He also encouraged parents to get their children vaccinated as the government had approved the vaccination of kids aged 5 to 11.
MANILA — “I’m warning you. Don’t be complacent. If you die, and you’re not vaccinated, I will tell you: Good riddance,’” President Rodrigo Duterte, speaking in a mix of English and Filipino, said in his weekly taped address, “Talk to the People,” that aired late on Monday.
He addressed the warning to those who refuse to get vaccinated as he stressed the Philippines was not yet “over the hump” in its battle against COVID-19.
“If you don’t want it [vaccination], you want to die. OK then. Walk around, and if you get contaminated, you will feel very, very sorry for yourself and your family,” Duterte added.
He encouraged parents to get their children vaccinated as the government had approved the vaccination of kids aged 5 to 11.
The government is set to hold another national vaccination drive on Feb. 10 and 11, this one for at least six million individuals, including children aged 5 to 11 years.
High-end saltwater fish raised in landlocked Shiga Prefecture could soon be making a splash on dinner tables across the country.
TOKYO – A company in Kusatsu, which has developed a unique water purification system, has succeeded in raising saltwater fish without the need for frequent water changes. Fish raised in the aquaculture system do not run the risk of becoming contaminated with poisons or infected with parasites from the sea, unlike their ocean-dwelling counterparts, and have been attracting inquiries from establishments nationwide.
Aqua Stage, the company promoting aquaculture, was established in 2018 by Willstage, which has previously purified the water for the Imperial Palace’s outer moat as well as the pond at Byodoin Temple, a World Heritage Site in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture.
Since 2019, the company has been cultivating thousands of fish such as tiger pufferfish, eels, and flatfish in tanks set up in plastic greenhouses in the mountains of Otsu and Koka cities. Initially, the company planned to start shipping the fish to hotels and restaurants in 2020, but plummeting demand amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus prompted the company to pursue alternative options. Currently, Aqua Stage is only shipping their fish to shareholder restaurants on a trial basis and is aiming to cultivate more in-demand species.
As part of their pivot, the company last spring filled 15 water tanks each measuring 4.5 meters long, 2.2 meters wide, and 85 centimetres high with artificial seawater in a classroom at a former Koka elementary school building, and started cultivating thread-sail filefish for the first time in addition to tiger pufferfish.
According to Aqua Stage, natural tiger pufferfish eat shellfish and algae in the sea, which results in the accumulation of poisonous substances in their bodies. With their cultivation method, however, fish do not amass such poisons. They also said parasite infections do not occur with their system as water quality is controlled with artificial seawater.
In response to these efforts, they have received dozens of inquiries from companies, local governments and fishing cooperatives across the country asking about business tie-up opportunities.
In December last year, local residents were invited to a fish farm in Koka, where they were shown saltwater specimens that included 50-centimeter long flatfish, tiger pufferfish about 30 centimetres long, and freshly hatched thread-sail filefish swimming gracefully in a tank.
“In the future, we would like to try our hand at [raising] sea urchins, hamaguri clams and other fish,” Hiroshi Otani, 54, president of the company, said. “While we are being driven into a corner by the pandemic, we are now in an era where food safety is more important than ever, so I want to carefully assess the situation and make the most of the value of fish and technology.”
Unlike aquaculture conducted on the surface of the sea, which can be difficult for newcomers to enter because of fishing rights regulations, the business of cultivating marine products on land has many advantages, such as not being affected by red tides and other aspects of the ocean’s natural environment.
As a result, land-based methods of raising saltwater fish have been spreading throughout the country with the participation of companies across a wide range of industries.
President Rodrigo Duterte has already started packing his stuff so he could leave Malacanang Palace early, with his term ending in four months.
MANILA — “I’m already packing my stuff. So I should be out by March. I will no longer wait until April. I won’t sleep here either,” he said, speaking in a mix of English and Filipino, during his taped weekly “Talk to the People” briefing that aired late on Monday.
“Wherever the Lord God takes me, I’ll start practising to sleep there. I’ll just come here for the day-to-day work — what’s left of things we have to work on,” he added.
According to Duterte, he plans to buy a small condo as he has no place to stay in Metro Manila, except Malacañang.
“Once I leave this, I will have no place to live. I don’t have cousins because all of them are in America. S o I don’t have a house here,” he said.
“Once I get out, I told my wife where I will go. I said: ‘Buy a small condo where I can hang out whenever I’m here in Manila — even if has only two bedrooms,” he added.
Duterte then said that he will wait for the day of the turnover or the Presidential Inauguration to invite the new President “for a talk at least, or tea.”
He then announced that he would soon give a speech to thank those who elected him president.
Duterte’s term started on June 30, 2016, following his inauguration as the 16th president of the Philippines, succeeding the late Benigno Aquino III. His term will end exactly six years later.
South Korea and Britain have agreed to launch talks this year to upgrade their free trade deal in a move to deepen ties in digital trade and other new issues, Seoul’s trade ministry said Tuesday.
The agreement was made during an initial meeting of the South Korea-Britain free trade agreement (FTA) committee in London on Monday.
The meeting was attended by South Korea’s Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo and Britain’s Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
The two nations clinched the FTA in August 2019 in the wake of Britain’s departure from the European Union, and the pact went into effect in January 2021 following Britain’s departure from the European Union.
During the talks, the two sides agreed to set up a director-level consultative body to discuss their push for talks on the potential revision of the FTA, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
The upgrade is expected to seek deeper bilateral cooperation on digital trade, supply chain, and carbon neutrality.
Minister Yeo proposed beefing up rules on their online transactions, as well as the creation of an investment chapter so as to promote bilateral investment and to better protect investors, according to the ministry.
One year after the pact, their trade volume came to $11.8 billion, up 32.6 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to government data.
The two ministers also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) meant to boost ties on supply chains of key materials.
The MOU calls for holding both senior-level and working-level talks on a regular basis to exchange policy measures and information regarding supply chain issues and to promote two-way investment and trade, the ministry said.
Yeo is in London for a two-day stay from Monday as part of his two-nation trip, which will later take him to Geneva. (Yonhap)
The paltry wages paid to many workers in Laos is the main reason why numerous skilled workers continue to seek jobs in neighbouring countries, according to Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Mr Phongxaysack Intharat.
Many factories and companies in Laos have vacancies but few people are interested in working for such low pay, he added.
The matter was discussed at a recent meeting to discuss the return of skilled Lao workers to Thailand after they came back to Laos when the Covid pandemic struck. Mr Phongxaysack said these workers had received assistance from the government in finding new employment in Laos but chose to return to Thailand because they could earn more money there.
Other workers in Laos need to improve their skills so they are qualified to meet the needs of employers in Laos and other countries, he added.
Even though job skills have improved to some extent and more people have gained experience in a trade, most are still unacceptable to employers in Laos.
One of the problems is that even if people have acquired skills, they are still paid the minimum wage at the same rate as unskilled workers because many factories and companies cling to the idea that all Lao workers are unskilled, Mr Phongxaysack said.
The meeting discussed these issues as well as dialogue security in relation to higher wages and the need for an increase in the minimum wage in response to improvements in the quality of labour.
Last year, many skilled workers in Laos found jobs in other Asean countries and Japan, in small and medium enterprises, agriculture, and other fields, with jobs arranged through employment agencies. The demand for skilled labour in Laos and internationally continues to grow.
Lao workers are currently employed in Thailand, South Korea and Japan, and other countries.
More factory managers and company representatives are visiting the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to discuss the recruitment of skilled workers, according to the ministry’s Department of Labour Skill Development.
Mr Phongxaysack said the ministry organises the national Skills Competition every year and the high quality of vocational education and skills demonstrated reflects the abilities of Lao workers. The contest serves as a benchmark of the knowledge and skills of those chosen by their countries in a bid to win medals in skills competitions at the Asean and world levels.
Unfortunately, many of those who win the competition in Laos are unable to find work. Labour authorities are working with the private sector to improve and promote employment services and self-employment, strengthen workers’ protection, and enhance industrial relations.
Asimo, the humanoid robot developed by Honda Motor Co., will likely step back from the limelight around the end of March.
Asimo, which debuted in 2000, is able to perform sophisticated movements, such as dancing and jumping, and showcased Japan’s technological capabilities to the world.
Honda has decided to retire Asimo but plans to continue its robotics research.
The robot can currently be seen displaying its abilities every day at Honda’s head office in Minato Ward, Tokyo, and at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, also known as Miraikan, in Koto Ward, Tokyo. However, it was decided that Asimo would stop performing at Miraikan at the end of March, and Honda is considering ending Asimo’s appearances at the head office at around the same time. As a result, Asimo will no longer perform on a regular basis.
The robot has garnered quite a bit of attention because of its human-like movements and its cute appearance. The present model, which debuted in 2011, is able to make its own decisions, such as choosing which direction to walk to avoid bumping into people by anticipating the direction they are heading. Now, it can also jump on one foot and run at 9 kph.
Asimo has made appearances overseas as well, including ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange in 2002 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Honda’s listing on the NYSE and conducting an orchestra in the United States in 2008.
Honda has already halted the development of Asimo several years ago but is considering keeping the robot to use in an exhibit, as a mascot or for other such purposes. The company also intends to continue using Asimo to further research, such as developing more advanced robots.
More than 100,000 people have been displaced in Kayah State and southern Shan State, according to the figures released by Data For Myanmar on February 4.
Till January 16, there had been around 117,000 people displaced by fighting between the military and local resistance fighters, and they are now in urgent need of aid, Data For Myanmar quoted the report of Karenni Civil Society Network.
There are over 41,000 IDPs from Pekhon Township in southern Shan State and 68,265 from Demoso Township, 52,311 from Loikaw Township, 2,395 from Shadaw Township, 4,403 from Hpruso, 3,741 from Bawlakhe Township, 3,741 from Hpasawng Township and over 1,000 from Mese Township in Kayah State.
Those IDPs fleeing from Kayah State and Shan State’s township of Pekhon are taking refuge in some other townships of southern Shan State such as Taunggyi, Hsihseng, Pinlaung, Nyaungshwe, Kalaw, Yetsauk and Hopon, and they are in need of supplies, according to local charity organizations.
Hsihseng Township in PaO Self-Administered Zone alone has over 20,000 displaced people needing many supplies.
At the IDP camp in Pinlaung Township, volunteer teachers are teaching children. The camp also needs food and utensils.
“As days go by, donors may be exhausted and we will need food including rice and cooking oil and medicines. For their health, doctors come to the camps to take care free of charge,” said an official from an aid organization in Hsihseng Township.
The IDP camps in Taunggyi Township are being help by the IDP assistance committee and several other aid organizations.
MANILA, Philippines — National candidates will hit the hustings for the official start of the election campaign today, with the son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos leading pre-election surveys in the race for president as he seeks the revival of the family’s political brand.
Almost 36 years after the country broke free from his father’s regime, former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has been topping voter preference surveys, showing a likely landslide victory as a massive social media campaign cranks up support and — critics say — whitewashes the family’s history.
Vice President Leni Robredo is a distant second, ahead of Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, celebrated boxing champion and senator Manny Pacquiao, and former Philippine National Police chief and Sen. Panfilo Lacson.
Other candidates seeking the country’s highest elective post are labor leader Leody de Guzman, former presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, former Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, businessman Faisal Mangondato and cardiologist Jose Montemayor Jr. (See related stories on Pages A6 and A7.)
Marcos Jr., 64, has a formidable running mate in President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, who is also ahead of her rivals in the polls, including Robredo’s running mate, Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.
A victory for Marcos Jr. would mark the ultimate political comeback for his controversial family, which was chased into US exile in 1986 after his father’s humiliating ouster by a popular uprising that was then celebrated worldwide as “people power.”
Opponents seeking to block the return of the Marcoses to power have petitioned to have the son thrown out of the race over his conviction for failure to file income tax returns.
He has already beaten one of the challenges, but a key ruling on several disqualification cases has been delayed.
Double-digit lead
As survey front-runner so far, Marcos Jr. holds a double-digit lead, three months ahead of the May 9 general elections.
His push for the presidency has been aided by what political analysts say has been a decades-long effort to alter the public perception of his family.
Marcos Jr. has tried to defend his father’s rule by claiming economic growth, which economists and historians have disputed — citing the constant power failures during martial law and the diaspora of Filipino workers which began at that time, among other conditions.
Questions over the family’s ill-gotten wealth have become a source of irritation. Saying he would no longer “return to 35-year-old issues,” Marcos Jr. has snubbed a number of televised debates for assorted reasons.
Author and academic Richard Heydarian said, “What we are witnessing right now [in Marcos Jr.’s campaign] is nothing short of a counter-revolution.”
Unthinkable
While a comeback for the Marcoses is unthinkable for many Filipinos, over half of the country’s more than 60 million voters are 40 or under, and did not live through the Marcos regime.
Marcos Sr. and his wife Imelda, known for her vast collection of artwork, jewelry, and shoes, were accused of amassing more than $10 billion during their two decades in power.
According to Amnesty International, an estimated 70,000 were imprisoned, 34,000 were tortured and 3,240 were killed after Marcos imposed martial law in 1972.
More than 11,100 victims of human rights abuses were paid compensation using millions from Marcos Swiss bank accounts, part of the family’s ill-gotten wealth so far recovered by the government.
Marcos Jr. has questioned the Amnesty data and rejected long-standing narratives on his father’s rule.
“He had a very clear understanding of what needed to be done and how to do it, and that I think was his best quality as a leader,” Marcos Jr. said of his father in a YouTube interview that has been viewed 13 million times since it aired in September last year. “The problem we have now is we lack leadership,” he said.
Victor Manhit, an analyst with the Stratbase think tank, said: “He [Marcos Jr.] is doing very well because we have this pandemic of disinformation.”
“He has been dominating political discourse in social media,” Manhit added.
Volunteer-driven campaign
But for Raphie Respicio, 48, a tricycle driver and tour guide in the Marcos family’s bailiwick province of Ilocos Norte, no amount of criticism against Marcos Jr. will weaken his support.
“He has done plenty of things here… and he helped tricycle drivers earn a living through tourism,” Respicio said. “We are 100 percent for Bongbong.”
Robredo, 56, has once again become a rival of Marcos Jr. in an electoral contest.
Her volunteer-driven campaign has struck a chord in the public, but her mild-mannered personality is also seen as hurting her own appeal.
“We want a leader who is feisty,” said UP political science professor Jean Encinas Franco.
Still, Robredo’s presidential bid is “a feat in itself because it is the only thing that shows us that democracy is still alive in this country,” Franco said. “[Robredo] symbolizes dissent—by a woman, no less—against an authoritarian-type government.”
But Mr. Duterte’s leadership style—often likened to Marcos Sr.—may still be highly regarded by voters.
“This makes it very hard for [Robredo] to campaign, because people see her as the opposition,” observed Franco.
She said a huge challenge for Robredo is to discourage voters from believing in “quick fixes,” which explain “why Marcos is topping surveys.”
Robredo’s “rhetoric makes it very politically correct, pedantic, technocratic and people do not like that. People want simple answers but people fail to realize that to fully execute reforms, there are no simple answers,” Franco said.
As expected, personality will trump politics for many among the country’s estimated 65 million voters.
“This will be a campaign dominated by personalities and political dynasties, rather than a contest over policies or economic ideologies,” said Eurasia Group analyst Peter Mumford.
—REPORTS FROM AFP, REUTERS AND KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING
Devotion to your religion does not mean you should quit your passion for creativity. These hijab cosplayers breakthrough limitations without leaving their faith.
JAKARTA – Starting long before the pop-culture dominance of the Korean wave, Japanese anime and manga have captured the interests of young Indonesians since the ’90s. Childhood memories of most present-day adults are often related to Sunday morning anime, which shows how deeply rooted the Japanese 2D culture is in the country.
Various Japanese-related events like Blok M’s famous Ennichisai festival in South Jakarta are held in big cities, and one of the highlights of these events are the cosplayers — a culture that survives mainly through social media. For Lina Freya, a 28-year-old employee of a state-owned company from Jakarta, it all started for her at Gelar Jepang Universitas Indonesia.
Cosplay is short for “costume play”, a hobby where fans dress up to look like their favourite fictional characters. It began in Japan with mostly Japanese manga and anime characters before becoming popular globally.
Bring it on: Lina warns fellow hijab cosplayers to avoid crossdressing, using the hijab as a replacement for wigs and listening to negative comments from haters. (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Lina Freya) (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Lina Freya)
“I started cosplaying in 2013, and I started wearing a hijab in 2012,” Lina said. “That time [at Gelar Jepang Universitas Indonesia] I cosplayed Yukiko Amagi from Persona 4.”
Cosplayers have many ways to impersonate their favourite characters, like how to make their hair look exactly like an oversized standing crown. However, hijab cosplayers have a different challenge: letting the hijab serve its purpose while still dressing up as their favourite characters. This was one of Lina’s considerations when she started.
“I’d been interested in cosplay before but didn’t have the nerve to try it. At that time, I didn’t know how. I didn’t have any friends [with the same interests] either,” Lina explained. I thought that if you wear a hijab, you can’t do cosplay.”
One day, Lina saw someone cosplaying Hatsune Miku, a Vocaloid – an iconic mascot of Japanese company Crypton Future Media’s music software. The cosplayer wore a hijab while still nailing the perfect look of the moe (Japanese slang for cute) figure.
“I became invested. I asked fellow Japanese culture and anime lovers and tried to find suitable tailors online.”
Meanwhile, Ira Kuswara Putri, also known as Mirai, started cosplaying before she decided to start wearing the hijab in 2018. “I started cosplaying in 2015,” said Mirai. “After wearing the hijab, I felt the urge to cosplay again, but I still had doubts because I couldn’t remove my hijab just like that.”
She read an article about hijab cosplayers from Malaysia and started being a hijab cosplayer in early 2021.
Hobby: Ira, also known as Mirai, started cosplaying before she started wearing hijab. (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Ira Kuswara Putri) (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Ira Kuswara Putri)
Adapting and facing challenges
According to Angetri Tunggadewi Putri from Bandung, better known as Ange Minami among cosplay enthusiasts, it is best to pick a character whose look is easy to replicate overall.
“I usually choose the character to be cosplayed that is suitable for [the characteristics of my face]. So, every time I plan a cosplay, I determine whether this character matches my facial features,” said Ange, who makes similar considerations to the character’s costume.
“I usually pick what I like, and it is important that the original costume should not be very revealing [such as female Kamen Rider]. That way, it still looks good when I adjust it to suit my hijab and cover my aurat [intimate areas of the body that should be covered].”
Superhero costume: Ange tried to find characters that would suit her facial contours so she doesn’t have to do too much make up, such as this Captain Marvel get up. (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Ange Minami) (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Ange Minami)
Ad Diena Islamy Haq, a 20-year-old Semarang State University student, has a similar take. “Usually, I cosplay the characters I like. So before cosplaying, I study the characters, research their various costumes online, then I choose the most covert costume and make sure that there are no religious or ambiguous attributes, such as a cross or shapes resembling a cross,” said Diena.
Lina believes that a cosplayer does not have to look 100 per cent like the character they portray. Instead, she emphasized that the important thing is “to bring out the character’s distinctive personality traits”.
“What needs to be remembered is that it is enough to create a style from the unique characteristics,” she said, adding that hijab cosplayers should not treat hijab as a wig replacement.
“Take Hatsune Miku, for example. She has a distinctive blue hair colour with twin tails. You don’t need to use twin tails for your hijab, but just bring out the hair colour plus the costume, so people know who it is. You shouldn’t just copy hairstyles as they are. Then there’s Keqing from Genshin Impact, her hair has curls — there’s no need for the hijab to be similarly curled as well.”
Commitment and devotion
For Diena, the hijab is a unique selling point for cosplayers, but it is not very popular among Indonesians.
“Many appreciate it, but there are also many who give negative and non-constructive comments,” she pointed out several causes of that matter. “My parents also thought it was a little strange at first, but now it’s okay as long as I prioritize my study. My friends support me as well, and they’re happy that I can do what I like.”
Supportive family: Diena eventually earned support from her parents who initially thought the hobby was a little strange. (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Ad Diena Islamy Haq) (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Ad Diena Islamy Haq)
Ange shared that there had been various reactions surrounding the hijab cosplayers community, but she understands them as people can have their own views and preferences.
“Thanks to God, there are also many who support hijab cosplay communities, both at home and abroad. A community even made me a guest in several national events, even in Malaysia,” she said.
Lina, who considers adaptation the biggest challenge for hijab cosplayers to remain compliant with sharia, said she eventually learned to dismiss critics.
“There are also those who criticize that if you are already wearing a hijab, you should not cosplay because cosplayers should wear a wig to be more accurate with the original character. But keep in mind that if you don’t like it from the start, then no matter how good the cosplay is, the response will be negative,” Lina said.
Lina shared the story of a new hijab cosplayer who recently incited drama within the hijab cosplay communities by lashing out at negative comments on social media.
“She could’ve used the comments to improve her cosplay, to make it better instead. In the end, it affected the hijab cosplayer community as a whole. It’s sad, and it made me concerned,” she said. “Sometimes I think about how we can do our hobby while staying positive about it so that fellow cosplayers can express their creativity.”
HCM CITY— HCM City’s COVID-19 alert level remains at level 1 for a fifth week in a row, its People’s Committee announced.
All 21 districts and Thủ Đức City remain designated as green zones.
Green indicates low risk of COVID.
The other colours are yellow for medium risk, orange for high risk and red for very high risk.
Of the city’s 312 wards, communes and towns, only one is at level 2 (yellow), three down from last week.
Besides, for a second consecutive week the number of new COVID cases has been less than 1,000.
The city has administered at least one dose of a COVID vaccine to every resident aged 18 and over, and two shots to 94 per cent of people aged 50 and more.
The risk level is assessed based on three criteria: the number of new cases in the community, vaccine coverage and the ability to care for people with COVID-19 in the community. VNS
Bring it on: Lina warns fellow hijab cosplayers to avoid crossdressing, using the hijab as a replacement for wigs and listening to negative comments from haters. (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Lina Freya) (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Lina Freya)
Hobby: Ira, also known as Mirai, started cosplaying before she started wearing hijab. (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Ira Kuswara Putri) (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Ira Kuswara Putri)
Superhero costume: Ange tried to find characters that would suit her facial contours so she doesn’t have to do too much make up, such as this Captain Marvel get up. (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Ange Minami) (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Ange Minami)
Supportive family: Diena eventually earned support from her parents who initially thought the hobby was a little strange. (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Ad Diena Islamy Haq) (Personal Collection/Courtesy of Ad Diena Islamy Haq)
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