In this B-Side episode, Collin Koh, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, explains the valuable lessons the Philippines and the region should take away from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

“It is important for countries to seek diplomacy, but also to seek readiness to respond to contingency — in this case, a credible military for both big and small states alike,” Mr. Koh tells BusinessWorld reporter Luz Wendy T. Noble. 

The next Commander-in-Chief of the Philippines, he added, will have to balance the defense of territorial sovereignty and internal security. In recent years, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has had to address insurgencies following the Marawi Siege, and the emergence of ISIS-related groups on the local front; and, on the external front, the maritime dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea.

“Would it be possible for the AFP to relegate some of these roles to other agencies to focus on its traditional role of external defense? ... Will this change the country’s posture in the West Philippine Sea?” Mr. Koh said.

Recorded remotely on April 28, 2022. Produced by Earl R. Lagundino and Sam L. Marcelo. 

Government officials have assured Filipinos that the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war will be minimal given the Philippines’ limited trade and banking exposure with either country. Remittances from the conflict zones are also small compared to inflows from the rest of Europe and the world.  

Still, the fact remains that Russia is a major exporter of oil and metals, while Ukraine is among the biggest sources of wheat. 

Amid faster inflation, jeepney drivers have called for transport fare hikes; labor groups, for higher wages.  

In this B-Side episode, Chester B. Cabalza, International Development and Security Cooperation president and founder, tells BusinessWorld reporter Luz Wendy T. Noble why Filipinos should care about what happens to Russia and Ukraine, and examines the fallout from three angles: energy, warfare, and diplomatic impact. 

He compares and contrasts the hybrid war in Europe to what’s happening in the Asia-Pacific, with China flexing its muscles. Closer to home, Mr. Cabalza, who is also a security anthropologist at the University of the Philippines, draws parallels between the hybrid war waged by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the conflict in Marawi.

Recorded remotely on April 27, 2022. Produced by Earl R. Lagundino and Sam L. Marcelo.

Femtech, or technology focused on women’s health, is an unexplored space in the Philippines, where the startup ecosystem is mostly male.

“We need more investors to see that femtech presents a viable investment opportunity. And that can be explained by an ongoing trend in diversity and recognition of the importance of preventive health, not just sick care,” said Maria Jessica J. de Mesa, co-founder and chief executive officer of Kindred, a femtech startup.

In this B-Side episode, she tells BusinessWorld reporter Brontë H. Lacsamana what needs to be done in order to translate policy into programs when it comes to women’s health.

“Women have waited long enough for the reproductive health services and information we deserve,” she said.

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

Creating a compassionate workplace starts with its leaders. In this B-Side episode, Vidya Srinivasan, vice president for Procter and Gamble’s Manila Global Business Services and Global External Reporting, explains how the multinational corporation embraces diversity and inclusion.

“The leadership sets the tone... The tone at the top will tremendously help push programs,” Ms. Srinivasan tells BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol.

Their conversation covers gender bias; work-life balance; and how to turn compassion into a measurable quantity.

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

Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) in the form of both digital art and play-to-earn gaming assets have come under fire for their price volatility and vulnerability to frauds and scams.

This March, hackers stole around $600 million from the Ronin blockchain network that supports Axie Infinity, a play-to-earn game with 3 million daily active players, 35% of whom are Filipinos.

Given the game’s large, Philippine-based demographic, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas cautioned the public against dealing hastily with digital tokens.

“If you look at the space right now, it’s still very raw. Nobody has a full grasp of [how play-to-earn] really works,” said Renz Carlo Chong, chief executive officer and co-founder of digital asset production factory BreederDAO. 

In this B-Side episode, Mr. Chong talks to BusinessWorld reporter Brontë H. Lacsamana about the opportunities for NFT asset production in the Philippines amid increasing risks.

“It’s really interesting because nobody knows where the space will head towards or how it will develop over the next few years,” he said.

Recorded remotely in March 2022. Produced by Brontë H. Lacsamana, Earl R. Lagundino, and Sam L. Marcelo. 

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 online.

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

In this B-Side episode, Ms. Curato tells former BusinessWorld 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 Earl R. Lagundino and Sam L. Marcelo.

Each year, the Philippines is hit by an average of 20 typhoons, which are growing progressively more destructive. A report released by Fitch Ratings in November 2021 said that this country is one of the most exposed to climate change physical risks, particularly floods and storms. In addition, the Department of Finance reported that climate-related hazards have cost the country $10 billion dollars in losses and damage over the past decade. 

In this B-Side episode, Rick Holland, Grundfos senior regional sales director for the Asia Pacific, talks to BusinessWorld reporter Alyssa Nicole O. Tan about key solutions to mitigate flooding caused by extreme weather events amid worsening climate change. Headquartered in Denmark, Grundfos manufactures pumps for flood control, irrigation, and sewage, among others.

“You cannot just take one approach to everything,” said Mr. Holland, noting that a community’s geography, economic status, and density should be considered when thinking of long-term solutions.  

Recorded remotely in February 2022. Produced by Earl R. Lagundino, Jino D. Nicolas, and Sam L. Marcelo.

In the spirit of a good meal that lasts several hours because the talking is just as satisfying as the eating, this B-Side episode continues on the social role of food.

“Filipinos won’t be the same without our food ... When we leave the country, we think, oh, when I want to feel more Filipino, I will cook, I will prepare, or I will eat Filipino food. It helps me get in touch with my Filipino identity,” said Maria Angelica B. America, an advocate of sustainable development who also teaches economics to senior high school and university students.

Ms. America tells BusinessWorld reporter Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan how food builds community: “It might be simple food, but if it’s shared with great company, prepared with great company, you will always go back to that memory. That’s beautiful. That’s the power of food.”

Recorded remotely February 2022. Produced by Jino D. Nicolas and Sam L. Marcelo. 

You know that cliche, that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

It’s especially true here, in the Philippines, where food is central to gatherings and “kumain ka na ba” or “have you eaten” is a common greeting.

When the pandemic struck, the simple act of breaking bread in the presence of friends and family was taken away from us.

In this B-Side episode, John Paolo C. Dalupang, a research associate at the Institute of Philippine Culture and lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University, tells BusinessWorld reporter Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan about the social role of food. 

Mr. Dalupang, who has done research on feeding programs, public health, and disaster resilience, shares what he’s learned about what we lost when we were deprived of social gatherings and how our relationship to food has changed because of the pandemic.

Recorded remotely on Feb. 16, 2022. Produced by Jino D. Nicolas and Sam L. Marcelo.

Teenage pregnancy, abortion, birth control, and HIV/AIDs testing are topics considered taboo by Filipino society. For the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP), providing better access to sexual and reproductive services is an uphill battle because the country is predominantly Catholic.

“Our conservatives, they bend towards pro-life policies, which are, most of the time, at odds with pro-choice advocacies,” said Mona S. Diones, FPOP Iloilo Chapter Manager. “The stigma and discrimination is still there. But advocacies like ours are getting louder.”

In this B-Side episode, Ms. Diones tells BusinessWorld reporter Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson what’s at stake, in terms of reproductive health policies, with the change in administration. “Our government has been so lax with the implementation of the law. Although we have these laws, they are not fully exercised.”

Recorded remotely on Feb. 11, 2022. Produced by Jino D. Nicolas and Sam L. Marcelo.