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

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

In this B-Side episode, Ms. Suzara tells BusinessWorld reporter Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza why broader civil society should pay attention to the ongoing budget deliberations.

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

Personal data can be misused and repurposed in the lead-up to the national elections next year. The National Privacy Commission earlier flagged an election-related survey website that was collecting excessive data.

Companies and government institutions should be accountable, compliant, and ethical in using personal data, in accordance with the Data Privacy Law. 

“Practice privacy by design. We do that by taking full cognizance of the potential risks that processing involves, and try to mitigate and address these risks,” said National Privacy Commissioner Raymund E. Liboro, in a conversation on data privacy with BusinessWorld reporter Jenina P. Ibañez.

This B-Side episode was recorded remotely on Aug. 27, 2021. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez and Sam L. Marcelo.

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. 

“To us, sonic branding, or the sound part of your branding, is very important because that’s the only way you can make [people] feel. ... Audio makes you feel,” said Mike L. Constantino, founder of Homonym.

In this B-Side episode, he explains to BusinessWorld reporter Brontë H. Lacsamana how audio data can help brands reach their target market using as an example Nissan’s 2020 X-Trail ad campaign. 

Based on Homonym’s research, the marketing push for the X-Trail, described on the Nissan website as “an SUV with muscular styling,” used “Money For Food” by petite singer-songwriter Barbie Almalbis in its spots. 

This B-Side episode was recorded remotely on Aug. 19, 2021. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez and Sam L. Marcelo.

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 2021–2022. 

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

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

“The pandemic has changed the whole world of a child. They’re isolated. It’s not healthy,” said Ms. Goulbourn.  

Recorded remotely on Aug. 17. 

NGF Mindstrong’s crisis hotline numbers are 8804-4673, 0918-8734673, and 0917 558 4673. Individuals can donate to the foundation through BPI Makati Atrium (peso savings: 3123-7249-59) and BDO SM Makati (peso savings: 000040491889). 

Coronavirus cases are surging. Our nurses are not getting paid and hospitals are filling up. We’ve been locked down since the beginning of August. And our economy probably won’t recover until the end of 2022 or 2023. 

In this episode of B-Side, Joey Francis Hernandez, treasurer of the Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians, speaks with BusinessWorld’s Russell Louis C. Ku about the Philippine pandemic response and holding our leaders accountable.

This episode was recorded remotely on Aug. 14. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez and Sam L. Marcelo.

Wealthy countries have cornered the world’s vaccine supplies. As a result, the Philippines has, as of this writing, vaccinated only 10% to 12% of its population. To punish the unvaccinated by barring them from leaving their homes — when vaccine inequity has yet to be addressed — aggravates an already inequitable public health crisis.

In this B-Side episode, Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Jose Luis Martin “Chito” C. Gascon explains the Siracusa Principles — guidelines on the legitimacy, ethics, necessity, and proportionality of a state’s restrictions on human rights during an emergency — to BusinessWorld reporter Alyssa Nicole O. Tan. “We cannot create a two-tier system where one class of people, vaccinated, are allowed every opportunity, while another set of people are denied certain rights,” he said.

Recorded remotely on Aug. 13. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez and Sam L. Marcelo.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have applications beyond crypto art and blockchain games. They can also be used in business-to-business transactions such as licensing, supply chain management, and invoicing.  

Marissa Trew, marketing manager of TZ APAC, a Singapore-based blockchain consultancy firm speaks with BusinessWorld reporter Michelle Anne P. Soliman about the potential for NFTs as a tool for conducting business, an investment instrument, or a revenue stream. 

"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." 

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

Tokyo 2020 was supposed to be part of the redemption arc of Mary Joy R. 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. She shares the lessons she learned with BusinessWorld senior reporter Michael Angelo S. Murillo: "The future is so uncertain; it keeps on changing. What's 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."

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

Weightlifter Hidilyn F. Diaz, 30, is one of 19 Filipinos competing in this year’s 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 BusinessWorld 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’t 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 and Sam L. Marcelo.