Consociational democracy: We need to walk the talk

Dear Tingasiga:

The proposed Consociational Democracy Agreement has stirred memories that Ugandans would be unwise to ignore. We have seen elites gather before to share power, setting aside the harder work of genuine democratisation and the uncompromising defence of human rights.

Each time, the result was a short truce, followed by the unravelling of a fragile arrangement and a new phase of conflict.

The classic example is the Moshi Conference of March 1979. Unelected and unrepresentative exiles, all of them men, met in northern Tanzania to plan for a government after Idi Amin. They created the Uganda National Liberation Front and placed Yusuf Lule at its head.

Lule was removed after 68 days.

The Moshi spirit died because its signatories lacked the conviction, will, sacrifice and patience to make it work. Another war followed, and it ended with Yoweri Museveni taking power in January 1986. Museveni sat among the delegates at Moshi. He knows better than anyone that a conference cannot achieve what political will refuses.

The NRM came to power on a Ten-Point Programme. It promised democracy, security, national unity, an end to corruption and sectarianism, and the rebuilding of ravaged regions.

Forty years later, we are discussing another power-sharing scheme. Its agenda is the Ten-Point Programme again, worded differently and only longer because more time has passed.

Every such gathering is a vote of no confidence. Moshi was a justified verdict on Amin. The Ten-Point Programme was a verdict on Obote and Okello Lutwa.

The Saleh-Otunnu proposal may be well-intentioned, but it is a vote of no confidence in the current government and in the institutions of the Ugandan State.

Uganda does not lack a charter. The 1995 Constitution came from an elected Constituent Assembly after extensive consultation with citizens. It established a Parliament, an independent Judiciary, an Electoral Commission, a Human Rights Commission, an Inspectorate of Government and an Auditor General.

On paper, each has the power to address the very grievances the Saleh-Otunnu agreement lists. Nor are the principles of democracy a mystery: sovereignty belongs to the people; elections are free, fair and run by an independent body; constitutions bind rulers rather than being rewritten for them, as term limits were in 2005 and age limits in 2017; courts and Parliament stand independent; the rights in Chapter Four and the Universal Declaration are respected; opposition is legitimate; the army and police answer to civilians; every region shares fairly in public resources; and whoever loses an election leaves office. None of this requires a new council. It requires the people in charge to obey the law they already have.

The proposal’s defenders deserve a fair hearing, and their strongest point is a serious one. They say the 1995 institutions have been captured, so urging Ugandans to work through them is like asking a prisoner to appeal to his jailer. Elections are run by a commission appointed by the incumbent.

The police serve the ruling party. Parliament approves almost anything put before it. Opposition leaders, Kizza Besigye among them, sit in the dock or in a cell or in exile. If the formal path is blocked, they ask, why not try a negotiated one?

Some critics go further and see in this initiative a rare opening: a way for the President to leave office without a dynastic coronation and without bloodshed, one that a voice inside the family might be able to sell.

I agree that the institutions have been captured. That is exactly my point. Whoever holds the key to a prison can open it. The President can straighten the institutions.

He can order the release of political prisoners, rein in the RDCs, DISOs, GISOs, militias, police and army that crowd the political space, give the Electoral Commission real independence, and let Parliament represent citizens. It needs one decision by one man and the generals who answer to him.

The opportunity for a peaceful transition is real. But a peaceful transition is something you do, not something you discuss. Consider South Africa. By the late 1980s, the apartheid state still had a powerful army, a loyal police force and a captive Parliament.

On February 2, 1990, F.W. de Klerk stood before that Parliament and unbanned the ANC and other liberation movements. Days later, Nelson Mandela walked out of Victor Verster Prison. The negotiations that followed were difficult and at times violent, but they worked, because freedom came first and the talking came after. De Klerk and his colleagues understood that democracy would cost them power.

They also understood that it would free them, as well as Mandela and the millions who had been denied the vote. Minority rule had become a prison for the jailers too. By giving up power, they saved their country and their own place in its future.

Ugandans know an older version of this story. In Acts 16, Paul and Silas are beaten and thrown into prison at Philippi. At midnight, as they pray and sing, an earthquake shakes the foundations, the doors fly open, and every chain falls loose. The jailer, certain his prisoners have fled and his own life is forfeit, draws his sword to kill himself. Paul stops him: no one has run.

Trembling, the jailer asks what he must do to be saved, and that night he and his household find a freedom of their own. The prisoners’ release became the jailer’s liberation. Even then, Paul would not slip away in the dark. He had been beaten without trial, so he insisted that the magistrates come in person and escort him out, publicly admitting that the law had been broken. Freedom must come with justice, not as a favour granted quietly.

Both stories carry the same lesson for Kampala. A dialogue held while opponents are in detention, while security agents decide who may speak, and while succession is arranged in private is not a transition. It is a performance.

Free the prisoners, open the political space, restore the independence of the institutions, and then talk. Most of what the Consociational Democracy Agreement hopes to achieve will follow from those acts alone.

It is in the President’s own interest to do this. Dynastic rule imposed on an unwilling, young and connected population may seem to work for a while, but it builds up the pressure that eventually bursts, putting the gains of the past years at risk. A leader who frees his country writes his own legacy. A leader who holds on until the end has his legacy written for him.

Adjumani, Mparo, Serere and Agago are not poor because Ugandans have failed to talk about the common good. They are poor because of deliberate neglect, upside-down priorities, greed in the ruling class, contempt for the Constitution and the rule of law, and an unfair sharing of the national Budget.

All of that can change if the grip is loosened. Another gathering will not. De Klerk opened the prison doors himself. At Philippi, the jailer found his freedom the night the doors swung open. The question is whether ours will open them.

CSE opens week up 1.37% on improving investor sentiment

The Colombo stock market yesterday continued to rally, extending strong gains into a fifth session with the exchange gaining nearly Rs. 510 billion in value.

The ASPI ended up 1.37% or 291.72 points at 21,531.37 and the active S and P SL20 gained 1.62% or 97.77 points to 6,143.15. With 178 counters ending in green compared to 63 in red, the top contributors to the ASPI gain were COMB, HNB, DIAL, ASIR and DIST.

Turnover was over Rs. 3.33 billion on over 144.4 million shares traded. Foreign investors were net sellers on a net outflow of Rs. 63.1 million.

First Capital Research said the bourse continued to trade in positive territory supported by improving investor confidence amid greater certainty surrounding global developments. Retail participation exceeded HNW activity, with retail investors accounting for a larger share of market

turnover. The banking sector led the daily turnover with a share of 20%, followed by the capital goods, and materials sectors collectively contributing 36%.

VAR controversy clouds 15th SAFF Championship

The absence of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology at the preliminary stage of the ongoing 15th SAFF Football Tournament has sparked widespread disappointment among participating teams, with several questioning the fairness of officiating in this prestigious regional competition.

Several crucial decisions during the matches already played could potentially have gone in favour of the respective teams that had either lost or drawn their matches, had VAR technology been available. Sri Lanka was among the sides believed to have suffered as a result, with a number of contentious decisions going against them during their opening match against Bhutan.

Reliable sources indicate that financial constraints may have been the reason behind the decision not to introduce VAR, leaving participating nations questioning why such an important facility was overlooked at a major regional tournament.

Football circles have also expressed concern over the omission, pointing out that VAR has become an essential feature of modern football, helping officials minimise human errors and ensure greater fairness and credibility in the game.

Sri Lanka Head Coach Abdullah Al Mutairi, whose side was also affected by the absence of the technology, voiced his disappointment over the situation.

‘It is very unfair to conduct a tournament of this nature without VAR, particularly at a regional competition of this standard. The whole world is now using this technology, with increasingly advanced systems, making football fairer and more entertaining,’ Al Mutairi said.

‘I feel we missed at least one penalty among several important decisions. If the organisers were unable to provide VAR from the preliminary stage, they should perhaps not have conducted the tournament and instead allowed the teams to play international friendlies. Nevertheless, we also missed several scoring opportunities, and the much-needed luck was not on our side,’ he added.

The controversy has raised serious questions over the tournament’s technical arrangements, with participating teams believing that the introduction of VAR would have helped protect the integrity of the competition and reduce the impact of costly refereeing errors.

Why has Sri Lanka’s Unit Trust industry yet to reach its full potential?

As Sri Lanka’s unit trust industry evolves, strengthening financial literacy, awareness of regulated investment options and investor confidence is essential to building a more informed investment culture.

In this article, First Capital Holdings PLC Chief Risk Officer and Data Protection Officer Kapila Perera examines the shared role of Government, regulators and industry in shaping the future of the sector. He highlights the importance of financial literacy and greater awareness of regulated investment avenues in enabling informed investment decisions and building a nation of informed investors.

Building a nation of investors, not speculators

Sri Lanka’s Unit Trust industry has made significant strides over the past decade, emerging as one of the country’s most well-regulated and accessible investment avenues for retail investors. Through professionally managed portfolios, investors are able to access diversified investment opportunities within a framework governed by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC), independent trustees and the Collective Investment Scheme (CIS) Code of 2022.

The industry’s growth trajectory has been encouraging. By the end of 2025, Assets Under Management (AUM) had reached approximately Rs. 587 billion, spread across 86 funds managed by 16 licensed fund management companies. Investor participation has also expanded considerably, with the number of unit holders increasing by over 25% during the year to nearly 144,000 investors. These developments reflect growing public confidence in professionally managed and regulated investment products.

However, when viewed against the broader financial landscape, it becomes evident that the industry has only begun to tap into its true potential.

Sri Lanka’s banking sector held approximately Rs. 17.8 trillion in deposits by the end of 2025. In comparison, the entire Unit Trust industry represented only about 3.3% of this deposit base. Put differently, for every Rs. 100 held in bank deposits, only around Rs. 3.30 has been invested through Unit Trusts. This suggests that while Unit Trusts have gained momentum, a substantial proportion of household savings continues to remain concentrated on traditional deposit products.

A comparison with India demonstrates the scale of the opportunity that exists.

India’s mutual fund industry, which operates on similar principles to Sri Lanka’s Unit Trust industry, has experienced remarkable growth over the past decade. Supported by strong regulatory oversight, investor education initiatives, digital accessibility and sustained market development efforts, India’s mutual fund assets grew to approximately ? 65.7 lakh crore by March 2025. During the same period, the Indian banking sector held approximately ? 253.8 lakh crore in deposits.

As a result, mutual fund assets in India now represent nearly 26% of total bank deposits, compared to only 3.3% in Sri Lanka. The gap is significant. While Sri Lanka’s Unit Trust industry is progressing steadily, India’s experience illustrates the potential that can be unlocked when household savings are gradually channeled towards regulated investment products and long-term wealth creation.

The comparison should not be viewed as a criticism of Sri Lanka’s progress. Rather, it highlights the considerable untapped potential that remains within the local market. Even a modest shift of household savings from traditional deposit accounts into regulated collective investment schemes could significantly increase the size and depth of Sri Lanka’s capital markets while providing investors with greater opportunities for long-term wealth accumulation.

The challenge is therefore not the absence of investment products, regulatory support or professional expertise. Instead, the more fundamental challenge is financial literacy and investor awareness.

Many Sri Lankans remain unfamiliar with the benefits, safeguards and regulatory protections offered by Unit Trusts. At the same time, some investors continue to be attracted to unauthorised investment schemes and unrealistic promises of high returns, often without fully understanding the risks involved. This creates a paradox: despite the availability of regulated and professionally managed investment solutions, large segments of the population continue to place their savings in structures that offer significantly less transparency, oversight and investor protection.

This raises a fundamental question. If regulated investment avenues already exist, why do so many individuals continue to overlook them in favour of schemes that provide limited transparency and, in some cases, expose investors to substantial financial risk?

The answer lies not merely in product availability, but in the need to build a stronger culture of financial literacy, investor education and long-term investing. The future growth of Sri Lanka’s Unit Trust industry will ultimately depend on the country’s ability to transform savers into informed investors and create a financial ecosystem where investment decisions are guided by knowledge rather than speculation.

Financial literacy must become a national priority

Financial literacy should not be viewed solely as the responsibility of financial institutions. It should become part of a broader national effort to equip people with the knowledge to make sound financial decisions.

Many young people enter adulthood without a practical understanding of saving, investing, inflation, risk and return, diversification or the difference between regulated and unregulated financial products. This can leave them vulnerable to misinformation and investment promises that may not withstand scrutiny.

Financial education should therefore be introduced from an early stage and strengthened through schools, universities and community programs. Young people should understand the fundamentals of saving and investing, the role of financial institutions and capital markets, the relationship between risk and return, and the importance of investing through regulated channels.

This education must also extend beyond the classroom. Rural communities and other segments with limited access to financial information require greater attention. Financial literacy needs to reach people where financial decisions are actually being made.

An informed investor is better equipped to question unrealistic returns, understand risk and assess whether an investment opportunity is legitimate.

Regulators have a role beyond warnings

Regulators play a critical role in protecting the public from unauthorised and potentially harmful investment schemes. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) continues to issue public warnings on prohibited pyramid schemes and other unlawful financial activities. Most recently, on 16 September 2026, CBSL issued a public notice relating to unauthorised deposit-taking activities, reinforcing the ongoing need for investor vigilance and public awareness.

However, investor education should extend beyond merely highlighting what to avoid. It should also empower individuals with knowledge of legitimate and regulated investment opportunities available to them.

Unit trusts are one such investment avenue. In Sri Lanka, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires a managing company to obtain a license to establish and operate a Unit Trust, also known as a Collective Investment Scheme (CIS), while the trustee must be approved by the Commission. Furthermore, the Collective Investment Scheme Code of 2022 sets out comprehensive requirements governing the establishment, operation and oversight of collective investment schemes, providing an important regulatory framework for investor protection.

Despite these safeguards, many retail investors and savers may not be fully aware of the regulatory protections and governance mechanisms that underpin such investment products.

There is therefore a valuable opportunity for regulators and industry stakeholders to make this information more accessible through simplified educational content, multilingual communication campaigns, digital platforms and outreach programs conducted in collaboration with schools, universities and community organisations.

The objective should be to help individuals understand not only the risks associated with unregulated schemes, but also how regulated investment products operate and how they can form part of a broader financial plan aligned with their investment goals and risk appetite.

In this regard, the SEC’s recent investor awareness campaign, ‘Samata Kotasak, Samata Ekakayak,’ aimed at promoting Unit Trusts and Sri Lanka’s equity market, is a commendable initiative. Such programs should be sustained as national-level efforts to improve financial literacy and broaden participation in regulated investment markets. The Government, regulators and industry participants should collectively support and expand these initiatives to reach communities across the country, thereby fostering a more informed, inclusive and resilient investment culture in Sri Lanka.

Building on the work of the Unit Trust Association

The Unit Trust Association of Sri Lanka has been instrumental in supporting the growth of the unit trust industry, bringing together industry stakeholders and driving greater awareness and understanding of unit trusts. Its continued efforts to promote knowledge, transparency and informed participation have contributed meaningfully to developing confidence in unit trusts as a regulated investment avenue.

The progress made provides a strong platform for the industry to build on. There is considerable opportunity to further expand the reach of investor education and bring the benefits of unit trusts to a broader audience. By continuing to build on the initiatives led by the Association and its members, and strengthening collective efforts across the industry, there is significant potential to deepen participation and take the unit trust sector into its next phase of growth.

While individual fund management companies will naturally communicate their own products, greater emphasis can also be placed on building awareness of unit trusts as an investment category. Before investors choose between different types of funds, they first need to understand what a unit trust is, how it works, the relationship between risk and return, and the protections available within the regulatory framework.

The Association can continue to play a central role in bringing the industry together around initiatives such as:

Nationwide investor awareness campaigns.

Community outreach programs across provinces.

Financial education programs for university students and young professionals.

Simple digital content explaining unit trusts and different fund categories.

Public awareness initiatives across television, radio and social media.

Greater collaboration with schools, universities and community organisations.

Sustained investor education programs that build awareness over the long term.

A coordinated approach can help amplify the work already being done by the Association and its members, creating greater consistency in how unit trusts are understood and helping establish them as a more familiar and accessible investment avenue for Sri Lankan investors.

The opportunity is not to replace existing efforts, but to build on them, broaden their reach and create greater collective impact.

India provides a useful example of how sustained, collective investor education can support greater awareness of mutual funds. The Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), together with its member asset management companies, conducts investor awareness programs across the country. In the financial year ended March 2025, AMFI conducted 306 programs covering more than 68,000 participants, while member asset management companies conducted more than 14,700 programs reaching over 1.14 million participants.

The ‘Mutual Funds Sahi Hai’ campaign is another example of how a simple, industry-wide message can make an investment category more accessible to the public. AMFI identifies the campaign, launched in 2017 under SEBI’s guidance, as one of its key initiatives to build awareness about mutual funds as an asset class.

Sri Lanka can draw from such examples while developing an approach suited to its own market and investor base.

The cost of inaction

The consequences of limited financial literacy extend beyond individual investment decisions.

Unauthorised schemes can spread quickly when they offer simple messages, attractive returns and a strong sense of social proof. CBSL has repeatedly warned the public about prohibited pyramid schemes and provides educational material to help people identify and avoid such schemes.

The communication challenge is therefore significant. Financial products operating within a regulated framework can sometimes be explained through technical language, while unauthorised schemes may rely on simple and persuasive promises.

The industry needs to close that gap.

Financial inclusion is not simply about giving people access to financial products. It is also about giving them the knowledge to assess those products and make informed choices.

Every investor who understands risk, regulation and long-term investing is better equipped to participate in the formal financial system.

A shared responsibility

The future of Sri Lanka’s unit trust industry will depend not only on market performance and product development, but also on how effectively the industry builds understanding and confidence among potential investors.

The Government has an important role in embedding financial literacy within education and national development initiatives.

Regulators can continue protecting the public from unauthorised schemes while also making regulated investment avenues easier to understand.

The Unit Trust Association and its members can build on their existing awareness efforts through broader, more coordinated and sustained industry-wide initiatives.

Financial institutions, too, have a responsibility to communicate in ways that ordinary investors can understand rather than assuming a high level of financial knowledge.

Sri Lanka already has many of the foundations needed to develop a stronger investment culture: a regulated capital market, professional expertise and a range of investment products. The next step is to ensure that more people understand how to participate safely and confidently.

The objective should be simple: to build a nation of informed investors, not vulnerable savers.

A stronger culture of informed investing can support the growth of the unit trust industry, channel more household savings into the formal financial system and contribute to deeper capital markets and broader economic development.

SINGER Fashion Academy Awards 2026 celebrates the achievements of 520 students

SINGER Sri Lanka hosted the SINGER Fashion Academy Awards 2026 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) recently, recognising 520 students who had successfully completed professional qualifications in Dressmaking, Machine Embroidery and Fashion Design. The ceremony highlighted the academy’s role in preparing students for opportunities in the fashion and sewing industry.

With over 60 years of experience in fashion and sewing education, SINGER Fashion Academy has established an extensive learning network across Sri Lanka. It serves over 6,000 active students annually at more than 50 locations islandwide and through online classes via Zoom. Its portfolio of over 20 courses spans different areas of fashion and sewing, including newly introduced pattern-making courses.

Over the years, the academy’s programmes have helped nurture numerous entrepreneurs in the sewing industry, enabling individuals to build businesses and generate income from their skills. Through these initiatives, SINGER Fashion Academy continues to support the development of talent and entrepreneurship within Sri Lanka’s fashion and sewing sector.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Mahesh Wijewardene, Group Managing Director of SINGER (Sri Lanka) PLC, said, ‘At SINGER, we believe that practical education can open doors to new opportunities and contribute to economic empowerment. The achievements of these students reflect the value of investing in professional training that enables individuals to translate their abilities into tangible outcomes, whether through employment, self-employment or entrepreneurship. Through SINGER Fashion Academy, we remain committed to making vocational education accessible and helping people build more independent and fulfilling futures.’

The ceremony recognised students across five programmes: the Certificate in Fashion Design, Diploma in Fashion Design, Advanced Diploma in Fashion Design, Diploma in Dressmaking and Diploma in Machine Embroidery. Of the 520 students recognised, 160 received diplomas, while eight received Advanced Diplomas, reflecting their progression through specialised professional training.

The event also featured a fashion show, giving students the opportunity to present their designs and demonstrate the creativity developed through their training.

Mr. Vajira Tennakoon, Chief Operating Officer of SINGER (Sri Lanka) PLC, said, ‘SINGER Fashion Academy is committed to empowering individuals through education, skills development and creative opportunities. Our diverse range of programmes and focus on personalised attention enable students with different interests and aspirations to develop their abilities and build confidence in applying their skills. We continue to expand our programmes to meet evolving learning needs and encourage more individuals to explore their potential in the fashion and sewing industry.’

Sri Lanka doesn’t need another craft revival. It needs a creative economy

Sri Lanka’s most effective craft campaign of the year may well have been the one that didn’t come out of a trade fair, an export pavilion or a government promotion. Miss World Sri Lanka Prathibha Liyanarachchi, a technical designer and graduate of the University of Moratuwa, has brought a very distinctly Sri Lankan visual language to the international arena. Her profile demonstrates how heritage can be made contemporary and relevant and suggests what more of the younger generation of creatives could achieve if given the right opportunities.

At The Art of Weaving, the Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development described handloom as an ‘industry of the future’, called for products beyond the saree and set an export ambition of US$100 million or more. That ambition is welcome. Having spent decades on preservation programmes the real question is what needs to change in order to make that ambition a reality.

For Selyna Peiris and Robert Meeder (co-founders of The Institute for Future Creations) the answer is in building the creative economy of Sri Lanka rather than just talking about it. Five years after Sri Lanka helped to sponsor the UN resolution on the creative economy, the economic potential of the country is still very much to be defined.

”Craft gives us something very concrete to build an economy around,’ says Peiris. ‘We have makers, materials, knowledge and businesses already in place producing. The opportunity is to stop viewing them as just the recipients of conservation programmes and to start to see them as part of a contemporary productive economy.’

Handloom, batik, jewellery, ceramics, wood and fibre can all be sources of jobs, innovation, IP and exports.Growth doesn’t necessarily mean production alone. ‘The answer isn’t necessarily more handloom stations or more looms, says Meeder. ‘It’s about linking the capabilities we already have to markets and partners who are willing to pay a better price for a better product.

That was the basis of Creative Sri Lanka 2030 which was developed in conjunction with the Export Development Board (EDB) and subsequently supported by an EU led matchmaking programme. Six Sri Lankan brands were mentored, matched with international designers and have since secured export orders from Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and the UK. The EDB is now rolling out the model on a larger scale, linking established exporters with 40 to 50 SMEs, artisans and designers.

The Chamber of Ethical Lifestyle Enterprises (CELE) grew out of the relationships that were formed through the programme. It’s a chamber which brings businesses together to tackle challenges that are very difficult to deal with on your own, whether that be sustainability requirements, technology, finding buyers, going into international markets etc. Shared infrastructure can help connect entrepreneurs with government, knowledge partners and markets.

That support is becoming increasingly important as the export rules develop. The EU’s emerging Digital Product Passport regime will require a great deal more product information and traceability. That will be a particular challenge for the resource poor MSMEs. If compliance costs go up whilst the craft remains in the low value product space then the small producer is going to be even more at risk of being excluded from the export market. Moving up the value chain is therefore absolutely essential.

‘Small doesn’t have to mean low value,’ says Peiris. Craft businesses don’t need to become factories. They need design, technology, market intelligence and partnerships that add value and get it to the people and communities behind the work.

Sri Lanka also needs the kind of creative talent that can bring communities together with manufacturers, with new materials and with international markets. It’s not about just producing another fashion label as a measure of design success. The education and industry sectors need to be supporting the hybrid product designer and innovator who can take existing sectors and transform them.

Nor should Europe be the only horizon. India has a wealth of craft knowledge, materials, designers, technology and a growing market of consumers all of which could be leveraged in a regional context. There are also opportunities in the area of regenerative materials and regenerative agriculture whereby design, technology and green investment could be used to re-establish the links between land, fibre and product.

For Meeder there’s no ‘sleeping giant’ out there to be found. Sri Lanka has hundreds of capabilities, hundreds of materials, hundreds of businesses and hundreds of knowledge systems. The job is to work out what works, stop doing what doesn’t work and invest in the ideas that actually create value.

The Minister’s $100m dream will be down to more than just volume. It will be about having better businesses, better products, creative talent and markets that are prepared to pay for Sri Lankan know-how and originality.

Cyprus Department of Meteorology – Forecast for the Sea Area of Cyprus (A)

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1025hPa (hectopascal)

Weak high pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be partly cloudy at times while tonight isolated showers are expected over the northwestern and northeastern coastal areas.

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 22°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA

PERIOD

WIND

STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Morning

Northeast to Southeast 3, gradually Southeast

Smooth to Slight

Afternoon

West to Northwest 3 to 4

Smooth to Slight

Night

Northwest to Northeast 3, at times offshore Northwest 3 to 4

Smooth to Slight

South Coast

Morning

North to Northeast 3, gradually Northeast 3 to 4

Smooth to Slight

Afternoon

Northeast to Southeast 3, locally Southwest to West

Smooth to Slight

Night

Northwest to North 3, at times locally 3 to 4

Smooth to Slight

East Coast

Morning

North to Northeast 3, at times locally 3 to 4

Slight

Afternoon

Northeast to East 3

Smooth to Slight

Night

Northwest 3

Smooth to Slight

North Coast

Morning

Northeast 3

Smooth to Slight

Afternoon

Southwest to Northwest 3, at times 3 to 4

Smooth to Slight

Night

Variable 3

Smooth to Slight

No hiatus can put a halt to Cup of Joe’s overflowing success

THE phenomenal band Cup of Joe is set to end this awesome year with a big bang. The repertoire is now finalized, and the members are in the thick of preparations for the two-night musical spectacle, billed as Cup of Joe Symphony, on December 3 and 4 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

As of this writing, it has been confirmed that celebrities Anne Curtis and Wilbert Ross have agreed to be special guests in either one of these two concert dates. Ben and Ben’s frontmen Paolo and Miguel Benjamin have also decided on the performance details for their special segment with Cup of Joe. And our source from Viva Entertainment said that a few more surprise guests are being finalized.

The Baguio-borne, five-piece powerhouse band, composed of vocalists Gian Bernardino and Raphaell Riddao, lead guitarist Gabriel Fernandez, rhythm guitarist CJ Fernandez, and keyboardist Xen Gareza, recently announced that it will be going on a hiatus after this major December symphony concert.

But while fans and followers are securing their tickets fast, they are also getting anxious because most are in the dark why the band made this announcement.

There are a dozen reasons why top-tier bands like Cup of Joe decide to take a temporary hiatus. Some of the most obvious ones include recovery from the physical strain and drain of touring, allowing the band members to manage personal and health challenges, preventing burnout, and focusing on solo endeavors.

Burnout is a common result of packed schedules for promotions, recording, concerts, and corporate and brand events which take their toll and drain the group physically and emotionally. I’m quite sure the members have realized that making a living in the modern music business can be relentless and not meant for the faint-hearted. Taking a break is essential to fully recharge their musical batteries.

One or more members might have individual career goals and aspirations aside from being in the group. Take vocalist Gian Bernardino, who has already started exploring other fields like his recent acting debut in the highly successful Philippine movie adaptation of the Thai horror comedy Pee Mak, which earned more than expected at the box office when it was screened nationwide.

Bernardino made it very clear that this move is strictly to explore another field of performing arts. ‘It is a personal expansion, if I may call it that. I’m spreading my artistic wings and trying to expand my reach and my ground. I want to make it clear that I am not leaving the band I so love dearly, and there is no way that the band is disbanding because Cup of Joe remains solid and intact.’

I won’t be surprised if some of the band’s die-hard fans feel hurt because of this recent announcement. The term used in Cup of Joe’s announcement is ‘hiatus’ and some fans aren’t too sure if it means temporary or indefinite. What suddenly came to mind was when the popular group One Direction also used the same word (hiatus) in 2015, but the band never reunited and members like Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson moved on with their individual careers and then Liam Payne tragically passed on.

We cannot discount the fact that there are risks to a hiatus. Fans might lose interest, band members can grow apart, and so on. But when stepping back is managed well to regain the members’ momentum, and used as an opportunity for growth, rejuvenation, and reinvention, a temporary break can do good to the band. There are also times when bands can fall into a pattern of producing similar-sounding songs over time. A hiatus can provide opportunities for the members to reflect on their musical direction and come back with a more evolved and unique sound that is still in perfect sync to the music they are known for.

On November 22, Cup of Joe will hold a special performance for the Uniqlo holiday event at the Bonifacio Global City’s East open parking grounds to spread early Christmas cheers for their fans and the brand’s loyal customers.

I was also told that Cup of Joe has submitted its hit song ‘Sandali’, alongside other Philippine entries like SB19’s ‘Visa’ and BINI’s ‘Unang Kilig’ to the Grammy Awards selection committee for consideration for the Best Asian Pop Performance award, a new category that recognizes artistic excellence in the Asian pop music scene. Nominations are expected to be announced in mid November and Cup of Joe’s fans are keeping their fingers crossed.

Grammy or no Grammy does not really matter. For almost nine years now that started with a performance in a school event in Baguio City, and seven years since Cup of Joe signed with Viva Music, the band has created memorable music and a huge following that no hiatus can stop it from coming back-stronger and mightier than ever, overflowing its cup with music that will continue to alter and transform the local music landscape.

Asean artists converge, explore culture formation in ‘Gathering Point’

Indonesian art practitioner Liza Markus notes that culture develops through accumulation. A trained sculptor, she advances the idea in her curated ongoing group show at the Ayala Museum, which explores how collective contributions to creative practices help shape a community’s identity.

The exhibit, titled Gathering Point, is part of the Asean-Korea Innovative Culture Forum 2026 on November 7, in line with the 37th anniversary of Asean-Korea dialogue relations. Hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of the Republic of Korea and organized by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE) as part of the Asean-Korea Partnership Project for Innovative Culture (PIC), the event creates a space for cultural exchange in the Philippines, as the country assumes the 2026 Asean Chairmanship.

‘To translate and expand the core discourses of the Forum into a tangible, public experience, we present the special exhibition, Gathering Point,’ writes KOFICE president Changsik Park in the event program. ‘[The] exhibition explores how material heritage, craft, and cultural knowledge accumulate and transform through human touch, intergenerational transmission, and shared responsibility-as it reinterprets the material traces of human activity as sites of living cultural intellectual property (IP) and collective memory.’

The exhibit, on view until November 13, presents the artworks of eight acclaimed Asean artists. The list includes Adam Phong from Malaysia, Ari Bayuaji from Indonesia, and Kim Joon from South Korea, along with Imhathai Suwatthanasilp and Latthapon Korkiatarkul, both from Thailand. Rounding out the lineup are three Filipino artists: Christina Quisumbing Ramilo, Mark Justiniani, and Leslie de Chavez.

During the exhibit opening over the weekend, de Chavez and Suwatthanasilp featured in a panel discussion to discuss their art. The talk was moderated by Markus, the curator, who noted the artists’ peculiar choice of material in their respective practices. In the piece Hiyas: Gloria, de Chavez fashioned a stunning chandelier out of pig intestines. Meanwhile, Suwatthanasilp presents seven small sculptures using only stones and intricately woven human hair in Tiny Stupa.

De Chavez explained that working with pig intestines comes from his frequent exposure to them in his hometown of Lucban, Quezon, where it often hangs in the open air in meat shops, used as casings for the town’s famous longganisa.

‘I also work with materialities as something that embodies association with something political, something cultural,’ the artist said in the talk.

‘In a way, the materiality of the intestine somehow suggests the idea of the internal organ. In the Philippines, we have a term called ‘halang ang bituka’ or ‘evil in nature.’ I cannot help but relate it to the political condition and situation here in the Philippines, with how we describe our politicians here.’

Markus related the feeling of viscerality of pig intestines to Suwatthanasilp’s use of human hair. ‘Hair is something we adorn,’ the moderator/curator said, ‘but if you find it on the floor, sometimes it feels visceral.’

Hair is central to Suwatthanasilp’s practice. The Thai artist said her late father once had long locks. Before passing away, he had it cut, braided into four parts, and distributed to his daughters, including Suwatthanasilp, saying that it was meant to be kept even after he was gone. Given the strong association with the object, the artist then began to collect her own fallen hair and used it as an art material. For her piece in Gathering Point, she used her hair as a woven exterior to stones that she collected from her home in northern Thailand.

‘[There,] I feel like I’m close to nature and I can feel peaceful in my mind,’ Suwatthanasilp said.

She added that working with human hair involves different techniques, including sculpting it with hair gel or mixing it with acrylic color to paint on canvas-where nothing is premeditated, and the results vary every time. De Chavez shared the sentiment, saying that working with such materials ‘is a kind of problem-solving all the time.’

‘It’s not only just about exploring materials, but also asking the question of what the material is all about, what kind of history or ideas or meanings can be put in it. That kind of testing is always a continuing process for you to really understand the possibilities it could bring,’ he said.

In the exhibit program, Markus writes that the materials like what both De Chavez and Suwatthanasilp use, ‘continue to shape how we live and build, even when their origins are no longer visible.’

‘The artists in this exhibition look for these traces in the present,’ she adds.

‘Their work draws attention to the human marks in our everyday environments, revealing our continued relationship with forms of knowledge that precede us. In doing so, they invite us to recognize cultural inheritance not as something distant or disappearing, but as a living process that continues to shape the present.’

After 12-year delay, Nigeria’s Minimum Pension Guarantee targets retirement poverty

Nigeria’s long-delayed Minimum Pension Guarantee (MPG) is set to provide a critical safety net for retirees whose years of service and contributions have failed to translate into adequate retirement income, as the Federal Government moves to address one of the biggest weaknesses of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The initiative, which is to be launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu today, is expected to introduce a minimum level of pension protection for eligible retirees whose Retirement Savings Account (RSA) balances are insufficient to sustain a decent standard of living after leaving employment.

Its implementation comes against the backdrop of concerns that the CPS, despite its success in accumulating long-term retirement savings, has not adequately addressed the unequal impact of salary levels, contribution gaps and investment performance on retirement outcomes.

Across the country, many retirees have continued to live in abject poverty despite several years of contributing to the Pension scheme.

The MPG, established under Sections 82 and 84 of the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014, is designed to address this gap by introducing a statutory income floor for retirees who meet prescribed eligibility conditions.

Omolola Oloworaran, director-general of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), announced the launch alongside the PenCare health programme at the National Pension Summit 2026, one of the activities marking the maiden National Pension Week.

She said the initiatives would further expand the pension system, strengthen its capacity to protect contributors and improve the welfare of Nigerian workers and pensioners.

Ekene Maduagwuna, a legal practitioner and pension adviser, said the guarantee was designed to address a fundamental weakness in a system where retirement income depends largely on individual RSA balances.

‘The MPG is intended to address an important aspect of this problem. Rather than allowing retirement income to depend exclusively on the accumulated balance in an individual’s RSA, the guarantee introduces a statutory minimum protection for those who satisfy the prescribed eligibility requirements,’ he said.

Maduagwuna noted that the adequacy of retirement income must be assessed against the recurring expenses retirees face, including food, accommodation, transportation, electricity, medicines and healthcare.

These expenses do not disappear when workers leave employment. In many cases, they become more difficult to manage as retirees contend with age-related health challenges, rising medical costs and the loss of employment-related benefits.

He argued that the pension system must therefore move beyond celebrating asset accumulation to ensuring that retirement savings translate into meaningful financial protection.

‘There is an important distinction between pension fund growth and pension welfare. The first concerns the accumulation, preservation and investment of assets. The second concerns whether those assets ultimately provide sufficient income to support retirees,’ he said.

‘A pension system should not merely preserve the savings of workers. It should also preserve the dignity of their retirement.’

Pius Apere, chairman/CEO of Achor Actuarial Services Limited, described the initiative as a critical intervention to protect retirees against inadequate retirement income.

‘The MPG is a critical safety net within the CPS, as it guarantees retirees a minimum level of benefits and protects them against the risk of inadequate retirement income arising from poor investment returns and economic volatility,’ he said.

He added that its implementation would help prevent pension benefits from falling below a prescribed threshold, providing retirees with greater income security and reducing the likelihood of financial hardship in retirement.

‘By providing an underpin to retirement benefits, the MPG will strengthen confidence in the CPS and ensure that retirees can enjoy a minimum level of financial protection, irrespective of fluctuations in investment performance,’ Apere said.

The MPG is backed by the Pension Protection Fund (PPF), which provides the funding framework for protecting eligible retirees against inadequate pension benefits.

Under current PenCom guidelines tied to the N70,000 national minimum wage, retirees whose monthly or quarterly pension falls below one-third of the minimum wage, equivalent to N23,333.33, have the option of withdrawing their remaining RSA balances in a lump sum or waiting for the MPG framework to provide a minimum pension safety net.

Eligibility for MPG is primarily linked to formal-sector CPS retirees who satisfy prescribed contribution and other qualifying requirements. Informal-sector workers, including traders, farmers and artisans, as well as workers with gaps in their contribution records, may not qualify for the guarantee under the existing framework.

Ultimately, the measure of success will not simply be how much money the pension system accumulates, but whether workers who earn relatively little throughout their working lives can retire without being condemned to financial hardship.