lunch consisted of roasted garlic dip and flatbread, gazpacho and barbecue elote, pinaputok na gulay with miso aioli, salt-roasted barbecue fish, kinulob na manok sa palayok, smoked duck, and, for dessert, suman a la Hasset (sticky rice with ube and leche flan) and hot chocolate (spiked with alcohol to taste).

Sated, guests filtered into another section of PatisTito Garden Cafe, which, for the day, was converted into a lecture hall equipped with a sound system seconded from a neighbor鈥檚 karaoke sessions.

鈥楶ATIENCE AND PASSION鈥�
Humidity is the main culprit when one tries to prolong the life of textiles in the Philippines. 鈥淭extiles are organic materials and they deteriorate faster than inorganic materials. We know they are very sensitive to the environment,鈥� said Ms. Zaharia.

In a proprietary 30-minute presentation on minimal conservation practices, Ms. Zaharia gave an overview of her work, including the required facilities and equipment (sometimes you need to borrow tools from other professions 鈥� a dental vacuum is much more appropriate than a floor vacuum when dealing with fragile materials), methods of mounting and displaying (a good mannequin, like a good hanger, is difficult to find), storage, and cataloging.

鈥淚t鈥檚 actually very complicated,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou need patience and passion.鈥�

Ticking the basics, Ms. Zaharia said one should know the materials they are working with; control humidity, temperature, light, and air; stabilize the environment and start from there.

At the end of the talk, a scientist and a curator got into a spirited conversation about silica gel and how its merits as a desiccant stack against its environmental impact 鈥� a niche conversation, which, perhaps, illustrates the value of Salon de Patis.

鈥淲e have people here who can spread the word,鈥� said Ms. Zaharia. 鈥淚 think it will be great to see in this country an institution dedicated to fibers. If I can help in any way, of course I will.鈥�

For more information on Muzeul Textilelor, visit muzeultextilelor.org. Patis Tesoro is on Facebook (facebook.com/patisboutique) and Instagram (instagram.com/patistesoro).

Prior to joining a contemporary art museum and a small independent press as a publishing consultant, Sam L. Marcelo was a reporter and editor at 大象传媒.

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By Sam L. Marcelo, Multimedia Editor

Ballet
Pulso Pilipinas II: Alay nina Alice at Agnes
Sept. 30, 8 p.m.
Oct. 1, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Oct. 2, 3 p.m.
Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater)
Cultural Center of the Philippines

A PRODUCTION that celebrates the work of two living National Artists for Dance 鈥� Alice G. Reyes and Agnes D. Locsin 鈥� will attempt to encapsulate more than 50 years of Philippine dance and make a stand about its future.

Pulso Pilipinas II: Alay nina Alice at Agnes will see the Alice Reyes Dance Philippines (ARDP) performing alongside underprivileged youth from different regions in a program composed of Ms. Reyes鈥� Carmina Burana, a feat of athleticism and stamina that matches the musicality and monumentality of German composer Carl Orff鈥檚 cantata; and Ms. Locsin鈥檚 Igorot, Moriones, and Elias at Salome, a trio of works that show off the range of the pioneering neo-ethnic choreographer known for her angularity, percussive power, and groundedness.

Accreted time and accolades have turned these dances into masterpieces but they were revolutionary 鈥� controversial, even 鈥� when they were first staged and their choreographers, iconoclasts instead of the icons they are now.

鈥淧eople like to put things in boxes,鈥� said Ms. Reyes at an open rehearsal in the Cultural Center of the Philippines this July. 鈥淪hould you step out of these boxes and do something else, people 鈥� don鈥檛 know how to deal with it.鈥�

鈥楢 HAPPY SOLUTION鈥�
Carmina Burana, like the rest of Ms. Reyes鈥檚 oeuvre, incorporates different dance vocabularies: where ballet has pointe shoes, modern dance has bare flexed feet; where ballet desires to escape gravity, modern dance is enamored of it.

The ability to do both is the hallmark of a dancer who has been trained by Ms. Reyes and her prot茅g茅s. Celebrated today, the combination of techniques was questioned then. 鈥淧eople thought I was doing something really stupid because I was doing modern and classical ballet. They thought it was odd,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd now you won鈥檛 find a ballet or dance company that doesn鈥檛 do that 鈥� even in Russia.鈥�

The last is a veiled reference to the rift between Ms. Reyes and Ballet Philippines (BP), the company she founded in 1969. (See 鈥�Copyright fight: Ballet Philippines risks losing 鈥榯reasure trove鈥� of dance鈥�)

At a masterclass on copyright organized by BP this August, Lorna P. Kapunan, the company鈥檚 legal adviser, advised diplomacy: 鈥淭he more important thing here is the viewing public. Let鈥檚 not deprive the public of good creations. 鈥�听 The public benefits from the parties not quarreling whether it鈥檚 Ballet Philippines, Alice Reyes, or CCP. The constitution says that intellectual property must have a social function. To me, the social function of art is to bring happiness and not discord to people. Perhaps Ballet Philippines, CCP, and Alice Reyes should sit down and come up with a happy solution.鈥�

BASTARDIZATION, VINDICATION
Meanwhile, Ms. Locsin, who once dressed women in G-strings as they portrayed gender-bending roles (a necessity since she lacked male dancers), was accused of bastardizing and appropriating indigenous dances when her neo-ethnic pieces premiered. Igorot is inspired by dance rituals of the Mountain Province; Moriones, by the Moriones Festival of Marinduque.

鈥淚 never explained myself. The best answer to criticism is silence,鈥� said Ms. Locsin in a Zoom call with 大象传媒. Naysayers have dwindled over the decades, or have become smart enough to remain silent themselves.

When pressed, Ms. Locsin has always said that she never wanted to supplant tradition. 鈥淭his is my tribute to Philippine culture,鈥� she said of her research-based choreography.

Vindication by way of being conferred the highest state honor for individuals who have done much for their artistic field is far from her mind. 鈥淩ight now, this National Artist thing hasn鈥檛 sunk in,鈥� she said, adding that she is concentrating on helping Ms. Reyes鈥� fledgling company.

鈥淚 want ARDP to continue and further Alice Reyes鈥� legacy,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hy make a new vision when her vision is there and it is good? There is room for all kinds of dances, room for growth.鈥�

EPHEMERAL, OF THE MOMENT
Alay nina Alice at Agnes is a rare jewel, given how few and far between National Artists are among those who toil in dance. Ms. Locsin, recognized this year, is only the 6^th; Ms. Reyes, recognized in 2014, was the 5^th.

The dearth of honorees 鈥� as compared to, say, those in the visual arts 鈥� might be explained by the nature of dance itself and the limits of video technology when Ms. Reyes, 79, and Ms. Locsin, 64, began their careers.

鈥淚f you never saw me dance, you never saw me dance. If you didn鈥檛 see Agnes Locsin鈥檚 Encantada 10 years ago, then you鈥檝e never seen it,鈥� said Ms. Reyes. 鈥淚t [dance] is so ephemeral, so of the moment, and so not visible after the moment.鈥�

The momentousness of Alay nina Alice at Agnes as a moment in Philippine dance is not lost on the members of ARDP.

鈥淲e鈥檙e starting something new and we want to make an impression on the audience: this is who we are, we鈥檙e different from them, this is what we鈥檙e focused on,鈥� said ARDP ballet soloist Monica A. Gana. Unnamed but out in the open in her reply is how ARDP compares to BP (鈥渢hem鈥�).

Added Ronelson P. Yadao, ARDP artistic director: 鈥淭here is pressure and I can feel it. But Alice Reyes believes in the group and in me: that gives me confidence.鈥�

The dancers have always been the priority of Ms. Reyes, who formed ARDP out of like-minded individuals who were displaced from various dance companies over the pandemic 鈥� and it is for them that she continues despite less-than-ideal circumstances: Zoom as the de facto means of communication, the lack of an office and studio, questions about copyright, and competing ideologies.

When Ms. Reyes staged her first modern dance concert at the CCP in 1969, she had the run of the place. 鈥淚t was a different world. The CCP was ours. And now, there are different resident companies all wanting space, all with their own plans and programs,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to get everyone to understand. There will always be those who prefer opera to BTS. There will always be those who prefer Swan Lake to Encantada or Amada.鈥�

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Teleperformance Philippines (TP) received its fifth consecutive 鈥淕reat Place to Work鈥� certification this year, based on responses from a 2022 trust index survey conducted by the Great Place to Work, an international institute that does research on company culture.

In this B-Side听episode, TP senior vice president for human capital resource management Jeffrey Johnson tells听大象传媒听reporter Bront毛 H. Lacsamana how companies can keep a human touch in a hybrid workplace.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really important that you listen to employees because the employees will tell you what it is they want when it comes to engaging from a digital perspective,鈥� he said.听

鈥淎s long as you鈥檙e listening and then actively applying solutions for that, I think that鈥檚 a key success factor to making sure that you鈥檙e able to drive the right engagement.鈥澨�

TAKEAWAYS听

Train employees to have a continuous learning mindset.听

鈥淵ou need a lot of training to understand the changing situation at work. That can be both self-driven and organizationally driven,鈥� said Mr. Johnson.听

TP, which has more than 55,000 employees, understands that each person in its organization learns in different ways and encourages them: some may prefer to read and process on their own while others might want to take an e-learning course.听

“When you have that culture, people are more likely to succeed,鈥� said Mr. Johnson.听

Upgrade programs, policies, and partnerships to suit the times.听听

On a macro level, a large organization can influence the local community by improving its policies, implementing new programs, and entering public and private partnerships.听

Teleperformance Cloud Campus, for example, is a long-term remote work solution that connects employees through a suite of software for those working from home. There are also hubs and microsites for those who want face-to-face meetings, training, and support.听

TP just opened its first microsite in Laoag City in Ilocos, with the next one slated to open in General Santos City in Mindanao.听

鈥淲e fully support the efforts of government and private telcos to make sure that digital penetration reaches as far into the countryside as possible, and it is reliable, consistent, and fast 鈥� all the things you need in a digital world,鈥� he said.听

Employee feedback is the north star for better policies.听

For an information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) company to provide good services, its employees have to be taken care of.听

This means leaders must ask each team member how they want to engage and connect, said Mr. Johnson. Meanwhile, on a company scale, sentiment and satisfaction surveys will give important insights into what policies can be improved.听

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, for example, have been found to address concerns about maternity leaves for men and women, and healthcare benefits and restroom access for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT+) employees.听

鈥淲e make sure we go back and listen. Once we make adjustments, what do employees say? Then change course and correct,鈥� Mr. Johnson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a constant process.鈥澨�

Recorded remotely on August 11, 2022. Produced by Earl R. Lagundino and Sam L. Marcelo.

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(This听B-Side听episode is sponsored by Tata Consultancy Services Philippines.)

Data analytics and consulting company GlobalData recently projected that the Philippine cloud market will reach $2.8 billion by 2025 from $1.8 billion in 2020, as more enterprises migrate their workload online.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Philippines Country Head Shiju Varghese and Eastern Communications Product and Innovation Head Edsel Paglinawan speak with听大象传媒听contributor Santiago J. Arnaiz about ICT (information and communications technology) solutions and the consequences of falling behind the competition.

鈥淒igital transformation is not just a matter of capital investment. It鈥檚 also about developing strategies, executing, and addressing the challenges and opportunities associated with it,鈥� said Mr. Varghese.

Recorded remotely in June 2022. Produced by Earl R. Lagundino and Sam L. Marcelo.

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The mainstream adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is expected to gain traction after the previous Congress passed a law that seeks to develop the Philippines鈥� EV industry.

The law facilitates a shift to EVs by imposing a 5% EV fleet quota for industries that operate vehicles 鈥� such as cargo logistics, food delivery companies, tour agencies, and utilities providers 鈥� within a timeline that will be set by regulators.

In this听B-Side听episode, Terry L. Ridon, an investment analyst and convener of InfraWatchPH, speaks with听大象传媒听reporter Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza about the potential of EVs.

Cost is the number one concern, according to Mr. Ridon. For EVs to be adopted by average consumers, their prices have to be comparable to their gas-powered counterparts.

Recorded remotely in June 2022. Produced by Joseph Emmanuel L. Garcia and Sam L. Marcelo.

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(if they can make it there, they can make it anywhere)

By Sam L. Marcelo, Multimedia Editor

SILVERLENS, the 18-year-old Manila-based gallery, is opening in New York City this September with solo shows by Martha Atienza and Yee I-Lann 鈥� bucking the trend of businesses closing due to the coronavirus pandemic, surging inflation, and a global economy on the brink of recession.

Silverlens co-owners Isa Lorenzo and Rachel Rillo bought an airy 2,500-square-foot space in the Chelsea Arts District that used to house Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like we鈥檙e jumping off a cliff and we don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 at the bottom,鈥� said Ms. Rillo, in a Zoom call with 大象传媒 on July 16.

鈥淎nd we don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 a five-foot cliff or a five-kilometer cliff,鈥� Ms. Lorenzo added.

Now being renovated, the New York space has a footprint comparable to Silverlens鈥� home in Makati City 鈥� which the gallery rents in Lapanday Center along Chino Roces Extension 鈥� but with the advantage of a higher ceiling height of 20 feet and massive skylights.

Located right by the High Line, on 505 W 24^th Street, Silverlens NY will enter a district crowded with big names, such as Lehmann Maupin, Lisson Gallery, Marianne Boesky Gallery, and Gagosian.

鈥淚f you go to New York and you鈥檙e going to spend one day looking at galleries, you鈥檙e going to go to Chelsea. 鈥� It鈥檚 amazing to be in this neighborhood,鈥� said Ms. Lorenzo of the Manhattan borough鈥檚 gravitational pull.

The gallerists declined to share how much they were investing in the space, saying only that it was 鈥渁 commitment.鈥�

Listing portal , a subsidiary of real-estate marketplace company Zillow, estimates the average price per square foot in West Chelsea at $2,362 as of this writing.

鈥楾RULY NUTS鈥�
This 鈥渢rans-continental move,鈥� as Ms. Lorenzo and Ms. Rillo described it, was driven by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

When lockdowns pushed everyone and everything online, Silverlens found that 25% to 30% of its website visitors were from the United States.

鈥淲e had a team that was watching who was watching us,鈥� said Ms. Rillo.

Curious as to whether their website analytics translated into a genuine market for Silverlens artists in the United States, Ms. Lorenzo and Ms. Rillo flew to New York City in the middle of 2021 to meet with curators and art habitu茅s they befriended in the decade or so that Silverlens has been participating in the art fair circuit.

Their month-long trip solidified their desire to be part of the New York art scene and the stars aligned quickly once they decided that they wanted to be there: The space was offered this January; it was turned over in April; Silverlens NY opens this September.

鈥淚t鈥檚 truly nuts,鈥� said Ms. Rillo. 鈥淭he more we tell people about this timeline in the art world, the more they don鈥檛 believe us. They think we鈥檝e been planning this for five years.鈥�

BRICK-AND-MORTAR VS THE METAVERSE
Opening a brick-and-mortar space halfway around the world might seem ironic, given the emphasis on e-commerce and the rise of virtual galleries that specialize in digital artworks that exist as non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

However, a report titled 鈥溾�� published this February by UBS Financial Services, Inc., is bullish on the physical gallery.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 see a shift away from gallery spaces in New York for two reasons. The foreign galleries benefited tremendously from the fact that they were within walking and driving distance of this great body of collectors. 鈥� Henceforth, gallery owners will, if anything, see the need to have more of a foothold in New York, not less,鈥� said Marc Spiegler, global director of Art Basel, who was interviewed in the report.

鈥淎nd just as importantly, galleries are investing in New York real estate. 鈥� So this meme that 鈥榯he gallery space is over,鈥� that 鈥榚veryone鈥檚 going to move into the metaverse,鈥� is just not sustained by the evidence on the ground,鈥� he continued.

The UBS report also stated that 鈥淣ew York鈥檚 position as a global center of the art market will continue uninterrupted.鈥�

鈥�,鈥� an Art Basel and UBS report published this March, noted that US collectors had the highest share overall (53%) of new and emerging artists鈥� works.

鈥楾HE OPPORTUNITY OF A PANDEMIC鈥�
The New York art scene, in the past few years, has consolidated, making room for international players like Silverlens.

Galleries from Brazil, Korea, Mexico (and now, the Philippines) have moved into the industrial spaces in Chelsea vacated by medium-sized American galleries, which, depending on their fortunes, either closed or relocated to the historic cast-iron buildings of posh Tribeca.

鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 let the opportunity of a pandemic pass us by,鈥� said Ms. Lorenzo.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of movement. What鈥檚 happening in Chelsea right now is you have a lot of the big blue-chip guys and then you have the migrants. There鈥檚 space,鈥� she added, using 鈥渟pace鈥� in terms of real estate and diversity.

The very attributes that would have made it impossible for Ms. Lorenzo and Ms. Rillo to set up shop in New York in the early aughts now make them appealing: they are queer BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color).

鈥淭hey need BIPOC representation. And that鈥檚 what we are,鈥� said Ms. Lorenzo. Added Ms. Rillo: 鈥淲e tick off quite a number of boxes so we鈥檙e going to jump on board.鈥�

The West鈥檚 cultural reckoning 鈥� provoked by the immigration debate, the #MeToo movement, the Black Lives Matter movement, anti-Asian violence, and the climate crisis, among others 鈥� have put marginalized communities front and center.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a pivotal moment, specifically in the United States,鈥� said Ms. Lorenzo. 鈥淲e are squarely in that spotlight because we are brown. There is a sense of being seen.鈥�

These global issues inform the positioning of Silverlens NY as shown by the two artists featured in the inaugural show: Dutch-Filipino video and installation artist Ms. Atienza and Malaysian photomedia-based artist Ms. Yee, whose works are both rife with geopolitical tension.

Ms. Atienza鈥檚 The Protectors features the fisherfolk of Bantayan Island and 鈥渆xplores environment, community, and development鈥� while questioning who owns the land and who owns the sea.

In Roof of the Mouth, meanwhile, Ms. Yee collaborates with indigenous Malaysian weavers to present a body of work that 鈥渃laims and celebrates communities and their geographies, often at the peripheries, that give shape to the center.鈥�

The primary goal of Silverlens NY is to get institutions and museums to collect the work of its artists and provide a Southeast Asian perspective to topics, such as climate change and circular economies, that have a direct impact on the Philippines and the region.

鈥淲e want to be part of the conversation,鈥� said Ms. Lorenzo. 鈥淭here are so many issues that they are championing and talking about over there [in the West] but we鈥檙e the ones who are living this on a daily basis.鈥�

NO LONGER AN ISLAND
Silverlens NY is not the first time that Ms. Lorenzo and Ms. Rillo are venturing beyond the Philippines. From 2012 to 2015, they operated in Singapore at Gillman Barracks, where they focused on the artists on their roster.

鈥淲e were like an island, just showing our own thing,鈥� said Ms. Lorenzo.

The lessons they learned from their three-year stint in Singapore influenced their New York programming, which will be composed of two-month exhibitions that are gallery-curated 鈥� as in Gillman Barracks 鈥� and curator-led, thus broadening Silverlens鈥� horizons.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to invite curators from there [the United States] to put up shows with our artists and artists in their radar,鈥� said Ms. Rillo. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited about that because then there鈥檚 a sense of discovery for us.鈥�

Silverlens is eyeing artists who are part of the Asian diaspora, reflective of the backgrounds of both gallerists. Prior to founding Silverlens, Ms. Lorenzo studied at the Parsons School of Design in New York City and worked at the International Center of Photography, also in the same city; Ms. Rillo, meanwhile, was on the opposite coast: she studied at the Academy of Art College (now known as Academy of Art University) in San Francisco and was a photographer based in Los Angeles.

Also related to this migratory/trans-continental experience is the matter of currency and whether there is a danger of skewing the prices of their artists out of the Philippine market.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been working at this price level for many years. We don鈥檛 need to create an international price and a local price 鈥� it doesn鈥檛 work that way,鈥� said Ms. Lorenzo. 鈥淲e鈥檙e pretty much established and our artists are also established 鈥� it鈥檚 not so much an issue.鈥�

鈥淲e just happen to be in the Philippines,鈥� she added. 鈥淚 already feel like we are running a very international standard program. It鈥檚 just a matter of applying ourselves and what we already do in Manila to New York.鈥�

Silverlens will present the first New York solo gallery shows by artists Martha Atienza and Yee I-Lann, on Sept. 8, at Silverlens NY, 505 W 24^th Street, New York, NY. For more information, visit .

NATIONAL Artist for Dance Alice G. Reyes has made her next move: she has formed another dance company to go toe-to-toe with Ballet Philippines (BP), the 53-year-old company that she founded and fell out of love with after multiple contretemps between her and the BP board 鈥� each one worse than the last, the most recent being a copyright claim on one of her pieces by BP. (See: 鈥�Copyright fight: Ballet Philippines risks losing 鈥榯reasure trove鈥� of dance鈥�)

(ARDP) has broad ambitions, among them to 鈥渆stablish and maintain an artistic company or companies for the performance of dance: folk, ballet, classical, modern, as any forms, variations or development thereof; 鈥� [and] to serve as the venue for the dance development apperception programs and projects of the Cultural Center of the Philippines,鈥� according to the company鈥檚 Articles of Incorporation filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 17.

Sitting on ARDP鈥檚 board are: Christopher R. Upton, president of John Robert Powers International and Ms. Reyes鈥檚 son; Liliane 鈥淭ats鈥� Rejante Manahan, a restoration expert who also chairs the Heritage Conservation Society; Gregory H. Banzon, chief operating officer and executive vice-president of Century Pacific Food, Inc.; Ricky Toledo, co-founder of design and fashion boutique AC+632; and Cristina S. Keppler, an arts-and-culture patron.

Ms. Reyes declined to be interviewed for this story.

PHOENIX RISING?
It is unclear whether ARDP will be a resident company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), although its informal predecessor 鈥� a group of dancers who were retrenched over the pandemic and subsequently mentored by Ms. Reyes 鈥� has already been working with the CCP to mount shows and conduct regional workshops through the CCP鈥檚 Professional Artists Support Program (PASP), an initiative formerly known as backed by CCP Chair Margarita 鈥淢argie鈥� Moran Floirendo and CCP President and National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Chair Arsenio 鈥淣ick鈥� Lizaso.

The CCP has four resident dance companies:

鈥� , founded in 1969 by Ms. Reyes 鈥渢o successfully synthesize diverse dance and movement forms鈥� (its status as a resident company is on hold until the legal issue between the board and CCP is resolved);

鈥� , founded in 1956 鈥渢o research on and preserve indigenous Philippine art forms in music, dance, costumes and folklore鈥�;

鈥� The , founded in 1972 for the 鈥減reservation and perpetuation Philippine traditions with special emphasis on music and dance鈥�;

鈥� And, (PBT), founded in 1987 鈥渁s the pre-eminent classical ballet company in the Philippines.鈥�

鈥淭o be a resident company of the CCP means that you are the flagship company in relation to excellence in artistic production. You are the flagship in terms of developing original Filipino work in your area,鈥� said Chris B. Millado, then CCP artistic director and vice-president, in a previous interview with 大象传媒.

With BP鈥檚 relationship with the CCP on shaky ground, its alumni thinking twice about having its new Russian artistic director stage their masterpieces, and its founder calling it 鈥淏allet Russe鈥� in scathing rebuke, the question is: how long can the company hold on to its reputation as the 鈥渓eading professional classical and contemporary dance institution.鈥�

And while ARDP is 鈥渘ew,鈥� it will be composed of familiar faces. Ronelson P. Yadao, who was passed over as artistic director at BP despite Ms. Reyes鈥� recommendation, will serve in that capacity at ARDP. Forming the corps are dancers who used to be with BP, PBT, Ballet Manila, and Steps Dance Center. And behind all of them: Ms. Reyes herself.

ARDP will make its grand entrance with Pulso Filipinas, with regional dance students performing with the artists of the CCP PASP, which is slated for late September at the CCP鈥檚 Main Theater; and Alay nina Alice at Agnes (tentatively scheduled this September), a program that celebrates the work of two National Artists for Dance: Ms. Reyes and Agnes D. Locsin, a pioneering neoethnic choreographer who was conferred the title this June and who previously said that the BP board was 鈥渄estroying the name [of Ballet Philippines].鈥�

鈥淚f BP collapses, let it. And then let it rise like the phoenix,鈥� she said in the vernacular in a previous interview with 大象传媒. 鈥� with Mark T. Amoguis

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By Sam L. Marcelo, Multimedia Editor

THE ACRIMONIOUS relationship between the board of Ballet Philippines (BP) and the company鈥檚 founder, National Artist for Dance Alice G. Reyes, has turned litigious, prompting choreographers to copyright their creative work to prevent BP from claiming ownership of their dances.

Ms. Reyes, who was named a Gawad Yamang Isip Awardee by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) on June 6, has been helping dance artists protect their work. Her crusade picked up steam after one of her pieces became the subject of a cease-and-desist letter sent by BP.

鈥淔ilipino artists just want respect,鈥� said Ms. Reyes, in a conversation with 大象传媒. 鈥淩oyalties would be nice but, really, we just want respect.鈥�

Until the dispute is settled, BP鈥檚 status as a resident company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) is 鈥渙n hold,鈥� said Chris B. Millado, outgoing CCP vice-president and artistic director, via Zoom on June 8.

Mr. Millado, whose last official day with the CCP is on June 15, added that BP鈥檚 privileges, such as subsidies from the CCP and the use of its venues, have been under evaluation since the beginning of 2022.

The ballet company launched its 53^rd season in Gallery by Chele in Taguig City this May with the theme 鈥�

鈥淏allet Philippines is going somewhere where no one has danced before. 鈥� It does not just pertain to destination or location. We鈥檙e talking about the new mindset and that is collaborations with like-minded people and institutions,鈥� said BP President Kathleen 鈥淢aymay鈥� L. Liechtenstein, in a delivered at the event.

鈥楽TAKING A CLAIM鈥�
On Oct. 16, 2021, two days after Ms. Reyes鈥檚 79^th birthday, BP wrote a cease-and-desist letter to Mr. Millado demanding that CCP stop broadcasting the dance Itim Asu 鈥� a work that Ms. Reyes choreographed in 1970 and remounted in 2020 as part of the show Alice and Friends.

(See 鈥溾�楾otal fail鈥�: How communication breakdown broke Ballet Philippines鈥� leg鈥�)

鈥淏P has intellectual property rights to the ballet work as it was created for BP,鈥� stated the letter signed by Ms. Liechtenstein.

The letter also reiterated that BP 鈥渄oes not give consent to CCP to stream in CCP鈥檚 virtual platforms鈥� five productions that were mounted by, or choreographed in whole or in part by Ms. Reyes.

Aside from the aforementioned Itim Asu, and Alice and Friends, BP named three shows that were produced during Ms. Reyes鈥檚 return as BP artistic director from 2017 to 2020: A Gala Celebration (2017), The Exemplars (2017), and Tales of the Manuvu (2019).

To wit: BP, a resident company of the CCP, sent a cease-and-desist letter to the CCP over Itim Asu, a dance that BP founder Ms. Reyes:

• choreographed in 1970, at the behest of the League of the Filipino Composers and the CCP, and
• remounted in 2020 with the help of a CCP grant.

鈥淵ou own it from the moment you create it,鈥� said Ms. Reyes, referring to a choreographer鈥檚 rights to a piece 鈥� in this case, Itim Asu, which is based on Virginia R. Moreno鈥檚 award-winning play The Onyx Wolf (also known as La Loba Negra). 鈥淚n fact, I have the copyright.鈥�

Ms. Reyes is quoting the , which 鈥済rants authors, artists, and other creators, automatic protection for their literary and artistic creations, from the moment they create it.鈥�

WHO OWNS WHAT?
While BP got several important details wrong in its demand (such as when Ms. Reyes created Itim Asu and for whom), the unresolved issue between BP and the coalition of CCP and Ms. Reyes raises larger questions: Who owns a dance and who should profit from it?

It鈥檚 complicated.

If Ms. Reyes wishes to mount a new production of Itim Asu 鈥� with a different look and feel 鈥� she can. And it is also Ms. Reyes who has the power to decide who gets to restage Itim Asu.

As summarized by Mr. Millado, while Ms. Reyes owns the rights to the choreography of Itim Asu 鈥� the dance itself 鈥� she does not own the rights to the sets, the costumes, and the lighting design of the 1970 production; or the music of .

If she wants a faithful restaging of the 1970 original, she will have to get permission from her artistic collaborators or their estates since the production鈥檚 different parts are owned by different people. And the entire production itself is owned by its producer. (Ms. Reyes got the required permissions for her 2020 restaging. Ms. Moreno was sitting in the audience, as was painter Jaime De Guzman, who designed the sets.)

Neither does Ms. Reyes own the digital file of the 2020 performance that was streamed, or the storage medium (which might be a USB stick, a flash memory card, a CD, or a VHS tape) that it was recorded on 鈥� the CCP owns those.

If she wants to upload and stream CCP鈥檚 2020 recording on her own platforms, she will have to ask permission from the CCP.

The CCP, on the other hand, will also have to get permission from the artists and companies involved if they want to stream recordings of live performances (which it did). If the CCP decides to charge people for viewing the streamed works, then artists can ask for royalties.

And if the CCP (or BP) wants to restage Ms. Reyes鈥� work, they will have to get her permission as well.

Complicating matters: there was no intellectual property system in the Philippines in the 1970s 鈥� IPOPHL just celebrated its 25^th anniversary on June 6 (hence Ms. Reyes鈥檚 award) 鈥� and contracts then didn鈥檛 account for, say, YouTube and other streaming services.

Goodwill was the grease that kept artistic projects going (spoiler: it still is).

鈥淣o copyright rules existed during that time, no written contracts covered ownership,鈥� said CCP鈥檚 Mr. Millado. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all retroactive 鈥� what鈥檚 happening now 鈥� and people are staking a claim.鈥�

The pandemic, which forced the creative sector to pivot online when restrictions shuttered live performances, highlighted how recordings 鈥� previously thought of as archival material 鈥� can be monetized.

According to Mr. Millado, there are several compensation models depending on the circumstances of the broadcast. If a show is uploaded and distributed for free to the public on a specific platform for a limited period of time, the CCP informs artists and offers a token fee, which is often waived.

If the CCP charges audiences for streaming a show, then it might offer its creator a one-time royalty of 15% of their original fee for mounting the production; or pay a minimum amount, with the promise of a percentage of the profit, assuming the show earns.

鈥淚t鈥檚 more work for arts managers but that鈥檚 how you make the sector sustainable. That鈥檚 where you enter into 鈥榗reative industry,鈥欌�� he said.

鈥淭hey [artists] see that there is an economic opportunity in asserting their moral rights to their intellectual property,鈥� added Mr. Millado. 鈥淧erforming artists and choreographers are still quite ambiguous about their rights, that鈥檚 why they are usually at the mercy of the 鈥榩roducers.鈥� 鈥� They need to know what they own, how to protect it, and how they can earn from it.鈥�

Commenting on Ms. Reyes鈥� Itim Asu, the CCP artistic director said: 鈥淚f there are no written contracts that say that a company owns a commissioned work or that the artist gives up moral and economic rights to a certain piece, then what prevails is the intellectual property rights law, which is that the work is the ownership of the original creator.鈥�

According to the , 鈥渞egistration and deposit of works isn鈥檛 necessary but authors and artists may opt to file for the copyright registration of their work with IPOPHL for the issuance of the appropriate certificate of copyright registration.鈥�

This is a gross oversimplification of a thorny issue that is still with the CCP鈥檚 legal department and other agencies. It is also for this reason that IPOPHL cannot comment on the cease-and-desist letter.

BP did not reply to multiple requests for comment.

A BREAKUP IN THREE ACTS (AND COUNTING)

Act 1.

Cracks first began to show when the BP board passed over Ms. Reyes鈥� recommendations for her successor and instead appointed Mikhail 鈥淢isha鈥� Martynyuk, a dancer of The Kremlin Ballet in Russia, as artistic director of the dance company in February 2020. (See: 鈥�The Russians are coming, the Russians are coming鈥�)

Act 2.

Over the pandemic, the rift widened: vocal 鈥減ro-Alice鈥� BP dancers, some with careers spanning more than a decade, were frozen out of work.

Ms. Reyes took in these displaced BP dancers, along with retrenched professionals from other dance companies, and formed a group that, through several lockdowns, conducted online classes, , and with support from the CCP.

Ms. Reyes mentors a corps of 18 dancers; .

Act 3.

The tussle over intellectual property rights escalates the schism between the BP board and Ms. Reyes, taking a disagreement over artistry, tradition, and legacy into legal territory with accompanying financial ramifications.

鈥淚t鈥檚 our right as choreographers to protect our pieces and be given due credit for the hard work we put into creating them,鈥� said Monica A. Gana, a former BP soloist and dancer-choreographer now under Ms. Reyes鈥� wing.

With Itim Asu turning into a cautionary tale, Ms. Gana and young choreographers like her decided to take control of their pieces, some of which were created and staged under the auspices of BP.

From 2021 to present, the Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights has issued 21 certificates of . Out of this number, four fall under 鈥渃horeography.鈥�

In a June 12 e-mail to 大象传媒, Ms. Gana continued: 鈥淚 felt relieved that I had an official document saying that I, as the choreographer, have the right to decide who can dance it [my piece] and where it can be danced.鈥�

LOST TREASURE, SWALLOWED PRIDE
As word of Ms. Liechtenstein鈥檚 demands made the rounds in the dance community, artists were dismayed but not surprised at the BP board鈥檚 actions.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think they realize that choreography is a skill,鈥� said Agnes D. Locsin, a pioneering neoethnic choreographer, via Zoom on June 5. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e destroying the name [of Ballet Philippines]. 鈥� I鈥檓 waiting for them to collapse. It鈥檚 just money that鈥檚 keeping them alive.鈥�

Named a National Artist for Dance on June 10, Ms. Locsin has been copyrighting her work since 1988.

On June 13, the BP board congratulated Ms. Locsin on its platforms, saying: 鈥淪ome of Agnes鈥� greatest and most influential works were created with Ballet Philippines.鈥�

The 鈥渃urrent BP鈥� 鈥� as Ms. Locsin calls the company under Ms. Liechtenstein 鈥� might find that showcasing the work of the newly minted National Artist a less collegial affair than it used to be.

With the 鈥渙ld BP,鈥� restaging requests would be met with a nonchalant 鈥測eah, sure,鈥� from Ms. Locsin, a former artistic director and resident choreographer of BP.

A request from Ms. Reyes herself is even weightier: 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 say no,鈥� said Ms. Locsin, trying to explain how esteemed the BP founder is by generations of dancers.

And while she is still open to working with the current BP, Ms. Locsin won鈥檛 be as accommodating: 鈥淔or professional reasons, I feel like I will need to say 鈥榶es,鈥欌�� she replied. 鈥淗owever there will definitely be conditions that they will have to meet 鈥� which I am sure they will have difficulty meeting.鈥�

Ms. Locsin trusts only three dancers with the restaging of her work. After performing her pieces hundreds of times, their bodies remember the jagged angles of Ms. Locsin鈥檚 choreography.

鈥淢y restagers can explain dance the way I explained it to them,鈥� she said.

This, in a nutshell, illustrates 鈥渢he distinct difference between the preservation of dance and other artistic media鈥� as the put it: 鈥渃horeography often depends on an oral tradition to uphold its integrity through style, motivation and content.鈥�

Ms. Locsin no longer sees the current BP as part of the oral tradition that she is steeped in, in part because of the way it treated Ms. Reyes.

鈥淭hey have no knowledge of dance in the Philippines if they don鈥檛 value Alice Reyes,鈥� said Ms. Locsin. 鈥淓ven if you remove the title National Artist 鈥� this is Alice Reyes, the founder of Ballet Philippines.鈥�

Ms. Reyes, in a Viber message to 大象传媒 on June 7, went as far as to call BP, the dance company that has been tied to her name since 1969, 鈥淏allet Russe鈥�: 鈥淏allet Russe has lost a , blindly insisting that it鈥檚 theirs 鈥� unless they can swallow their pride, ask permission to stage, pay a teeny royalty.鈥�

By sending the cease-and-desist letter, BP has traded its crown jewels 鈥� its vast repertoire of modern and contemporary Filipino pieces 鈥� for a gaggle of swans.

Q: Who owns a piece of creative work and what are some of the misconceptions about intellectual property?

A: The creator or the author is generally considered the owner of the copyright.

Note, however, that ownership of the copyright is different from ownership of the object of copyright (the actual work itself).

This follows from the legal principle that copyright is distinct from the object of copyright. This means that a person may own an object that is subject of copyright but is not the owner of the copyright thereof. Example: one may own a copy of a book but this does not mean that the owner of the copy of the book also owns the copyright of the book.

Generally, it is the author or creator of a work who owns both the actual work and the copyright over it from the moment of creation.

However, there are certain cases wherein both may be owned by another. For example, when a work is created by an employee during and in the course of employment, it is the employer who owns both the work and the copyright, if the work was the result of the employee鈥檚 regularly assigned duties, unless there is an express or implied agreement to the contrary.

There may also be instances where the copyright is owned by the author/creator while the actual work is owned by another. For example, the copyright over the contents of a letter is owned by the writer while the actual letter itself is owned by the person to whom it is addressed.

Q: How does the Philippines compare to other countries when it comes to artists鈥� rights over their work?

A: The Philippines is at par 鈥� if not better 鈥� than most jurisdictions when it comes to the legal framework for artists鈥� protection over their work. Artists鈥� copyrights are laid down in the Intellectual Property Code (IP Code). It grants both exclusive rights and moral rights to creators of works. It even grants protections to holders of related rights, i.e., performers, sound record producers and broadcasters. The rights granted by the IP Code are in accordance with international treaties and conventions, most of which the Philippines is a contracting party to.

Q: What are the unique considerations for dance/choreography that set it apart from other works of art that can be copyrighted?

A: The choreography is what is protected.

Traditionally, dance is protected when it is written (鈥渇ixed鈥�) in the form of ballet notation.

Nowadays, it is common for the copyright of a choreographic work to be registered by means of capturing it in an audiovisual work or fixed by recording it.

In this case, the audiovisual work is not the main work but only the means of capturing the choreography in a tangible medium for purposes of depositing it since copyright registration requires the deposit of copies of the copyrighted work for archival purposes. i.e., at least in the Philippines, there is no explicit requirement (silent) for a choreography to be fixed; but it needs to be fixed in case the choreographer wants it to be registered.

The silence may have been caused by the dropping of the requirement of fixing choreography in the Stockholm Amendment of the Berne Convention.

Additionally, for dance, like music, choreography can be reduced to writing as in the Benesh Movement Notation or Labanotation wherein a choreographer can document his or her creative work in a fixed and tangible medium through the method of recording bodily movements.

This is described as a system for analyzing and recording human movement. The inventor of Labanotation was Rudolf von Laban. He was known to be the central figure in European modern dance and developed his notation ideas on movement in the 1920s.

Q: Could Michael Jackson have copyrighted the moonwalk?

A: No. The moonwalk is only a dance move, not a choreography. Being merely an individual move, it is not copyrightable.

While the moonwalk is closely associated and popularized by Michael Jackson, it is considered as a social dance step or simple routine because according to the US Patent Office, the elements of a copyrightable dance work includes 鈥渞hythmic movements of one or more dancers鈥� bodies in a defined sequence and a defined spatial environment, such as a stage; a series of dance movements or patterns organized into an integrated, coherent, and expressive compositional whole; a story, theme, or abstract composition conveyed through movement; a presentation before an audience; a performance by skilled individuals; and musical or textual accompaniment.鈥�

However, MJ does hold a patent for the shoes that allowed him to perform his famous 鈥渁nti-gravity lean鈥� move as seen in the music video of 鈥淪mooth Criminal.鈥� See here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US5255452A/en 鈥� Sam L. Marcelo

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Reagan, a recovering gambling addict who has been sober for 11 years, has been jailed, institutionalized, kidnapped, and held at gunpoint.听

In this B-Side episode, he tells听大象传媒听reporter Patricia B. Mirasol about addiction, support systems, and the lifelong journey to recovery. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 say I鈥檓 cured because every day is a struggle. Every day I can relapse,鈥� he said. 鈥淏y saying I鈥檓 a recovering addict, there鈥檚 a humility. That鈥檚 step one: to admit that we are powerless over gambling and that our lives have become unmanageable.鈥�

TAKEAWAYS

‘One bet is too many. A thousand bets are too few.’听

鈥淣othing can beat that first high鈥攜ou鈥檙e going to constantly chase that first high,鈥� said Reagan. 鈥淚 got caught in the thrill of the chase. The more I lost, the stronger my motivation to play again.鈥澨�

Reagan started gambling on an incentive trip to Las Vegas when he was 23. His initial bet of $1 won him $18,000.听

Gambling addiction refers to the compulsive urge to gamble. It is categorized as a substance-related and addictive disorder in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5)鈥�.听

Gambling is not a 鈥榣esser鈥� addiction. It is driven by emotion rather than finances.

Gambling addicts believe that they are better than other addicts, such as those who are hooked on narcotics, because no manifestation of the addiction exists on their bodies.听

Time in rehabilitation, however, dispelled that notion for Reagan.听

鈥淚n reality, I was much worse,鈥� he told听大象传媒. 鈥淚 was creating my own addiction juice. I didn鈥檛 even need a substance to create this addiction,鈥� he said in the vernacular. 鈥淚 was worse than those other types of addicts, because the addiction was in me.鈥澨�

Reagan said faith, family, and the 12-step program helped him learn more about himself.听

Created by Alcoholics Anonymous, 12-step programs are peer support groups that help people recover from substance use disorders, behavioral addictions, and mental health conditions.听

The correct term is 鈥榬ecovering addict,鈥� and not 鈥渞ecovered addict.鈥�听

Recovering听is the correct word when referring to an addict on his/her way to recovery, and not听recovered. The distinction evokes humility, Reagan said. It also implies that the journey is ongoing, and that tomorrow ushers in a new day.听

鈥淚 can鈥檛 say I鈥檓 cured because every day is a struggle. Every day I can relapse,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 [actually] a joke for us to say, 鈥業鈥檓 recovered. I鈥檓 cured.鈥欌�澨�

Anti-gambling campaigns shouldn’t proselytize or agitate.听听

Reagan pointed to a Facebook meme that showed a gambler who exchanged his four-wheel drive for a tricycle as a result of his addiction. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a reality,鈥� he said, adding that that non-combative humor is better received than preachy warnings.

Awareness campaigns are more effective when they reach their audience before the act of betting, he continued. 鈥淏ecause the moment they start betting,听tapos na 鈥檡un听[that鈥檚 it]. They can recover afterwards, when they already feel lost.鈥澨�

Reagan advised those who feel they are struggling against these urges to search online for specific hashtags such as #gamblingsolution or #gamblingfellowship as there are anonymous groups that can help with gambling recovery in the Philippines.

Recorded remotely in May 2022. Produced by Earl R. Lagundino, and Sam L. Marcelo.

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Creating a compassionate workplace starts at the top. In this B-Side听episode, Vidya Srinivasan, vice president for Procter and Gamble鈥檚 Manila Global Business Services and Global External Reporting, explains to听大象传媒听reporter Patricia B. Mirasol how the multinational corporation embraces diversity and inclusion.

TAKEAWAYS

Leadership sets the tone.听

It鈥檚 the leadership that determines how compassionate and empathetic听a workplace is.

鈥淭he leadership sets the tone… The tone at the top will tremendously help push programs,鈥� said Ms. Srinivasan.

To foster an inclusive and supportive atmosphere, P&G has affinity networks 鈥� which connect employees based on similar interests or diversity aspects 鈥� such as GABLE (which stands for Gay, Ally, Bisexual, Lesbian, and Transgender Employees).

Its 鈥淪hare the Care鈥� policy, meanwhile, grants new parents at least eight weeks of fully paid leave (compared to the seven days of paternal leave mandated in the Philippines).

These efforts would be difficult to implement without the support of P&G鈥檚 top brass.

Mentors pave the way for future leaders.听

To grow, employees should seek out mentors as Ms. Srinivasan did.听 Mentorship need not have a formal structure,听 she added.

鈥淵ou can tap someone鈥檚 shoulder and ask, 鈥楥an you be my mentor?鈥� Informal networking also helps a lot.鈥�

Compassion is quantifiable through feedback.听

To gauge if its programs and policies are working, P&G conducts annual surveys.

鈥淔eedback 鈥� defines the action plan,鈥� said Ms. Srinivasan.

These surveys helped P&G 鈥渨alk the talk鈥� in closing the gender ratio gap which led to P&G being named Champion for the Gender Inclusive Workplace category in the 2021 UNWEP (United Nation’s Women鈥檚 Empowerment Principles) Awards.听听of 53% female and 47% male. In the senior management levels, the numbers are 54% female, 46% male.

Work-life balance solutions have to be flexible.

The aforementioned 鈥淪hare the Care鈥� policy also allows for flexibility: a parent chooses how to spend those eight weeks of parental leave 鈥� whether in a single go, or spread out 鈥� depending on their situation.

鈥淸Flexibility] empowers our employees to be in the driver鈥檚 seat and drive balance in their lives,鈥� said Ms. Srinivasan.

Situational mentoring sessions also acknowledge that each employee is unique.

To address traditional biases, include men in the conversation.听

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 have this journey with only half the people,鈥� Ms.听Srinivasan听pointed out.

P&G was able to turn their male employees into allies by facilitating workshop sessions, which turned into dialogues, and, eventually, action plans.

鈥淭here were many a-ha moments, as everyone started seeing from a different set of eyes,鈥� Ms. Srinivasan said. 鈥淎cknowledgement is the first step.鈥�

Recorded remotely in March 2022. Produced by Earl R. Lagundino and Sam L. Marcelo.

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The social media hive mind is as fast as it is vicious. Say or do something triggering and you could find yourself going viral and getting canceled.听

鈥淭he common definition of cancel culture is that it鈥檚 a form of public shaming. Sociologically, it鈥檚 society鈥檚 way of regulating itself. When we cancel somebody, you鈥檙e making a moral judgment,鈥� says Nicole C. Curato, a Professor of Political Sociology at Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance at the University of Canberra. 鈥淭he key to understanding cancel culture is that there鈥檚 an element of unmet expectation.鈥�

In this听B-Side听episode, Ms. Curato tells former听大象传媒听reporter Marielle C. Lucenio what it means to get canceled and whether businesses should risk taking a political stand knowing that they could face backlash.

Nina Ellaine Dizon-Cabrera, founder and chief executive officer of Colourette Cosmetics, also shares what it was like when Twitter tried to cancel her in November 2020, after she used the hashtag #NasaanAngPangulo.

Recorded remotely in February 2022. Produced by and Sam L. Marcelo.

Vote buying is prohibited under the Omnibus Election Code, with penalties of imprisonment for one to six years, disqualification to hold public office, and forfeiture of one鈥檚 right to vote if found guilty.

And yet, vote buying still happens.

In this听B-Side听episode, Froilan C. Calilung, a political science professor at the University of Santo Tomas, talks about the legalities and loopholes that have allowed vote buying to become part of the Philippine political system, with structures built by those with power and money. 鈥淲e could simply say that poverty is one of the contentious issues why we have vote buying, and why it is still very much prevalent in our society nowadays,鈥� he tells听大象传媒听reporter Alyssa Nicole O. Tan. 鈥淢any Filipinos actually see election time as a frivolous event 鈥� more like a carnival of sorts, if I may say.鈥�

TAKEAWAYS

Utang na loob听(debt of gratitude) has a dark side.

Many voters will come from the C, D, and E margins which include the lower middle class, working class, and the poor, making them susceptible to the pressure of accepting bribes in exchange for votes.听

There are two schools of thought when it comes to vote buying, said Mr. Calilung: 鈥淥ne of which says that you vote according to your conscience which means鈥� you don鈥檛 accept the money at all,鈥� he explained, 鈥渁nd the other one is relevant to the idea of accepting the money but not voting for the candidates.鈥�

He added that vote buying doesn鈥檛 even have to involve money; it can come in the form of canned goods, job placements, leisure opportunities, or whatever gains the candidate any sort of favor 鈥� this, in turn, leads to 鈥�utang na loob,鈥� or a feeling of indebtedness.

Vote buying shouldn鈥檛 be 鈥榗ondoned, normalized, or romanticized鈥� no matter how widespread it is.

People have learned how to rationalize vote buying. 鈥淭he premise and the belief that this money is ours, this is taxpayer鈥檚 money that these politicians get, and they鈥檙e just trying to give it back to us,鈥� said Mr. Calilung.听

Even better: when a preferred candidate buys a vote that was already theirs. 鈥淭hey are hitting two birds with one stone.鈥�

However, Mr. Calilung said vote buying must not be condoned, normalized, or romanticized even if the Commission on Elections is unable to prevent it.听

If you can鈥檛 reform politicians, reform the populace instead.

Appealing to the collective conscience to 鈥渄o the right thing,鈥� might work, said Mr. Calilung, who pointed to non-government organizations and the church as possible messengers.

Eliminating vote buying, he added, will 鈥渙pen the floodgates for more honest, competent, and highly qualified political aspirants to join the fray.鈥澨�

鈥淚 think it all boils down to the kind of moral fiber that we have,鈥� Mr. Calilung said, but this reasoning only works for the privileged.听鈥淧overty is still going to play a big role in the elections, and it will factor in the decision to accept money from the candidates.鈥�

Recorded remotely in December 2021. Produced by Bront毛 H. Lacsamana, Jino D. Nicolas, and Sam L. Marcelo.

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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听大象传媒听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听大象传媒听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听大象传媒听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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