Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Music made by artificial intelligence will be banned from Australia’s top charts under new guidelines aimed at protecting ‘the human nature of artistry,’ an industry body said Tuesday, Aug. 25.

Under new rules in force from Friday, music must be ‘substantially human made’ in order to be eligible for the charts, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) said.

‘Wholly AI-generated tracks will not be eligible for the ARIA Charts,’ the group said.

It said its charts would exclude songs that use AI ‘to generate the entirety or the primary portion of the creative elements’.

But ‘recordings that use generative AI in a supporting role remain eligible,’ it added.

The move follows growing concern in the music industry over a surge in AI-generated music hitting the airwaves.

In July, a cover of Madonna’s ‘Like a Prayer’ soared to the top of the charts in Australia but drew scrutiny after it was revealed to have used AI-generated vocals and drums.

Streaming giant Spotify has said it will launch a new ‘AI Persona’ badge clearly identifying content producers that are AI-generated and not real people.

More than one-third of new uploads to Apple Music are entirely created with AI, a platform executive told Billboard this year.

That month several major music industry organisations unveiled a labelling system for content created with generative AI that they would like to see widely adopted.

‘These changes reflect our intent to remain dynamic and promote the human nature of artistry in what is – to say the least – a rapidly developing space,’ ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd said.

‘The ARIA Charts will always remain a transparent measurement of the music Australia consumes, but a chart that rewards unlicensed AI output would undercut the very basis of the recorded music we exist to represent,’ she said.

Authorities inspected the fish section of the Baguio City Public Market on Monday (Aug. 24) after a consumer reported buying an unfamiliar crab that she feared could be poisonous.

In a statement issued by the Baguio City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO), the office said the consumer bought crabs from the market’s Fish Section on Aug. 22 and later noticed a brownish-red crab, estimated to be three to four inches long, mixed with the smaller edible crustaceans she had purchased.

Concerned about the crab’s unusual appearance, the consumer searched online for information and found reports suggesting that it could be poisonous. She decided not to consume the crabs and discarded her purchase.

The consumer reported the matter to the CVAO-Abattoir and Animal Products Quality Assurance Services Division on Aug. 23. She also shared her concern on several online community platforms, where the report gained public attention.

On Aug. 24, CVAO personnel met with the consumer to obtain first-hand information and retrieve the specimen for identification and analysis. However, the crab had already been discarded and was no longer available for examination.

The Meat and Fishery Products Monitoring Task Force, led by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Cordillera (BFAR-CAR), then conducted a joint inspection of the market’s Fish Section together with CVAO, the City Treasury Office-Market Division and the Mayor’s Office Public Safety and Order Division.

The inspection was led by Nazario Briguera, OIC BFAR Cordillera regional director . No suspected poisonous crabs were found during the inspection, according to CVAO.

CVAO said BFAR and the city office could not determine the identity of the crab reported by the consumer nor confirm whether it was poisonous because the specimen was no longer available for examination.

The office also cautioned that photographs alone are not sufficient to establish the species of a crab or determine whether it is poisonous, saying actual species identification and appropriate laboratory analysis are needed.

During the inspection, authorities also distributed information posters on poisonous fish and crabs to raise awareness among consumers and seafood vendors.

CVAO said its personnel conduct daily inspections and monitoring at the Fish Section to help ensure the safety of seafood being sold.

It urged consumers who encounter unfamiliar marine species to immediately report them to BFAR or CVAO and, whenever possible, preserve the specimen for proper assessment.

The office also reminded the public not to rely solely on online searches, artificial intelligence or social media posts to determine whether an unfamiliar marine species is poisonous or safe for consumption

Residents in some remote communities in Mindanao will soon have easier access to free family planning services as DKT Philippines Foundation launched the country’s first family planning ‘floating clinic’ in partnership with the Ministry of Health of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The floating clinic, named ‘Hiraya’ (dream or aspiration) and operating under the foundation’s Service Outreach and Distribution Extension (Sodex) Program, was unveiled at BangkaPro, its vessel builder in Taguig City on Thursday.

It will begin serving communities in Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and Maguindanao del Sur in September.

The clinic will also offer free consultations and counseling, long-acting reversible contraceptives such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and two-rod implants, as well as temporary methods including pills, injectables, and condoms.

‘By bridging the gaps in access to quality, affordable, and culturally sensitive family planning services, [the facility] will empower women, couples, and families in hard-to-reach communities to make informed choices about their reproductive health and to plan the size and spacing of their families,’ said Dr. Ahmad-Fawadz Israel, director general of the Ministry of Health, representing minister Dr. Kadil ‘Jojo’ Sinolinding Jr.

Life-affirming services

Israel pointed out that, ‘in Islam, the religion teaches us the importance of balancing family size with physical, emotional, and financial capacities. This balance is crucial not only for the well-being of the family but also to safeguard the health of both the mother and the child or children.’

He said the Quran, the sacred scripture of Islam, teaches that whoever saves a life is as though they have saved all of humanity, adding that ‘this sacred guidance anchors our mission to extend life-affirming services to those in need.’

He also cited Prophet Muhammad’s teaching that the best among people are those who bring the greatest benefit to others.

‘As we move forward, we commit to expanding access to modern family planning methods, promoting informed choices, addressing misinformation and cultural barriers, and reducing teenage and unintended pregnancies,’ Israel said.

Reducing maternal deaths

Dr. Hardy Dumawing, program manager of National Family Planning under the Department of Health, emphasized that family planning is an essential health intervention under Universal Health Care, the country’s major healthcare reform.

The average Filipino woman now has 1.7 children over her lifetime, the lowest level on record, according to the 2025 National Demographic and Health Survey released by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The latest total fertility rate marks a sharp drop from 4.1 children per woman recorded in 1993.

‘So, we are already at 1.7 total fertility rate. But why do we keep investing in family planning? Because family planning is no longer a means to control the population. However, it is a means, a health intervention aimed at reducing maternal mortality, adolescent birth rate,’ said Dumawing.

The maternal mortality ratio measures the number of women who die during pregnancy or childbirth, making it an important indicator of women’s health and of the effectiveness of healthcare systems in safeguarding mothers.

According to a report by the World Health Organization, the Philippines recorded 84 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in 2023.

While this marked a 28-percent improvement from the 117 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births recorded in 2010, the country still faces a challenge in reaching the Sustainable Development Goal target of 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.

Topography challenge

Dumawing said one of the Philippines’ challenges is its topography, with many islands that can be difficult to reach, especially when transporting heavy equipment or supplies.

He said the Hiraya initiative will bridge the gap.

Denise van Dijk, board chair of DKT Philippines Foundation Inc. and president of DKT Health Inc., said the foundation has, ‘for more than three decades ,…worked to remove barriers to family planning through innovation and strong partnerships.’

Van Dijk said the Sodex floating clinic marks another significant step toward that goal, helping extend access to family planning products and services to more communities based on their needs and preferences.

BangkoPro founder Romeo Orio said the Philippines’ remote islands pose a unique challenge in delivering healthcare, which the vessel seeks to address by bringing healthcare and family planning professionals directly to underserved communities.

‘When this boat goes into operation, it’s not only going to be carrying passengers, it’s going to be carrying medicine, healthcare professionals. It’s going to be providing valuable family planning services to communities that may be hard to reach by others,’ Orio said.

‘Our work goes beyond providing services-we continuously look for ways to deliver care that is more accessible, responsive, and sustainable for the communities we serve,’ said Loida Almendares, the foundation’s director of programs.

Expansion plans

During the press conference, Van Dijk said they ‘always work from a choice-based perspective,’ educating clients and letting them choose the contraceptive that fits them most.

‘We’ve shown that when public-private partners work together and when you have a community that supports it, the sky is the limit,’ she told the Inquirer when asked about expansion plans.

‘May there be calm waters, meaningful journeys, and many, many lives touched,’ she said during the ceremonial ship christening where she broke a champagne bottle on Hiraya’s bow.

Orio said ‘We’re not only turning over a boat, we’re not only turning over a vessel. We’re sending out a boat that can help change the lives of many people. So to Hiraya, may she sail safely, may she reach many communities and serve many families for many years to come.’

Consumers in the Visayas may experience power interruptions on Tuesday, as the grid operator issued a new red alert due to persistently tight electricity supply.

In an advisory, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines said the red alert would be up from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

A yellow alert would also be in effect from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

A yellow alert indicates that available power reserves are thinning, meaning any unexpected plant outage could trigger service interruptions. A red alert indicates that supply cannot meet demand, heightening the chances of rotational brownouts unless people manage their consumption.

The Visayas’ available capacity as of Tuesday morning was 2,421 megawatts (MW), while peak demand was 2,570 MW.

The thin power situation still stems from the unavailability of major coal plants in the Visayas and limited imports from Mindanao.

The Philippine cacao queen is Charita Puentespina. She provided a legacy for us to follow. Sadly, she passed away last Aug. 16 at 86. In 2024, Puentespina was recognized as one of the Inquirer ‘Women of Power’ awardees for her contribution to Philippine agriculture and the cacao/chocolate industry.

She was a farmer, agripreneur and founder of the Puentespina Farms and Malagos Chocolate. Her first farm was established in Davao in 1963. She started with orchid cultivation and propagation and helped save the Philippine waling-waling orchid from extinction.

In 2003, Puentespina ventured into cacao production. In 2017, her cacao beans were feted among the world’s 50 best in the Cocoa Excellence (COEX) competition in Paris, France. This is where more than 400 entries from at least 30 cacao-producing countries compete.

In 2021, Puentespina won the coveted Gold Award for ‘Best Drinking Chocolate in the World’ from the International Chocolate Meals in Hanover, Germany.

Learnings

Puentespina traveled all over Mindanao to share her learnings so that others would benefit. Her objective was ‘not only to make better products, but also to employ more farmers.’ She was the founder and first president of the Cacao Industry and Development Association of Mindanao. This formed the core of the current Philippine Cacao Industry Association, now headed by Armi Lopez-Garcia.

In partnership with Mars Inc., Puentespina put up the Mars Cocoa Development Center, teaching good agricultural practices. She was so successful that, since she won the international COEX award in 2017, a Philippine representative using her learnings has consistently won the same award in every single year.

When we asked Dante Muyco Jr., a 2021 COEX awardee, what impressed him most about Puentespina, he said: ‘She was very generous sharing all she knew about the cacao value chain, including giving us her export contacts in the United States and Asean. She truly inspired us, specially when we had difficulties. She said we should unite and help each other, so that people would know the Philippines has the best cacao and chocolate in the world.’

Cacao credit model

Puentespina’s legacy is a model for agriculture credit. Today, many small farmers have productive capacity, but are not bankable because of insufficient collateral. Puentespina emphasized that loan decisions should instead be made mainly on a cash flow-based value chain with consolidated farmers, supported by an anchor agribusiness, cooperative or processor.

The farmer retains land ownership. Consolidation is in production, technical services, financing and market. The model combines an anchor agriculture enterprise, farmer training and technology, organized smallholder suppliers, quality control, processing/value addition and access to markets. The commercial relationship between an anchor enterprise and small farmers is the main basis for the credit decision, not collateral.

How to do this? An anchor must first be identified. Individual farmers would then be organized into a production cluster or cooperative, with the unifying anchor.

The farmer should then submit a production plan with the following components: crop, area, inputs, yield, production cost, selling price and cash flow. Insurance should be provided, where our extremely limited crop insurance today is recommended to be leveraged with the massive resources of our Government Service Insurance System.

Anchor agribusiness

This anchor is critical. It can help in technology, inputs, training, aggregation, quality control, market and records for credit assessment. The bank will now lend to an agriculture production system, not to an isolated farmer. This approach is similar to Thailand’s Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC). Of BAAC’s lending, 88-90 percent goes to agriculture, compared to the Land Bank of the Philippines’ 15-20 percent. However, BAAC’s 8-percent return on equity (ROE) and 5.6-percent non-performing loans (NPL) are inferior to Landbank’s 16-percent ROE and 2-percent NPL.

It is acknowledged that Landbank is also a universal bank with commercial lending responsibilities. Though agriculture credit access should be improved, the main problem today is that there are not enough qualified agriculture borrowers with financially feasible loan proposals. The Government should now devote much more attention and resources to reach out to farmers and fisherfolk. It should implement this Puentespina model for credit to grow and the agriculture sector to significantly develop. Puentespina will then become not just the queen of cacao, but also a queen for our current ailing agriculture.

Crime is not entertainment, and a child’s face should not be turned into a viral material.

So said Sen. Erwin Tulfo as he blasted social media giants on Tuesday for allowing the spread and posting content from the recent school shootings in Zamboanga City and Tacloban City despite their existing ‘community standards.’

Two minor students, including the shooter, were killed in the Zamboanga incident this month while the separate incident in Tacloban City took the lives of three other minor learners.

Photos of the alleged shooters later circulated on social media, prompting Tulfo to raise this issue in the Senate plenary.

‘I want to be very careful here: we must not prejudge anyone who has not been convicted by a court. But neither should social media companies be allowed to turn tragedy into viral content,’ he said in a privilege speech.

‘Ang krimen po ay hindi pang entertainment. Ang paghihirap ng biktima ay hindi po content. At ang mukha ng isang batang biktima man o suspek ay hindi dapat maging viral material,’ he stressed.

(Crime is not entertainment. A victim’s suffering is not content. And the face of a child, whether a victim or a suspect, should never become viral material.)

The senator questioned in particular the lack of proactive action by Meta (Facebook and Instagram), YouTube, X, and TikTok in addressing violent content related to the recent incidents, emphasizing its consequences to the users, especially children.

According to Tulfo, he was not asking these platforms to censor legitimate journalism, public-interest reporting, or lawful expression, but to ‘exercise reasonable and effective responsibility when content clearly violates their own published standards and, more importantly, when it threatens the dignity, privacy, and safety of our children.’

‘Hindi po sapat ang sabihin nilang (It is not enough for them to say,) ‘We have community standards.’ The question is: Are you actually enforcing them, Meta, Youtube, Tiktok, Instagram and Twitter?’ he asked.

‘Because a policy written on a website means very little if your algorithms and moderators allow prohibited content to be uploaded online and remain there for millions of people-including children-to see it.’

‘Let us therefore demand accountability-not to silence social media, but to make it safer. At kung patuloy ninyong pababayaan ang inyong responsibilidad, dapat kayong managot,’ added Tulfo, who heads the Senate committee on social justice, welfare, and rural development.

(Let us therefore demand accountability-not to silence social media, but to make it safer. And if you continue to neglect your responsibilities, you should be held accountable.)

The senator said Congress should also consider crafting a law that would impose hefty fines and penalties against social media platforms that repeatedly allow the dissemination of prohibited images or videos, especially those depicting violence against children.

His sentiments were echoed by several senators-Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III, Sens. Joel Villanueva, Risa Hontiveros and Raffy Tulfo.

NBA legend Derrick Rose kicked off his tour of Cebu with a private event held Tuesday night in this city.

Rose graced an appreciation dinner hosted by a licensed online sportsbook at Shangri-La Mactan before VIPs and reporters.

‘That’s why I retired, to be able to have these types of moments, being able to see people face-to-face, being intimate and to grow connections,’ Rose said.

It was Rose’s first trip down south after spending his last two visits as brand ambassador in Manila.

During the event, the 2011 NBA MVP got to pose for pictures with fans while a cultural performance was held in Rose’s honor.

The Chicago Bulls great even got to dance the tinikling to wrap up the event, before granting selfies and autographs to almost everyone who attended the gathering.

More fans will get a chance to see Rose in person on Wednesday when his tour concludes with a public event at SM Seaside Cebu.

Before the evening festivities, Rose was spotted touring the famed Mactan Shrine where some locals got a chance encounter with him.

‘It’s been nothing but love,’ Rose said. ‘I didn’t know if all the people were going to know me here. But I’m surprised with the way I’ve been accepted.

Local stocks slipped below 6,200 on Tuesday as investors remained cautious amid renewed concerns over the US-Iran situation.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) fell 0.98 percent, or 61.15 points, to close at 6,190.23.

Philstocks Financial Inc. said investors sold shares amid a lack of positive catalysts, while growing tensions between the US and Iran continued to dampen sentiment.

Concerns have shifted to the economic fallout from the conflict, especially the potential impact on Iran’s trading partners due to the United States’ latest campaign.

Luis Limlingan, head of sales at Regina Capital Development Corp., said the local bourse ended lower amid broad-based selling pressure, as heightened uncertainty over the situation in the Middle East weighed on investor sentiment.

‘Moreover, investors are expected to remain defensive ahead of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ policy meeting and await signals on its next move,’ Limlingan said.

Wait-and-see stance

Investors largely stayed on the sidelines, with net value turnover reaching only P4.01 billion.

Foreign investors also continued to pull funds out of the market, recording net outflows of P542.12 million.

All sectoral indices finished in negative territory due to broad-based selling pressure. Services suffered the steepest decline, shedding 1.65 percent.

Only five members of the PSEi managed to end the session higher.

Ayala Land Inc. bucked the downturn and emerged as the top index gainer, climbing 3.95 percent to P15.80.

RL Commercial REIT Inc., meanwhile, led the laggards after falling 4 percent to P7.20.

Analysts said the latest decline extended the market’s cautious trading as investors weighed geopolitical risks and waited for fresh catalysts that could provide direction.

Thin turnover also reflected subdued participation, with many investors opting to remain on the sidelines amid uncertainty over the external environment. /

Without the prolific Justin Brownlee to rely on, Gilas Pilipinas hopes to draw a big lift from its young guns like Carl Tamayo in the second round of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

Tamayo, of course, will look to step up in the absence of the injured Brownlee. He is also fully aware that he can only do so much, and it will take a village to fill the void left by Brownlee.

‘I think it really is a challenge for us because we all know how big of a part JB (Brownlee) plays in our national team and coach Tim’s (Cone) system,’ said Tamayo.

‘That’s the challenge in front of us so everyone needs to help out. We need to work together to fill that space for this window and we’ve been practicing hard. Hopefully, we get the two wins so we have a bigger chance to play in the World Cup.’

Brownlee has long been the Philippines’ offensive anchor and best clutch performer. He averaged 14.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game in the five games. Brownlee was already dealing with injuries in Gilas’ double overtime loss to New Zealand before sitting out the Nationals’ final game of the third window against Australia.

There was, however, a silver lining amid Brownlee’s woes against the Kiwis, with Tamayo and fellow youngblood Kevin Quiambao picking up the slack.

Tamayo turned in 17 points, four assists and two rebounds against New Zealand, while Quiambao fired 23.

‘This team is different. There’s a lot of talent in this team. We have to stick to our role to help the team win the next two games. It’s going to be crucial for us, especially for KQ (Kevin Quiambao) now that Justin is not here.’

‘I don’t think we can do what Justin is doing. No one in our team can be like Justin but we’ll do whatever we can to help our country.’

Gilas’ second-round campaign tips off Friday against Jordan before clashing with Iran on Sunday, with both games taking place at Mall of Asia Arena

The Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila has offered to accommodate patients from the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in Quezon City as the latter reaches full bed capacity amid a surge in leptospirosis cases.

Palace press officer Claire Castro on Tuesday said the PGH, which is operated by the University of the Philippines (UP), to receive non-leptospirosis patients from NKTI.

This would allow NKTI as a government-run speciality center to focus its capacity on leptospirosis patients requiring specialized renal care.

‘This reflects our institutions’ longstanding partnership and shared commitment to timely, appropriate care for every patient-regardless of which facility they first approach,’ the PGH said in a statement.

On Sunday, the NKTI announced that walk-in admissions will be subject to limitations ‘until further notice’ to prioritize patients requiring emergency care and admission due to the surge in leptospirosis cases and high patient volume in its emergency room.

The NKTI’s emergency room can only accommodate up to 64 patients at a time.

Patients requiring urgent and critical medical interventions will be prioritized.

It also advised patients seeking elective or non-emergency admission to coordinate with their attending physician and consider other healthcare facilities with available bed capacity to avoid prolonged waiting times.

To prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed by a surge of leptospirosis cases, the Department of Health (DOH) said all hospitals facing bed capacity concerns can coordinate with the Health Emergency Management Bureau’s Operation Center for patient navigation.

At least 33 DOH hospitals in the National Capital Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Cordillera Administrative Region have also established express lanes to specifically handle cases of leptospirosis.

As of Aug. 22, the DOH has recorded a total of 4,285 cases of leptospirosis across the country, up from the 3,440 cases recorded as of Aug. 8.

‘Further increase in leptospirosis cases is expected, especially given that leptospirosis has an incubation period of five to 15 days,’ the agency warned.

The DOH urged the public to observe key health precautions against leptospirosis, urging individuals to avoid unnecessary contact with floodwater, especially if they have open wounds.

If flood exposure is unavoidable, the hospital advised taking doxycycline prophylaxis as recommended by a primary care physician.

Free doxycycline capsules are provided by local government units through barangays, Rural Health Units, or through the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s Yaman ng Kalusugan Program

Authorities also urged the public to seek immediate medical consultation should symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, or headache develop following exposure to floodwaters.