the censei report (vol. 2, no. 20, may 21-27, 2012)
DESCRIPTION
Center for Strategy, Enterprise & Intelligence publishes The CenSEI Report, strategic analysis and research on national, business and global issues.TRANSCRIPT
Center for Strategy Enterprise amp Intelligence provides expertise in strategy and management enterprise development intelligence Internet and mediaFor subscriptions research and advisory services please e-mail reportcenseisolutionscom or callfax +63-2-5311182 Links to online material on public
websites are current as of the week prior to the publication date but might be removed without warning Publishers of linked content should e-mail us or contact us by fax if they do not wish their websites to be linked to our material in the future
NATION
TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
Strategic Analysis and Research by the CENTER FOR STRATEGY ENTERPRISE amp INTELLIGENCE
Volume 2 - Number 20 bull May 21-27 2012
Ombudsman Corona circulated money in 82 dollar accounts~ GMA7 online news headline
Defense Corona dollar accounts just three not 82~ GMA7 online news headline
POINT amp CLICK
You can access online research via the Internetby clicking phrases in blue
BUSINESS
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
cenSEIT H E
Report
14 Growing All the Rice We NeedWhether or not rice self-sufficiency is coming we must shore up food securitybull The geography lesson The real reason the Philippines imports its staplebull The NFArsquos P100-billion problem A costly way to make rice affordablebull Food insecurity Civil society questions government food policybull Throwing it away If we didnrsquot waste so much rice wersquod have enough
4 Just When You Think Recovery Is HereAmid positive signs in the world economy renewed fears of euro zone meltdown hard landing in China and a US fiscal crunch underscore the imperative for contagion containment fiscal reform and economic rebalancing Brace yourself
24 Will the Bangsamoro Substate Bring PeaceThe proposed autonomous entity might be the start of a road to peace if it isnrsquot sidetracked in tricky political terrainbull Decades of strife A history of failed agreements stalled talks mdash and war
34 Death By Gainful EmploymentThere are two million work-related deaths a year more than half of them in Asia Governments and companies must take actionbull Dying on the job Whether by accident illness or stress work eventually kills
46 The High-Tech Way to Cut You UpFrom laser scalpels to surgical robots operating equipment are reducing pain blood and recovery timebull From trephination to transplants A brief history of surgerybull When operations go viral Social media gives surgical learning
We Apologize For Our TardinessFor the past three weeks The CenSEI Report has been delayed by a day in transmission We apologize for this failing for which we offer no excuses just mea culpas The Center for Strategy Enterprise amp Intelligence and our corps of writers and editors are having the inevitable teething problems of any new enterprise But while our timing leaves much to be desired wersquod like to think that any extra hours spent working on The CenSEI Report is time well spent in making every article paragraph sentence link and image greatly informative insightful and even imperative for you our readers
Still we are a weekly publication and there is no better time to be read than early on Monday to get a fresh perspective on the weekrsquos major developments and concerns For the current Report we range across some weighty national and international issues from the global economy shaken by fears of euro meltdown and China slowdown to the death of workers including more than a million Asians every year Clearly urgent action especially from government and business leaders is needed on both fronts to save lives and livelihoods
Here at home we follow up our story last week on rising hunger with another Nation assessment of the rice self-sufficiency program begun in 2008 as the FIELDS initiative for the Philippines to produce all the staple we consume by 2013 Also a life-and-death concern the Nation section casts a legal eye on the proposed Bangsamoro substate being negotiated with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front with greater autonomy than the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) agreed with the Moro National Liberation Front in 1996 Letrsquos hope both rice and peace initiatives bear positive and lasting fruit in the months ahead
While the developments covered in every issue of The CenSEI Report have made news in the weeks before we wrote about them in fact the rationale for tackling these concerns are not the headlines they generated but the humans they affect This week they include the billions of job-holding or -seeking people across the planet the 95 million Filipinos each polishing off 308 grams of rice daily on average and the tens of thousands of government soldiers and separatist rebels in deadly face-off plus the hundreds of innocents caught in their crossfire in the cities and fields of Mindanao
With such import in every article our editors and writers do not hesitate to heavily revise drafts to sharpen strategic focus and argument insert more information-rich links and offer useful action recommendations All within our tight deadlines of course as best we can
4cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
New Dangers Emerge forthe Fragile World RecoveryWatch out for loan default in Greece fiscal crunchin America and sharp slowdown in ChinaBy Ricardo Saludo
The Conference Board Leading Economic Index
REPORT CARD
Australia 00China 08Euro Area 03France 06Germany 04Japan 09Korea 15Mexico 10Spain 09UK 10US 01
Real GDP increase 2011-11 actual and 2012-13 forecastIMF WORLD ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Projections2010 2011 2012 2013
World Output 53 39 35 41 Advanced Economies 32 16 14 20 United States 30 17 21 24 Euro Area 19 14 -03 09 Germany 36 31 06 15 France 14 17 05 10 Italy 18 04 -19 -03 Spain -01 07 -18 01 Japan 44 -07 20 17 United Kingdom 21 07 08 20 Canada 32 25 21 22 Other Advanced Economies 58 32 26 35 Newly Industrialized Asian Econo-mies
85 40 34 42
Emerging and Developing Econo-mies
75 62 57 60
Developing Asia 97 78 73 79 China 104 92 82 88 India 106 72 69 73 ASEAN-5 70 45 54 62
Tables by The Conference Board and IMF World Economic Outlook page 2
5
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
New risks for a fragile world recovery
STRATEGY POINTSImproving world economic prospects face new threats Greece default sharp China slowdown and the 2013 US fiscal crunch
Like the IMF get ready for a painful costly and messy meltdown in Europe with contagion effects on Asian trade and finance
Governments and lenders must balance fiscal austerity for investor confidence and the peoplersquos need for growth and jobs
Facebookrsquos mammoth initial public offering of shares last Friday raised
$184 billion mdash Americarsquos second-largest IPO after Visarsquos $1965 billion in 2008 mdash and valued the social networking website at $104 billion 23rd in stock market capitalization The next day its 56 owner and founding CEO Mark Zuckerberg 28 married his girlfriend of nearly a decade 27-year-old medicine graduate Priscilla Chan at his Palo Alto home
Whatrsquos wrong with this picture For billions of people across the planet including many of some 850 million exchanging messages visages and images on Facebook their own economic prospects are anything but the bubbly expectations of those who bought the stock at 422 times its latest quarterly earnings per share
For the more than 230 million Facebookers in Europe things got decidedly tougher the past week with the feared exit by debt-strapped Greece from the euro currency Most of the 36 million Greeks on Facebook may interrupt their browsing to join the rest of the countryrsquos 107 million people in
emptying their bank accounts before their euros are converted to drachmas
The rest of Europe will sink deeper into recession as bank lending and private investment further contracts and the euro plummets in value hitting consumer buying power That would put the brakes on the rest of the world economy just when China is showing signs of a slowdown and the US while doing better than expected faces a sharp fiscal crunch with tax breaks ending and drastic spending cuts due in 2013
So is the Facebook IPO the last party before another global slump Letrsquos hear it from the world economyrsquos watchers at its main financial trouble-shooting shop the International Monetary Fund For its annual spring meetings with its sister institution the World Bank on April 21 in Washington the IMF published an update of its World Economic Outlook report
In its executive summary the WEO said ldquoweak recovery will likely resume in the major advanced economies and activity is expected to remain relatively solid in
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
most emerging and developing economies However the recent improvements are very fragilerdquo Translation Wersquore making progress but wersquore not out of the woods Or as investment bank Morgan Stanleyrsquos Global Economic Forum puts it the global expansion is ldquobumpy below-par and brittlerdquo
The Fund expects ldquothe reacceleration of activity during the course of 2012 to return global growth to about 4 in 2013rdquo That would be back to last yearrsquos pace after slowing to a projected 35 this year Advanced economies crawling at 15 in 2012 could speed up to 2 next year while emerging and developing nations see expansion dip from 625 in 2011 to 575 this year then climb to 6 next
Containing contagion But that was before Greece rekindled fears of financial contagion last week It set new elections on June 17 after this monthrsquos polls failed to produce a coalition government to implement tough austerity measures in exchange for bailout loans Without the credit the country would default on loans exacerbating Europersquos crisis and possibly triggering a new global contagion If that happens predicts the Fundrsquos WEO that could shave 2 off world economic output this year and next
The European Commissionrsquos European Economic Forecast for spring had a first chapter titled ldquoThe EU Economy From Recession to a Slow Recoveryrdquo expressing hopes of a turnaround mdash with a big if ldquoGoing forward based on the assumption that the euro area will successfully handle crisis-related challenges a return of confidence over the course of 2012 is expectedrdquo That now boils down to Greece staying in the zone and the European Union
ratifying and carrying out its March 2 fiscal commitment treaty
IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde has had no illusions about the challenge of staving off recession and financial meltdown Last week she told The Telegraph newspaper of London referring to Greece exiting the euro zone ldquoIt would be extremely expensive and not just in Greece extremely expensive and hardrdquo She said the Fund is getting ready just in case ldquoWe at the IMF had to be technically prepared for anything because it is our jobrdquo she explained
No wonder the former French finance minister and head of international law firm Baker amp McKenzie had been pushing for increased rescue money for the Fund as a ldquoglobal firewallrdquo against future crises Ahead of the IMF-World Bank meetings Lagarde made a last-ditch call for $400 billion in additional resources for the Fund down from an initial target of $600 billion before the US refused to join the capital-raising exercise By meetingrsquos end the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies agreed to more than double IMF resources by more than $430 billion
ldquoThe firewall is a recognition that you need a global safety net not just a
Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Thof IMF policy committee with IMF MGlobal consensus for medium-term
7
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
European regional safety netrdquo explained Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Thanam Shanmugaratnam chairman of the Fundrsquos policy-making International Monetary and Finance Committee (IMFC) on the sidelines of the meetings He also lauded a ldquoa joining of minds on the criticality of medium-term sustainability We have to think creatively about policies which can help to get growth going without compromising on market confidencerdquo That means he said ldquomoving away from short-term stimulus thinking to thinking how we can recreate the basis for growth a few years from nowrdquo
Bear in the China shop Besides new troubles in the euro zone another recent worry in business circles is Chinarsquos economic slowdown As
reported by Reuters last Friday Chinarsquos State Information Center a government think tank estimated that in the second quarter the economy had decelerated to 75 the slowest since the midst of the global recession in the first quarter of 2009
Attributed to ldquoproperty tightening measures and weakening global demandrdquo the slowdown was still in line with the official GDP growth target No matter analysts like DailyFinancecom were quick to blog
warnings like ldquoChinarsquos Economic Slowdown Foreshadows Trouble for the USrdquo Besides watchers of the American economy oil futures traders also saw reason for gloom in Greecersquos woe and China slow
Top global bond investment company PIMCO joined leading banks Citigroup JP Morgan Chase Bank of America Goldman Sachs and Switzerlandrsquos UBS in cutting China growth forecasts PIMCO adjusted its projection to 75 the lowest annual rate in 13 years and the lower end of banksrsquo revised forecasts A day after the China think tank estimate Bloomberg reported that Goldman Sachs also trimmed its 2012 forecast five percentage points less to 81
In a survey of 21 economists conducted by Bloomberg last week the median forecast for China growth was 82 the slowest since 76 in 1999 and a full percentage point down from last yearrsquos 92 clip Many see third-quarter growth picking up on the expectation that the government would further ease interest rates But pumping more renminbi into the economy may not help much if bad loans hold back lending and businesses donrsquot have profitable reasons to boost production and invest
Bank lending is stagnant says Xiang Songzuo chief economist for the giant China Agricultural Bank in the Christian Science Monitorrsquos ldquoWhy Chinarsquos economy may be heading for a hard landingrdquo The May 17 story notes that industrial production grew 93 last month the slowest since the global slump Speaking to Bloomberg former IMF expert Xiang Zhiwei now Hong Kong-based chief economist of Nomura Holdings cited ldquobad trade production and [foreign direct investment] datardquo with FDI falling for six months in a row
harman Shanmugaratnam chairman Managing Director Christine Lagardeaction and global firewall IMF video
New risks for a fragile world recovery
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Meanwhile Bloomberg reported elsewhere exports and imports grew 49 and 03 sharply down from consensus projections of 85 and 105 respectively ldquoA very weak economy at this pointrdquo Zhang concludes adding that reducing bank reserve requirement ratios isnrsquot enough ldquoas it helps loan supply rather than demandrdquo His prescription more infrastructure spending and interest-rate cuts
America picks up pace If Europe and China are worrisome the United States is showing signs of slightly better-than-expected progress Take this May 9 presentation by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Compared with past recoveries from deep recessions the current US rebound is ldquomutedrdquo reports Chicago Fed senior economist William Strauss with just 21 growth in the past year The economy is forecast to grow ldquobelow trend this year and slightly above trend in 2013rdquo
Even with that slower-than-usual recovery 18 million jobs were added in the past 12 months and unemployment has dropped by 19 percentage points since the 2009 peak And more jobs are expected with solid manufacturing growth Indeed factory output has risen strongly in the past 33 months recovering nearly three-quarters of the production decline during the recession
Inflation is up a sign of economic and spending pickup However inflation-adjusted oil prices are lower than their 1980 high while gas prices are sharply down and energy expenditures are below the historical average Thus the Federal Reserve can hold interest rates down without spiking inflation
Argentinarsquos BBVA shares the upbeat outlook of many other international banks watching the American economy While it sees ldquomixed signals on the strength and sustainability of
Nomura Hong Kong economist Zhang Zhiwei cites dropping China trade production and investment and urges stronger monetary and fiscal measures to boost growth Bloomberg
9
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
the recoveryrdquo first-quarter data support its expectation of more robust growth through the year BBVA reports that the 29 surge in consumer spending in the first quarter mdash the fastest since late 2006 mdash offset weakness elsewhere in the economy
Notably BBVA differed a bit from the Chicago Fed in noting a manufacturing slowdown in the first quarter But the prognosis for the year remains decent with 23 growth projected Contributing to GDP growth for the first time since the 2008-09 recession is the residential investment with several housing-related industries also showing slightly positive movements Among them fabric and textile mills household and institutional furniture and paint One more plus sector growth in services is helping offset some job losses in industry especially with cutbacks in mining and energy
The coming US fiscal cliff So wherersquos the brittle side in the American economic picture Like Europe the crack in the glass is a fiscal one the market-imposed imperative to reduce public deficits and debt At the stroke of midnight on December 31 the current regime of Bush-era middle-class tax breaks the 2011-12 payroll tax cut and growth-spurring budgetary spending turns into a pumpkin so to speak Add to the expiring state largesse the expected decline in defense outlays as waves of US troops come home from Afghanistan
How big is this removal of tax cuts and forced budget reductions Most economists estimate their combined value at 35 of GDP including $12 trillion in legislated spending cuts under the Democratic-Republican deal to raise the federal debt ceiling last August But Morgan Stanleyrsquos April 13 report ldquoHow Big Is the Fiscal
WHATrsquoS AHEAD FOR AMERICAThe Conference Board Forecasts 2011 Actual and 2012-13 Projections
2012 2013 2011 2012 2013
I Q II Q III Q IV Q I Q II Q ANNUAL ANNUAL ANNUAL
Real GDP 22 17 23 24 26 25 17 22 24Real Consumer Spending 29 24 25 27 26 23 22 23 24Housing Starts Mil Units 069 072 074 077 077 081 061 073 082Real Capital Spending -21 59 65 68 67 78 88 52 67Net Exports Bil lsquo00$ -4101 -4043 -3980 -3865 -3751 -3608 -4136 -3997 -3505
actual value
Table by The Conference Board
New risks for a fragile world recovery
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Cliff in 2013rdquo puts it at 5 Either way for an economy growing at less than 3 a reduction of 35-5 in state-funded demand would tip America into recession
Most forecasters believe that the US Congress will pass legislation to spread the fiscal pain over a longer period than all together on New Yearrsquos Day But that is not a sure thing especially in the fractious aftermath of national elections in November Even if another bipartisan deal is struck a substantial portion of the tax and spending squeeze will still be felt in 2013 making Morgan Stanley analysts wonder why many economists expect next yearrsquos growth to be faster than this year
Moreover they may be forgetting why those tax cuts and federal spending have to go in the first place market pressure to right Washingtonrsquos fiscal ship whose shakiness already led Standard amp Poorrsquos to downgrade US sovereign credit to below triple-A over a year ago If Congress puts off the January fiscal Armageddon without putting a credible deficit-and-debt reduction program
in its place the dollar and the governmentrsquos credit rating and costs will pay the price with negative impact on the economy
Hence Morgan Stanley expects some ldquomeaningfulrdquo budgetary and tax tightening next year ldquoan expiration of the payroll tax cut some rejigged spending cuts and other miscellaneous measures to lead to about a 15 of GDP fiscal tightening in 2013rdquo That forecast would pare one percentage point off next yearrsquos baseline expansion But even this mild scenario demands a big if that Democrats and Republicans after being hopelessly occupied before elections would find the time and inclination to enact the needed legislation between mid-November and the Christmas break as they did in 2010
Austerity and bailout fatigue But more than partisan politics the bigger difficulty in balancing fiscal reform and growth is the citizenryrsquos general unwillingness to sacrifice for balanced budgets whether they are cash-strapped Greeks or debt-ridden Americans ldquoPeople are saying lsquoAusterity austerity mdash
Former investment banker Michael Milken interviewing economist Nouriel Roubini People say lsquoAusterity austerity mdash wherersquos the growthlsquo Milken InstituteYouTube
11
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
New risks for a fragile world recovery
WHERE ASIA SELLS
IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 pages 6 and 41
Correlation of Exports to China with Chinarsquos Exports to Asian Selected Economies
05
04
03
02
01
00
-01
2006-112000-05
New
Zea
land
Hon
g Ko
ng S
AR
Philip
pine
s
Aust
ralia
Thai
land
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Indo
nesi
a
Sing
apor
e
Kore
a
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Share of Exports Linked to Demand from Europe
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Sing
apor
e
Thai
land
Kore
a
Chi
na
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Indo
nesi
a
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Philip
pine
s
In percent of exports linked to demand outside Asia In percent of GDP
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
New risks for a fragile world recovery
where is growthrsquordquo says economist Nouriel Roubini in his May 3 Milken Institute interview The New York University professor who famously predicted the 2008 US financial crisis thinks that due to this austerity fatigue ldquoeither this year or next Greece is highly likely to default on its debt and exit the eurozonerdquo (On the other hand he also mentions bailout fatigue in countries like Germany tired of paying billions for financial rescues)
In his Project Syndicate article ldquoGreece Must Exitrdquo Roubini spells out what he believes is the only way forward for Athens ldquoGreece is stuck in a vicious cycle of insolvency lost competitiveness external deficits and ever-deepening depression The only way to stop it is to begin an orderly default and exit coordinated and financed by the European Central Bank the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund (the lsquoTroikarsquo) that minimizes collateral damage to Greece and the rest of the eurozonerdquo He sets out an ugly but in his view unavoidable scenario of managing Greek default And if that horror story whets onersquos appetite for more try ldquoGet Ready for the Spanish Bailoutrdquo
What about America Will it bite the bullet Or will it too become a ldquotrain wreckrdquo as Roubini says of Europersquos fiscal landscape in his talk with former investment banker Michael Milken If so will the American economy tank not to mention the worldrsquos And what is Asia to do in the continuing economic malaise in big markets
That is the subject of the IMFrsquos Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 subtitled ldquoManaging Spillovers and Advancing Economic Rebalancing The report assesses the likely impact on Asia of the Westrsquos economic and financial troubles and recommends measures to address it The Fund also urges measures to rebalance the regionrsquos economies away from export dependence and toward greater reliance on domestic consumption and investment spending for economic growth
In a world of turmoil that is exactly the formula to keep Asia growing
GROWING ASIA
Real GDP Change in 2011 and 2012-13 Forecast 2011 2012 2013
Industrial Asia -02 22 20 Australia 20 30 35 Japan -07 20 17 New Zealand 14 23 32East Asia 82 73 80 China 92 82 88 Hong Kong SAR 50 26 42 Korea 36 35 40 Taiwan Province of China 40 36 47South Asia 71 68 72 Bangladesh 61 59 64 India 71 69 73 Sri Lanka 82 75 70ASEAN 46 52 60 Brunei Darussalam 19 32 16 Cambodia 61 62 64 Indonesia 65 61 66 Lao PDR 83 84 71 Malaysia 51 44 47 Myanmar 55 60 59 Philippines 37 42 47 Singapore 49 27 39 Thailand 01 55 75 Vietnam 59 56 63Emerging Asia 74 69 75
source IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 page 5
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The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Business
SBMA upbeat on lsquoSubic BPO Cityrsquo projectSubic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto V Garcia shared his positive outlook for the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the region recently as he address more than 200 graduating students of Olongapo Citys AMA College
Banking on the infrastructure projects within the freeport zone Garcia said that his management team has made plans to establish a BPO City inside Subic You are lucky he assured the graduates because there are lots of jobs waiting for you in the Subic Freeport
Further explanation from Garcia revealed that the future of BPO and Information Technology businesses in general has become very promising for the Philippines especially after it overtook India as the call center capital of the world The planned Subic BPO City seeks to capitalize on the rising trend and is poised to create jobs for more than 20000 IT-BPO workers by 2016 In fact PLDTs Vitro Data Center was recently launched in the area to help spur the local growth of the IT and BPO industry
The developments in Subic are only part of a concentrated effort by the government through the Department of Science and Technology Information and
Communications Technology Office to aim for a higher 2016 revenue target from the IT-BPO industry ndash raising it from $25 billion to $274 billion
PH conglomerates post higher Q1 profitsImproved economic activity in the country during the first quarter of 2012 appears to have boosted several of the Philippines leading conglomerates Last month Gokongwei-led JG Summit Holdings Inc was optimistic about its profits for this year due to a rising consumer demand for its varied products Accordingly the companys first quarter net income rose 767 to ₧491 billion in comparison to compared to ₧278 billion during the first quarter of 2011
Similarly Gotianun family-led Filinvest Development Corp (FDC) posted a consolidated net income of ₧121 billion in the first quarter of 2012 61 higher than the ₧114 billion from first quarter numbers last year FDCs real estate business accounted for 51 of the total revenues
Meanwhile GT Capital Holdings flagship of tycoon George Ty registered a net income of ₧13 billion in the first quarter of this year an increase of 505 from 2011 numbers
Lopez Holdings Corp ndash with a 603 economic interest in ABS-
CBN and 466 in First Philippine Holdings Corporation as of December 2011 ndash experienced a first-quarter net income increase of 192 to ₧263 billion compared to ₧902 million recorded during the same period last year However ABS-CBN itself posted a staggering profit drop of 69 for the first three months of 2012
Shipbuilder Hanjin Philippines to hire at least 10000 workersSouth Korean Shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries amp Construction-Philippines Inc (HHIC) through HHIC president Jin Kyu Ahn has announced that it is planning to hire at least 10000 more workers this 2012 for its shipyard in Zambales Subic Bay Freeport Zone The company has about 20000 local employees currently The Hanjin official noted that the promised jobs would clearly benefit the Philippine economy and bring opportunities to Filipino entrepreneurs and skilled workers and much needed revenue to the Philippine government
According to the Maritime Industry Authority the Philippines is the worldrsquos fourth-largest shipbuilding country The arrival of foreign shipbuilders such as HHIC in the country is a major factor that has spurred the growth of this industry at the same time that overseas Filipino workers are in demand in foreign shipyards
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
NATION
In Pursuit of Rice Self-Sufficiency by 2013Promised pursued and probably attainable but at what costBy Joanne Angela B Marzan
ersquoll achieve rice self-sufficiency after 2013 so beginning 2014
Next year we anticipate nakulangin tayo konti na lang [Next year we anticipate the shortfall to be minimal] Well start to export next year Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told the ABS-CBN news channel in a May 4 report posted on the abs-cbn news website
In fact Secretary Alcala mentioned in a May 9 press conference of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that the countryrsquos production target of palay (paddy rice) is ldquoon trackrdquo at 399 million metric tons (MMT) for the 1st quarter and 385 MMT for the 2nd quarter for a combined 784 MMT for the first semester of the year This means that the country has reached 42 of its 1846 MMT palay production target for the year
Meanwhile President Benigno Simeon C Aquino echoed this promised milestone to the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) attending the 45thAnnual Meeting in Manila from May 2-5 2012 But not before taking a swipe at the previous administration
During his ADB speech President Aquino said ldquoRice imported at inflated cost by the government was rotting away in rented warehousesrdquo and then proudly announced that through the reforms implemented by his administration the Philippines is ldquoless than a year away from being a net exporter of ricerdquo should the weather cooperate
STRATEGY POINTSThe Department of Agriculture is optimistic that by 2014 one of President Aquinos agricultural milestones of rice self-sufficiency would finally be attained even as some wonder whether this target can be achieved with middling economic growth and a rapidly growing population
A couple of papers from Philippine Institute for Development Studies have examined the countrys historic rice self-sufficiency policies and blame them for causing soaring rice prices that threaten the food security of the poorest sectors of society
Rice self-sufficiency is a most worthy goal but not at the expense of food security
ldquoW
rdquo
15
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Whether its Agriculture Secretary Alcala you want to hold to his promise of rice self-sufficiency by 2014 or President Aquino to his promise of rice self-sufficiency within a year of his speech to the ADB Board of Governors in May it would look as if the goal is seen as eminently doable if not practically a fait accompli
And with all that we would now like to ask whether rice self-sufficiency is
in fact worth all the fuss
To put things in some perspective the Philippines might be the worlds largest importer of rice but its not as if the Philippines doesnt produce a lot of rice In fact according to the table below from
ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo by Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio of the National Statistics Coordination Board in 2008 the Philippines produced the eighth-most rice in the world
13 In this video clip President Aquino expounds on the accomplishments of his administration during the 45th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of GovernorsABS-CBN
Country 2008 (in tonnes) RankChina 193354180 1India 148770000 2Indonesia 60251000 3Bangladesh 46742000 4Viet Nam 38725100 5Myanmar 32573000 6Thailand 31650600 7Philippines 16815500 8Brazil 12061500 9Japan 11028800 10
2008 TOP 10 PRODUCERS OF RICE PADDY
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and
Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
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According to statistics from the afore-mentioned article provided in the table above in 1980 the Philippines exported the third-largest quantity of rice in Southeast Asia after Thailand and Myanmar In fact up until 1992 the Philippines was still rice self-sufficient enough to be a net exporter of rice
The problem is that in 1993 the Philippinesrsquo rice consumption fueled by an ever-growing population started to overtake its production In 2008 the Philippines imported 25 million metric tons of rice highest in the world fueled by both its fast-growing population and a global food crisis
For all the progress the country has made and is making in rice production one noted agriculturist believes that President Aquinorsquos ldquoreiteration of the policy of self-sufficiency in rice is a political strategy and not a poverty strategyrdquo
According to Dr Emil Q Javier president of the National Academy of Science and Technology rice self-sufficiency will not be
achieved because of ldquoour still unresolved population management policy as well as the relative slow rise in family incomesrdquo
At a March Department of Agriculture symposium about ldquoBroad-based Strategies for Food Security and Changing World Food Marketsrdquo Dr Javier posited that ldquo until such time that our economy consistently attains high growth rates like our neighbors diversification of food preference from rice to other food commodities associated with increasing incomes will be relatively slow Thus total effective demand of rice will continue to rise in the intermediate futurerdquo
Politics and rice have always gone together The historical relationship between politics and rice was discussed in the July 2005 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) discussion paper Rice and Philippine Politics by Ponciano S Intal Jr and Marissa C Garcia
The study said that rice has been a ldquopivotal political commodity since the Commonwealthrdquo for rice has become
ASEAN EXPORTER
ASEAN Country
1970 (in tonnes)
Rank 1980 (in tonnes)
Rank 1990 (in tonnes)
Rank 2000 (in tonnes)
Thailand 1047460 1 2762920 1 3557820 1 5282160Viet Nam 18479 5 33300 4 1624000 2 3476980Myanmar 640964 2 653100 2 213600 3 251400Singapore 33859 4 13342 5 1964 4 4105Cambodia 177688 3 - - - - 4860Philippines - - 256390 3 2 6 224Malaysia 70 6 - - 57 5 63Indonesia - - 10003 6 - - 196Brunei Darussalam
- - - - - - F
17
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
S OF RICE MILLED
Rank 2005(in tonnes)
Rank 2006 (in tonnes)
Rank 2007 (in tonnes)
Rank 2008 (in tonnes)
Rank
1 6043550 1 5996420 1 7408300 1 8672450 12 5250000 2 4642000 2 4558000 2 4735170 23 180000 3 71180 R 3 358500 3 40924 R 35 82239 4 67070 4 74872 4 13607 44 1384 R 7 3444 R 5 1170 R 5 4299 R 56 75 R 8 1370 R 6 68 R 7 1298 R 68 1531 6 1157 7 54 8 860 77 42280 5 907 8 336 6 429 8- - F - 369 R 9 - - 14 R 9
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
A matter of geographyHow did the Philippines which has long been in the forefront of rice research with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna become the worldrsquos top importer of rice A 2006 study ldquoWhy Does the Philippines Import Rice Meeting the challenge of trade liberalizationrdquo published by the IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) offered an interesting if not very obvious answer to its self-posed question The main reason it turns out might not owe so much to bad politicians corruption incompetence or laziness as it might to basic geography
ldquoExporters occupy river deltas with lots of land in general and lots of land suitable for rice in particular These countries are all located in mainland Southeast Asia Thailand Vietnam Cambodia and Myanmarrdquo the study explained The Philippines for its part is an island nation without any major river deltas one of a number of similarly configured Asian nations who have been historical rice importers ndash Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia and Sri Lanka
In addition the IRRI and PhilRice study also defended the Filipino farmer
ldquoSome may think the Filipino farmer is simply backward and cannot produce rice efficiently But a detailed survey of farmers in the various rice bowls of Asia found that Filipino farmers were among the leaders in reducing insecticide use and have progressed farther in mechanizing land preparation and postharvest operations than their counterparts in any other developing Asian country except Thailandrdquo the study claimed
the ldquostaple food and calorie source for majority of the population especially in the low-income groupsrdquo As such the study continued a strong relationship between rice and politics can be seen throughout the countryrsquos history The
report claimed that the price of rice has been a ldquosignificant determinant in election results since the 1950srdquo
However the study also criticized the governmentrsquos use of ldquoprice intervention
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
instrumentsrdquo which has favored rice farmers over consumers The shift to high nominal protection rates results in higher domestic prices for rice to benefit producers while lower nominal protection rates imply low domestic prices that would favor consumers
ldquo[R]eliance by the Philippine government primarily on price instruments to achieve its rice objectives and to protect farmer and consumer interests has not resulted in any substantial improvements in rice production In fact the shift to rice protection since the 1980s has failed to stabilize domestic rice prices and has effectively penalized the poorer householdsrdquo
lsquoObsolete and increasingly untenablersquo A more recent PIDS Policy Notes reiterated that the countryrsquos rice self-sufficiency policies are ldquoobsolete and increasingly untenablerdquo
A May 2011 PIDS Policy Notes brief ldquoPutting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food securityrdquo by Roehlano Briones and Danileen Kristel Parel assailed the countryrsquos special treatment of rice since 1994 as approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the granting of a Quantitative Restriction (QR) on rice imports to protect rice farmers has led to higher prices of rice which affect the poorest of the poor
The WTO defines QR as ldquospecific limits on the quantity or value of goods that can be imported (or exported)
during a specific time periodrdquo The PIDS study explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by law to set
The NFArsquos ₧100-billion problemThe National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to guarantee ldquothe food security of the country and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-ricerdquo As such NFA is the government agency tasked to ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the Filipino amidst soaring rice prices
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that according to a recently released 2009 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) the NFA lost more than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food security with stable prices as reported in a May 18 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Inquirer report said ldquoHuge rice imports and a policy of buying high selling low and storing long have resulted in the National Food Authority losing more than ₧100 billion in a span of 10 yearsrdquo
In 2008 alone COA said that the NFA suffered its biggest net loss of ₧3220 billion due to the global
13 GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES
900008000070000600005000040000300002000010000
0
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Gross Revenues
19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
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rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
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Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
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entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
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Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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We Apologize For Our TardinessFor the past three weeks The CenSEI Report has been delayed by a day in transmission We apologize for this failing for which we offer no excuses just mea culpas The Center for Strategy Enterprise amp Intelligence and our corps of writers and editors are having the inevitable teething problems of any new enterprise But while our timing leaves much to be desired wersquod like to think that any extra hours spent working on The CenSEI Report is time well spent in making every article paragraph sentence link and image greatly informative insightful and even imperative for you our readers
Still we are a weekly publication and there is no better time to be read than early on Monday to get a fresh perspective on the weekrsquos major developments and concerns For the current Report we range across some weighty national and international issues from the global economy shaken by fears of euro meltdown and China slowdown to the death of workers including more than a million Asians every year Clearly urgent action especially from government and business leaders is needed on both fronts to save lives and livelihoods
Here at home we follow up our story last week on rising hunger with another Nation assessment of the rice self-sufficiency program begun in 2008 as the FIELDS initiative for the Philippines to produce all the staple we consume by 2013 Also a life-and-death concern the Nation section casts a legal eye on the proposed Bangsamoro substate being negotiated with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front with greater autonomy than the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) agreed with the Moro National Liberation Front in 1996 Letrsquos hope both rice and peace initiatives bear positive and lasting fruit in the months ahead
While the developments covered in every issue of The CenSEI Report have made news in the weeks before we wrote about them in fact the rationale for tackling these concerns are not the headlines they generated but the humans they affect This week they include the billions of job-holding or -seeking people across the planet the 95 million Filipinos each polishing off 308 grams of rice daily on average and the tens of thousands of government soldiers and separatist rebels in deadly face-off plus the hundreds of innocents caught in their crossfire in the cities and fields of Mindanao
With such import in every article our editors and writers do not hesitate to heavily revise drafts to sharpen strategic focus and argument insert more information-rich links and offer useful action recommendations All within our tight deadlines of course as best we can
4cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
New Dangers Emerge forthe Fragile World RecoveryWatch out for loan default in Greece fiscal crunchin America and sharp slowdown in ChinaBy Ricardo Saludo
The Conference Board Leading Economic Index
REPORT CARD
Australia 00China 08Euro Area 03France 06Germany 04Japan 09Korea 15Mexico 10Spain 09UK 10US 01
Real GDP increase 2011-11 actual and 2012-13 forecastIMF WORLD ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Projections2010 2011 2012 2013
World Output 53 39 35 41 Advanced Economies 32 16 14 20 United States 30 17 21 24 Euro Area 19 14 -03 09 Germany 36 31 06 15 France 14 17 05 10 Italy 18 04 -19 -03 Spain -01 07 -18 01 Japan 44 -07 20 17 United Kingdom 21 07 08 20 Canada 32 25 21 22 Other Advanced Economies 58 32 26 35 Newly Industrialized Asian Econo-mies
85 40 34 42
Emerging and Developing Econo-mies
75 62 57 60
Developing Asia 97 78 73 79 China 104 92 82 88 India 106 72 69 73 ASEAN-5 70 45 54 62
Tables by The Conference Board and IMF World Economic Outlook page 2
5
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
New risks for a fragile world recovery
STRATEGY POINTSImproving world economic prospects face new threats Greece default sharp China slowdown and the 2013 US fiscal crunch
Like the IMF get ready for a painful costly and messy meltdown in Europe with contagion effects on Asian trade and finance
Governments and lenders must balance fiscal austerity for investor confidence and the peoplersquos need for growth and jobs
Facebookrsquos mammoth initial public offering of shares last Friday raised
$184 billion mdash Americarsquos second-largest IPO after Visarsquos $1965 billion in 2008 mdash and valued the social networking website at $104 billion 23rd in stock market capitalization The next day its 56 owner and founding CEO Mark Zuckerberg 28 married his girlfriend of nearly a decade 27-year-old medicine graduate Priscilla Chan at his Palo Alto home
Whatrsquos wrong with this picture For billions of people across the planet including many of some 850 million exchanging messages visages and images on Facebook their own economic prospects are anything but the bubbly expectations of those who bought the stock at 422 times its latest quarterly earnings per share
For the more than 230 million Facebookers in Europe things got decidedly tougher the past week with the feared exit by debt-strapped Greece from the euro currency Most of the 36 million Greeks on Facebook may interrupt their browsing to join the rest of the countryrsquos 107 million people in
emptying their bank accounts before their euros are converted to drachmas
The rest of Europe will sink deeper into recession as bank lending and private investment further contracts and the euro plummets in value hitting consumer buying power That would put the brakes on the rest of the world economy just when China is showing signs of a slowdown and the US while doing better than expected faces a sharp fiscal crunch with tax breaks ending and drastic spending cuts due in 2013
So is the Facebook IPO the last party before another global slump Letrsquos hear it from the world economyrsquos watchers at its main financial trouble-shooting shop the International Monetary Fund For its annual spring meetings with its sister institution the World Bank on April 21 in Washington the IMF published an update of its World Economic Outlook report
In its executive summary the WEO said ldquoweak recovery will likely resume in the major advanced economies and activity is expected to remain relatively solid in
6cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
most emerging and developing economies However the recent improvements are very fragilerdquo Translation Wersquore making progress but wersquore not out of the woods Or as investment bank Morgan Stanleyrsquos Global Economic Forum puts it the global expansion is ldquobumpy below-par and brittlerdquo
The Fund expects ldquothe reacceleration of activity during the course of 2012 to return global growth to about 4 in 2013rdquo That would be back to last yearrsquos pace after slowing to a projected 35 this year Advanced economies crawling at 15 in 2012 could speed up to 2 next year while emerging and developing nations see expansion dip from 625 in 2011 to 575 this year then climb to 6 next
Containing contagion But that was before Greece rekindled fears of financial contagion last week It set new elections on June 17 after this monthrsquos polls failed to produce a coalition government to implement tough austerity measures in exchange for bailout loans Without the credit the country would default on loans exacerbating Europersquos crisis and possibly triggering a new global contagion If that happens predicts the Fundrsquos WEO that could shave 2 off world economic output this year and next
The European Commissionrsquos European Economic Forecast for spring had a first chapter titled ldquoThe EU Economy From Recession to a Slow Recoveryrdquo expressing hopes of a turnaround mdash with a big if ldquoGoing forward based on the assumption that the euro area will successfully handle crisis-related challenges a return of confidence over the course of 2012 is expectedrdquo That now boils down to Greece staying in the zone and the European Union
ratifying and carrying out its March 2 fiscal commitment treaty
IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde has had no illusions about the challenge of staving off recession and financial meltdown Last week she told The Telegraph newspaper of London referring to Greece exiting the euro zone ldquoIt would be extremely expensive and not just in Greece extremely expensive and hardrdquo She said the Fund is getting ready just in case ldquoWe at the IMF had to be technically prepared for anything because it is our jobrdquo she explained
No wonder the former French finance minister and head of international law firm Baker amp McKenzie had been pushing for increased rescue money for the Fund as a ldquoglobal firewallrdquo against future crises Ahead of the IMF-World Bank meetings Lagarde made a last-ditch call for $400 billion in additional resources for the Fund down from an initial target of $600 billion before the US refused to join the capital-raising exercise By meetingrsquos end the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies agreed to more than double IMF resources by more than $430 billion
ldquoThe firewall is a recognition that you need a global safety net not just a
Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Thof IMF policy committee with IMF MGlobal consensus for medium-term
7
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
European regional safety netrdquo explained Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Thanam Shanmugaratnam chairman of the Fundrsquos policy-making International Monetary and Finance Committee (IMFC) on the sidelines of the meetings He also lauded a ldquoa joining of minds on the criticality of medium-term sustainability We have to think creatively about policies which can help to get growth going without compromising on market confidencerdquo That means he said ldquomoving away from short-term stimulus thinking to thinking how we can recreate the basis for growth a few years from nowrdquo
Bear in the China shop Besides new troubles in the euro zone another recent worry in business circles is Chinarsquos economic slowdown As
reported by Reuters last Friday Chinarsquos State Information Center a government think tank estimated that in the second quarter the economy had decelerated to 75 the slowest since the midst of the global recession in the first quarter of 2009
Attributed to ldquoproperty tightening measures and weakening global demandrdquo the slowdown was still in line with the official GDP growth target No matter analysts like DailyFinancecom were quick to blog
warnings like ldquoChinarsquos Economic Slowdown Foreshadows Trouble for the USrdquo Besides watchers of the American economy oil futures traders also saw reason for gloom in Greecersquos woe and China slow
Top global bond investment company PIMCO joined leading banks Citigroup JP Morgan Chase Bank of America Goldman Sachs and Switzerlandrsquos UBS in cutting China growth forecasts PIMCO adjusted its projection to 75 the lowest annual rate in 13 years and the lower end of banksrsquo revised forecasts A day after the China think tank estimate Bloomberg reported that Goldman Sachs also trimmed its 2012 forecast five percentage points less to 81
In a survey of 21 economists conducted by Bloomberg last week the median forecast for China growth was 82 the slowest since 76 in 1999 and a full percentage point down from last yearrsquos 92 clip Many see third-quarter growth picking up on the expectation that the government would further ease interest rates But pumping more renminbi into the economy may not help much if bad loans hold back lending and businesses donrsquot have profitable reasons to boost production and invest
Bank lending is stagnant says Xiang Songzuo chief economist for the giant China Agricultural Bank in the Christian Science Monitorrsquos ldquoWhy Chinarsquos economy may be heading for a hard landingrdquo The May 17 story notes that industrial production grew 93 last month the slowest since the global slump Speaking to Bloomberg former IMF expert Xiang Zhiwei now Hong Kong-based chief economist of Nomura Holdings cited ldquobad trade production and [foreign direct investment] datardquo with FDI falling for six months in a row
harman Shanmugaratnam chairman Managing Director Christine Lagardeaction and global firewall IMF video
New risks for a fragile world recovery
8cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Meanwhile Bloomberg reported elsewhere exports and imports grew 49 and 03 sharply down from consensus projections of 85 and 105 respectively ldquoA very weak economy at this pointrdquo Zhang concludes adding that reducing bank reserve requirement ratios isnrsquot enough ldquoas it helps loan supply rather than demandrdquo His prescription more infrastructure spending and interest-rate cuts
America picks up pace If Europe and China are worrisome the United States is showing signs of slightly better-than-expected progress Take this May 9 presentation by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Compared with past recoveries from deep recessions the current US rebound is ldquomutedrdquo reports Chicago Fed senior economist William Strauss with just 21 growth in the past year The economy is forecast to grow ldquobelow trend this year and slightly above trend in 2013rdquo
Even with that slower-than-usual recovery 18 million jobs were added in the past 12 months and unemployment has dropped by 19 percentage points since the 2009 peak And more jobs are expected with solid manufacturing growth Indeed factory output has risen strongly in the past 33 months recovering nearly three-quarters of the production decline during the recession
Inflation is up a sign of economic and spending pickup However inflation-adjusted oil prices are lower than their 1980 high while gas prices are sharply down and energy expenditures are below the historical average Thus the Federal Reserve can hold interest rates down without spiking inflation
Argentinarsquos BBVA shares the upbeat outlook of many other international banks watching the American economy While it sees ldquomixed signals on the strength and sustainability of
Nomura Hong Kong economist Zhang Zhiwei cites dropping China trade production and investment and urges stronger monetary and fiscal measures to boost growth Bloomberg
9
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
the recoveryrdquo first-quarter data support its expectation of more robust growth through the year BBVA reports that the 29 surge in consumer spending in the first quarter mdash the fastest since late 2006 mdash offset weakness elsewhere in the economy
Notably BBVA differed a bit from the Chicago Fed in noting a manufacturing slowdown in the first quarter But the prognosis for the year remains decent with 23 growth projected Contributing to GDP growth for the first time since the 2008-09 recession is the residential investment with several housing-related industries also showing slightly positive movements Among them fabric and textile mills household and institutional furniture and paint One more plus sector growth in services is helping offset some job losses in industry especially with cutbacks in mining and energy
The coming US fiscal cliff So wherersquos the brittle side in the American economic picture Like Europe the crack in the glass is a fiscal one the market-imposed imperative to reduce public deficits and debt At the stroke of midnight on December 31 the current regime of Bush-era middle-class tax breaks the 2011-12 payroll tax cut and growth-spurring budgetary spending turns into a pumpkin so to speak Add to the expiring state largesse the expected decline in defense outlays as waves of US troops come home from Afghanistan
How big is this removal of tax cuts and forced budget reductions Most economists estimate their combined value at 35 of GDP including $12 trillion in legislated spending cuts under the Democratic-Republican deal to raise the federal debt ceiling last August But Morgan Stanleyrsquos April 13 report ldquoHow Big Is the Fiscal
WHATrsquoS AHEAD FOR AMERICAThe Conference Board Forecasts 2011 Actual and 2012-13 Projections
2012 2013 2011 2012 2013
I Q II Q III Q IV Q I Q II Q ANNUAL ANNUAL ANNUAL
Real GDP 22 17 23 24 26 25 17 22 24Real Consumer Spending 29 24 25 27 26 23 22 23 24Housing Starts Mil Units 069 072 074 077 077 081 061 073 082Real Capital Spending -21 59 65 68 67 78 88 52 67Net Exports Bil lsquo00$ -4101 -4043 -3980 -3865 -3751 -3608 -4136 -3997 -3505
actual value
Table by The Conference Board
New risks for a fragile world recovery
10cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Cliff in 2013rdquo puts it at 5 Either way for an economy growing at less than 3 a reduction of 35-5 in state-funded demand would tip America into recession
Most forecasters believe that the US Congress will pass legislation to spread the fiscal pain over a longer period than all together on New Yearrsquos Day But that is not a sure thing especially in the fractious aftermath of national elections in November Even if another bipartisan deal is struck a substantial portion of the tax and spending squeeze will still be felt in 2013 making Morgan Stanley analysts wonder why many economists expect next yearrsquos growth to be faster than this year
Moreover they may be forgetting why those tax cuts and federal spending have to go in the first place market pressure to right Washingtonrsquos fiscal ship whose shakiness already led Standard amp Poorrsquos to downgrade US sovereign credit to below triple-A over a year ago If Congress puts off the January fiscal Armageddon without putting a credible deficit-and-debt reduction program
in its place the dollar and the governmentrsquos credit rating and costs will pay the price with negative impact on the economy
Hence Morgan Stanley expects some ldquomeaningfulrdquo budgetary and tax tightening next year ldquoan expiration of the payroll tax cut some rejigged spending cuts and other miscellaneous measures to lead to about a 15 of GDP fiscal tightening in 2013rdquo That forecast would pare one percentage point off next yearrsquos baseline expansion But even this mild scenario demands a big if that Democrats and Republicans after being hopelessly occupied before elections would find the time and inclination to enact the needed legislation between mid-November and the Christmas break as they did in 2010
Austerity and bailout fatigue But more than partisan politics the bigger difficulty in balancing fiscal reform and growth is the citizenryrsquos general unwillingness to sacrifice for balanced budgets whether they are cash-strapped Greeks or debt-ridden Americans ldquoPeople are saying lsquoAusterity austerity mdash
Former investment banker Michael Milken interviewing economist Nouriel Roubini People say lsquoAusterity austerity mdash wherersquos the growthlsquo Milken InstituteYouTube
11
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
New risks for a fragile world recovery
WHERE ASIA SELLS
IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 pages 6 and 41
Correlation of Exports to China with Chinarsquos Exports to Asian Selected Economies
05
04
03
02
01
00
-01
2006-112000-05
New
Zea
land
Hon
g Ko
ng S
AR
Philip
pine
s
Aust
ralia
Thai
land
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Indo
nesi
a
Sing
apor
e
Kore
a
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Share of Exports Linked to Demand from Europe
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Sing
apor
e
Thai
land
Kore
a
Chi
na
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Indo
nesi
a
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Philip
pine
s
In percent of exports linked to demand outside Asia In percent of GDP
12cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
New risks for a fragile world recovery
where is growthrsquordquo says economist Nouriel Roubini in his May 3 Milken Institute interview The New York University professor who famously predicted the 2008 US financial crisis thinks that due to this austerity fatigue ldquoeither this year or next Greece is highly likely to default on its debt and exit the eurozonerdquo (On the other hand he also mentions bailout fatigue in countries like Germany tired of paying billions for financial rescues)
In his Project Syndicate article ldquoGreece Must Exitrdquo Roubini spells out what he believes is the only way forward for Athens ldquoGreece is stuck in a vicious cycle of insolvency lost competitiveness external deficits and ever-deepening depression The only way to stop it is to begin an orderly default and exit coordinated and financed by the European Central Bank the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund (the lsquoTroikarsquo) that minimizes collateral damage to Greece and the rest of the eurozonerdquo He sets out an ugly but in his view unavoidable scenario of managing Greek default And if that horror story whets onersquos appetite for more try ldquoGet Ready for the Spanish Bailoutrdquo
What about America Will it bite the bullet Or will it too become a ldquotrain wreckrdquo as Roubini says of Europersquos fiscal landscape in his talk with former investment banker Michael Milken If so will the American economy tank not to mention the worldrsquos And what is Asia to do in the continuing economic malaise in big markets
That is the subject of the IMFrsquos Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 subtitled ldquoManaging Spillovers and Advancing Economic Rebalancing The report assesses the likely impact on Asia of the Westrsquos economic and financial troubles and recommends measures to address it The Fund also urges measures to rebalance the regionrsquos economies away from export dependence and toward greater reliance on domestic consumption and investment spending for economic growth
In a world of turmoil that is exactly the formula to keep Asia growing
GROWING ASIA
Real GDP Change in 2011 and 2012-13 Forecast 2011 2012 2013
Industrial Asia -02 22 20 Australia 20 30 35 Japan -07 20 17 New Zealand 14 23 32East Asia 82 73 80 China 92 82 88 Hong Kong SAR 50 26 42 Korea 36 35 40 Taiwan Province of China 40 36 47South Asia 71 68 72 Bangladesh 61 59 64 India 71 69 73 Sri Lanka 82 75 70ASEAN 46 52 60 Brunei Darussalam 19 32 16 Cambodia 61 62 64 Indonesia 65 61 66 Lao PDR 83 84 71 Malaysia 51 44 47 Myanmar 55 60 59 Philippines 37 42 47 Singapore 49 27 39 Thailand 01 55 75 Vietnam 59 56 63Emerging Asia 74 69 75
source IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 page 5
13
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Business
SBMA upbeat on lsquoSubic BPO Cityrsquo projectSubic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto V Garcia shared his positive outlook for the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the region recently as he address more than 200 graduating students of Olongapo Citys AMA College
Banking on the infrastructure projects within the freeport zone Garcia said that his management team has made plans to establish a BPO City inside Subic You are lucky he assured the graduates because there are lots of jobs waiting for you in the Subic Freeport
Further explanation from Garcia revealed that the future of BPO and Information Technology businesses in general has become very promising for the Philippines especially after it overtook India as the call center capital of the world The planned Subic BPO City seeks to capitalize on the rising trend and is poised to create jobs for more than 20000 IT-BPO workers by 2016 In fact PLDTs Vitro Data Center was recently launched in the area to help spur the local growth of the IT and BPO industry
The developments in Subic are only part of a concentrated effort by the government through the Department of Science and Technology Information and
Communications Technology Office to aim for a higher 2016 revenue target from the IT-BPO industry ndash raising it from $25 billion to $274 billion
PH conglomerates post higher Q1 profitsImproved economic activity in the country during the first quarter of 2012 appears to have boosted several of the Philippines leading conglomerates Last month Gokongwei-led JG Summit Holdings Inc was optimistic about its profits for this year due to a rising consumer demand for its varied products Accordingly the companys first quarter net income rose 767 to ₧491 billion in comparison to compared to ₧278 billion during the first quarter of 2011
Similarly Gotianun family-led Filinvest Development Corp (FDC) posted a consolidated net income of ₧121 billion in the first quarter of 2012 61 higher than the ₧114 billion from first quarter numbers last year FDCs real estate business accounted for 51 of the total revenues
Meanwhile GT Capital Holdings flagship of tycoon George Ty registered a net income of ₧13 billion in the first quarter of this year an increase of 505 from 2011 numbers
Lopez Holdings Corp ndash with a 603 economic interest in ABS-
CBN and 466 in First Philippine Holdings Corporation as of December 2011 ndash experienced a first-quarter net income increase of 192 to ₧263 billion compared to ₧902 million recorded during the same period last year However ABS-CBN itself posted a staggering profit drop of 69 for the first three months of 2012
Shipbuilder Hanjin Philippines to hire at least 10000 workersSouth Korean Shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries amp Construction-Philippines Inc (HHIC) through HHIC president Jin Kyu Ahn has announced that it is planning to hire at least 10000 more workers this 2012 for its shipyard in Zambales Subic Bay Freeport Zone The company has about 20000 local employees currently The Hanjin official noted that the promised jobs would clearly benefit the Philippine economy and bring opportunities to Filipino entrepreneurs and skilled workers and much needed revenue to the Philippine government
According to the Maritime Industry Authority the Philippines is the worldrsquos fourth-largest shipbuilding country The arrival of foreign shipbuilders such as HHIC in the country is a major factor that has spurred the growth of this industry at the same time that overseas Filipino workers are in demand in foreign shipyards
14cenSEI
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Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
NATION
In Pursuit of Rice Self-Sufficiency by 2013Promised pursued and probably attainable but at what costBy Joanne Angela B Marzan
ersquoll achieve rice self-sufficiency after 2013 so beginning 2014
Next year we anticipate nakulangin tayo konti na lang [Next year we anticipate the shortfall to be minimal] Well start to export next year Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told the ABS-CBN news channel in a May 4 report posted on the abs-cbn news website
In fact Secretary Alcala mentioned in a May 9 press conference of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that the countryrsquos production target of palay (paddy rice) is ldquoon trackrdquo at 399 million metric tons (MMT) for the 1st quarter and 385 MMT for the 2nd quarter for a combined 784 MMT for the first semester of the year This means that the country has reached 42 of its 1846 MMT palay production target for the year
Meanwhile President Benigno Simeon C Aquino echoed this promised milestone to the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) attending the 45thAnnual Meeting in Manila from May 2-5 2012 But not before taking a swipe at the previous administration
During his ADB speech President Aquino said ldquoRice imported at inflated cost by the government was rotting away in rented warehousesrdquo and then proudly announced that through the reforms implemented by his administration the Philippines is ldquoless than a year away from being a net exporter of ricerdquo should the weather cooperate
STRATEGY POINTSThe Department of Agriculture is optimistic that by 2014 one of President Aquinos agricultural milestones of rice self-sufficiency would finally be attained even as some wonder whether this target can be achieved with middling economic growth and a rapidly growing population
A couple of papers from Philippine Institute for Development Studies have examined the countrys historic rice self-sufficiency policies and blame them for causing soaring rice prices that threaten the food security of the poorest sectors of society
Rice self-sufficiency is a most worthy goal but not at the expense of food security
ldquoW
rdquo
15
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Whether its Agriculture Secretary Alcala you want to hold to his promise of rice self-sufficiency by 2014 or President Aquino to his promise of rice self-sufficiency within a year of his speech to the ADB Board of Governors in May it would look as if the goal is seen as eminently doable if not practically a fait accompli
And with all that we would now like to ask whether rice self-sufficiency is
in fact worth all the fuss
To put things in some perspective the Philippines might be the worlds largest importer of rice but its not as if the Philippines doesnt produce a lot of rice In fact according to the table below from
ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo by Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio of the National Statistics Coordination Board in 2008 the Philippines produced the eighth-most rice in the world
13 In this video clip President Aquino expounds on the accomplishments of his administration during the 45th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of GovernorsABS-CBN
Country 2008 (in tonnes) RankChina 193354180 1India 148770000 2Indonesia 60251000 3Bangladesh 46742000 4Viet Nam 38725100 5Myanmar 32573000 6Thailand 31650600 7Philippines 16815500 8Brazil 12061500 9Japan 11028800 10
2008 TOP 10 PRODUCERS OF RICE PADDY
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and
Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
16cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
According to statistics from the afore-mentioned article provided in the table above in 1980 the Philippines exported the third-largest quantity of rice in Southeast Asia after Thailand and Myanmar In fact up until 1992 the Philippines was still rice self-sufficient enough to be a net exporter of rice
The problem is that in 1993 the Philippinesrsquo rice consumption fueled by an ever-growing population started to overtake its production In 2008 the Philippines imported 25 million metric tons of rice highest in the world fueled by both its fast-growing population and a global food crisis
For all the progress the country has made and is making in rice production one noted agriculturist believes that President Aquinorsquos ldquoreiteration of the policy of self-sufficiency in rice is a political strategy and not a poverty strategyrdquo
According to Dr Emil Q Javier president of the National Academy of Science and Technology rice self-sufficiency will not be
achieved because of ldquoour still unresolved population management policy as well as the relative slow rise in family incomesrdquo
At a March Department of Agriculture symposium about ldquoBroad-based Strategies for Food Security and Changing World Food Marketsrdquo Dr Javier posited that ldquo until such time that our economy consistently attains high growth rates like our neighbors diversification of food preference from rice to other food commodities associated with increasing incomes will be relatively slow Thus total effective demand of rice will continue to rise in the intermediate futurerdquo
Politics and rice have always gone together The historical relationship between politics and rice was discussed in the July 2005 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) discussion paper Rice and Philippine Politics by Ponciano S Intal Jr and Marissa C Garcia
The study said that rice has been a ldquopivotal political commodity since the Commonwealthrdquo for rice has become
ASEAN EXPORTER
ASEAN Country
1970 (in tonnes)
Rank 1980 (in tonnes)
Rank 1990 (in tonnes)
Rank 2000 (in tonnes)
Thailand 1047460 1 2762920 1 3557820 1 5282160Viet Nam 18479 5 33300 4 1624000 2 3476980Myanmar 640964 2 653100 2 213600 3 251400Singapore 33859 4 13342 5 1964 4 4105Cambodia 177688 3 - - - - 4860Philippines - - 256390 3 2 6 224Malaysia 70 6 - - 57 5 63Indonesia - - 10003 6 - - 196Brunei Darussalam
- - - - - - F
17
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
S OF RICE MILLED
Rank 2005(in tonnes)
Rank 2006 (in tonnes)
Rank 2007 (in tonnes)
Rank 2008 (in tonnes)
Rank
1 6043550 1 5996420 1 7408300 1 8672450 12 5250000 2 4642000 2 4558000 2 4735170 23 180000 3 71180 R 3 358500 3 40924 R 35 82239 4 67070 4 74872 4 13607 44 1384 R 7 3444 R 5 1170 R 5 4299 R 56 75 R 8 1370 R 6 68 R 7 1298 R 68 1531 6 1157 7 54 8 860 77 42280 5 907 8 336 6 429 8- - F - 369 R 9 - - 14 R 9
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
A matter of geographyHow did the Philippines which has long been in the forefront of rice research with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna become the worldrsquos top importer of rice A 2006 study ldquoWhy Does the Philippines Import Rice Meeting the challenge of trade liberalizationrdquo published by the IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) offered an interesting if not very obvious answer to its self-posed question The main reason it turns out might not owe so much to bad politicians corruption incompetence or laziness as it might to basic geography
ldquoExporters occupy river deltas with lots of land in general and lots of land suitable for rice in particular These countries are all located in mainland Southeast Asia Thailand Vietnam Cambodia and Myanmarrdquo the study explained The Philippines for its part is an island nation without any major river deltas one of a number of similarly configured Asian nations who have been historical rice importers ndash Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia and Sri Lanka
In addition the IRRI and PhilRice study also defended the Filipino farmer
ldquoSome may think the Filipino farmer is simply backward and cannot produce rice efficiently But a detailed survey of farmers in the various rice bowls of Asia found that Filipino farmers were among the leaders in reducing insecticide use and have progressed farther in mechanizing land preparation and postharvest operations than their counterparts in any other developing Asian country except Thailandrdquo the study claimed
the ldquostaple food and calorie source for majority of the population especially in the low-income groupsrdquo As such the study continued a strong relationship between rice and politics can be seen throughout the countryrsquos history The
report claimed that the price of rice has been a ldquosignificant determinant in election results since the 1950srdquo
However the study also criticized the governmentrsquos use of ldquoprice intervention
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
instrumentsrdquo which has favored rice farmers over consumers The shift to high nominal protection rates results in higher domestic prices for rice to benefit producers while lower nominal protection rates imply low domestic prices that would favor consumers
ldquo[R]eliance by the Philippine government primarily on price instruments to achieve its rice objectives and to protect farmer and consumer interests has not resulted in any substantial improvements in rice production In fact the shift to rice protection since the 1980s has failed to stabilize domestic rice prices and has effectively penalized the poorer householdsrdquo
lsquoObsolete and increasingly untenablersquo A more recent PIDS Policy Notes reiterated that the countryrsquos rice self-sufficiency policies are ldquoobsolete and increasingly untenablerdquo
A May 2011 PIDS Policy Notes brief ldquoPutting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food securityrdquo by Roehlano Briones and Danileen Kristel Parel assailed the countryrsquos special treatment of rice since 1994 as approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the granting of a Quantitative Restriction (QR) on rice imports to protect rice farmers has led to higher prices of rice which affect the poorest of the poor
The WTO defines QR as ldquospecific limits on the quantity or value of goods that can be imported (or exported)
during a specific time periodrdquo The PIDS study explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by law to set
The NFArsquos ₧100-billion problemThe National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to guarantee ldquothe food security of the country and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-ricerdquo As such NFA is the government agency tasked to ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the Filipino amidst soaring rice prices
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that according to a recently released 2009 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) the NFA lost more than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food security with stable prices as reported in a May 18 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Inquirer report said ldquoHuge rice imports and a policy of buying high selling low and storing long have resulted in the National Food Authority losing more than ₧100 billion in a span of 10 yearsrdquo
In 2008 alone COA said that the NFA suffered its biggest net loss of ₧3220 billion due to the global
13 GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES
900008000070000600005000040000300002000010000
0
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Gross Revenues
19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
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Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
New Dangers Emerge forthe Fragile World RecoveryWatch out for loan default in Greece fiscal crunchin America and sharp slowdown in ChinaBy Ricardo Saludo
The Conference Board Leading Economic Index
REPORT CARD
Australia 00China 08Euro Area 03France 06Germany 04Japan 09Korea 15Mexico 10Spain 09UK 10US 01
Real GDP increase 2011-11 actual and 2012-13 forecastIMF WORLD ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Projections2010 2011 2012 2013
World Output 53 39 35 41 Advanced Economies 32 16 14 20 United States 30 17 21 24 Euro Area 19 14 -03 09 Germany 36 31 06 15 France 14 17 05 10 Italy 18 04 -19 -03 Spain -01 07 -18 01 Japan 44 -07 20 17 United Kingdom 21 07 08 20 Canada 32 25 21 22 Other Advanced Economies 58 32 26 35 Newly Industrialized Asian Econo-mies
85 40 34 42
Emerging and Developing Econo-mies
75 62 57 60
Developing Asia 97 78 73 79 China 104 92 82 88 India 106 72 69 73 ASEAN-5 70 45 54 62
Tables by The Conference Board and IMF World Economic Outlook page 2
5
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
New risks for a fragile world recovery
STRATEGY POINTSImproving world economic prospects face new threats Greece default sharp China slowdown and the 2013 US fiscal crunch
Like the IMF get ready for a painful costly and messy meltdown in Europe with contagion effects on Asian trade and finance
Governments and lenders must balance fiscal austerity for investor confidence and the peoplersquos need for growth and jobs
Facebookrsquos mammoth initial public offering of shares last Friday raised
$184 billion mdash Americarsquos second-largest IPO after Visarsquos $1965 billion in 2008 mdash and valued the social networking website at $104 billion 23rd in stock market capitalization The next day its 56 owner and founding CEO Mark Zuckerberg 28 married his girlfriend of nearly a decade 27-year-old medicine graduate Priscilla Chan at his Palo Alto home
Whatrsquos wrong with this picture For billions of people across the planet including many of some 850 million exchanging messages visages and images on Facebook their own economic prospects are anything but the bubbly expectations of those who bought the stock at 422 times its latest quarterly earnings per share
For the more than 230 million Facebookers in Europe things got decidedly tougher the past week with the feared exit by debt-strapped Greece from the euro currency Most of the 36 million Greeks on Facebook may interrupt their browsing to join the rest of the countryrsquos 107 million people in
emptying their bank accounts before their euros are converted to drachmas
The rest of Europe will sink deeper into recession as bank lending and private investment further contracts and the euro plummets in value hitting consumer buying power That would put the brakes on the rest of the world economy just when China is showing signs of a slowdown and the US while doing better than expected faces a sharp fiscal crunch with tax breaks ending and drastic spending cuts due in 2013
So is the Facebook IPO the last party before another global slump Letrsquos hear it from the world economyrsquos watchers at its main financial trouble-shooting shop the International Monetary Fund For its annual spring meetings with its sister institution the World Bank on April 21 in Washington the IMF published an update of its World Economic Outlook report
In its executive summary the WEO said ldquoweak recovery will likely resume in the major advanced economies and activity is expected to remain relatively solid in
6cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
most emerging and developing economies However the recent improvements are very fragilerdquo Translation Wersquore making progress but wersquore not out of the woods Or as investment bank Morgan Stanleyrsquos Global Economic Forum puts it the global expansion is ldquobumpy below-par and brittlerdquo
The Fund expects ldquothe reacceleration of activity during the course of 2012 to return global growth to about 4 in 2013rdquo That would be back to last yearrsquos pace after slowing to a projected 35 this year Advanced economies crawling at 15 in 2012 could speed up to 2 next year while emerging and developing nations see expansion dip from 625 in 2011 to 575 this year then climb to 6 next
Containing contagion But that was before Greece rekindled fears of financial contagion last week It set new elections on June 17 after this monthrsquos polls failed to produce a coalition government to implement tough austerity measures in exchange for bailout loans Without the credit the country would default on loans exacerbating Europersquos crisis and possibly triggering a new global contagion If that happens predicts the Fundrsquos WEO that could shave 2 off world economic output this year and next
The European Commissionrsquos European Economic Forecast for spring had a first chapter titled ldquoThe EU Economy From Recession to a Slow Recoveryrdquo expressing hopes of a turnaround mdash with a big if ldquoGoing forward based on the assumption that the euro area will successfully handle crisis-related challenges a return of confidence over the course of 2012 is expectedrdquo That now boils down to Greece staying in the zone and the European Union
ratifying and carrying out its March 2 fiscal commitment treaty
IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde has had no illusions about the challenge of staving off recession and financial meltdown Last week she told The Telegraph newspaper of London referring to Greece exiting the euro zone ldquoIt would be extremely expensive and not just in Greece extremely expensive and hardrdquo She said the Fund is getting ready just in case ldquoWe at the IMF had to be technically prepared for anything because it is our jobrdquo she explained
No wonder the former French finance minister and head of international law firm Baker amp McKenzie had been pushing for increased rescue money for the Fund as a ldquoglobal firewallrdquo against future crises Ahead of the IMF-World Bank meetings Lagarde made a last-ditch call for $400 billion in additional resources for the Fund down from an initial target of $600 billion before the US refused to join the capital-raising exercise By meetingrsquos end the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies agreed to more than double IMF resources by more than $430 billion
ldquoThe firewall is a recognition that you need a global safety net not just a
Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Thof IMF policy committee with IMF MGlobal consensus for medium-term
7
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
European regional safety netrdquo explained Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Thanam Shanmugaratnam chairman of the Fundrsquos policy-making International Monetary and Finance Committee (IMFC) on the sidelines of the meetings He also lauded a ldquoa joining of minds on the criticality of medium-term sustainability We have to think creatively about policies which can help to get growth going without compromising on market confidencerdquo That means he said ldquomoving away from short-term stimulus thinking to thinking how we can recreate the basis for growth a few years from nowrdquo
Bear in the China shop Besides new troubles in the euro zone another recent worry in business circles is Chinarsquos economic slowdown As
reported by Reuters last Friday Chinarsquos State Information Center a government think tank estimated that in the second quarter the economy had decelerated to 75 the slowest since the midst of the global recession in the first quarter of 2009
Attributed to ldquoproperty tightening measures and weakening global demandrdquo the slowdown was still in line with the official GDP growth target No matter analysts like DailyFinancecom were quick to blog
warnings like ldquoChinarsquos Economic Slowdown Foreshadows Trouble for the USrdquo Besides watchers of the American economy oil futures traders also saw reason for gloom in Greecersquos woe and China slow
Top global bond investment company PIMCO joined leading banks Citigroup JP Morgan Chase Bank of America Goldman Sachs and Switzerlandrsquos UBS in cutting China growth forecasts PIMCO adjusted its projection to 75 the lowest annual rate in 13 years and the lower end of banksrsquo revised forecasts A day after the China think tank estimate Bloomberg reported that Goldman Sachs also trimmed its 2012 forecast five percentage points less to 81
In a survey of 21 economists conducted by Bloomberg last week the median forecast for China growth was 82 the slowest since 76 in 1999 and a full percentage point down from last yearrsquos 92 clip Many see third-quarter growth picking up on the expectation that the government would further ease interest rates But pumping more renminbi into the economy may not help much if bad loans hold back lending and businesses donrsquot have profitable reasons to boost production and invest
Bank lending is stagnant says Xiang Songzuo chief economist for the giant China Agricultural Bank in the Christian Science Monitorrsquos ldquoWhy Chinarsquos economy may be heading for a hard landingrdquo The May 17 story notes that industrial production grew 93 last month the slowest since the global slump Speaking to Bloomberg former IMF expert Xiang Zhiwei now Hong Kong-based chief economist of Nomura Holdings cited ldquobad trade production and [foreign direct investment] datardquo with FDI falling for six months in a row
harman Shanmugaratnam chairman Managing Director Christine Lagardeaction and global firewall IMF video
New risks for a fragile world recovery
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Meanwhile Bloomberg reported elsewhere exports and imports grew 49 and 03 sharply down from consensus projections of 85 and 105 respectively ldquoA very weak economy at this pointrdquo Zhang concludes adding that reducing bank reserve requirement ratios isnrsquot enough ldquoas it helps loan supply rather than demandrdquo His prescription more infrastructure spending and interest-rate cuts
America picks up pace If Europe and China are worrisome the United States is showing signs of slightly better-than-expected progress Take this May 9 presentation by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Compared with past recoveries from deep recessions the current US rebound is ldquomutedrdquo reports Chicago Fed senior economist William Strauss with just 21 growth in the past year The economy is forecast to grow ldquobelow trend this year and slightly above trend in 2013rdquo
Even with that slower-than-usual recovery 18 million jobs were added in the past 12 months and unemployment has dropped by 19 percentage points since the 2009 peak And more jobs are expected with solid manufacturing growth Indeed factory output has risen strongly in the past 33 months recovering nearly three-quarters of the production decline during the recession
Inflation is up a sign of economic and spending pickup However inflation-adjusted oil prices are lower than their 1980 high while gas prices are sharply down and energy expenditures are below the historical average Thus the Federal Reserve can hold interest rates down without spiking inflation
Argentinarsquos BBVA shares the upbeat outlook of many other international banks watching the American economy While it sees ldquomixed signals on the strength and sustainability of
Nomura Hong Kong economist Zhang Zhiwei cites dropping China trade production and investment and urges stronger monetary and fiscal measures to boost growth Bloomberg
9
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
the recoveryrdquo first-quarter data support its expectation of more robust growth through the year BBVA reports that the 29 surge in consumer spending in the first quarter mdash the fastest since late 2006 mdash offset weakness elsewhere in the economy
Notably BBVA differed a bit from the Chicago Fed in noting a manufacturing slowdown in the first quarter But the prognosis for the year remains decent with 23 growth projected Contributing to GDP growth for the first time since the 2008-09 recession is the residential investment with several housing-related industries also showing slightly positive movements Among them fabric and textile mills household and institutional furniture and paint One more plus sector growth in services is helping offset some job losses in industry especially with cutbacks in mining and energy
The coming US fiscal cliff So wherersquos the brittle side in the American economic picture Like Europe the crack in the glass is a fiscal one the market-imposed imperative to reduce public deficits and debt At the stroke of midnight on December 31 the current regime of Bush-era middle-class tax breaks the 2011-12 payroll tax cut and growth-spurring budgetary spending turns into a pumpkin so to speak Add to the expiring state largesse the expected decline in defense outlays as waves of US troops come home from Afghanistan
How big is this removal of tax cuts and forced budget reductions Most economists estimate their combined value at 35 of GDP including $12 trillion in legislated spending cuts under the Democratic-Republican deal to raise the federal debt ceiling last August But Morgan Stanleyrsquos April 13 report ldquoHow Big Is the Fiscal
WHATrsquoS AHEAD FOR AMERICAThe Conference Board Forecasts 2011 Actual and 2012-13 Projections
2012 2013 2011 2012 2013
I Q II Q III Q IV Q I Q II Q ANNUAL ANNUAL ANNUAL
Real GDP 22 17 23 24 26 25 17 22 24Real Consumer Spending 29 24 25 27 26 23 22 23 24Housing Starts Mil Units 069 072 074 077 077 081 061 073 082Real Capital Spending -21 59 65 68 67 78 88 52 67Net Exports Bil lsquo00$ -4101 -4043 -3980 -3865 -3751 -3608 -4136 -3997 -3505
actual value
Table by The Conference Board
New risks for a fragile world recovery
10cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Cliff in 2013rdquo puts it at 5 Either way for an economy growing at less than 3 a reduction of 35-5 in state-funded demand would tip America into recession
Most forecasters believe that the US Congress will pass legislation to spread the fiscal pain over a longer period than all together on New Yearrsquos Day But that is not a sure thing especially in the fractious aftermath of national elections in November Even if another bipartisan deal is struck a substantial portion of the tax and spending squeeze will still be felt in 2013 making Morgan Stanley analysts wonder why many economists expect next yearrsquos growth to be faster than this year
Moreover they may be forgetting why those tax cuts and federal spending have to go in the first place market pressure to right Washingtonrsquos fiscal ship whose shakiness already led Standard amp Poorrsquos to downgrade US sovereign credit to below triple-A over a year ago If Congress puts off the January fiscal Armageddon without putting a credible deficit-and-debt reduction program
in its place the dollar and the governmentrsquos credit rating and costs will pay the price with negative impact on the economy
Hence Morgan Stanley expects some ldquomeaningfulrdquo budgetary and tax tightening next year ldquoan expiration of the payroll tax cut some rejigged spending cuts and other miscellaneous measures to lead to about a 15 of GDP fiscal tightening in 2013rdquo That forecast would pare one percentage point off next yearrsquos baseline expansion But even this mild scenario demands a big if that Democrats and Republicans after being hopelessly occupied before elections would find the time and inclination to enact the needed legislation between mid-November and the Christmas break as they did in 2010
Austerity and bailout fatigue But more than partisan politics the bigger difficulty in balancing fiscal reform and growth is the citizenryrsquos general unwillingness to sacrifice for balanced budgets whether they are cash-strapped Greeks or debt-ridden Americans ldquoPeople are saying lsquoAusterity austerity mdash
Former investment banker Michael Milken interviewing economist Nouriel Roubini People say lsquoAusterity austerity mdash wherersquos the growthlsquo Milken InstituteYouTube
11
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
New risks for a fragile world recovery
WHERE ASIA SELLS
IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 pages 6 and 41
Correlation of Exports to China with Chinarsquos Exports to Asian Selected Economies
05
04
03
02
01
00
-01
2006-112000-05
New
Zea
land
Hon
g Ko
ng S
AR
Philip
pine
s
Aust
ralia
Thai
land
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Indo
nesi
a
Sing
apor
e
Kore
a
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Share of Exports Linked to Demand from Europe
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Sing
apor
e
Thai
land
Kore
a
Chi
na
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Indo
nesi
a
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Philip
pine
s
In percent of exports linked to demand outside Asia In percent of GDP
12cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
New risks for a fragile world recovery
where is growthrsquordquo says economist Nouriel Roubini in his May 3 Milken Institute interview The New York University professor who famously predicted the 2008 US financial crisis thinks that due to this austerity fatigue ldquoeither this year or next Greece is highly likely to default on its debt and exit the eurozonerdquo (On the other hand he also mentions bailout fatigue in countries like Germany tired of paying billions for financial rescues)
In his Project Syndicate article ldquoGreece Must Exitrdquo Roubini spells out what he believes is the only way forward for Athens ldquoGreece is stuck in a vicious cycle of insolvency lost competitiveness external deficits and ever-deepening depression The only way to stop it is to begin an orderly default and exit coordinated and financed by the European Central Bank the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund (the lsquoTroikarsquo) that minimizes collateral damage to Greece and the rest of the eurozonerdquo He sets out an ugly but in his view unavoidable scenario of managing Greek default And if that horror story whets onersquos appetite for more try ldquoGet Ready for the Spanish Bailoutrdquo
What about America Will it bite the bullet Or will it too become a ldquotrain wreckrdquo as Roubini says of Europersquos fiscal landscape in his talk with former investment banker Michael Milken If so will the American economy tank not to mention the worldrsquos And what is Asia to do in the continuing economic malaise in big markets
That is the subject of the IMFrsquos Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 subtitled ldquoManaging Spillovers and Advancing Economic Rebalancing The report assesses the likely impact on Asia of the Westrsquos economic and financial troubles and recommends measures to address it The Fund also urges measures to rebalance the regionrsquos economies away from export dependence and toward greater reliance on domestic consumption and investment spending for economic growth
In a world of turmoil that is exactly the formula to keep Asia growing
GROWING ASIA
Real GDP Change in 2011 and 2012-13 Forecast 2011 2012 2013
Industrial Asia -02 22 20 Australia 20 30 35 Japan -07 20 17 New Zealand 14 23 32East Asia 82 73 80 China 92 82 88 Hong Kong SAR 50 26 42 Korea 36 35 40 Taiwan Province of China 40 36 47South Asia 71 68 72 Bangladesh 61 59 64 India 71 69 73 Sri Lanka 82 75 70ASEAN 46 52 60 Brunei Darussalam 19 32 16 Cambodia 61 62 64 Indonesia 65 61 66 Lao PDR 83 84 71 Malaysia 51 44 47 Myanmar 55 60 59 Philippines 37 42 47 Singapore 49 27 39 Thailand 01 55 75 Vietnam 59 56 63Emerging Asia 74 69 75
source IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 page 5
13
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Business
SBMA upbeat on lsquoSubic BPO Cityrsquo projectSubic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto V Garcia shared his positive outlook for the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the region recently as he address more than 200 graduating students of Olongapo Citys AMA College
Banking on the infrastructure projects within the freeport zone Garcia said that his management team has made plans to establish a BPO City inside Subic You are lucky he assured the graduates because there are lots of jobs waiting for you in the Subic Freeport
Further explanation from Garcia revealed that the future of BPO and Information Technology businesses in general has become very promising for the Philippines especially after it overtook India as the call center capital of the world The planned Subic BPO City seeks to capitalize on the rising trend and is poised to create jobs for more than 20000 IT-BPO workers by 2016 In fact PLDTs Vitro Data Center was recently launched in the area to help spur the local growth of the IT and BPO industry
The developments in Subic are only part of a concentrated effort by the government through the Department of Science and Technology Information and
Communications Technology Office to aim for a higher 2016 revenue target from the IT-BPO industry ndash raising it from $25 billion to $274 billion
PH conglomerates post higher Q1 profitsImproved economic activity in the country during the first quarter of 2012 appears to have boosted several of the Philippines leading conglomerates Last month Gokongwei-led JG Summit Holdings Inc was optimistic about its profits for this year due to a rising consumer demand for its varied products Accordingly the companys first quarter net income rose 767 to ₧491 billion in comparison to compared to ₧278 billion during the first quarter of 2011
Similarly Gotianun family-led Filinvest Development Corp (FDC) posted a consolidated net income of ₧121 billion in the first quarter of 2012 61 higher than the ₧114 billion from first quarter numbers last year FDCs real estate business accounted for 51 of the total revenues
Meanwhile GT Capital Holdings flagship of tycoon George Ty registered a net income of ₧13 billion in the first quarter of this year an increase of 505 from 2011 numbers
Lopez Holdings Corp ndash with a 603 economic interest in ABS-
CBN and 466 in First Philippine Holdings Corporation as of December 2011 ndash experienced a first-quarter net income increase of 192 to ₧263 billion compared to ₧902 million recorded during the same period last year However ABS-CBN itself posted a staggering profit drop of 69 for the first three months of 2012
Shipbuilder Hanjin Philippines to hire at least 10000 workersSouth Korean Shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries amp Construction-Philippines Inc (HHIC) through HHIC president Jin Kyu Ahn has announced that it is planning to hire at least 10000 more workers this 2012 for its shipyard in Zambales Subic Bay Freeport Zone The company has about 20000 local employees currently The Hanjin official noted that the promised jobs would clearly benefit the Philippine economy and bring opportunities to Filipino entrepreneurs and skilled workers and much needed revenue to the Philippine government
According to the Maritime Industry Authority the Philippines is the worldrsquos fourth-largest shipbuilding country The arrival of foreign shipbuilders such as HHIC in the country is a major factor that has spurred the growth of this industry at the same time that overseas Filipino workers are in demand in foreign shipyards
14cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
NATION
In Pursuit of Rice Self-Sufficiency by 2013Promised pursued and probably attainable but at what costBy Joanne Angela B Marzan
ersquoll achieve rice self-sufficiency after 2013 so beginning 2014
Next year we anticipate nakulangin tayo konti na lang [Next year we anticipate the shortfall to be minimal] Well start to export next year Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told the ABS-CBN news channel in a May 4 report posted on the abs-cbn news website
In fact Secretary Alcala mentioned in a May 9 press conference of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that the countryrsquos production target of palay (paddy rice) is ldquoon trackrdquo at 399 million metric tons (MMT) for the 1st quarter and 385 MMT for the 2nd quarter for a combined 784 MMT for the first semester of the year This means that the country has reached 42 of its 1846 MMT palay production target for the year
Meanwhile President Benigno Simeon C Aquino echoed this promised milestone to the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) attending the 45thAnnual Meeting in Manila from May 2-5 2012 But not before taking a swipe at the previous administration
During his ADB speech President Aquino said ldquoRice imported at inflated cost by the government was rotting away in rented warehousesrdquo and then proudly announced that through the reforms implemented by his administration the Philippines is ldquoless than a year away from being a net exporter of ricerdquo should the weather cooperate
STRATEGY POINTSThe Department of Agriculture is optimistic that by 2014 one of President Aquinos agricultural milestones of rice self-sufficiency would finally be attained even as some wonder whether this target can be achieved with middling economic growth and a rapidly growing population
A couple of papers from Philippine Institute for Development Studies have examined the countrys historic rice self-sufficiency policies and blame them for causing soaring rice prices that threaten the food security of the poorest sectors of society
Rice self-sufficiency is a most worthy goal but not at the expense of food security
ldquoW
rdquo
15
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Whether its Agriculture Secretary Alcala you want to hold to his promise of rice self-sufficiency by 2014 or President Aquino to his promise of rice self-sufficiency within a year of his speech to the ADB Board of Governors in May it would look as if the goal is seen as eminently doable if not practically a fait accompli
And with all that we would now like to ask whether rice self-sufficiency is
in fact worth all the fuss
To put things in some perspective the Philippines might be the worlds largest importer of rice but its not as if the Philippines doesnt produce a lot of rice In fact according to the table below from
ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo by Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio of the National Statistics Coordination Board in 2008 the Philippines produced the eighth-most rice in the world
13 In this video clip President Aquino expounds on the accomplishments of his administration during the 45th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of GovernorsABS-CBN
Country 2008 (in tonnes) RankChina 193354180 1India 148770000 2Indonesia 60251000 3Bangladesh 46742000 4Viet Nam 38725100 5Myanmar 32573000 6Thailand 31650600 7Philippines 16815500 8Brazil 12061500 9Japan 11028800 10
2008 TOP 10 PRODUCERS OF RICE PADDY
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and
Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
16cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
According to statistics from the afore-mentioned article provided in the table above in 1980 the Philippines exported the third-largest quantity of rice in Southeast Asia after Thailand and Myanmar In fact up until 1992 the Philippines was still rice self-sufficient enough to be a net exporter of rice
The problem is that in 1993 the Philippinesrsquo rice consumption fueled by an ever-growing population started to overtake its production In 2008 the Philippines imported 25 million metric tons of rice highest in the world fueled by both its fast-growing population and a global food crisis
For all the progress the country has made and is making in rice production one noted agriculturist believes that President Aquinorsquos ldquoreiteration of the policy of self-sufficiency in rice is a political strategy and not a poverty strategyrdquo
According to Dr Emil Q Javier president of the National Academy of Science and Technology rice self-sufficiency will not be
achieved because of ldquoour still unresolved population management policy as well as the relative slow rise in family incomesrdquo
At a March Department of Agriculture symposium about ldquoBroad-based Strategies for Food Security and Changing World Food Marketsrdquo Dr Javier posited that ldquo until such time that our economy consistently attains high growth rates like our neighbors diversification of food preference from rice to other food commodities associated with increasing incomes will be relatively slow Thus total effective demand of rice will continue to rise in the intermediate futurerdquo
Politics and rice have always gone together The historical relationship between politics and rice was discussed in the July 2005 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) discussion paper Rice and Philippine Politics by Ponciano S Intal Jr and Marissa C Garcia
The study said that rice has been a ldquopivotal political commodity since the Commonwealthrdquo for rice has become
ASEAN EXPORTER
ASEAN Country
1970 (in tonnes)
Rank 1980 (in tonnes)
Rank 1990 (in tonnes)
Rank 2000 (in tonnes)
Thailand 1047460 1 2762920 1 3557820 1 5282160Viet Nam 18479 5 33300 4 1624000 2 3476980Myanmar 640964 2 653100 2 213600 3 251400Singapore 33859 4 13342 5 1964 4 4105Cambodia 177688 3 - - - - 4860Philippines - - 256390 3 2 6 224Malaysia 70 6 - - 57 5 63Indonesia - - 10003 6 - - 196Brunei Darussalam
- - - - - - F
17
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
S OF RICE MILLED
Rank 2005(in tonnes)
Rank 2006 (in tonnes)
Rank 2007 (in tonnes)
Rank 2008 (in tonnes)
Rank
1 6043550 1 5996420 1 7408300 1 8672450 12 5250000 2 4642000 2 4558000 2 4735170 23 180000 3 71180 R 3 358500 3 40924 R 35 82239 4 67070 4 74872 4 13607 44 1384 R 7 3444 R 5 1170 R 5 4299 R 56 75 R 8 1370 R 6 68 R 7 1298 R 68 1531 6 1157 7 54 8 860 77 42280 5 907 8 336 6 429 8- - F - 369 R 9 - - 14 R 9
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
A matter of geographyHow did the Philippines which has long been in the forefront of rice research with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna become the worldrsquos top importer of rice A 2006 study ldquoWhy Does the Philippines Import Rice Meeting the challenge of trade liberalizationrdquo published by the IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) offered an interesting if not very obvious answer to its self-posed question The main reason it turns out might not owe so much to bad politicians corruption incompetence or laziness as it might to basic geography
ldquoExporters occupy river deltas with lots of land in general and lots of land suitable for rice in particular These countries are all located in mainland Southeast Asia Thailand Vietnam Cambodia and Myanmarrdquo the study explained The Philippines for its part is an island nation without any major river deltas one of a number of similarly configured Asian nations who have been historical rice importers ndash Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia and Sri Lanka
In addition the IRRI and PhilRice study also defended the Filipino farmer
ldquoSome may think the Filipino farmer is simply backward and cannot produce rice efficiently But a detailed survey of farmers in the various rice bowls of Asia found that Filipino farmers were among the leaders in reducing insecticide use and have progressed farther in mechanizing land preparation and postharvest operations than their counterparts in any other developing Asian country except Thailandrdquo the study claimed
the ldquostaple food and calorie source for majority of the population especially in the low-income groupsrdquo As such the study continued a strong relationship between rice and politics can be seen throughout the countryrsquos history The
report claimed that the price of rice has been a ldquosignificant determinant in election results since the 1950srdquo
However the study also criticized the governmentrsquos use of ldquoprice intervention
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
18cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
instrumentsrdquo which has favored rice farmers over consumers The shift to high nominal protection rates results in higher domestic prices for rice to benefit producers while lower nominal protection rates imply low domestic prices that would favor consumers
ldquo[R]eliance by the Philippine government primarily on price instruments to achieve its rice objectives and to protect farmer and consumer interests has not resulted in any substantial improvements in rice production In fact the shift to rice protection since the 1980s has failed to stabilize domestic rice prices and has effectively penalized the poorer householdsrdquo
lsquoObsolete and increasingly untenablersquo A more recent PIDS Policy Notes reiterated that the countryrsquos rice self-sufficiency policies are ldquoobsolete and increasingly untenablerdquo
A May 2011 PIDS Policy Notes brief ldquoPutting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food securityrdquo by Roehlano Briones and Danileen Kristel Parel assailed the countryrsquos special treatment of rice since 1994 as approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the granting of a Quantitative Restriction (QR) on rice imports to protect rice farmers has led to higher prices of rice which affect the poorest of the poor
The WTO defines QR as ldquospecific limits on the quantity or value of goods that can be imported (or exported)
during a specific time periodrdquo The PIDS study explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by law to set
The NFArsquos ₧100-billion problemThe National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to guarantee ldquothe food security of the country and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-ricerdquo As such NFA is the government agency tasked to ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the Filipino amidst soaring rice prices
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that according to a recently released 2009 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) the NFA lost more than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food security with stable prices as reported in a May 18 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Inquirer report said ldquoHuge rice imports and a policy of buying high selling low and storing long have resulted in the National Food Authority losing more than ₧100 billion in a span of 10 yearsrdquo
In 2008 alone COA said that the NFA suffered its biggest net loss of ₧3220 billion due to the global
13 GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES
900008000070000600005000040000300002000010000
0
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Gross Revenues
19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
20cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
22cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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5
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
New risks for a fragile world recovery
STRATEGY POINTSImproving world economic prospects face new threats Greece default sharp China slowdown and the 2013 US fiscal crunch
Like the IMF get ready for a painful costly and messy meltdown in Europe with contagion effects on Asian trade and finance
Governments and lenders must balance fiscal austerity for investor confidence and the peoplersquos need for growth and jobs
Facebookrsquos mammoth initial public offering of shares last Friday raised
$184 billion mdash Americarsquos second-largest IPO after Visarsquos $1965 billion in 2008 mdash and valued the social networking website at $104 billion 23rd in stock market capitalization The next day its 56 owner and founding CEO Mark Zuckerberg 28 married his girlfriend of nearly a decade 27-year-old medicine graduate Priscilla Chan at his Palo Alto home
Whatrsquos wrong with this picture For billions of people across the planet including many of some 850 million exchanging messages visages and images on Facebook their own economic prospects are anything but the bubbly expectations of those who bought the stock at 422 times its latest quarterly earnings per share
For the more than 230 million Facebookers in Europe things got decidedly tougher the past week with the feared exit by debt-strapped Greece from the euro currency Most of the 36 million Greeks on Facebook may interrupt their browsing to join the rest of the countryrsquos 107 million people in
emptying their bank accounts before their euros are converted to drachmas
The rest of Europe will sink deeper into recession as bank lending and private investment further contracts and the euro plummets in value hitting consumer buying power That would put the brakes on the rest of the world economy just when China is showing signs of a slowdown and the US while doing better than expected faces a sharp fiscal crunch with tax breaks ending and drastic spending cuts due in 2013
So is the Facebook IPO the last party before another global slump Letrsquos hear it from the world economyrsquos watchers at its main financial trouble-shooting shop the International Monetary Fund For its annual spring meetings with its sister institution the World Bank on April 21 in Washington the IMF published an update of its World Economic Outlook report
In its executive summary the WEO said ldquoweak recovery will likely resume in the major advanced economies and activity is expected to remain relatively solid in
6cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
most emerging and developing economies However the recent improvements are very fragilerdquo Translation Wersquore making progress but wersquore not out of the woods Or as investment bank Morgan Stanleyrsquos Global Economic Forum puts it the global expansion is ldquobumpy below-par and brittlerdquo
The Fund expects ldquothe reacceleration of activity during the course of 2012 to return global growth to about 4 in 2013rdquo That would be back to last yearrsquos pace after slowing to a projected 35 this year Advanced economies crawling at 15 in 2012 could speed up to 2 next year while emerging and developing nations see expansion dip from 625 in 2011 to 575 this year then climb to 6 next
Containing contagion But that was before Greece rekindled fears of financial contagion last week It set new elections on June 17 after this monthrsquos polls failed to produce a coalition government to implement tough austerity measures in exchange for bailout loans Without the credit the country would default on loans exacerbating Europersquos crisis and possibly triggering a new global contagion If that happens predicts the Fundrsquos WEO that could shave 2 off world economic output this year and next
The European Commissionrsquos European Economic Forecast for spring had a first chapter titled ldquoThe EU Economy From Recession to a Slow Recoveryrdquo expressing hopes of a turnaround mdash with a big if ldquoGoing forward based on the assumption that the euro area will successfully handle crisis-related challenges a return of confidence over the course of 2012 is expectedrdquo That now boils down to Greece staying in the zone and the European Union
ratifying and carrying out its March 2 fiscal commitment treaty
IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde has had no illusions about the challenge of staving off recession and financial meltdown Last week she told The Telegraph newspaper of London referring to Greece exiting the euro zone ldquoIt would be extremely expensive and not just in Greece extremely expensive and hardrdquo She said the Fund is getting ready just in case ldquoWe at the IMF had to be technically prepared for anything because it is our jobrdquo she explained
No wonder the former French finance minister and head of international law firm Baker amp McKenzie had been pushing for increased rescue money for the Fund as a ldquoglobal firewallrdquo against future crises Ahead of the IMF-World Bank meetings Lagarde made a last-ditch call for $400 billion in additional resources for the Fund down from an initial target of $600 billion before the US refused to join the capital-raising exercise By meetingrsquos end the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies agreed to more than double IMF resources by more than $430 billion
ldquoThe firewall is a recognition that you need a global safety net not just a
Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Thof IMF policy committee with IMF MGlobal consensus for medium-term
7
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
European regional safety netrdquo explained Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Thanam Shanmugaratnam chairman of the Fundrsquos policy-making International Monetary and Finance Committee (IMFC) on the sidelines of the meetings He also lauded a ldquoa joining of minds on the criticality of medium-term sustainability We have to think creatively about policies which can help to get growth going without compromising on market confidencerdquo That means he said ldquomoving away from short-term stimulus thinking to thinking how we can recreate the basis for growth a few years from nowrdquo
Bear in the China shop Besides new troubles in the euro zone another recent worry in business circles is Chinarsquos economic slowdown As
reported by Reuters last Friday Chinarsquos State Information Center a government think tank estimated that in the second quarter the economy had decelerated to 75 the slowest since the midst of the global recession in the first quarter of 2009
Attributed to ldquoproperty tightening measures and weakening global demandrdquo the slowdown was still in line with the official GDP growth target No matter analysts like DailyFinancecom were quick to blog
warnings like ldquoChinarsquos Economic Slowdown Foreshadows Trouble for the USrdquo Besides watchers of the American economy oil futures traders also saw reason for gloom in Greecersquos woe and China slow
Top global bond investment company PIMCO joined leading banks Citigroup JP Morgan Chase Bank of America Goldman Sachs and Switzerlandrsquos UBS in cutting China growth forecasts PIMCO adjusted its projection to 75 the lowest annual rate in 13 years and the lower end of banksrsquo revised forecasts A day after the China think tank estimate Bloomberg reported that Goldman Sachs also trimmed its 2012 forecast five percentage points less to 81
In a survey of 21 economists conducted by Bloomberg last week the median forecast for China growth was 82 the slowest since 76 in 1999 and a full percentage point down from last yearrsquos 92 clip Many see third-quarter growth picking up on the expectation that the government would further ease interest rates But pumping more renminbi into the economy may not help much if bad loans hold back lending and businesses donrsquot have profitable reasons to boost production and invest
Bank lending is stagnant says Xiang Songzuo chief economist for the giant China Agricultural Bank in the Christian Science Monitorrsquos ldquoWhy Chinarsquos economy may be heading for a hard landingrdquo The May 17 story notes that industrial production grew 93 last month the slowest since the global slump Speaking to Bloomberg former IMF expert Xiang Zhiwei now Hong Kong-based chief economist of Nomura Holdings cited ldquobad trade production and [foreign direct investment] datardquo with FDI falling for six months in a row
harman Shanmugaratnam chairman Managing Director Christine Lagardeaction and global firewall IMF video
New risks for a fragile world recovery
8cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Meanwhile Bloomberg reported elsewhere exports and imports grew 49 and 03 sharply down from consensus projections of 85 and 105 respectively ldquoA very weak economy at this pointrdquo Zhang concludes adding that reducing bank reserve requirement ratios isnrsquot enough ldquoas it helps loan supply rather than demandrdquo His prescription more infrastructure spending and interest-rate cuts
America picks up pace If Europe and China are worrisome the United States is showing signs of slightly better-than-expected progress Take this May 9 presentation by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Compared with past recoveries from deep recessions the current US rebound is ldquomutedrdquo reports Chicago Fed senior economist William Strauss with just 21 growth in the past year The economy is forecast to grow ldquobelow trend this year and slightly above trend in 2013rdquo
Even with that slower-than-usual recovery 18 million jobs were added in the past 12 months and unemployment has dropped by 19 percentage points since the 2009 peak And more jobs are expected with solid manufacturing growth Indeed factory output has risen strongly in the past 33 months recovering nearly three-quarters of the production decline during the recession
Inflation is up a sign of economic and spending pickup However inflation-adjusted oil prices are lower than their 1980 high while gas prices are sharply down and energy expenditures are below the historical average Thus the Federal Reserve can hold interest rates down without spiking inflation
Argentinarsquos BBVA shares the upbeat outlook of many other international banks watching the American economy While it sees ldquomixed signals on the strength and sustainability of
Nomura Hong Kong economist Zhang Zhiwei cites dropping China trade production and investment and urges stronger monetary and fiscal measures to boost growth Bloomberg
9
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
the recoveryrdquo first-quarter data support its expectation of more robust growth through the year BBVA reports that the 29 surge in consumer spending in the first quarter mdash the fastest since late 2006 mdash offset weakness elsewhere in the economy
Notably BBVA differed a bit from the Chicago Fed in noting a manufacturing slowdown in the first quarter But the prognosis for the year remains decent with 23 growth projected Contributing to GDP growth for the first time since the 2008-09 recession is the residential investment with several housing-related industries also showing slightly positive movements Among them fabric and textile mills household and institutional furniture and paint One more plus sector growth in services is helping offset some job losses in industry especially with cutbacks in mining and energy
The coming US fiscal cliff So wherersquos the brittle side in the American economic picture Like Europe the crack in the glass is a fiscal one the market-imposed imperative to reduce public deficits and debt At the stroke of midnight on December 31 the current regime of Bush-era middle-class tax breaks the 2011-12 payroll tax cut and growth-spurring budgetary spending turns into a pumpkin so to speak Add to the expiring state largesse the expected decline in defense outlays as waves of US troops come home from Afghanistan
How big is this removal of tax cuts and forced budget reductions Most economists estimate their combined value at 35 of GDP including $12 trillion in legislated spending cuts under the Democratic-Republican deal to raise the federal debt ceiling last August But Morgan Stanleyrsquos April 13 report ldquoHow Big Is the Fiscal
WHATrsquoS AHEAD FOR AMERICAThe Conference Board Forecasts 2011 Actual and 2012-13 Projections
2012 2013 2011 2012 2013
I Q II Q III Q IV Q I Q II Q ANNUAL ANNUAL ANNUAL
Real GDP 22 17 23 24 26 25 17 22 24Real Consumer Spending 29 24 25 27 26 23 22 23 24Housing Starts Mil Units 069 072 074 077 077 081 061 073 082Real Capital Spending -21 59 65 68 67 78 88 52 67Net Exports Bil lsquo00$ -4101 -4043 -3980 -3865 -3751 -3608 -4136 -3997 -3505
actual value
Table by The Conference Board
New risks for a fragile world recovery
10cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Cliff in 2013rdquo puts it at 5 Either way for an economy growing at less than 3 a reduction of 35-5 in state-funded demand would tip America into recession
Most forecasters believe that the US Congress will pass legislation to spread the fiscal pain over a longer period than all together on New Yearrsquos Day But that is not a sure thing especially in the fractious aftermath of national elections in November Even if another bipartisan deal is struck a substantial portion of the tax and spending squeeze will still be felt in 2013 making Morgan Stanley analysts wonder why many economists expect next yearrsquos growth to be faster than this year
Moreover they may be forgetting why those tax cuts and federal spending have to go in the first place market pressure to right Washingtonrsquos fiscal ship whose shakiness already led Standard amp Poorrsquos to downgrade US sovereign credit to below triple-A over a year ago If Congress puts off the January fiscal Armageddon without putting a credible deficit-and-debt reduction program
in its place the dollar and the governmentrsquos credit rating and costs will pay the price with negative impact on the economy
Hence Morgan Stanley expects some ldquomeaningfulrdquo budgetary and tax tightening next year ldquoan expiration of the payroll tax cut some rejigged spending cuts and other miscellaneous measures to lead to about a 15 of GDP fiscal tightening in 2013rdquo That forecast would pare one percentage point off next yearrsquos baseline expansion But even this mild scenario demands a big if that Democrats and Republicans after being hopelessly occupied before elections would find the time and inclination to enact the needed legislation between mid-November and the Christmas break as they did in 2010
Austerity and bailout fatigue But more than partisan politics the bigger difficulty in balancing fiscal reform and growth is the citizenryrsquos general unwillingness to sacrifice for balanced budgets whether they are cash-strapped Greeks or debt-ridden Americans ldquoPeople are saying lsquoAusterity austerity mdash
Former investment banker Michael Milken interviewing economist Nouriel Roubini People say lsquoAusterity austerity mdash wherersquos the growthlsquo Milken InstituteYouTube
11
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
New risks for a fragile world recovery
WHERE ASIA SELLS
IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 pages 6 and 41
Correlation of Exports to China with Chinarsquos Exports to Asian Selected Economies
05
04
03
02
01
00
-01
2006-112000-05
New
Zea
land
Hon
g Ko
ng S
AR
Philip
pine
s
Aust
ralia
Thai
land
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Indo
nesi
a
Sing
apor
e
Kore
a
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Share of Exports Linked to Demand from Europe
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Sing
apor
e
Thai
land
Kore
a
Chi
na
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Indo
nesi
a
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Philip
pine
s
In percent of exports linked to demand outside Asia In percent of GDP
12cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
New risks for a fragile world recovery
where is growthrsquordquo says economist Nouriel Roubini in his May 3 Milken Institute interview The New York University professor who famously predicted the 2008 US financial crisis thinks that due to this austerity fatigue ldquoeither this year or next Greece is highly likely to default on its debt and exit the eurozonerdquo (On the other hand he also mentions bailout fatigue in countries like Germany tired of paying billions for financial rescues)
In his Project Syndicate article ldquoGreece Must Exitrdquo Roubini spells out what he believes is the only way forward for Athens ldquoGreece is stuck in a vicious cycle of insolvency lost competitiveness external deficits and ever-deepening depression The only way to stop it is to begin an orderly default and exit coordinated and financed by the European Central Bank the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund (the lsquoTroikarsquo) that minimizes collateral damage to Greece and the rest of the eurozonerdquo He sets out an ugly but in his view unavoidable scenario of managing Greek default And if that horror story whets onersquos appetite for more try ldquoGet Ready for the Spanish Bailoutrdquo
What about America Will it bite the bullet Or will it too become a ldquotrain wreckrdquo as Roubini says of Europersquos fiscal landscape in his talk with former investment banker Michael Milken If so will the American economy tank not to mention the worldrsquos And what is Asia to do in the continuing economic malaise in big markets
That is the subject of the IMFrsquos Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 subtitled ldquoManaging Spillovers and Advancing Economic Rebalancing The report assesses the likely impact on Asia of the Westrsquos economic and financial troubles and recommends measures to address it The Fund also urges measures to rebalance the regionrsquos economies away from export dependence and toward greater reliance on domestic consumption and investment spending for economic growth
In a world of turmoil that is exactly the formula to keep Asia growing
GROWING ASIA
Real GDP Change in 2011 and 2012-13 Forecast 2011 2012 2013
Industrial Asia -02 22 20 Australia 20 30 35 Japan -07 20 17 New Zealand 14 23 32East Asia 82 73 80 China 92 82 88 Hong Kong SAR 50 26 42 Korea 36 35 40 Taiwan Province of China 40 36 47South Asia 71 68 72 Bangladesh 61 59 64 India 71 69 73 Sri Lanka 82 75 70ASEAN 46 52 60 Brunei Darussalam 19 32 16 Cambodia 61 62 64 Indonesia 65 61 66 Lao PDR 83 84 71 Malaysia 51 44 47 Myanmar 55 60 59 Philippines 37 42 47 Singapore 49 27 39 Thailand 01 55 75 Vietnam 59 56 63Emerging Asia 74 69 75
source IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 page 5
13
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Business
SBMA upbeat on lsquoSubic BPO Cityrsquo projectSubic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto V Garcia shared his positive outlook for the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the region recently as he address more than 200 graduating students of Olongapo Citys AMA College
Banking on the infrastructure projects within the freeport zone Garcia said that his management team has made plans to establish a BPO City inside Subic You are lucky he assured the graduates because there are lots of jobs waiting for you in the Subic Freeport
Further explanation from Garcia revealed that the future of BPO and Information Technology businesses in general has become very promising for the Philippines especially after it overtook India as the call center capital of the world The planned Subic BPO City seeks to capitalize on the rising trend and is poised to create jobs for more than 20000 IT-BPO workers by 2016 In fact PLDTs Vitro Data Center was recently launched in the area to help spur the local growth of the IT and BPO industry
The developments in Subic are only part of a concentrated effort by the government through the Department of Science and Technology Information and
Communications Technology Office to aim for a higher 2016 revenue target from the IT-BPO industry ndash raising it from $25 billion to $274 billion
PH conglomerates post higher Q1 profitsImproved economic activity in the country during the first quarter of 2012 appears to have boosted several of the Philippines leading conglomerates Last month Gokongwei-led JG Summit Holdings Inc was optimistic about its profits for this year due to a rising consumer demand for its varied products Accordingly the companys first quarter net income rose 767 to ₧491 billion in comparison to compared to ₧278 billion during the first quarter of 2011
Similarly Gotianun family-led Filinvest Development Corp (FDC) posted a consolidated net income of ₧121 billion in the first quarter of 2012 61 higher than the ₧114 billion from first quarter numbers last year FDCs real estate business accounted for 51 of the total revenues
Meanwhile GT Capital Holdings flagship of tycoon George Ty registered a net income of ₧13 billion in the first quarter of this year an increase of 505 from 2011 numbers
Lopez Holdings Corp ndash with a 603 economic interest in ABS-
CBN and 466 in First Philippine Holdings Corporation as of December 2011 ndash experienced a first-quarter net income increase of 192 to ₧263 billion compared to ₧902 million recorded during the same period last year However ABS-CBN itself posted a staggering profit drop of 69 for the first three months of 2012
Shipbuilder Hanjin Philippines to hire at least 10000 workersSouth Korean Shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries amp Construction-Philippines Inc (HHIC) through HHIC president Jin Kyu Ahn has announced that it is planning to hire at least 10000 more workers this 2012 for its shipyard in Zambales Subic Bay Freeport Zone The company has about 20000 local employees currently The Hanjin official noted that the promised jobs would clearly benefit the Philippine economy and bring opportunities to Filipino entrepreneurs and skilled workers and much needed revenue to the Philippine government
According to the Maritime Industry Authority the Philippines is the worldrsquos fourth-largest shipbuilding country The arrival of foreign shipbuilders such as HHIC in the country is a major factor that has spurred the growth of this industry at the same time that overseas Filipino workers are in demand in foreign shipyards
14cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
NATION
In Pursuit of Rice Self-Sufficiency by 2013Promised pursued and probably attainable but at what costBy Joanne Angela B Marzan
ersquoll achieve rice self-sufficiency after 2013 so beginning 2014
Next year we anticipate nakulangin tayo konti na lang [Next year we anticipate the shortfall to be minimal] Well start to export next year Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told the ABS-CBN news channel in a May 4 report posted on the abs-cbn news website
In fact Secretary Alcala mentioned in a May 9 press conference of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that the countryrsquos production target of palay (paddy rice) is ldquoon trackrdquo at 399 million metric tons (MMT) for the 1st quarter and 385 MMT for the 2nd quarter for a combined 784 MMT for the first semester of the year This means that the country has reached 42 of its 1846 MMT palay production target for the year
Meanwhile President Benigno Simeon C Aquino echoed this promised milestone to the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) attending the 45thAnnual Meeting in Manila from May 2-5 2012 But not before taking a swipe at the previous administration
During his ADB speech President Aquino said ldquoRice imported at inflated cost by the government was rotting away in rented warehousesrdquo and then proudly announced that through the reforms implemented by his administration the Philippines is ldquoless than a year away from being a net exporter of ricerdquo should the weather cooperate
STRATEGY POINTSThe Department of Agriculture is optimistic that by 2014 one of President Aquinos agricultural milestones of rice self-sufficiency would finally be attained even as some wonder whether this target can be achieved with middling economic growth and a rapidly growing population
A couple of papers from Philippine Institute for Development Studies have examined the countrys historic rice self-sufficiency policies and blame them for causing soaring rice prices that threaten the food security of the poorest sectors of society
Rice self-sufficiency is a most worthy goal but not at the expense of food security
ldquoW
rdquo
15
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Whether its Agriculture Secretary Alcala you want to hold to his promise of rice self-sufficiency by 2014 or President Aquino to his promise of rice self-sufficiency within a year of his speech to the ADB Board of Governors in May it would look as if the goal is seen as eminently doable if not practically a fait accompli
And with all that we would now like to ask whether rice self-sufficiency is
in fact worth all the fuss
To put things in some perspective the Philippines might be the worlds largest importer of rice but its not as if the Philippines doesnt produce a lot of rice In fact according to the table below from
ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo by Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio of the National Statistics Coordination Board in 2008 the Philippines produced the eighth-most rice in the world
13 In this video clip President Aquino expounds on the accomplishments of his administration during the 45th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of GovernorsABS-CBN
Country 2008 (in tonnes) RankChina 193354180 1India 148770000 2Indonesia 60251000 3Bangladesh 46742000 4Viet Nam 38725100 5Myanmar 32573000 6Thailand 31650600 7Philippines 16815500 8Brazil 12061500 9Japan 11028800 10
2008 TOP 10 PRODUCERS OF RICE PADDY
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and
Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
16cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
According to statistics from the afore-mentioned article provided in the table above in 1980 the Philippines exported the third-largest quantity of rice in Southeast Asia after Thailand and Myanmar In fact up until 1992 the Philippines was still rice self-sufficient enough to be a net exporter of rice
The problem is that in 1993 the Philippinesrsquo rice consumption fueled by an ever-growing population started to overtake its production In 2008 the Philippines imported 25 million metric tons of rice highest in the world fueled by both its fast-growing population and a global food crisis
For all the progress the country has made and is making in rice production one noted agriculturist believes that President Aquinorsquos ldquoreiteration of the policy of self-sufficiency in rice is a political strategy and not a poverty strategyrdquo
According to Dr Emil Q Javier president of the National Academy of Science and Technology rice self-sufficiency will not be
achieved because of ldquoour still unresolved population management policy as well as the relative slow rise in family incomesrdquo
At a March Department of Agriculture symposium about ldquoBroad-based Strategies for Food Security and Changing World Food Marketsrdquo Dr Javier posited that ldquo until such time that our economy consistently attains high growth rates like our neighbors diversification of food preference from rice to other food commodities associated with increasing incomes will be relatively slow Thus total effective demand of rice will continue to rise in the intermediate futurerdquo
Politics and rice have always gone together The historical relationship between politics and rice was discussed in the July 2005 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) discussion paper Rice and Philippine Politics by Ponciano S Intal Jr and Marissa C Garcia
The study said that rice has been a ldquopivotal political commodity since the Commonwealthrdquo for rice has become
ASEAN EXPORTER
ASEAN Country
1970 (in tonnes)
Rank 1980 (in tonnes)
Rank 1990 (in tonnes)
Rank 2000 (in tonnes)
Thailand 1047460 1 2762920 1 3557820 1 5282160Viet Nam 18479 5 33300 4 1624000 2 3476980Myanmar 640964 2 653100 2 213600 3 251400Singapore 33859 4 13342 5 1964 4 4105Cambodia 177688 3 - - - - 4860Philippines - - 256390 3 2 6 224Malaysia 70 6 - - 57 5 63Indonesia - - 10003 6 - - 196Brunei Darussalam
- - - - - - F
17
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
S OF RICE MILLED
Rank 2005(in tonnes)
Rank 2006 (in tonnes)
Rank 2007 (in tonnes)
Rank 2008 (in tonnes)
Rank
1 6043550 1 5996420 1 7408300 1 8672450 12 5250000 2 4642000 2 4558000 2 4735170 23 180000 3 71180 R 3 358500 3 40924 R 35 82239 4 67070 4 74872 4 13607 44 1384 R 7 3444 R 5 1170 R 5 4299 R 56 75 R 8 1370 R 6 68 R 7 1298 R 68 1531 6 1157 7 54 8 860 77 42280 5 907 8 336 6 429 8- - F - 369 R 9 - - 14 R 9
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
A matter of geographyHow did the Philippines which has long been in the forefront of rice research with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna become the worldrsquos top importer of rice A 2006 study ldquoWhy Does the Philippines Import Rice Meeting the challenge of trade liberalizationrdquo published by the IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) offered an interesting if not very obvious answer to its self-posed question The main reason it turns out might not owe so much to bad politicians corruption incompetence or laziness as it might to basic geography
ldquoExporters occupy river deltas with lots of land in general and lots of land suitable for rice in particular These countries are all located in mainland Southeast Asia Thailand Vietnam Cambodia and Myanmarrdquo the study explained The Philippines for its part is an island nation without any major river deltas one of a number of similarly configured Asian nations who have been historical rice importers ndash Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia and Sri Lanka
In addition the IRRI and PhilRice study also defended the Filipino farmer
ldquoSome may think the Filipino farmer is simply backward and cannot produce rice efficiently But a detailed survey of farmers in the various rice bowls of Asia found that Filipino farmers were among the leaders in reducing insecticide use and have progressed farther in mechanizing land preparation and postharvest operations than their counterparts in any other developing Asian country except Thailandrdquo the study claimed
the ldquostaple food and calorie source for majority of the population especially in the low-income groupsrdquo As such the study continued a strong relationship between rice and politics can be seen throughout the countryrsquos history The
report claimed that the price of rice has been a ldquosignificant determinant in election results since the 1950srdquo
However the study also criticized the governmentrsquos use of ldquoprice intervention
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
18cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
instrumentsrdquo which has favored rice farmers over consumers The shift to high nominal protection rates results in higher domestic prices for rice to benefit producers while lower nominal protection rates imply low domestic prices that would favor consumers
ldquo[R]eliance by the Philippine government primarily on price instruments to achieve its rice objectives and to protect farmer and consumer interests has not resulted in any substantial improvements in rice production In fact the shift to rice protection since the 1980s has failed to stabilize domestic rice prices and has effectively penalized the poorer householdsrdquo
lsquoObsolete and increasingly untenablersquo A more recent PIDS Policy Notes reiterated that the countryrsquos rice self-sufficiency policies are ldquoobsolete and increasingly untenablerdquo
A May 2011 PIDS Policy Notes brief ldquoPutting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food securityrdquo by Roehlano Briones and Danileen Kristel Parel assailed the countryrsquos special treatment of rice since 1994 as approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the granting of a Quantitative Restriction (QR) on rice imports to protect rice farmers has led to higher prices of rice which affect the poorest of the poor
The WTO defines QR as ldquospecific limits on the quantity or value of goods that can be imported (or exported)
during a specific time periodrdquo The PIDS study explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by law to set
The NFArsquos ₧100-billion problemThe National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to guarantee ldquothe food security of the country and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-ricerdquo As such NFA is the government agency tasked to ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the Filipino amidst soaring rice prices
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that according to a recently released 2009 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) the NFA lost more than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food security with stable prices as reported in a May 18 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Inquirer report said ldquoHuge rice imports and a policy of buying high selling low and storing long have resulted in the National Food Authority losing more than ₧100 billion in a span of 10 yearsrdquo
In 2008 alone COA said that the NFA suffered its biggest net loss of ₧3220 billion due to the global
13 GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES
900008000070000600005000040000300002000010000
0
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Gross Revenues
19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
20cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
22cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
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44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
-
- Page 3 Off
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- Page 33
- Page 45
-
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-
- Page 3 Off
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- Page 33
- Page 45
-
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-
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6cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
most emerging and developing economies However the recent improvements are very fragilerdquo Translation Wersquore making progress but wersquore not out of the woods Or as investment bank Morgan Stanleyrsquos Global Economic Forum puts it the global expansion is ldquobumpy below-par and brittlerdquo
The Fund expects ldquothe reacceleration of activity during the course of 2012 to return global growth to about 4 in 2013rdquo That would be back to last yearrsquos pace after slowing to a projected 35 this year Advanced economies crawling at 15 in 2012 could speed up to 2 next year while emerging and developing nations see expansion dip from 625 in 2011 to 575 this year then climb to 6 next
Containing contagion But that was before Greece rekindled fears of financial contagion last week It set new elections on June 17 after this monthrsquos polls failed to produce a coalition government to implement tough austerity measures in exchange for bailout loans Without the credit the country would default on loans exacerbating Europersquos crisis and possibly triggering a new global contagion If that happens predicts the Fundrsquos WEO that could shave 2 off world economic output this year and next
The European Commissionrsquos European Economic Forecast for spring had a first chapter titled ldquoThe EU Economy From Recession to a Slow Recoveryrdquo expressing hopes of a turnaround mdash with a big if ldquoGoing forward based on the assumption that the euro area will successfully handle crisis-related challenges a return of confidence over the course of 2012 is expectedrdquo That now boils down to Greece staying in the zone and the European Union
ratifying and carrying out its March 2 fiscal commitment treaty
IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde has had no illusions about the challenge of staving off recession and financial meltdown Last week she told The Telegraph newspaper of London referring to Greece exiting the euro zone ldquoIt would be extremely expensive and not just in Greece extremely expensive and hardrdquo She said the Fund is getting ready just in case ldquoWe at the IMF had to be technically prepared for anything because it is our jobrdquo she explained
No wonder the former French finance minister and head of international law firm Baker amp McKenzie had been pushing for increased rescue money for the Fund as a ldquoglobal firewallrdquo against future crises Ahead of the IMF-World Bank meetings Lagarde made a last-ditch call for $400 billion in additional resources for the Fund down from an initial target of $600 billion before the US refused to join the capital-raising exercise By meetingrsquos end the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies agreed to more than double IMF resources by more than $430 billion
ldquoThe firewall is a recognition that you need a global safety net not just a
Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Thof IMF policy committee with IMF MGlobal consensus for medium-term
7
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
European regional safety netrdquo explained Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Thanam Shanmugaratnam chairman of the Fundrsquos policy-making International Monetary and Finance Committee (IMFC) on the sidelines of the meetings He also lauded a ldquoa joining of minds on the criticality of medium-term sustainability We have to think creatively about policies which can help to get growth going without compromising on market confidencerdquo That means he said ldquomoving away from short-term stimulus thinking to thinking how we can recreate the basis for growth a few years from nowrdquo
Bear in the China shop Besides new troubles in the euro zone another recent worry in business circles is Chinarsquos economic slowdown As
reported by Reuters last Friday Chinarsquos State Information Center a government think tank estimated that in the second quarter the economy had decelerated to 75 the slowest since the midst of the global recession in the first quarter of 2009
Attributed to ldquoproperty tightening measures and weakening global demandrdquo the slowdown was still in line with the official GDP growth target No matter analysts like DailyFinancecom were quick to blog
warnings like ldquoChinarsquos Economic Slowdown Foreshadows Trouble for the USrdquo Besides watchers of the American economy oil futures traders also saw reason for gloom in Greecersquos woe and China slow
Top global bond investment company PIMCO joined leading banks Citigroup JP Morgan Chase Bank of America Goldman Sachs and Switzerlandrsquos UBS in cutting China growth forecasts PIMCO adjusted its projection to 75 the lowest annual rate in 13 years and the lower end of banksrsquo revised forecasts A day after the China think tank estimate Bloomberg reported that Goldman Sachs also trimmed its 2012 forecast five percentage points less to 81
In a survey of 21 economists conducted by Bloomberg last week the median forecast for China growth was 82 the slowest since 76 in 1999 and a full percentage point down from last yearrsquos 92 clip Many see third-quarter growth picking up on the expectation that the government would further ease interest rates But pumping more renminbi into the economy may not help much if bad loans hold back lending and businesses donrsquot have profitable reasons to boost production and invest
Bank lending is stagnant says Xiang Songzuo chief economist for the giant China Agricultural Bank in the Christian Science Monitorrsquos ldquoWhy Chinarsquos economy may be heading for a hard landingrdquo The May 17 story notes that industrial production grew 93 last month the slowest since the global slump Speaking to Bloomberg former IMF expert Xiang Zhiwei now Hong Kong-based chief economist of Nomura Holdings cited ldquobad trade production and [foreign direct investment] datardquo with FDI falling for six months in a row
harman Shanmugaratnam chairman Managing Director Christine Lagardeaction and global firewall IMF video
New risks for a fragile world recovery
8cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Meanwhile Bloomberg reported elsewhere exports and imports grew 49 and 03 sharply down from consensus projections of 85 and 105 respectively ldquoA very weak economy at this pointrdquo Zhang concludes adding that reducing bank reserve requirement ratios isnrsquot enough ldquoas it helps loan supply rather than demandrdquo His prescription more infrastructure spending and interest-rate cuts
America picks up pace If Europe and China are worrisome the United States is showing signs of slightly better-than-expected progress Take this May 9 presentation by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Compared with past recoveries from deep recessions the current US rebound is ldquomutedrdquo reports Chicago Fed senior economist William Strauss with just 21 growth in the past year The economy is forecast to grow ldquobelow trend this year and slightly above trend in 2013rdquo
Even with that slower-than-usual recovery 18 million jobs were added in the past 12 months and unemployment has dropped by 19 percentage points since the 2009 peak And more jobs are expected with solid manufacturing growth Indeed factory output has risen strongly in the past 33 months recovering nearly three-quarters of the production decline during the recession
Inflation is up a sign of economic and spending pickup However inflation-adjusted oil prices are lower than their 1980 high while gas prices are sharply down and energy expenditures are below the historical average Thus the Federal Reserve can hold interest rates down without spiking inflation
Argentinarsquos BBVA shares the upbeat outlook of many other international banks watching the American economy While it sees ldquomixed signals on the strength and sustainability of
Nomura Hong Kong economist Zhang Zhiwei cites dropping China trade production and investment and urges stronger monetary and fiscal measures to boost growth Bloomberg
9
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
the recoveryrdquo first-quarter data support its expectation of more robust growth through the year BBVA reports that the 29 surge in consumer spending in the first quarter mdash the fastest since late 2006 mdash offset weakness elsewhere in the economy
Notably BBVA differed a bit from the Chicago Fed in noting a manufacturing slowdown in the first quarter But the prognosis for the year remains decent with 23 growth projected Contributing to GDP growth for the first time since the 2008-09 recession is the residential investment with several housing-related industries also showing slightly positive movements Among them fabric and textile mills household and institutional furniture and paint One more plus sector growth in services is helping offset some job losses in industry especially with cutbacks in mining and energy
The coming US fiscal cliff So wherersquos the brittle side in the American economic picture Like Europe the crack in the glass is a fiscal one the market-imposed imperative to reduce public deficits and debt At the stroke of midnight on December 31 the current regime of Bush-era middle-class tax breaks the 2011-12 payroll tax cut and growth-spurring budgetary spending turns into a pumpkin so to speak Add to the expiring state largesse the expected decline in defense outlays as waves of US troops come home from Afghanistan
How big is this removal of tax cuts and forced budget reductions Most economists estimate their combined value at 35 of GDP including $12 trillion in legislated spending cuts under the Democratic-Republican deal to raise the federal debt ceiling last August But Morgan Stanleyrsquos April 13 report ldquoHow Big Is the Fiscal
WHATrsquoS AHEAD FOR AMERICAThe Conference Board Forecasts 2011 Actual and 2012-13 Projections
2012 2013 2011 2012 2013
I Q II Q III Q IV Q I Q II Q ANNUAL ANNUAL ANNUAL
Real GDP 22 17 23 24 26 25 17 22 24Real Consumer Spending 29 24 25 27 26 23 22 23 24Housing Starts Mil Units 069 072 074 077 077 081 061 073 082Real Capital Spending -21 59 65 68 67 78 88 52 67Net Exports Bil lsquo00$ -4101 -4043 -3980 -3865 -3751 -3608 -4136 -3997 -3505
actual value
Table by The Conference Board
New risks for a fragile world recovery
10cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Cliff in 2013rdquo puts it at 5 Either way for an economy growing at less than 3 a reduction of 35-5 in state-funded demand would tip America into recession
Most forecasters believe that the US Congress will pass legislation to spread the fiscal pain over a longer period than all together on New Yearrsquos Day But that is not a sure thing especially in the fractious aftermath of national elections in November Even if another bipartisan deal is struck a substantial portion of the tax and spending squeeze will still be felt in 2013 making Morgan Stanley analysts wonder why many economists expect next yearrsquos growth to be faster than this year
Moreover they may be forgetting why those tax cuts and federal spending have to go in the first place market pressure to right Washingtonrsquos fiscal ship whose shakiness already led Standard amp Poorrsquos to downgrade US sovereign credit to below triple-A over a year ago If Congress puts off the January fiscal Armageddon without putting a credible deficit-and-debt reduction program
in its place the dollar and the governmentrsquos credit rating and costs will pay the price with negative impact on the economy
Hence Morgan Stanley expects some ldquomeaningfulrdquo budgetary and tax tightening next year ldquoan expiration of the payroll tax cut some rejigged spending cuts and other miscellaneous measures to lead to about a 15 of GDP fiscal tightening in 2013rdquo That forecast would pare one percentage point off next yearrsquos baseline expansion But even this mild scenario demands a big if that Democrats and Republicans after being hopelessly occupied before elections would find the time and inclination to enact the needed legislation between mid-November and the Christmas break as they did in 2010
Austerity and bailout fatigue But more than partisan politics the bigger difficulty in balancing fiscal reform and growth is the citizenryrsquos general unwillingness to sacrifice for balanced budgets whether they are cash-strapped Greeks or debt-ridden Americans ldquoPeople are saying lsquoAusterity austerity mdash
Former investment banker Michael Milken interviewing economist Nouriel Roubini People say lsquoAusterity austerity mdash wherersquos the growthlsquo Milken InstituteYouTube
11
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
New risks for a fragile world recovery
WHERE ASIA SELLS
IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 pages 6 and 41
Correlation of Exports to China with Chinarsquos Exports to Asian Selected Economies
05
04
03
02
01
00
-01
2006-112000-05
New
Zea
land
Hon
g Ko
ng S
AR
Philip
pine
s
Aust
ralia
Thai
land
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Indo
nesi
a
Sing
apor
e
Kore
a
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Share of Exports Linked to Demand from Europe
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Sing
apor
e
Thai
land
Kore
a
Chi
na
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Indo
nesi
a
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Philip
pine
s
In percent of exports linked to demand outside Asia In percent of GDP
12cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
New risks for a fragile world recovery
where is growthrsquordquo says economist Nouriel Roubini in his May 3 Milken Institute interview The New York University professor who famously predicted the 2008 US financial crisis thinks that due to this austerity fatigue ldquoeither this year or next Greece is highly likely to default on its debt and exit the eurozonerdquo (On the other hand he also mentions bailout fatigue in countries like Germany tired of paying billions for financial rescues)
In his Project Syndicate article ldquoGreece Must Exitrdquo Roubini spells out what he believes is the only way forward for Athens ldquoGreece is stuck in a vicious cycle of insolvency lost competitiveness external deficits and ever-deepening depression The only way to stop it is to begin an orderly default and exit coordinated and financed by the European Central Bank the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund (the lsquoTroikarsquo) that minimizes collateral damage to Greece and the rest of the eurozonerdquo He sets out an ugly but in his view unavoidable scenario of managing Greek default And if that horror story whets onersquos appetite for more try ldquoGet Ready for the Spanish Bailoutrdquo
What about America Will it bite the bullet Or will it too become a ldquotrain wreckrdquo as Roubini says of Europersquos fiscal landscape in his talk with former investment banker Michael Milken If so will the American economy tank not to mention the worldrsquos And what is Asia to do in the continuing economic malaise in big markets
That is the subject of the IMFrsquos Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 subtitled ldquoManaging Spillovers and Advancing Economic Rebalancing The report assesses the likely impact on Asia of the Westrsquos economic and financial troubles and recommends measures to address it The Fund also urges measures to rebalance the regionrsquos economies away from export dependence and toward greater reliance on domestic consumption and investment spending for economic growth
In a world of turmoil that is exactly the formula to keep Asia growing
GROWING ASIA
Real GDP Change in 2011 and 2012-13 Forecast 2011 2012 2013
Industrial Asia -02 22 20 Australia 20 30 35 Japan -07 20 17 New Zealand 14 23 32East Asia 82 73 80 China 92 82 88 Hong Kong SAR 50 26 42 Korea 36 35 40 Taiwan Province of China 40 36 47South Asia 71 68 72 Bangladesh 61 59 64 India 71 69 73 Sri Lanka 82 75 70ASEAN 46 52 60 Brunei Darussalam 19 32 16 Cambodia 61 62 64 Indonesia 65 61 66 Lao PDR 83 84 71 Malaysia 51 44 47 Myanmar 55 60 59 Philippines 37 42 47 Singapore 49 27 39 Thailand 01 55 75 Vietnam 59 56 63Emerging Asia 74 69 75
source IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 page 5
13
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Business
SBMA upbeat on lsquoSubic BPO Cityrsquo projectSubic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto V Garcia shared his positive outlook for the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the region recently as he address more than 200 graduating students of Olongapo Citys AMA College
Banking on the infrastructure projects within the freeport zone Garcia said that his management team has made plans to establish a BPO City inside Subic You are lucky he assured the graduates because there are lots of jobs waiting for you in the Subic Freeport
Further explanation from Garcia revealed that the future of BPO and Information Technology businesses in general has become very promising for the Philippines especially after it overtook India as the call center capital of the world The planned Subic BPO City seeks to capitalize on the rising trend and is poised to create jobs for more than 20000 IT-BPO workers by 2016 In fact PLDTs Vitro Data Center was recently launched in the area to help spur the local growth of the IT and BPO industry
The developments in Subic are only part of a concentrated effort by the government through the Department of Science and Technology Information and
Communications Technology Office to aim for a higher 2016 revenue target from the IT-BPO industry ndash raising it from $25 billion to $274 billion
PH conglomerates post higher Q1 profitsImproved economic activity in the country during the first quarter of 2012 appears to have boosted several of the Philippines leading conglomerates Last month Gokongwei-led JG Summit Holdings Inc was optimistic about its profits for this year due to a rising consumer demand for its varied products Accordingly the companys first quarter net income rose 767 to ₧491 billion in comparison to compared to ₧278 billion during the first quarter of 2011
Similarly Gotianun family-led Filinvest Development Corp (FDC) posted a consolidated net income of ₧121 billion in the first quarter of 2012 61 higher than the ₧114 billion from first quarter numbers last year FDCs real estate business accounted for 51 of the total revenues
Meanwhile GT Capital Holdings flagship of tycoon George Ty registered a net income of ₧13 billion in the first quarter of this year an increase of 505 from 2011 numbers
Lopez Holdings Corp ndash with a 603 economic interest in ABS-
CBN and 466 in First Philippine Holdings Corporation as of December 2011 ndash experienced a first-quarter net income increase of 192 to ₧263 billion compared to ₧902 million recorded during the same period last year However ABS-CBN itself posted a staggering profit drop of 69 for the first three months of 2012
Shipbuilder Hanjin Philippines to hire at least 10000 workersSouth Korean Shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries amp Construction-Philippines Inc (HHIC) through HHIC president Jin Kyu Ahn has announced that it is planning to hire at least 10000 more workers this 2012 for its shipyard in Zambales Subic Bay Freeport Zone The company has about 20000 local employees currently The Hanjin official noted that the promised jobs would clearly benefit the Philippine economy and bring opportunities to Filipino entrepreneurs and skilled workers and much needed revenue to the Philippine government
According to the Maritime Industry Authority the Philippines is the worldrsquos fourth-largest shipbuilding country The arrival of foreign shipbuilders such as HHIC in the country is a major factor that has spurred the growth of this industry at the same time that overseas Filipino workers are in demand in foreign shipyards
14cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
NATION
In Pursuit of Rice Self-Sufficiency by 2013Promised pursued and probably attainable but at what costBy Joanne Angela B Marzan
ersquoll achieve rice self-sufficiency after 2013 so beginning 2014
Next year we anticipate nakulangin tayo konti na lang [Next year we anticipate the shortfall to be minimal] Well start to export next year Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told the ABS-CBN news channel in a May 4 report posted on the abs-cbn news website
In fact Secretary Alcala mentioned in a May 9 press conference of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that the countryrsquos production target of palay (paddy rice) is ldquoon trackrdquo at 399 million metric tons (MMT) for the 1st quarter and 385 MMT for the 2nd quarter for a combined 784 MMT for the first semester of the year This means that the country has reached 42 of its 1846 MMT palay production target for the year
Meanwhile President Benigno Simeon C Aquino echoed this promised milestone to the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) attending the 45thAnnual Meeting in Manila from May 2-5 2012 But not before taking a swipe at the previous administration
During his ADB speech President Aquino said ldquoRice imported at inflated cost by the government was rotting away in rented warehousesrdquo and then proudly announced that through the reforms implemented by his administration the Philippines is ldquoless than a year away from being a net exporter of ricerdquo should the weather cooperate
STRATEGY POINTSThe Department of Agriculture is optimistic that by 2014 one of President Aquinos agricultural milestones of rice self-sufficiency would finally be attained even as some wonder whether this target can be achieved with middling economic growth and a rapidly growing population
A couple of papers from Philippine Institute for Development Studies have examined the countrys historic rice self-sufficiency policies and blame them for causing soaring rice prices that threaten the food security of the poorest sectors of society
Rice self-sufficiency is a most worthy goal but not at the expense of food security
ldquoW
rdquo
15
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Whether its Agriculture Secretary Alcala you want to hold to his promise of rice self-sufficiency by 2014 or President Aquino to his promise of rice self-sufficiency within a year of his speech to the ADB Board of Governors in May it would look as if the goal is seen as eminently doable if not practically a fait accompli
And with all that we would now like to ask whether rice self-sufficiency is
in fact worth all the fuss
To put things in some perspective the Philippines might be the worlds largest importer of rice but its not as if the Philippines doesnt produce a lot of rice In fact according to the table below from
ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo by Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio of the National Statistics Coordination Board in 2008 the Philippines produced the eighth-most rice in the world
13 In this video clip President Aquino expounds on the accomplishments of his administration during the 45th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of GovernorsABS-CBN
Country 2008 (in tonnes) RankChina 193354180 1India 148770000 2Indonesia 60251000 3Bangladesh 46742000 4Viet Nam 38725100 5Myanmar 32573000 6Thailand 31650600 7Philippines 16815500 8Brazil 12061500 9Japan 11028800 10
2008 TOP 10 PRODUCERS OF RICE PADDY
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and
Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
16cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
According to statistics from the afore-mentioned article provided in the table above in 1980 the Philippines exported the third-largest quantity of rice in Southeast Asia after Thailand and Myanmar In fact up until 1992 the Philippines was still rice self-sufficient enough to be a net exporter of rice
The problem is that in 1993 the Philippinesrsquo rice consumption fueled by an ever-growing population started to overtake its production In 2008 the Philippines imported 25 million metric tons of rice highest in the world fueled by both its fast-growing population and a global food crisis
For all the progress the country has made and is making in rice production one noted agriculturist believes that President Aquinorsquos ldquoreiteration of the policy of self-sufficiency in rice is a political strategy and not a poverty strategyrdquo
According to Dr Emil Q Javier president of the National Academy of Science and Technology rice self-sufficiency will not be
achieved because of ldquoour still unresolved population management policy as well as the relative slow rise in family incomesrdquo
At a March Department of Agriculture symposium about ldquoBroad-based Strategies for Food Security and Changing World Food Marketsrdquo Dr Javier posited that ldquo until such time that our economy consistently attains high growth rates like our neighbors diversification of food preference from rice to other food commodities associated with increasing incomes will be relatively slow Thus total effective demand of rice will continue to rise in the intermediate futurerdquo
Politics and rice have always gone together The historical relationship between politics and rice was discussed in the July 2005 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) discussion paper Rice and Philippine Politics by Ponciano S Intal Jr and Marissa C Garcia
The study said that rice has been a ldquopivotal political commodity since the Commonwealthrdquo for rice has become
ASEAN EXPORTER
ASEAN Country
1970 (in tonnes)
Rank 1980 (in tonnes)
Rank 1990 (in tonnes)
Rank 2000 (in tonnes)
Thailand 1047460 1 2762920 1 3557820 1 5282160Viet Nam 18479 5 33300 4 1624000 2 3476980Myanmar 640964 2 653100 2 213600 3 251400Singapore 33859 4 13342 5 1964 4 4105Cambodia 177688 3 - - - - 4860Philippines - - 256390 3 2 6 224Malaysia 70 6 - - 57 5 63Indonesia - - 10003 6 - - 196Brunei Darussalam
- - - - - - F
17
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
S OF RICE MILLED
Rank 2005(in tonnes)
Rank 2006 (in tonnes)
Rank 2007 (in tonnes)
Rank 2008 (in tonnes)
Rank
1 6043550 1 5996420 1 7408300 1 8672450 12 5250000 2 4642000 2 4558000 2 4735170 23 180000 3 71180 R 3 358500 3 40924 R 35 82239 4 67070 4 74872 4 13607 44 1384 R 7 3444 R 5 1170 R 5 4299 R 56 75 R 8 1370 R 6 68 R 7 1298 R 68 1531 6 1157 7 54 8 860 77 42280 5 907 8 336 6 429 8- - F - 369 R 9 - - 14 R 9
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
A matter of geographyHow did the Philippines which has long been in the forefront of rice research with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna become the worldrsquos top importer of rice A 2006 study ldquoWhy Does the Philippines Import Rice Meeting the challenge of trade liberalizationrdquo published by the IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) offered an interesting if not very obvious answer to its self-posed question The main reason it turns out might not owe so much to bad politicians corruption incompetence or laziness as it might to basic geography
ldquoExporters occupy river deltas with lots of land in general and lots of land suitable for rice in particular These countries are all located in mainland Southeast Asia Thailand Vietnam Cambodia and Myanmarrdquo the study explained The Philippines for its part is an island nation without any major river deltas one of a number of similarly configured Asian nations who have been historical rice importers ndash Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia and Sri Lanka
In addition the IRRI and PhilRice study also defended the Filipino farmer
ldquoSome may think the Filipino farmer is simply backward and cannot produce rice efficiently But a detailed survey of farmers in the various rice bowls of Asia found that Filipino farmers were among the leaders in reducing insecticide use and have progressed farther in mechanizing land preparation and postharvest operations than their counterparts in any other developing Asian country except Thailandrdquo the study claimed
the ldquostaple food and calorie source for majority of the population especially in the low-income groupsrdquo As such the study continued a strong relationship between rice and politics can be seen throughout the countryrsquos history The
report claimed that the price of rice has been a ldquosignificant determinant in election results since the 1950srdquo
However the study also criticized the governmentrsquos use of ldquoprice intervention
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
18cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
instrumentsrdquo which has favored rice farmers over consumers The shift to high nominal protection rates results in higher domestic prices for rice to benefit producers while lower nominal protection rates imply low domestic prices that would favor consumers
ldquo[R]eliance by the Philippine government primarily on price instruments to achieve its rice objectives and to protect farmer and consumer interests has not resulted in any substantial improvements in rice production In fact the shift to rice protection since the 1980s has failed to stabilize domestic rice prices and has effectively penalized the poorer householdsrdquo
lsquoObsolete and increasingly untenablersquo A more recent PIDS Policy Notes reiterated that the countryrsquos rice self-sufficiency policies are ldquoobsolete and increasingly untenablerdquo
A May 2011 PIDS Policy Notes brief ldquoPutting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food securityrdquo by Roehlano Briones and Danileen Kristel Parel assailed the countryrsquos special treatment of rice since 1994 as approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the granting of a Quantitative Restriction (QR) on rice imports to protect rice farmers has led to higher prices of rice which affect the poorest of the poor
The WTO defines QR as ldquospecific limits on the quantity or value of goods that can be imported (or exported)
during a specific time periodrdquo The PIDS study explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by law to set
The NFArsquos ₧100-billion problemThe National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to guarantee ldquothe food security of the country and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-ricerdquo As such NFA is the government agency tasked to ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the Filipino amidst soaring rice prices
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that according to a recently released 2009 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) the NFA lost more than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food security with stable prices as reported in a May 18 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Inquirer report said ldquoHuge rice imports and a policy of buying high selling low and storing long have resulted in the National Food Authority losing more than ₧100 billion in a span of 10 yearsrdquo
In 2008 alone COA said that the NFA suffered its biggest net loss of ₧3220 billion due to the global
13 GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES
900008000070000600005000040000300002000010000
0
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Gross Revenues
19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
20cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
22cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
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the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
-
- Page 3 Off
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- Page 45
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-
- Page 3 Off
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- Page 45
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7
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
European regional safety netrdquo explained Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Thanam Shanmugaratnam chairman of the Fundrsquos policy-making International Monetary and Finance Committee (IMFC) on the sidelines of the meetings He also lauded a ldquoa joining of minds on the criticality of medium-term sustainability We have to think creatively about policies which can help to get growth going without compromising on market confidencerdquo That means he said ldquomoving away from short-term stimulus thinking to thinking how we can recreate the basis for growth a few years from nowrdquo
Bear in the China shop Besides new troubles in the euro zone another recent worry in business circles is Chinarsquos economic slowdown As
reported by Reuters last Friday Chinarsquos State Information Center a government think tank estimated that in the second quarter the economy had decelerated to 75 the slowest since the midst of the global recession in the first quarter of 2009
Attributed to ldquoproperty tightening measures and weakening global demandrdquo the slowdown was still in line with the official GDP growth target No matter analysts like DailyFinancecom were quick to blog
warnings like ldquoChinarsquos Economic Slowdown Foreshadows Trouble for the USrdquo Besides watchers of the American economy oil futures traders also saw reason for gloom in Greecersquos woe and China slow
Top global bond investment company PIMCO joined leading banks Citigroup JP Morgan Chase Bank of America Goldman Sachs and Switzerlandrsquos UBS in cutting China growth forecasts PIMCO adjusted its projection to 75 the lowest annual rate in 13 years and the lower end of banksrsquo revised forecasts A day after the China think tank estimate Bloomberg reported that Goldman Sachs also trimmed its 2012 forecast five percentage points less to 81
In a survey of 21 economists conducted by Bloomberg last week the median forecast for China growth was 82 the slowest since 76 in 1999 and a full percentage point down from last yearrsquos 92 clip Many see third-quarter growth picking up on the expectation that the government would further ease interest rates But pumping more renminbi into the economy may not help much if bad loans hold back lending and businesses donrsquot have profitable reasons to boost production and invest
Bank lending is stagnant says Xiang Songzuo chief economist for the giant China Agricultural Bank in the Christian Science Monitorrsquos ldquoWhy Chinarsquos economy may be heading for a hard landingrdquo The May 17 story notes that industrial production grew 93 last month the slowest since the global slump Speaking to Bloomberg former IMF expert Xiang Zhiwei now Hong Kong-based chief economist of Nomura Holdings cited ldquobad trade production and [foreign direct investment] datardquo with FDI falling for six months in a row
harman Shanmugaratnam chairman Managing Director Christine Lagardeaction and global firewall IMF video
New risks for a fragile world recovery
8cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Meanwhile Bloomberg reported elsewhere exports and imports grew 49 and 03 sharply down from consensus projections of 85 and 105 respectively ldquoA very weak economy at this pointrdquo Zhang concludes adding that reducing bank reserve requirement ratios isnrsquot enough ldquoas it helps loan supply rather than demandrdquo His prescription more infrastructure spending and interest-rate cuts
America picks up pace If Europe and China are worrisome the United States is showing signs of slightly better-than-expected progress Take this May 9 presentation by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Compared with past recoveries from deep recessions the current US rebound is ldquomutedrdquo reports Chicago Fed senior economist William Strauss with just 21 growth in the past year The economy is forecast to grow ldquobelow trend this year and slightly above trend in 2013rdquo
Even with that slower-than-usual recovery 18 million jobs were added in the past 12 months and unemployment has dropped by 19 percentage points since the 2009 peak And more jobs are expected with solid manufacturing growth Indeed factory output has risen strongly in the past 33 months recovering nearly three-quarters of the production decline during the recession
Inflation is up a sign of economic and spending pickup However inflation-adjusted oil prices are lower than their 1980 high while gas prices are sharply down and energy expenditures are below the historical average Thus the Federal Reserve can hold interest rates down without spiking inflation
Argentinarsquos BBVA shares the upbeat outlook of many other international banks watching the American economy While it sees ldquomixed signals on the strength and sustainability of
Nomura Hong Kong economist Zhang Zhiwei cites dropping China trade production and investment and urges stronger monetary and fiscal measures to boost growth Bloomberg
9
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
the recoveryrdquo first-quarter data support its expectation of more robust growth through the year BBVA reports that the 29 surge in consumer spending in the first quarter mdash the fastest since late 2006 mdash offset weakness elsewhere in the economy
Notably BBVA differed a bit from the Chicago Fed in noting a manufacturing slowdown in the first quarter But the prognosis for the year remains decent with 23 growth projected Contributing to GDP growth for the first time since the 2008-09 recession is the residential investment with several housing-related industries also showing slightly positive movements Among them fabric and textile mills household and institutional furniture and paint One more plus sector growth in services is helping offset some job losses in industry especially with cutbacks in mining and energy
The coming US fiscal cliff So wherersquos the brittle side in the American economic picture Like Europe the crack in the glass is a fiscal one the market-imposed imperative to reduce public deficits and debt At the stroke of midnight on December 31 the current regime of Bush-era middle-class tax breaks the 2011-12 payroll tax cut and growth-spurring budgetary spending turns into a pumpkin so to speak Add to the expiring state largesse the expected decline in defense outlays as waves of US troops come home from Afghanistan
How big is this removal of tax cuts and forced budget reductions Most economists estimate their combined value at 35 of GDP including $12 trillion in legislated spending cuts under the Democratic-Republican deal to raise the federal debt ceiling last August But Morgan Stanleyrsquos April 13 report ldquoHow Big Is the Fiscal
WHATrsquoS AHEAD FOR AMERICAThe Conference Board Forecasts 2011 Actual and 2012-13 Projections
2012 2013 2011 2012 2013
I Q II Q III Q IV Q I Q II Q ANNUAL ANNUAL ANNUAL
Real GDP 22 17 23 24 26 25 17 22 24Real Consumer Spending 29 24 25 27 26 23 22 23 24Housing Starts Mil Units 069 072 074 077 077 081 061 073 082Real Capital Spending -21 59 65 68 67 78 88 52 67Net Exports Bil lsquo00$ -4101 -4043 -3980 -3865 -3751 -3608 -4136 -3997 -3505
actual value
Table by The Conference Board
New risks for a fragile world recovery
10cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Cliff in 2013rdquo puts it at 5 Either way for an economy growing at less than 3 a reduction of 35-5 in state-funded demand would tip America into recession
Most forecasters believe that the US Congress will pass legislation to spread the fiscal pain over a longer period than all together on New Yearrsquos Day But that is not a sure thing especially in the fractious aftermath of national elections in November Even if another bipartisan deal is struck a substantial portion of the tax and spending squeeze will still be felt in 2013 making Morgan Stanley analysts wonder why many economists expect next yearrsquos growth to be faster than this year
Moreover they may be forgetting why those tax cuts and federal spending have to go in the first place market pressure to right Washingtonrsquos fiscal ship whose shakiness already led Standard amp Poorrsquos to downgrade US sovereign credit to below triple-A over a year ago If Congress puts off the January fiscal Armageddon without putting a credible deficit-and-debt reduction program
in its place the dollar and the governmentrsquos credit rating and costs will pay the price with negative impact on the economy
Hence Morgan Stanley expects some ldquomeaningfulrdquo budgetary and tax tightening next year ldquoan expiration of the payroll tax cut some rejigged spending cuts and other miscellaneous measures to lead to about a 15 of GDP fiscal tightening in 2013rdquo That forecast would pare one percentage point off next yearrsquos baseline expansion But even this mild scenario demands a big if that Democrats and Republicans after being hopelessly occupied before elections would find the time and inclination to enact the needed legislation between mid-November and the Christmas break as they did in 2010
Austerity and bailout fatigue But more than partisan politics the bigger difficulty in balancing fiscal reform and growth is the citizenryrsquos general unwillingness to sacrifice for balanced budgets whether they are cash-strapped Greeks or debt-ridden Americans ldquoPeople are saying lsquoAusterity austerity mdash
Former investment banker Michael Milken interviewing economist Nouriel Roubini People say lsquoAusterity austerity mdash wherersquos the growthlsquo Milken InstituteYouTube
11
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
New risks for a fragile world recovery
WHERE ASIA SELLS
IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 pages 6 and 41
Correlation of Exports to China with Chinarsquos Exports to Asian Selected Economies
05
04
03
02
01
00
-01
2006-112000-05
New
Zea
land
Hon
g Ko
ng S
AR
Philip
pine
s
Aust
ralia
Thai
land
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Indo
nesi
a
Sing
apor
e
Kore
a
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Share of Exports Linked to Demand from Europe
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Sing
apor
e
Thai
land
Kore
a
Chi
na
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Indo
nesi
a
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Philip
pine
s
In percent of exports linked to demand outside Asia In percent of GDP
12cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
New risks for a fragile world recovery
where is growthrsquordquo says economist Nouriel Roubini in his May 3 Milken Institute interview The New York University professor who famously predicted the 2008 US financial crisis thinks that due to this austerity fatigue ldquoeither this year or next Greece is highly likely to default on its debt and exit the eurozonerdquo (On the other hand he also mentions bailout fatigue in countries like Germany tired of paying billions for financial rescues)
In his Project Syndicate article ldquoGreece Must Exitrdquo Roubini spells out what he believes is the only way forward for Athens ldquoGreece is stuck in a vicious cycle of insolvency lost competitiveness external deficits and ever-deepening depression The only way to stop it is to begin an orderly default and exit coordinated and financed by the European Central Bank the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund (the lsquoTroikarsquo) that minimizes collateral damage to Greece and the rest of the eurozonerdquo He sets out an ugly but in his view unavoidable scenario of managing Greek default And if that horror story whets onersquos appetite for more try ldquoGet Ready for the Spanish Bailoutrdquo
What about America Will it bite the bullet Or will it too become a ldquotrain wreckrdquo as Roubini says of Europersquos fiscal landscape in his talk with former investment banker Michael Milken If so will the American economy tank not to mention the worldrsquos And what is Asia to do in the continuing economic malaise in big markets
That is the subject of the IMFrsquos Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 subtitled ldquoManaging Spillovers and Advancing Economic Rebalancing The report assesses the likely impact on Asia of the Westrsquos economic and financial troubles and recommends measures to address it The Fund also urges measures to rebalance the regionrsquos economies away from export dependence and toward greater reliance on domestic consumption and investment spending for economic growth
In a world of turmoil that is exactly the formula to keep Asia growing
GROWING ASIA
Real GDP Change in 2011 and 2012-13 Forecast 2011 2012 2013
Industrial Asia -02 22 20 Australia 20 30 35 Japan -07 20 17 New Zealand 14 23 32East Asia 82 73 80 China 92 82 88 Hong Kong SAR 50 26 42 Korea 36 35 40 Taiwan Province of China 40 36 47South Asia 71 68 72 Bangladesh 61 59 64 India 71 69 73 Sri Lanka 82 75 70ASEAN 46 52 60 Brunei Darussalam 19 32 16 Cambodia 61 62 64 Indonesia 65 61 66 Lao PDR 83 84 71 Malaysia 51 44 47 Myanmar 55 60 59 Philippines 37 42 47 Singapore 49 27 39 Thailand 01 55 75 Vietnam 59 56 63Emerging Asia 74 69 75
source IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 page 5
13
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Business
SBMA upbeat on lsquoSubic BPO Cityrsquo projectSubic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto V Garcia shared his positive outlook for the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the region recently as he address more than 200 graduating students of Olongapo Citys AMA College
Banking on the infrastructure projects within the freeport zone Garcia said that his management team has made plans to establish a BPO City inside Subic You are lucky he assured the graduates because there are lots of jobs waiting for you in the Subic Freeport
Further explanation from Garcia revealed that the future of BPO and Information Technology businesses in general has become very promising for the Philippines especially after it overtook India as the call center capital of the world The planned Subic BPO City seeks to capitalize on the rising trend and is poised to create jobs for more than 20000 IT-BPO workers by 2016 In fact PLDTs Vitro Data Center was recently launched in the area to help spur the local growth of the IT and BPO industry
The developments in Subic are only part of a concentrated effort by the government through the Department of Science and Technology Information and
Communications Technology Office to aim for a higher 2016 revenue target from the IT-BPO industry ndash raising it from $25 billion to $274 billion
PH conglomerates post higher Q1 profitsImproved economic activity in the country during the first quarter of 2012 appears to have boosted several of the Philippines leading conglomerates Last month Gokongwei-led JG Summit Holdings Inc was optimistic about its profits for this year due to a rising consumer demand for its varied products Accordingly the companys first quarter net income rose 767 to ₧491 billion in comparison to compared to ₧278 billion during the first quarter of 2011
Similarly Gotianun family-led Filinvest Development Corp (FDC) posted a consolidated net income of ₧121 billion in the first quarter of 2012 61 higher than the ₧114 billion from first quarter numbers last year FDCs real estate business accounted for 51 of the total revenues
Meanwhile GT Capital Holdings flagship of tycoon George Ty registered a net income of ₧13 billion in the first quarter of this year an increase of 505 from 2011 numbers
Lopez Holdings Corp ndash with a 603 economic interest in ABS-
CBN and 466 in First Philippine Holdings Corporation as of December 2011 ndash experienced a first-quarter net income increase of 192 to ₧263 billion compared to ₧902 million recorded during the same period last year However ABS-CBN itself posted a staggering profit drop of 69 for the first three months of 2012
Shipbuilder Hanjin Philippines to hire at least 10000 workersSouth Korean Shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries amp Construction-Philippines Inc (HHIC) through HHIC president Jin Kyu Ahn has announced that it is planning to hire at least 10000 more workers this 2012 for its shipyard in Zambales Subic Bay Freeport Zone The company has about 20000 local employees currently The Hanjin official noted that the promised jobs would clearly benefit the Philippine economy and bring opportunities to Filipino entrepreneurs and skilled workers and much needed revenue to the Philippine government
According to the Maritime Industry Authority the Philippines is the worldrsquos fourth-largest shipbuilding country The arrival of foreign shipbuilders such as HHIC in the country is a major factor that has spurred the growth of this industry at the same time that overseas Filipino workers are in demand in foreign shipyards
14cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
NATION
In Pursuit of Rice Self-Sufficiency by 2013Promised pursued and probably attainable but at what costBy Joanne Angela B Marzan
ersquoll achieve rice self-sufficiency after 2013 so beginning 2014
Next year we anticipate nakulangin tayo konti na lang [Next year we anticipate the shortfall to be minimal] Well start to export next year Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told the ABS-CBN news channel in a May 4 report posted on the abs-cbn news website
In fact Secretary Alcala mentioned in a May 9 press conference of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that the countryrsquos production target of palay (paddy rice) is ldquoon trackrdquo at 399 million metric tons (MMT) for the 1st quarter and 385 MMT for the 2nd quarter for a combined 784 MMT for the first semester of the year This means that the country has reached 42 of its 1846 MMT palay production target for the year
Meanwhile President Benigno Simeon C Aquino echoed this promised milestone to the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) attending the 45thAnnual Meeting in Manila from May 2-5 2012 But not before taking a swipe at the previous administration
During his ADB speech President Aquino said ldquoRice imported at inflated cost by the government was rotting away in rented warehousesrdquo and then proudly announced that through the reforms implemented by his administration the Philippines is ldquoless than a year away from being a net exporter of ricerdquo should the weather cooperate
STRATEGY POINTSThe Department of Agriculture is optimistic that by 2014 one of President Aquinos agricultural milestones of rice self-sufficiency would finally be attained even as some wonder whether this target can be achieved with middling economic growth and a rapidly growing population
A couple of papers from Philippine Institute for Development Studies have examined the countrys historic rice self-sufficiency policies and blame them for causing soaring rice prices that threaten the food security of the poorest sectors of society
Rice self-sufficiency is a most worthy goal but not at the expense of food security
ldquoW
rdquo
15
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Whether its Agriculture Secretary Alcala you want to hold to his promise of rice self-sufficiency by 2014 or President Aquino to his promise of rice self-sufficiency within a year of his speech to the ADB Board of Governors in May it would look as if the goal is seen as eminently doable if not practically a fait accompli
And with all that we would now like to ask whether rice self-sufficiency is
in fact worth all the fuss
To put things in some perspective the Philippines might be the worlds largest importer of rice but its not as if the Philippines doesnt produce a lot of rice In fact according to the table below from
ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo by Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio of the National Statistics Coordination Board in 2008 the Philippines produced the eighth-most rice in the world
13 In this video clip President Aquino expounds on the accomplishments of his administration during the 45th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of GovernorsABS-CBN
Country 2008 (in tonnes) RankChina 193354180 1India 148770000 2Indonesia 60251000 3Bangladesh 46742000 4Viet Nam 38725100 5Myanmar 32573000 6Thailand 31650600 7Philippines 16815500 8Brazil 12061500 9Japan 11028800 10
2008 TOP 10 PRODUCERS OF RICE PADDY
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and
Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
16cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
According to statistics from the afore-mentioned article provided in the table above in 1980 the Philippines exported the third-largest quantity of rice in Southeast Asia after Thailand and Myanmar In fact up until 1992 the Philippines was still rice self-sufficient enough to be a net exporter of rice
The problem is that in 1993 the Philippinesrsquo rice consumption fueled by an ever-growing population started to overtake its production In 2008 the Philippines imported 25 million metric tons of rice highest in the world fueled by both its fast-growing population and a global food crisis
For all the progress the country has made and is making in rice production one noted agriculturist believes that President Aquinorsquos ldquoreiteration of the policy of self-sufficiency in rice is a political strategy and not a poverty strategyrdquo
According to Dr Emil Q Javier president of the National Academy of Science and Technology rice self-sufficiency will not be
achieved because of ldquoour still unresolved population management policy as well as the relative slow rise in family incomesrdquo
At a March Department of Agriculture symposium about ldquoBroad-based Strategies for Food Security and Changing World Food Marketsrdquo Dr Javier posited that ldquo until such time that our economy consistently attains high growth rates like our neighbors diversification of food preference from rice to other food commodities associated with increasing incomes will be relatively slow Thus total effective demand of rice will continue to rise in the intermediate futurerdquo
Politics and rice have always gone together The historical relationship between politics and rice was discussed in the July 2005 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) discussion paper Rice and Philippine Politics by Ponciano S Intal Jr and Marissa C Garcia
The study said that rice has been a ldquopivotal political commodity since the Commonwealthrdquo for rice has become
ASEAN EXPORTER
ASEAN Country
1970 (in tonnes)
Rank 1980 (in tonnes)
Rank 1990 (in tonnes)
Rank 2000 (in tonnes)
Thailand 1047460 1 2762920 1 3557820 1 5282160Viet Nam 18479 5 33300 4 1624000 2 3476980Myanmar 640964 2 653100 2 213600 3 251400Singapore 33859 4 13342 5 1964 4 4105Cambodia 177688 3 - - - - 4860Philippines - - 256390 3 2 6 224Malaysia 70 6 - - 57 5 63Indonesia - - 10003 6 - - 196Brunei Darussalam
- - - - - - F
17
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
S OF RICE MILLED
Rank 2005(in tonnes)
Rank 2006 (in tonnes)
Rank 2007 (in tonnes)
Rank 2008 (in tonnes)
Rank
1 6043550 1 5996420 1 7408300 1 8672450 12 5250000 2 4642000 2 4558000 2 4735170 23 180000 3 71180 R 3 358500 3 40924 R 35 82239 4 67070 4 74872 4 13607 44 1384 R 7 3444 R 5 1170 R 5 4299 R 56 75 R 8 1370 R 6 68 R 7 1298 R 68 1531 6 1157 7 54 8 860 77 42280 5 907 8 336 6 429 8- - F - 369 R 9 - - 14 R 9
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
A matter of geographyHow did the Philippines which has long been in the forefront of rice research with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna become the worldrsquos top importer of rice A 2006 study ldquoWhy Does the Philippines Import Rice Meeting the challenge of trade liberalizationrdquo published by the IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) offered an interesting if not very obvious answer to its self-posed question The main reason it turns out might not owe so much to bad politicians corruption incompetence or laziness as it might to basic geography
ldquoExporters occupy river deltas with lots of land in general and lots of land suitable for rice in particular These countries are all located in mainland Southeast Asia Thailand Vietnam Cambodia and Myanmarrdquo the study explained The Philippines for its part is an island nation without any major river deltas one of a number of similarly configured Asian nations who have been historical rice importers ndash Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia and Sri Lanka
In addition the IRRI and PhilRice study also defended the Filipino farmer
ldquoSome may think the Filipino farmer is simply backward and cannot produce rice efficiently But a detailed survey of farmers in the various rice bowls of Asia found that Filipino farmers were among the leaders in reducing insecticide use and have progressed farther in mechanizing land preparation and postharvest operations than their counterparts in any other developing Asian country except Thailandrdquo the study claimed
the ldquostaple food and calorie source for majority of the population especially in the low-income groupsrdquo As such the study continued a strong relationship between rice and politics can be seen throughout the countryrsquos history The
report claimed that the price of rice has been a ldquosignificant determinant in election results since the 1950srdquo
However the study also criticized the governmentrsquos use of ldquoprice intervention
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
18cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
instrumentsrdquo which has favored rice farmers over consumers The shift to high nominal protection rates results in higher domestic prices for rice to benefit producers while lower nominal protection rates imply low domestic prices that would favor consumers
ldquo[R]eliance by the Philippine government primarily on price instruments to achieve its rice objectives and to protect farmer and consumer interests has not resulted in any substantial improvements in rice production In fact the shift to rice protection since the 1980s has failed to stabilize domestic rice prices and has effectively penalized the poorer householdsrdquo
lsquoObsolete and increasingly untenablersquo A more recent PIDS Policy Notes reiterated that the countryrsquos rice self-sufficiency policies are ldquoobsolete and increasingly untenablerdquo
A May 2011 PIDS Policy Notes brief ldquoPutting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food securityrdquo by Roehlano Briones and Danileen Kristel Parel assailed the countryrsquos special treatment of rice since 1994 as approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the granting of a Quantitative Restriction (QR) on rice imports to protect rice farmers has led to higher prices of rice which affect the poorest of the poor
The WTO defines QR as ldquospecific limits on the quantity or value of goods that can be imported (or exported)
during a specific time periodrdquo The PIDS study explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by law to set
The NFArsquos ₧100-billion problemThe National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to guarantee ldquothe food security of the country and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-ricerdquo As such NFA is the government agency tasked to ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the Filipino amidst soaring rice prices
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that according to a recently released 2009 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) the NFA lost more than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food security with stable prices as reported in a May 18 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Inquirer report said ldquoHuge rice imports and a policy of buying high selling low and storing long have resulted in the National Food Authority losing more than ₧100 billion in a span of 10 yearsrdquo
In 2008 alone COA said that the NFA suffered its biggest net loss of ₧3220 billion due to the global
13 GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES
900008000070000600005000040000300002000010000
0
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Gross Revenues
19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
20cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
22cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
-
- Page 3 Off
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- Page 33
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-
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8cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Meanwhile Bloomberg reported elsewhere exports and imports grew 49 and 03 sharply down from consensus projections of 85 and 105 respectively ldquoA very weak economy at this pointrdquo Zhang concludes adding that reducing bank reserve requirement ratios isnrsquot enough ldquoas it helps loan supply rather than demandrdquo His prescription more infrastructure spending and interest-rate cuts
America picks up pace If Europe and China are worrisome the United States is showing signs of slightly better-than-expected progress Take this May 9 presentation by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Compared with past recoveries from deep recessions the current US rebound is ldquomutedrdquo reports Chicago Fed senior economist William Strauss with just 21 growth in the past year The economy is forecast to grow ldquobelow trend this year and slightly above trend in 2013rdquo
Even with that slower-than-usual recovery 18 million jobs were added in the past 12 months and unemployment has dropped by 19 percentage points since the 2009 peak And more jobs are expected with solid manufacturing growth Indeed factory output has risen strongly in the past 33 months recovering nearly three-quarters of the production decline during the recession
Inflation is up a sign of economic and spending pickup However inflation-adjusted oil prices are lower than their 1980 high while gas prices are sharply down and energy expenditures are below the historical average Thus the Federal Reserve can hold interest rates down without spiking inflation
Argentinarsquos BBVA shares the upbeat outlook of many other international banks watching the American economy While it sees ldquomixed signals on the strength and sustainability of
Nomura Hong Kong economist Zhang Zhiwei cites dropping China trade production and investment and urges stronger monetary and fiscal measures to boost growth Bloomberg
9
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
the recoveryrdquo first-quarter data support its expectation of more robust growth through the year BBVA reports that the 29 surge in consumer spending in the first quarter mdash the fastest since late 2006 mdash offset weakness elsewhere in the economy
Notably BBVA differed a bit from the Chicago Fed in noting a manufacturing slowdown in the first quarter But the prognosis for the year remains decent with 23 growth projected Contributing to GDP growth for the first time since the 2008-09 recession is the residential investment with several housing-related industries also showing slightly positive movements Among them fabric and textile mills household and institutional furniture and paint One more plus sector growth in services is helping offset some job losses in industry especially with cutbacks in mining and energy
The coming US fiscal cliff So wherersquos the brittle side in the American economic picture Like Europe the crack in the glass is a fiscal one the market-imposed imperative to reduce public deficits and debt At the stroke of midnight on December 31 the current regime of Bush-era middle-class tax breaks the 2011-12 payroll tax cut and growth-spurring budgetary spending turns into a pumpkin so to speak Add to the expiring state largesse the expected decline in defense outlays as waves of US troops come home from Afghanistan
How big is this removal of tax cuts and forced budget reductions Most economists estimate their combined value at 35 of GDP including $12 trillion in legislated spending cuts under the Democratic-Republican deal to raise the federal debt ceiling last August But Morgan Stanleyrsquos April 13 report ldquoHow Big Is the Fiscal
WHATrsquoS AHEAD FOR AMERICAThe Conference Board Forecasts 2011 Actual and 2012-13 Projections
2012 2013 2011 2012 2013
I Q II Q III Q IV Q I Q II Q ANNUAL ANNUAL ANNUAL
Real GDP 22 17 23 24 26 25 17 22 24Real Consumer Spending 29 24 25 27 26 23 22 23 24Housing Starts Mil Units 069 072 074 077 077 081 061 073 082Real Capital Spending -21 59 65 68 67 78 88 52 67Net Exports Bil lsquo00$ -4101 -4043 -3980 -3865 -3751 -3608 -4136 -3997 -3505
actual value
Table by The Conference Board
New risks for a fragile world recovery
10cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Cliff in 2013rdquo puts it at 5 Either way for an economy growing at less than 3 a reduction of 35-5 in state-funded demand would tip America into recession
Most forecasters believe that the US Congress will pass legislation to spread the fiscal pain over a longer period than all together on New Yearrsquos Day But that is not a sure thing especially in the fractious aftermath of national elections in November Even if another bipartisan deal is struck a substantial portion of the tax and spending squeeze will still be felt in 2013 making Morgan Stanley analysts wonder why many economists expect next yearrsquos growth to be faster than this year
Moreover they may be forgetting why those tax cuts and federal spending have to go in the first place market pressure to right Washingtonrsquos fiscal ship whose shakiness already led Standard amp Poorrsquos to downgrade US sovereign credit to below triple-A over a year ago If Congress puts off the January fiscal Armageddon without putting a credible deficit-and-debt reduction program
in its place the dollar and the governmentrsquos credit rating and costs will pay the price with negative impact on the economy
Hence Morgan Stanley expects some ldquomeaningfulrdquo budgetary and tax tightening next year ldquoan expiration of the payroll tax cut some rejigged spending cuts and other miscellaneous measures to lead to about a 15 of GDP fiscal tightening in 2013rdquo That forecast would pare one percentage point off next yearrsquos baseline expansion But even this mild scenario demands a big if that Democrats and Republicans after being hopelessly occupied before elections would find the time and inclination to enact the needed legislation between mid-November and the Christmas break as they did in 2010
Austerity and bailout fatigue But more than partisan politics the bigger difficulty in balancing fiscal reform and growth is the citizenryrsquos general unwillingness to sacrifice for balanced budgets whether they are cash-strapped Greeks or debt-ridden Americans ldquoPeople are saying lsquoAusterity austerity mdash
Former investment banker Michael Milken interviewing economist Nouriel Roubini People say lsquoAusterity austerity mdash wherersquos the growthlsquo Milken InstituteYouTube
11
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
New risks for a fragile world recovery
WHERE ASIA SELLS
IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 pages 6 and 41
Correlation of Exports to China with Chinarsquos Exports to Asian Selected Economies
05
04
03
02
01
00
-01
2006-112000-05
New
Zea
land
Hon
g Ko
ng S
AR
Philip
pine
s
Aust
ralia
Thai
land
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Indo
nesi
a
Sing
apor
e
Kore
a
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Share of Exports Linked to Demand from Europe
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Sing
apor
e
Thai
land
Kore
a
Chi
na
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Indo
nesi
a
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Philip
pine
s
In percent of exports linked to demand outside Asia In percent of GDP
12cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
New risks for a fragile world recovery
where is growthrsquordquo says economist Nouriel Roubini in his May 3 Milken Institute interview The New York University professor who famously predicted the 2008 US financial crisis thinks that due to this austerity fatigue ldquoeither this year or next Greece is highly likely to default on its debt and exit the eurozonerdquo (On the other hand he also mentions bailout fatigue in countries like Germany tired of paying billions for financial rescues)
In his Project Syndicate article ldquoGreece Must Exitrdquo Roubini spells out what he believes is the only way forward for Athens ldquoGreece is stuck in a vicious cycle of insolvency lost competitiveness external deficits and ever-deepening depression The only way to stop it is to begin an orderly default and exit coordinated and financed by the European Central Bank the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund (the lsquoTroikarsquo) that minimizes collateral damage to Greece and the rest of the eurozonerdquo He sets out an ugly but in his view unavoidable scenario of managing Greek default And if that horror story whets onersquos appetite for more try ldquoGet Ready for the Spanish Bailoutrdquo
What about America Will it bite the bullet Or will it too become a ldquotrain wreckrdquo as Roubini says of Europersquos fiscal landscape in his talk with former investment banker Michael Milken If so will the American economy tank not to mention the worldrsquos And what is Asia to do in the continuing economic malaise in big markets
That is the subject of the IMFrsquos Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 subtitled ldquoManaging Spillovers and Advancing Economic Rebalancing The report assesses the likely impact on Asia of the Westrsquos economic and financial troubles and recommends measures to address it The Fund also urges measures to rebalance the regionrsquos economies away from export dependence and toward greater reliance on domestic consumption and investment spending for economic growth
In a world of turmoil that is exactly the formula to keep Asia growing
GROWING ASIA
Real GDP Change in 2011 and 2012-13 Forecast 2011 2012 2013
Industrial Asia -02 22 20 Australia 20 30 35 Japan -07 20 17 New Zealand 14 23 32East Asia 82 73 80 China 92 82 88 Hong Kong SAR 50 26 42 Korea 36 35 40 Taiwan Province of China 40 36 47South Asia 71 68 72 Bangladesh 61 59 64 India 71 69 73 Sri Lanka 82 75 70ASEAN 46 52 60 Brunei Darussalam 19 32 16 Cambodia 61 62 64 Indonesia 65 61 66 Lao PDR 83 84 71 Malaysia 51 44 47 Myanmar 55 60 59 Philippines 37 42 47 Singapore 49 27 39 Thailand 01 55 75 Vietnam 59 56 63Emerging Asia 74 69 75
source IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 page 5
13
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Business
SBMA upbeat on lsquoSubic BPO Cityrsquo projectSubic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto V Garcia shared his positive outlook for the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the region recently as he address more than 200 graduating students of Olongapo Citys AMA College
Banking on the infrastructure projects within the freeport zone Garcia said that his management team has made plans to establish a BPO City inside Subic You are lucky he assured the graduates because there are lots of jobs waiting for you in the Subic Freeport
Further explanation from Garcia revealed that the future of BPO and Information Technology businesses in general has become very promising for the Philippines especially after it overtook India as the call center capital of the world The planned Subic BPO City seeks to capitalize on the rising trend and is poised to create jobs for more than 20000 IT-BPO workers by 2016 In fact PLDTs Vitro Data Center was recently launched in the area to help spur the local growth of the IT and BPO industry
The developments in Subic are only part of a concentrated effort by the government through the Department of Science and Technology Information and
Communications Technology Office to aim for a higher 2016 revenue target from the IT-BPO industry ndash raising it from $25 billion to $274 billion
PH conglomerates post higher Q1 profitsImproved economic activity in the country during the first quarter of 2012 appears to have boosted several of the Philippines leading conglomerates Last month Gokongwei-led JG Summit Holdings Inc was optimistic about its profits for this year due to a rising consumer demand for its varied products Accordingly the companys first quarter net income rose 767 to ₧491 billion in comparison to compared to ₧278 billion during the first quarter of 2011
Similarly Gotianun family-led Filinvest Development Corp (FDC) posted a consolidated net income of ₧121 billion in the first quarter of 2012 61 higher than the ₧114 billion from first quarter numbers last year FDCs real estate business accounted for 51 of the total revenues
Meanwhile GT Capital Holdings flagship of tycoon George Ty registered a net income of ₧13 billion in the first quarter of this year an increase of 505 from 2011 numbers
Lopez Holdings Corp ndash with a 603 economic interest in ABS-
CBN and 466 in First Philippine Holdings Corporation as of December 2011 ndash experienced a first-quarter net income increase of 192 to ₧263 billion compared to ₧902 million recorded during the same period last year However ABS-CBN itself posted a staggering profit drop of 69 for the first three months of 2012
Shipbuilder Hanjin Philippines to hire at least 10000 workersSouth Korean Shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries amp Construction-Philippines Inc (HHIC) through HHIC president Jin Kyu Ahn has announced that it is planning to hire at least 10000 more workers this 2012 for its shipyard in Zambales Subic Bay Freeport Zone The company has about 20000 local employees currently The Hanjin official noted that the promised jobs would clearly benefit the Philippine economy and bring opportunities to Filipino entrepreneurs and skilled workers and much needed revenue to the Philippine government
According to the Maritime Industry Authority the Philippines is the worldrsquos fourth-largest shipbuilding country The arrival of foreign shipbuilders such as HHIC in the country is a major factor that has spurred the growth of this industry at the same time that overseas Filipino workers are in demand in foreign shipyards
14cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
NATION
In Pursuit of Rice Self-Sufficiency by 2013Promised pursued and probably attainable but at what costBy Joanne Angela B Marzan
ersquoll achieve rice self-sufficiency after 2013 so beginning 2014
Next year we anticipate nakulangin tayo konti na lang [Next year we anticipate the shortfall to be minimal] Well start to export next year Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told the ABS-CBN news channel in a May 4 report posted on the abs-cbn news website
In fact Secretary Alcala mentioned in a May 9 press conference of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that the countryrsquos production target of palay (paddy rice) is ldquoon trackrdquo at 399 million metric tons (MMT) for the 1st quarter and 385 MMT for the 2nd quarter for a combined 784 MMT for the first semester of the year This means that the country has reached 42 of its 1846 MMT palay production target for the year
Meanwhile President Benigno Simeon C Aquino echoed this promised milestone to the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) attending the 45thAnnual Meeting in Manila from May 2-5 2012 But not before taking a swipe at the previous administration
During his ADB speech President Aquino said ldquoRice imported at inflated cost by the government was rotting away in rented warehousesrdquo and then proudly announced that through the reforms implemented by his administration the Philippines is ldquoless than a year away from being a net exporter of ricerdquo should the weather cooperate
STRATEGY POINTSThe Department of Agriculture is optimistic that by 2014 one of President Aquinos agricultural milestones of rice self-sufficiency would finally be attained even as some wonder whether this target can be achieved with middling economic growth and a rapidly growing population
A couple of papers from Philippine Institute for Development Studies have examined the countrys historic rice self-sufficiency policies and blame them for causing soaring rice prices that threaten the food security of the poorest sectors of society
Rice self-sufficiency is a most worthy goal but not at the expense of food security
ldquoW
rdquo
15
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Whether its Agriculture Secretary Alcala you want to hold to his promise of rice self-sufficiency by 2014 or President Aquino to his promise of rice self-sufficiency within a year of his speech to the ADB Board of Governors in May it would look as if the goal is seen as eminently doable if not practically a fait accompli
And with all that we would now like to ask whether rice self-sufficiency is
in fact worth all the fuss
To put things in some perspective the Philippines might be the worlds largest importer of rice but its not as if the Philippines doesnt produce a lot of rice In fact according to the table below from
ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo by Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio of the National Statistics Coordination Board in 2008 the Philippines produced the eighth-most rice in the world
13 In this video clip President Aquino expounds on the accomplishments of his administration during the 45th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of GovernorsABS-CBN
Country 2008 (in tonnes) RankChina 193354180 1India 148770000 2Indonesia 60251000 3Bangladesh 46742000 4Viet Nam 38725100 5Myanmar 32573000 6Thailand 31650600 7Philippines 16815500 8Brazil 12061500 9Japan 11028800 10
2008 TOP 10 PRODUCERS OF RICE PADDY
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and
Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
16cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
According to statistics from the afore-mentioned article provided in the table above in 1980 the Philippines exported the third-largest quantity of rice in Southeast Asia after Thailand and Myanmar In fact up until 1992 the Philippines was still rice self-sufficient enough to be a net exporter of rice
The problem is that in 1993 the Philippinesrsquo rice consumption fueled by an ever-growing population started to overtake its production In 2008 the Philippines imported 25 million metric tons of rice highest in the world fueled by both its fast-growing population and a global food crisis
For all the progress the country has made and is making in rice production one noted agriculturist believes that President Aquinorsquos ldquoreiteration of the policy of self-sufficiency in rice is a political strategy and not a poverty strategyrdquo
According to Dr Emil Q Javier president of the National Academy of Science and Technology rice self-sufficiency will not be
achieved because of ldquoour still unresolved population management policy as well as the relative slow rise in family incomesrdquo
At a March Department of Agriculture symposium about ldquoBroad-based Strategies for Food Security and Changing World Food Marketsrdquo Dr Javier posited that ldquo until such time that our economy consistently attains high growth rates like our neighbors diversification of food preference from rice to other food commodities associated with increasing incomes will be relatively slow Thus total effective demand of rice will continue to rise in the intermediate futurerdquo
Politics and rice have always gone together The historical relationship between politics and rice was discussed in the July 2005 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) discussion paper Rice and Philippine Politics by Ponciano S Intal Jr and Marissa C Garcia
The study said that rice has been a ldquopivotal political commodity since the Commonwealthrdquo for rice has become
ASEAN EXPORTER
ASEAN Country
1970 (in tonnes)
Rank 1980 (in tonnes)
Rank 1990 (in tonnes)
Rank 2000 (in tonnes)
Thailand 1047460 1 2762920 1 3557820 1 5282160Viet Nam 18479 5 33300 4 1624000 2 3476980Myanmar 640964 2 653100 2 213600 3 251400Singapore 33859 4 13342 5 1964 4 4105Cambodia 177688 3 - - - - 4860Philippines - - 256390 3 2 6 224Malaysia 70 6 - - 57 5 63Indonesia - - 10003 6 - - 196Brunei Darussalam
- - - - - - F
17
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
S OF RICE MILLED
Rank 2005(in tonnes)
Rank 2006 (in tonnes)
Rank 2007 (in tonnes)
Rank 2008 (in tonnes)
Rank
1 6043550 1 5996420 1 7408300 1 8672450 12 5250000 2 4642000 2 4558000 2 4735170 23 180000 3 71180 R 3 358500 3 40924 R 35 82239 4 67070 4 74872 4 13607 44 1384 R 7 3444 R 5 1170 R 5 4299 R 56 75 R 8 1370 R 6 68 R 7 1298 R 68 1531 6 1157 7 54 8 860 77 42280 5 907 8 336 6 429 8- - F - 369 R 9 - - 14 R 9
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
A matter of geographyHow did the Philippines which has long been in the forefront of rice research with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna become the worldrsquos top importer of rice A 2006 study ldquoWhy Does the Philippines Import Rice Meeting the challenge of trade liberalizationrdquo published by the IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) offered an interesting if not very obvious answer to its self-posed question The main reason it turns out might not owe so much to bad politicians corruption incompetence or laziness as it might to basic geography
ldquoExporters occupy river deltas with lots of land in general and lots of land suitable for rice in particular These countries are all located in mainland Southeast Asia Thailand Vietnam Cambodia and Myanmarrdquo the study explained The Philippines for its part is an island nation without any major river deltas one of a number of similarly configured Asian nations who have been historical rice importers ndash Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia and Sri Lanka
In addition the IRRI and PhilRice study also defended the Filipino farmer
ldquoSome may think the Filipino farmer is simply backward and cannot produce rice efficiently But a detailed survey of farmers in the various rice bowls of Asia found that Filipino farmers were among the leaders in reducing insecticide use and have progressed farther in mechanizing land preparation and postharvest operations than their counterparts in any other developing Asian country except Thailandrdquo the study claimed
the ldquostaple food and calorie source for majority of the population especially in the low-income groupsrdquo As such the study continued a strong relationship between rice and politics can be seen throughout the countryrsquos history The
report claimed that the price of rice has been a ldquosignificant determinant in election results since the 1950srdquo
However the study also criticized the governmentrsquos use of ldquoprice intervention
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
18cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
instrumentsrdquo which has favored rice farmers over consumers The shift to high nominal protection rates results in higher domestic prices for rice to benefit producers while lower nominal protection rates imply low domestic prices that would favor consumers
ldquo[R]eliance by the Philippine government primarily on price instruments to achieve its rice objectives and to protect farmer and consumer interests has not resulted in any substantial improvements in rice production In fact the shift to rice protection since the 1980s has failed to stabilize domestic rice prices and has effectively penalized the poorer householdsrdquo
lsquoObsolete and increasingly untenablersquo A more recent PIDS Policy Notes reiterated that the countryrsquos rice self-sufficiency policies are ldquoobsolete and increasingly untenablerdquo
A May 2011 PIDS Policy Notes brief ldquoPutting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food securityrdquo by Roehlano Briones and Danileen Kristel Parel assailed the countryrsquos special treatment of rice since 1994 as approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the granting of a Quantitative Restriction (QR) on rice imports to protect rice farmers has led to higher prices of rice which affect the poorest of the poor
The WTO defines QR as ldquospecific limits on the quantity or value of goods that can be imported (or exported)
during a specific time periodrdquo The PIDS study explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by law to set
The NFArsquos ₧100-billion problemThe National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to guarantee ldquothe food security of the country and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-ricerdquo As such NFA is the government agency tasked to ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the Filipino amidst soaring rice prices
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that according to a recently released 2009 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) the NFA lost more than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food security with stable prices as reported in a May 18 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Inquirer report said ldquoHuge rice imports and a policy of buying high selling low and storing long have resulted in the National Food Authority losing more than ₧100 billion in a span of 10 yearsrdquo
In 2008 alone COA said that the NFA suffered its biggest net loss of ₧3220 billion due to the global
13 GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES
900008000070000600005000040000300002000010000
0
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Gross Revenues
19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
20cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
22cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
-
- Page 3 Off
- Page 13
- Page 33
- Page 45
-
- Button 14
-
- Page 3 Off
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- Page 33
- Page 45
-
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-
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-
- Button 16
-
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-
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9
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
the recoveryrdquo first-quarter data support its expectation of more robust growth through the year BBVA reports that the 29 surge in consumer spending in the first quarter mdash the fastest since late 2006 mdash offset weakness elsewhere in the economy
Notably BBVA differed a bit from the Chicago Fed in noting a manufacturing slowdown in the first quarter But the prognosis for the year remains decent with 23 growth projected Contributing to GDP growth for the first time since the 2008-09 recession is the residential investment with several housing-related industries also showing slightly positive movements Among them fabric and textile mills household and institutional furniture and paint One more plus sector growth in services is helping offset some job losses in industry especially with cutbacks in mining and energy
The coming US fiscal cliff So wherersquos the brittle side in the American economic picture Like Europe the crack in the glass is a fiscal one the market-imposed imperative to reduce public deficits and debt At the stroke of midnight on December 31 the current regime of Bush-era middle-class tax breaks the 2011-12 payroll tax cut and growth-spurring budgetary spending turns into a pumpkin so to speak Add to the expiring state largesse the expected decline in defense outlays as waves of US troops come home from Afghanistan
How big is this removal of tax cuts and forced budget reductions Most economists estimate their combined value at 35 of GDP including $12 trillion in legislated spending cuts under the Democratic-Republican deal to raise the federal debt ceiling last August But Morgan Stanleyrsquos April 13 report ldquoHow Big Is the Fiscal
WHATrsquoS AHEAD FOR AMERICAThe Conference Board Forecasts 2011 Actual and 2012-13 Projections
2012 2013 2011 2012 2013
I Q II Q III Q IV Q I Q II Q ANNUAL ANNUAL ANNUAL
Real GDP 22 17 23 24 26 25 17 22 24Real Consumer Spending 29 24 25 27 26 23 22 23 24Housing Starts Mil Units 069 072 074 077 077 081 061 073 082Real Capital Spending -21 59 65 68 67 78 88 52 67Net Exports Bil lsquo00$ -4101 -4043 -3980 -3865 -3751 -3608 -4136 -3997 -3505
actual value
Table by The Conference Board
New risks for a fragile world recovery
10cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Cliff in 2013rdquo puts it at 5 Either way for an economy growing at less than 3 a reduction of 35-5 in state-funded demand would tip America into recession
Most forecasters believe that the US Congress will pass legislation to spread the fiscal pain over a longer period than all together on New Yearrsquos Day But that is not a sure thing especially in the fractious aftermath of national elections in November Even if another bipartisan deal is struck a substantial portion of the tax and spending squeeze will still be felt in 2013 making Morgan Stanley analysts wonder why many economists expect next yearrsquos growth to be faster than this year
Moreover they may be forgetting why those tax cuts and federal spending have to go in the first place market pressure to right Washingtonrsquos fiscal ship whose shakiness already led Standard amp Poorrsquos to downgrade US sovereign credit to below triple-A over a year ago If Congress puts off the January fiscal Armageddon without putting a credible deficit-and-debt reduction program
in its place the dollar and the governmentrsquos credit rating and costs will pay the price with negative impact on the economy
Hence Morgan Stanley expects some ldquomeaningfulrdquo budgetary and tax tightening next year ldquoan expiration of the payroll tax cut some rejigged spending cuts and other miscellaneous measures to lead to about a 15 of GDP fiscal tightening in 2013rdquo That forecast would pare one percentage point off next yearrsquos baseline expansion But even this mild scenario demands a big if that Democrats and Republicans after being hopelessly occupied before elections would find the time and inclination to enact the needed legislation between mid-November and the Christmas break as they did in 2010
Austerity and bailout fatigue But more than partisan politics the bigger difficulty in balancing fiscal reform and growth is the citizenryrsquos general unwillingness to sacrifice for balanced budgets whether they are cash-strapped Greeks or debt-ridden Americans ldquoPeople are saying lsquoAusterity austerity mdash
Former investment banker Michael Milken interviewing economist Nouriel Roubini People say lsquoAusterity austerity mdash wherersquos the growthlsquo Milken InstituteYouTube
11
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
New risks for a fragile world recovery
WHERE ASIA SELLS
IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 pages 6 and 41
Correlation of Exports to China with Chinarsquos Exports to Asian Selected Economies
05
04
03
02
01
00
-01
2006-112000-05
New
Zea
land
Hon
g Ko
ng S
AR
Philip
pine
s
Aust
ralia
Thai
land
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Indo
nesi
a
Sing
apor
e
Kore
a
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Share of Exports Linked to Demand from Europe
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Sing
apor
e
Thai
land
Kore
a
Chi
na
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Indo
nesi
a
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Philip
pine
s
In percent of exports linked to demand outside Asia In percent of GDP
12cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
New risks for a fragile world recovery
where is growthrsquordquo says economist Nouriel Roubini in his May 3 Milken Institute interview The New York University professor who famously predicted the 2008 US financial crisis thinks that due to this austerity fatigue ldquoeither this year or next Greece is highly likely to default on its debt and exit the eurozonerdquo (On the other hand he also mentions bailout fatigue in countries like Germany tired of paying billions for financial rescues)
In his Project Syndicate article ldquoGreece Must Exitrdquo Roubini spells out what he believes is the only way forward for Athens ldquoGreece is stuck in a vicious cycle of insolvency lost competitiveness external deficits and ever-deepening depression The only way to stop it is to begin an orderly default and exit coordinated and financed by the European Central Bank the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund (the lsquoTroikarsquo) that minimizes collateral damage to Greece and the rest of the eurozonerdquo He sets out an ugly but in his view unavoidable scenario of managing Greek default And if that horror story whets onersquos appetite for more try ldquoGet Ready for the Spanish Bailoutrdquo
What about America Will it bite the bullet Or will it too become a ldquotrain wreckrdquo as Roubini says of Europersquos fiscal landscape in his talk with former investment banker Michael Milken If so will the American economy tank not to mention the worldrsquos And what is Asia to do in the continuing economic malaise in big markets
That is the subject of the IMFrsquos Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 subtitled ldquoManaging Spillovers and Advancing Economic Rebalancing The report assesses the likely impact on Asia of the Westrsquos economic and financial troubles and recommends measures to address it The Fund also urges measures to rebalance the regionrsquos economies away from export dependence and toward greater reliance on domestic consumption and investment spending for economic growth
In a world of turmoil that is exactly the formula to keep Asia growing
GROWING ASIA
Real GDP Change in 2011 and 2012-13 Forecast 2011 2012 2013
Industrial Asia -02 22 20 Australia 20 30 35 Japan -07 20 17 New Zealand 14 23 32East Asia 82 73 80 China 92 82 88 Hong Kong SAR 50 26 42 Korea 36 35 40 Taiwan Province of China 40 36 47South Asia 71 68 72 Bangladesh 61 59 64 India 71 69 73 Sri Lanka 82 75 70ASEAN 46 52 60 Brunei Darussalam 19 32 16 Cambodia 61 62 64 Indonesia 65 61 66 Lao PDR 83 84 71 Malaysia 51 44 47 Myanmar 55 60 59 Philippines 37 42 47 Singapore 49 27 39 Thailand 01 55 75 Vietnam 59 56 63Emerging Asia 74 69 75
source IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 page 5
13
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Business
SBMA upbeat on lsquoSubic BPO Cityrsquo projectSubic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto V Garcia shared his positive outlook for the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the region recently as he address more than 200 graduating students of Olongapo Citys AMA College
Banking on the infrastructure projects within the freeport zone Garcia said that his management team has made plans to establish a BPO City inside Subic You are lucky he assured the graduates because there are lots of jobs waiting for you in the Subic Freeport
Further explanation from Garcia revealed that the future of BPO and Information Technology businesses in general has become very promising for the Philippines especially after it overtook India as the call center capital of the world The planned Subic BPO City seeks to capitalize on the rising trend and is poised to create jobs for more than 20000 IT-BPO workers by 2016 In fact PLDTs Vitro Data Center was recently launched in the area to help spur the local growth of the IT and BPO industry
The developments in Subic are only part of a concentrated effort by the government through the Department of Science and Technology Information and
Communications Technology Office to aim for a higher 2016 revenue target from the IT-BPO industry ndash raising it from $25 billion to $274 billion
PH conglomerates post higher Q1 profitsImproved economic activity in the country during the first quarter of 2012 appears to have boosted several of the Philippines leading conglomerates Last month Gokongwei-led JG Summit Holdings Inc was optimistic about its profits for this year due to a rising consumer demand for its varied products Accordingly the companys first quarter net income rose 767 to ₧491 billion in comparison to compared to ₧278 billion during the first quarter of 2011
Similarly Gotianun family-led Filinvest Development Corp (FDC) posted a consolidated net income of ₧121 billion in the first quarter of 2012 61 higher than the ₧114 billion from first quarter numbers last year FDCs real estate business accounted for 51 of the total revenues
Meanwhile GT Capital Holdings flagship of tycoon George Ty registered a net income of ₧13 billion in the first quarter of this year an increase of 505 from 2011 numbers
Lopez Holdings Corp ndash with a 603 economic interest in ABS-
CBN and 466 in First Philippine Holdings Corporation as of December 2011 ndash experienced a first-quarter net income increase of 192 to ₧263 billion compared to ₧902 million recorded during the same period last year However ABS-CBN itself posted a staggering profit drop of 69 for the first three months of 2012
Shipbuilder Hanjin Philippines to hire at least 10000 workersSouth Korean Shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries amp Construction-Philippines Inc (HHIC) through HHIC president Jin Kyu Ahn has announced that it is planning to hire at least 10000 more workers this 2012 for its shipyard in Zambales Subic Bay Freeport Zone The company has about 20000 local employees currently The Hanjin official noted that the promised jobs would clearly benefit the Philippine economy and bring opportunities to Filipino entrepreneurs and skilled workers and much needed revenue to the Philippine government
According to the Maritime Industry Authority the Philippines is the worldrsquos fourth-largest shipbuilding country The arrival of foreign shipbuilders such as HHIC in the country is a major factor that has spurred the growth of this industry at the same time that overseas Filipino workers are in demand in foreign shipyards
14cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
NATION
In Pursuit of Rice Self-Sufficiency by 2013Promised pursued and probably attainable but at what costBy Joanne Angela B Marzan
ersquoll achieve rice self-sufficiency after 2013 so beginning 2014
Next year we anticipate nakulangin tayo konti na lang [Next year we anticipate the shortfall to be minimal] Well start to export next year Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told the ABS-CBN news channel in a May 4 report posted on the abs-cbn news website
In fact Secretary Alcala mentioned in a May 9 press conference of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that the countryrsquos production target of palay (paddy rice) is ldquoon trackrdquo at 399 million metric tons (MMT) for the 1st quarter and 385 MMT for the 2nd quarter for a combined 784 MMT for the first semester of the year This means that the country has reached 42 of its 1846 MMT palay production target for the year
Meanwhile President Benigno Simeon C Aquino echoed this promised milestone to the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) attending the 45thAnnual Meeting in Manila from May 2-5 2012 But not before taking a swipe at the previous administration
During his ADB speech President Aquino said ldquoRice imported at inflated cost by the government was rotting away in rented warehousesrdquo and then proudly announced that through the reforms implemented by his administration the Philippines is ldquoless than a year away from being a net exporter of ricerdquo should the weather cooperate
STRATEGY POINTSThe Department of Agriculture is optimistic that by 2014 one of President Aquinos agricultural milestones of rice self-sufficiency would finally be attained even as some wonder whether this target can be achieved with middling economic growth and a rapidly growing population
A couple of papers from Philippine Institute for Development Studies have examined the countrys historic rice self-sufficiency policies and blame them for causing soaring rice prices that threaten the food security of the poorest sectors of society
Rice self-sufficiency is a most worthy goal but not at the expense of food security
ldquoW
rdquo
15
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Whether its Agriculture Secretary Alcala you want to hold to his promise of rice self-sufficiency by 2014 or President Aquino to his promise of rice self-sufficiency within a year of his speech to the ADB Board of Governors in May it would look as if the goal is seen as eminently doable if not practically a fait accompli
And with all that we would now like to ask whether rice self-sufficiency is
in fact worth all the fuss
To put things in some perspective the Philippines might be the worlds largest importer of rice but its not as if the Philippines doesnt produce a lot of rice In fact according to the table below from
ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo by Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio of the National Statistics Coordination Board in 2008 the Philippines produced the eighth-most rice in the world
13 In this video clip President Aquino expounds on the accomplishments of his administration during the 45th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of GovernorsABS-CBN
Country 2008 (in tonnes) RankChina 193354180 1India 148770000 2Indonesia 60251000 3Bangladesh 46742000 4Viet Nam 38725100 5Myanmar 32573000 6Thailand 31650600 7Philippines 16815500 8Brazil 12061500 9Japan 11028800 10
2008 TOP 10 PRODUCERS OF RICE PADDY
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and
Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
16cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
According to statistics from the afore-mentioned article provided in the table above in 1980 the Philippines exported the third-largest quantity of rice in Southeast Asia after Thailand and Myanmar In fact up until 1992 the Philippines was still rice self-sufficient enough to be a net exporter of rice
The problem is that in 1993 the Philippinesrsquo rice consumption fueled by an ever-growing population started to overtake its production In 2008 the Philippines imported 25 million metric tons of rice highest in the world fueled by both its fast-growing population and a global food crisis
For all the progress the country has made and is making in rice production one noted agriculturist believes that President Aquinorsquos ldquoreiteration of the policy of self-sufficiency in rice is a political strategy and not a poverty strategyrdquo
According to Dr Emil Q Javier president of the National Academy of Science and Technology rice self-sufficiency will not be
achieved because of ldquoour still unresolved population management policy as well as the relative slow rise in family incomesrdquo
At a March Department of Agriculture symposium about ldquoBroad-based Strategies for Food Security and Changing World Food Marketsrdquo Dr Javier posited that ldquo until such time that our economy consistently attains high growth rates like our neighbors diversification of food preference from rice to other food commodities associated with increasing incomes will be relatively slow Thus total effective demand of rice will continue to rise in the intermediate futurerdquo
Politics and rice have always gone together The historical relationship between politics and rice was discussed in the July 2005 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) discussion paper Rice and Philippine Politics by Ponciano S Intal Jr and Marissa C Garcia
The study said that rice has been a ldquopivotal political commodity since the Commonwealthrdquo for rice has become
ASEAN EXPORTER
ASEAN Country
1970 (in tonnes)
Rank 1980 (in tonnes)
Rank 1990 (in tonnes)
Rank 2000 (in tonnes)
Thailand 1047460 1 2762920 1 3557820 1 5282160Viet Nam 18479 5 33300 4 1624000 2 3476980Myanmar 640964 2 653100 2 213600 3 251400Singapore 33859 4 13342 5 1964 4 4105Cambodia 177688 3 - - - - 4860Philippines - - 256390 3 2 6 224Malaysia 70 6 - - 57 5 63Indonesia - - 10003 6 - - 196Brunei Darussalam
- - - - - - F
17
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
S OF RICE MILLED
Rank 2005(in tonnes)
Rank 2006 (in tonnes)
Rank 2007 (in tonnes)
Rank 2008 (in tonnes)
Rank
1 6043550 1 5996420 1 7408300 1 8672450 12 5250000 2 4642000 2 4558000 2 4735170 23 180000 3 71180 R 3 358500 3 40924 R 35 82239 4 67070 4 74872 4 13607 44 1384 R 7 3444 R 5 1170 R 5 4299 R 56 75 R 8 1370 R 6 68 R 7 1298 R 68 1531 6 1157 7 54 8 860 77 42280 5 907 8 336 6 429 8- - F - 369 R 9 - - 14 R 9
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
A matter of geographyHow did the Philippines which has long been in the forefront of rice research with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna become the worldrsquos top importer of rice A 2006 study ldquoWhy Does the Philippines Import Rice Meeting the challenge of trade liberalizationrdquo published by the IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) offered an interesting if not very obvious answer to its self-posed question The main reason it turns out might not owe so much to bad politicians corruption incompetence or laziness as it might to basic geography
ldquoExporters occupy river deltas with lots of land in general and lots of land suitable for rice in particular These countries are all located in mainland Southeast Asia Thailand Vietnam Cambodia and Myanmarrdquo the study explained The Philippines for its part is an island nation without any major river deltas one of a number of similarly configured Asian nations who have been historical rice importers ndash Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia and Sri Lanka
In addition the IRRI and PhilRice study also defended the Filipino farmer
ldquoSome may think the Filipino farmer is simply backward and cannot produce rice efficiently But a detailed survey of farmers in the various rice bowls of Asia found that Filipino farmers were among the leaders in reducing insecticide use and have progressed farther in mechanizing land preparation and postharvest operations than their counterparts in any other developing Asian country except Thailandrdquo the study claimed
the ldquostaple food and calorie source for majority of the population especially in the low-income groupsrdquo As such the study continued a strong relationship between rice and politics can be seen throughout the countryrsquos history The
report claimed that the price of rice has been a ldquosignificant determinant in election results since the 1950srdquo
However the study also criticized the governmentrsquos use of ldquoprice intervention
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
18cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
instrumentsrdquo which has favored rice farmers over consumers The shift to high nominal protection rates results in higher domestic prices for rice to benefit producers while lower nominal protection rates imply low domestic prices that would favor consumers
ldquo[R]eliance by the Philippine government primarily on price instruments to achieve its rice objectives and to protect farmer and consumer interests has not resulted in any substantial improvements in rice production In fact the shift to rice protection since the 1980s has failed to stabilize domestic rice prices and has effectively penalized the poorer householdsrdquo
lsquoObsolete and increasingly untenablersquo A more recent PIDS Policy Notes reiterated that the countryrsquos rice self-sufficiency policies are ldquoobsolete and increasingly untenablerdquo
A May 2011 PIDS Policy Notes brief ldquoPutting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food securityrdquo by Roehlano Briones and Danileen Kristel Parel assailed the countryrsquos special treatment of rice since 1994 as approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the granting of a Quantitative Restriction (QR) on rice imports to protect rice farmers has led to higher prices of rice which affect the poorest of the poor
The WTO defines QR as ldquospecific limits on the quantity or value of goods that can be imported (or exported)
during a specific time periodrdquo The PIDS study explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by law to set
The NFArsquos ₧100-billion problemThe National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to guarantee ldquothe food security of the country and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-ricerdquo As such NFA is the government agency tasked to ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the Filipino amidst soaring rice prices
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that according to a recently released 2009 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) the NFA lost more than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food security with stable prices as reported in a May 18 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Inquirer report said ldquoHuge rice imports and a policy of buying high selling low and storing long have resulted in the National Food Authority losing more than ₧100 billion in a span of 10 yearsrdquo
In 2008 alone COA said that the NFA suffered its biggest net loss of ₧3220 billion due to the global
13 GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES
900008000070000600005000040000300002000010000
0
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Gross Revenues
19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
22cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
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judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
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Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
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36cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
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38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
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40cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
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42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
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44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
-
- Page 3 Off
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- Page 33
- Page 45
-
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-
- Page 3 Off
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- Page 33
- Page 45
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-
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-
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10cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Cliff in 2013rdquo puts it at 5 Either way for an economy growing at less than 3 a reduction of 35-5 in state-funded demand would tip America into recession
Most forecasters believe that the US Congress will pass legislation to spread the fiscal pain over a longer period than all together on New Yearrsquos Day But that is not a sure thing especially in the fractious aftermath of national elections in November Even if another bipartisan deal is struck a substantial portion of the tax and spending squeeze will still be felt in 2013 making Morgan Stanley analysts wonder why many economists expect next yearrsquos growth to be faster than this year
Moreover they may be forgetting why those tax cuts and federal spending have to go in the first place market pressure to right Washingtonrsquos fiscal ship whose shakiness already led Standard amp Poorrsquos to downgrade US sovereign credit to below triple-A over a year ago If Congress puts off the January fiscal Armageddon without putting a credible deficit-and-debt reduction program
in its place the dollar and the governmentrsquos credit rating and costs will pay the price with negative impact on the economy
Hence Morgan Stanley expects some ldquomeaningfulrdquo budgetary and tax tightening next year ldquoan expiration of the payroll tax cut some rejigged spending cuts and other miscellaneous measures to lead to about a 15 of GDP fiscal tightening in 2013rdquo That forecast would pare one percentage point off next yearrsquos baseline expansion But even this mild scenario demands a big if that Democrats and Republicans after being hopelessly occupied before elections would find the time and inclination to enact the needed legislation between mid-November and the Christmas break as they did in 2010
Austerity and bailout fatigue But more than partisan politics the bigger difficulty in balancing fiscal reform and growth is the citizenryrsquos general unwillingness to sacrifice for balanced budgets whether they are cash-strapped Greeks or debt-ridden Americans ldquoPeople are saying lsquoAusterity austerity mdash
Former investment banker Michael Milken interviewing economist Nouriel Roubini People say lsquoAusterity austerity mdash wherersquos the growthlsquo Milken InstituteYouTube
11
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
New risks for a fragile world recovery
WHERE ASIA SELLS
IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 pages 6 and 41
Correlation of Exports to China with Chinarsquos Exports to Asian Selected Economies
05
04
03
02
01
00
-01
2006-112000-05
New
Zea
land
Hon
g Ko
ng S
AR
Philip
pine
s
Aust
ralia
Thai
land
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Indo
nesi
a
Sing
apor
e
Kore
a
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Share of Exports Linked to Demand from Europe
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Sing
apor
e
Thai
land
Kore
a
Chi
na
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Indo
nesi
a
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Philip
pine
s
In percent of exports linked to demand outside Asia In percent of GDP
12cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
New risks for a fragile world recovery
where is growthrsquordquo says economist Nouriel Roubini in his May 3 Milken Institute interview The New York University professor who famously predicted the 2008 US financial crisis thinks that due to this austerity fatigue ldquoeither this year or next Greece is highly likely to default on its debt and exit the eurozonerdquo (On the other hand he also mentions bailout fatigue in countries like Germany tired of paying billions for financial rescues)
In his Project Syndicate article ldquoGreece Must Exitrdquo Roubini spells out what he believes is the only way forward for Athens ldquoGreece is stuck in a vicious cycle of insolvency lost competitiveness external deficits and ever-deepening depression The only way to stop it is to begin an orderly default and exit coordinated and financed by the European Central Bank the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund (the lsquoTroikarsquo) that minimizes collateral damage to Greece and the rest of the eurozonerdquo He sets out an ugly but in his view unavoidable scenario of managing Greek default And if that horror story whets onersquos appetite for more try ldquoGet Ready for the Spanish Bailoutrdquo
What about America Will it bite the bullet Or will it too become a ldquotrain wreckrdquo as Roubini says of Europersquos fiscal landscape in his talk with former investment banker Michael Milken If so will the American economy tank not to mention the worldrsquos And what is Asia to do in the continuing economic malaise in big markets
That is the subject of the IMFrsquos Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 subtitled ldquoManaging Spillovers and Advancing Economic Rebalancing The report assesses the likely impact on Asia of the Westrsquos economic and financial troubles and recommends measures to address it The Fund also urges measures to rebalance the regionrsquos economies away from export dependence and toward greater reliance on domestic consumption and investment spending for economic growth
In a world of turmoil that is exactly the formula to keep Asia growing
GROWING ASIA
Real GDP Change in 2011 and 2012-13 Forecast 2011 2012 2013
Industrial Asia -02 22 20 Australia 20 30 35 Japan -07 20 17 New Zealand 14 23 32East Asia 82 73 80 China 92 82 88 Hong Kong SAR 50 26 42 Korea 36 35 40 Taiwan Province of China 40 36 47South Asia 71 68 72 Bangladesh 61 59 64 India 71 69 73 Sri Lanka 82 75 70ASEAN 46 52 60 Brunei Darussalam 19 32 16 Cambodia 61 62 64 Indonesia 65 61 66 Lao PDR 83 84 71 Malaysia 51 44 47 Myanmar 55 60 59 Philippines 37 42 47 Singapore 49 27 39 Thailand 01 55 75 Vietnam 59 56 63Emerging Asia 74 69 75
source IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 page 5
13
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Business
SBMA upbeat on lsquoSubic BPO Cityrsquo projectSubic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto V Garcia shared his positive outlook for the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the region recently as he address more than 200 graduating students of Olongapo Citys AMA College
Banking on the infrastructure projects within the freeport zone Garcia said that his management team has made plans to establish a BPO City inside Subic You are lucky he assured the graduates because there are lots of jobs waiting for you in the Subic Freeport
Further explanation from Garcia revealed that the future of BPO and Information Technology businesses in general has become very promising for the Philippines especially after it overtook India as the call center capital of the world The planned Subic BPO City seeks to capitalize on the rising trend and is poised to create jobs for more than 20000 IT-BPO workers by 2016 In fact PLDTs Vitro Data Center was recently launched in the area to help spur the local growth of the IT and BPO industry
The developments in Subic are only part of a concentrated effort by the government through the Department of Science and Technology Information and
Communications Technology Office to aim for a higher 2016 revenue target from the IT-BPO industry ndash raising it from $25 billion to $274 billion
PH conglomerates post higher Q1 profitsImproved economic activity in the country during the first quarter of 2012 appears to have boosted several of the Philippines leading conglomerates Last month Gokongwei-led JG Summit Holdings Inc was optimistic about its profits for this year due to a rising consumer demand for its varied products Accordingly the companys first quarter net income rose 767 to ₧491 billion in comparison to compared to ₧278 billion during the first quarter of 2011
Similarly Gotianun family-led Filinvest Development Corp (FDC) posted a consolidated net income of ₧121 billion in the first quarter of 2012 61 higher than the ₧114 billion from first quarter numbers last year FDCs real estate business accounted for 51 of the total revenues
Meanwhile GT Capital Holdings flagship of tycoon George Ty registered a net income of ₧13 billion in the first quarter of this year an increase of 505 from 2011 numbers
Lopez Holdings Corp ndash with a 603 economic interest in ABS-
CBN and 466 in First Philippine Holdings Corporation as of December 2011 ndash experienced a first-quarter net income increase of 192 to ₧263 billion compared to ₧902 million recorded during the same period last year However ABS-CBN itself posted a staggering profit drop of 69 for the first three months of 2012
Shipbuilder Hanjin Philippines to hire at least 10000 workersSouth Korean Shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries amp Construction-Philippines Inc (HHIC) through HHIC president Jin Kyu Ahn has announced that it is planning to hire at least 10000 more workers this 2012 for its shipyard in Zambales Subic Bay Freeport Zone The company has about 20000 local employees currently The Hanjin official noted that the promised jobs would clearly benefit the Philippine economy and bring opportunities to Filipino entrepreneurs and skilled workers and much needed revenue to the Philippine government
According to the Maritime Industry Authority the Philippines is the worldrsquos fourth-largest shipbuilding country The arrival of foreign shipbuilders such as HHIC in the country is a major factor that has spurred the growth of this industry at the same time that overseas Filipino workers are in demand in foreign shipyards
14cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
NATION
In Pursuit of Rice Self-Sufficiency by 2013Promised pursued and probably attainable but at what costBy Joanne Angela B Marzan
ersquoll achieve rice self-sufficiency after 2013 so beginning 2014
Next year we anticipate nakulangin tayo konti na lang [Next year we anticipate the shortfall to be minimal] Well start to export next year Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told the ABS-CBN news channel in a May 4 report posted on the abs-cbn news website
In fact Secretary Alcala mentioned in a May 9 press conference of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that the countryrsquos production target of palay (paddy rice) is ldquoon trackrdquo at 399 million metric tons (MMT) for the 1st quarter and 385 MMT for the 2nd quarter for a combined 784 MMT for the first semester of the year This means that the country has reached 42 of its 1846 MMT palay production target for the year
Meanwhile President Benigno Simeon C Aquino echoed this promised milestone to the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) attending the 45thAnnual Meeting in Manila from May 2-5 2012 But not before taking a swipe at the previous administration
During his ADB speech President Aquino said ldquoRice imported at inflated cost by the government was rotting away in rented warehousesrdquo and then proudly announced that through the reforms implemented by his administration the Philippines is ldquoless than a year away from being a net exporter of ricerdquo should the weather cooperate
STRATEGY POINTSThe Department of Agriculture is optimistic that by 2014 one of President Aquinos agricultural milestones of rice self-sufficiency would finally be attained even as some wonder whether this target can be achieved with middling economic growth and a rapidly growing population
A couple of papers from Philippine Institute for Development Studies have examined the countrys historic rice self-sufficiency policies and blame them for causing soaring rice prices that threaten the food security of the poorest sectors of society
Rice self-sufficiency is a most worthy goal but not at the expense of food security
ldquoW
rdquo
15
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Whether its Agriculture Secretary Alcala you want to hold to his promise of rice self-sufficiency by 2014 or President Aquino to his promise of rice self-sufficiency within a year of his speech to the ADB Board of Governors in May it would look as if the goal is seen as eminently doable if not practically a fait accompli
And with all that we would now like to ask whether rice self-sufficiency is
in fact worth all the fuss
To put things in some perspective the Philippines might be the worlds largest importer of rice but its not as if the Philippines doesnt produce a lot of rice In fact according to the table below from
ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo by Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio of the National Statistics Coordination Board in 2008 the Philippines produced the eighth-most rice in the world
13 In this video clip President Aquino expounds on the accomplishments of his administration during the 45th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of GovernorsABS-CBN
Country 2008 (in tonnes) RankChina 193354180 1India 148770000 2Indonesia 60251000 3Bangladesh 46742000 4Viet Nam 38725100 5Myanmar 32573000 6Thailand 31650600 7Philippines 16815500 8Brazil 12061500 9Japan 11028800 10
2008 TOP 10 PRODUCERS OF RICE PADDY
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and
Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
16cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
According to statistics from the afore-mentioned article provided in the table above in 1980 the Philippines exported the third-largest quantity of rice in Southeast Asia after Thailand and Myanmar In fact up until 1992 the Philippines was still rice self-sufficient enough to be a net exporter of rice
The problem is that in 1993 the Philippinesrsquo rice consumption fueled by an ever-growing population started to overtake its production In 2008 the Philippines imported 25 million metric tons of rice highest in the world fueled by both its fast-growing population and a global food crisis
For all the progress the country has made and is making in rice production one noted agriculturist believes that President Aquinorsquos ldquoreiteration of the policy of self-sufficiency in rice is a political strategy and not a poverty strategyrdquo
According to Dr Emil Q Javier president of the National Academy of Science and Technology rice self-sufficiency will not be
achieved because of ldquoour still unresolved population management policy as well as the relative slow rise in family incomesrdquo
At a March Department of Agriculture symposium about ldquoBroad-based Strategies for Food Security and Changing World Food Marketsrdquo Dr Javier posited that ldquo until such time that our economy consistently attains high growth rates like our neighbors diversification of food preference from rice to other food commodities associated with increasing incomes will be relatively slow Thus total effective demand of rice will continue to rise in the intermediate futurerdquo
Politics and rice have always gone together The historical relationship between politics and rice was discussed in the July 2005 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) discussion paper Rice and Philippine Politics by Ponciano S Intal Jr and Marissa C Garcia
The study said that rice has been a ldquopivotal political commodity since the Commonwealthrdquo for rice has become
ASEAN EXPORTER
ASEAN Country
1970 (in tonnes)
Rank 1980 (in tonnes)
Rank 1990 (in tonnes)
Rank 2000 (in tonnes)
Thailand 1047460 1 2762920 1 3557820 1 5282160Viet Nam 18479 5 33300 4 1624000 2 3476980Myanmar 640964 2 653100 2 213600 3 251400Singapore 33859 4 13342 5 1964 4 4105Cambodia 177688 3 - - - - 4860Philippines - - 256390 3 2 6 224Malaysia 70 6 - - 57 5 63Indonesia - - 10003 6 - - 196Brunei Darussalam
- - - - - - F
17
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
S OF RICE MILLED
Rank 2005(in tonnes)
Rank 2006 (in tonnes)
Rank 2007 (in tonnes)
Rank 2008 (in tonnes)
Rank
1 6043550 1 5996420 1 7408300 1 8672450 12 5250000 2 4642000 2 4558000 2 4735170 23 180000 3 71180 R 3 358500 3 40924 R 35 82239 4 67070 4 74872 4 13607 44 1384 R 7 3444 R 5 1170 R 5 4299 R 56 75 R 8 1370 R 6 68 R 7 1298 R 68 1531 6 1157 7 54 8 860 77 42280 5 907 8 336 6 429 8- - F - 369 R 9 - - 14 R 9
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
A matter of geographyHow did the Philippines which has long been in the forefront of rice research with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna become the worldrsquos top importer of rice A 2006 study ldquoWhy Does the Philippines Import Rice Meeting the challenge of trade liberalizationrdquo published by the IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) offered an interesting if not very obvious answer to its self-posed question The main reason it turns out might not owe so much to bad politicians corruption incompetence or laziness as it might to basic geography
ldquoExporters occupy river deltas with lots of land in general and lots of land suitable for rice in particular These countries are all located in mainland Southeast Asia Thailand Vietnam Cambodia and Myanmarrdquo the study explained The Philippines for its part is an island nation without any major river deltas one of a number of similarly configured Asian nations who have been historical rice importers ndash Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia and Sri Lanka
In addition the IRRI and PhilRice study also defended the Filipino farmer
ldquoSome may think the Filipino farmer is simply backward and cannot produce rice efficiently But a detailed survey of farmers in the various rice bowls of Asia found that Filipino farmers were among the leaders in reducing insecticide use and have progressed farther in mechanizing land preparation and postharvest operations than their counterparts in any other developing Asian country except Thailandrdquo the study claimed
the ldquostaple food and calorie source for majority of the population especially in the low-income groupsrdquo As such the study continued a strong relationship between rice and politics can be seen throughout the countryrsquos history The
report claimed that the price of rice has been a ldquosignificant determinant in election results since the 1950srdquo
However the study also criticized the governmentrsquos use of ldquoprice intervention
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
18cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
instrumentsrdquo which has favored rice farmers over consumers The shift to high nominal protection rates results in higher domestic prices for rice to benefit producers while lower nominal protection rates imply low domestic prices that would favor consumers
ldquo[R]eliance by the Philippine government primarily on price instruments to achieve its rice objectives and to protect farmer and consumer interests has not resulted in any substantial improvements in rice production In fact the shift to rice protection since the 1980s has failed to stabilize domestic rice prices and has effectively penalized the poorer householdsrdquo
lsquoObsolete and increasingly untenablersquo A more recent PIDS Policy Notes reiterated that the countryrsquos rice self-sufficiency policies are ldquoobsolete and increasingly untenablerdquo
A May 2011 PIDS Policy Notes brief ldquoPutting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food securityrdquo by Roehlano Briones and Danileen Kristel Parel assailed the countryrsquos special treatment of rice since 1994 as approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the granting of a Quantitative Restriction (QR) on rice imports to protect rice farmers has led to higher prices of rice which affect the poorest of the poor
The WTO defines QR as ldquospecific limits on the quantity or value of goods that can be imported (or exported)
during a specific time periodrdquo The PIDS study explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by law to set
The NFArsquos ₧100-billion problemThe National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to guarantee ldquothe food security of the country and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-ricerdquo As such NFA is the government agency tasked to ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the Filipino amidst soaring rice prices
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that according to a recently released 2009 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) the NFA lost more than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food security with stable prices as reported in a May 18 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Inquirer report said ldquoHuge rice imports and a policy of buying high selling low and storing long have resulted in the National Food Authority losing more than ₧100 billion in a span of 10 yearsrdquo
In 2008 alone COA said that the NFA suffered its biggest net loss of ₧3220 billion due to the global
13 GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES
900008000070000600005000040000300002000010000
0
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Gross Revenues
19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
20cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
22cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
26cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
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44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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- Page 30
- Page 32
- Page 34
- Page 36
- Page 38
- Page 40
- Page 42
- Page 44
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- Page 48
- Page 50
- Page 52
-
- Button 16
-
- Page 4 Off
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- Page 12
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- Page 40
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-
- Button 19
-
- Page 5 Off
- Page 7
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- Button 20
-
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-
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11
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
New risks for a fragile world recovery
WHERE ASIA SELLS
IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 pages 6 and 41
Correlation of Exports to China with Chinarsquos Exports to Asian Selected Economies
05
04
03
02
01
00
-01
2006-112000-05
New
Zea
land
Hon
g Ko
ng S
AR
Philip
pine
s
Aust
ralia
Thai
land
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Indo
nesi
a
Sing
apor
e
Kore
a
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Share of Exports Linked to Demand from Europe
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Sing
apor
e
Thai
land
Kore
a
Chi
na
Taiw
an P
rovi
nce
of C
hina
Indo
nesi
a
Japa
n
Mal
aysi
a
Philip
pine
s
In percent of exports linked to demand outside Asia In percent of GDP
12cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
New risks for a fragile world recovery
where is growthrsquordquo says economist Nouriel Roubini in his May 3 Milken Institute interview The New York University professor who famously predicted the 2008 US financial crisis thinks that due to this austerity fatigue ldquoeither this year or next Greece is highly likely to default on its debt and exit the eurozonerdquo (On the other hand he also mentions bailout fatigue in countries like Germany tired of paying billions for financial rescues)
In his Project Syndicate article ldquoGreece Must Exitrdquo Roubini spells out what he believes is the only way forward for Athens ldquoGreece is stuck in a vicious cycle of insolvency lost competitiveness external deficits and ever-deepening depression The only way to stop it is to begin an orderly default and exit coordinated and financed by the European Central Bank the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund (the lsquoTroikarsquo) that minimizes collateral damage to Greece and the rest of the eurozonerdquo He sets out an ugly but in his view unavoidable scenario of managing Greek default And if that horror story whets onersquos appetite for more try ldquoGet Ready for the Spanish Bailoutrdquo
What about America Will it bite the bullet Or will it too become a ldquotrain wreckrdquo as Roubini says of Europersquos fiscal landscape in his talk with former investment banker Michael Milken If so will the American economy tank not to mention the worldrsquos And what is Asia to do in the continuing economic malaise in big markets
That is the subject of the IMFrsquos Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 subtitled ldquoManaging Spillovers and Advancing Economic Rebalancing The report assesses the likely impact on Asia of the Westrsquos economic and financial troubles and recommends measures to address it The Fund also urges measures to rebalance the regionrsquos economies away from export dependence and toward greater reliance on domestic consumption and investment spending for economic growth
In a world of turmoil that is exactly the formula to keep Asia growing
GROWING ASIA
Real GDP Change in 2011 and 2012-13 Forecast 2011 2012 2013
Industrial Asia -02 22 20 Australia 20 30 35 Japan -07 20 17 New Zealand 14 23 32East Asia 82 73 80 China 92 82 88 Hong Kong SAR 50 26 42 Korea 36 35 40 Taiwan Province of China 40 36 47South Asia 71 68 72 Bangladesh 61 59 64 India 71 69 73 Sri Lanka 82 75 70ASEAN 46 52 60 Brunei Darussalam 19 32 16 Cambodia 61 62 64 Indonesia 65 61 66 Lao PDR 83 84 71 Malaysia 51 44 47 Myanmar 55 60 59 Philippines 37 42 47 Singapore 49 27 39 Thailand 01 55 75 Vietnam 59 56 63Emerging Asia 74 69 75
source IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 page 5
13
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Business
SBMA upbeat on lsquoSubic BPO Cityrsquo projectSubic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto V Garcia shared his positive outlook for the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the region recently as he address more than 200 graduating students of Olongapo Citys AMA College
Banking on the infrastructure projects within the freeport zone Garcia said that his management team has made plans to establish a BPO City inside Subic You are lucky he assured the graduates because there are lots of jobs waiting for you in the Subic Freeport
Further explanation from Garcia revealed that the future of BPO and Information Technology businesses in general has become very promising for the Philippines especially after it overtook India as the call center capital of the world The planned Subic BPO City seeks to capitalize on the rising trend and is poised to create jobs for more than 20000 IT-BPO workers by 2016 In fact PLDTs Vitro Data Center was recently launched in the area to help spur the local growth of the IT and BPO industry
The developments in Subic are only part of a concentrated effort by the government through the Department of Science and Technology Information and
Communications Technology Office to aim for a higher 2016 revenue target from the IT-BPO industry ndash raising it from $25 billion to $274 billion
PH conglomerates post higher Q1 profitsImproved economic activity in the country during the first quarter of 2012 appears to have boosted several of the Philippines leading conglomerates Last month Gokongwei-led JG Summit Holdings Inc was optimistic about its profits for this year due to a rising consumer demand for its varied products Accordingly the companys first quarter net income rose 767 to ₧491 billion in comparison to compared to ₧278 billion during the first quarter of 2011
Similarly Gotianun family-led Filinvest Development Corp (FDC) posted a consolidated net income of ₧121 billion in the first quarter of 2012 61 higher than the ₧114 billion from first quarter numbers last year FDCs real estate business accounted for 51 of the total revenues
Meanwhile GT Capital Holdings flagship of tycoon George Ty registered a net income of ₧13 billion in the first quarter of this year an increase of 505 from 2011 numbers
Lopez Holdings Corp ndash with a 603 economic interest in ABS-
CBN and 466 in First Philippine Holdings Corporation as of December 2011 ndash experienced a first-quarter net income increase of 192 to ₧263 billion compared to ₧902 million recorded during the same period last year However ABS-CBN itself posted a staggering profit drop of 69 for the first three months of 2012
Shipbuilder Hanjin Philippines to hire at least 10000 workersSouth Korean Shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries amp Construction-Philippines Inc (HHIC) through HHIC president Jin Kyu Ahn has announced that it is planning to hire at least 10000 more workers this 2012 for its shipyard in Zambales Subic Bay Freeport Zone The company has about 20000 local employees currently The Hanjin official noted that the promised jobs would clearly benefit the Philippine economy and bring opportunities to Filipino entrepreneurs and skilled workers and much needed revenue to the Philippine government
According to the Maritime Industry Authority the Philippines is the worldrsquos fourth-largest shipbuilding country The arrival of foreign shipbuilders such as HHIC in the country is a major factor that has spurred the growth of this industry at the same time that overseas Filipino workers are in demand in foreign shipyards
14cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
NATION
In Pursuit of Rice Self-Sufficiency by 2013Promised pursued and probably attainable but at what costBy Joanne Angela B Marzan
ersquoll achieve rice self-sufficiency after 2013 so beginning 2014
Next year we anticipate nakulangin tayo konti na lang [Next year we anticipate the shortfall to be minimal] Well start to export next year Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told the ABS-CBN news channel in a May 4 report posted on the abs-cbn news website
In fact Secretary Alcala mentioned in a May 9 press conference of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that the countryrsquos production target of palay (paddy rice) is ldquoon trackrdquo at 399 million metric tons (MMT) for the 1st quarter and 385 MMT for the 2nd quarter for a combined 784 MMT for the first semester of the year This means that the country has reached 42 of its 1846 MMT palay production target for the year
Meanwhile President Benigno Simeon C Aquino echoed this promised milestone to the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) attending the 45thAnnual Meeting in Manila from May 2-5 2012 But not before taking a swipe at the previous administration
During his ADB speech President Aquino said ldquoRice imported at inflated cost by the government was rotting away in rented warehousesrdquo and then proudly announced that through the reforms implemented by his administration the Philippines is ldquoless than a year away from being a net exporter of ricerdquo should the weather cooperate
STRATEGY POINTSThe Department of Agriculture is optimistic that by 2014 one of President Aquinos agricultural milestones of rice self-sufficiency would finally be attained even as some wonder whether this target can be achieved with middling economic growth and a rapidly growing population
A couple of papers from Philippine Institute for Development Studies have examined the countrys historic rice self-sufficiency policies and blame them for causing soaring rice prices that threaten the food security of the poorest sectors of society
Rice self-sufficiency is a most worthy goal but not at the expense of food security
ldquoW
rdquo
15
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Whether its Agriculture Secretary Alcala you want to hold to his promise of rice self-sufficiency by 2014 or President Aquino to his promise of rice self-sufficiency within a year of his speech to the ADB Board of Governors in May it would look as if the goal is seen as eminently doable if not practically a fait accompli
And with all that we would now like to ask whether rice self-sufficiency is
in fact worth all the fuss
To put things in some perspective the Philippines might be the worlds largest importer of rice but its not as if the Philippines doesnt produce a lot of rice In fact according to the table below from
ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo by Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio of the National Statistics Coordination Board in 2008 the Philippines produced the eighth-most rice in the world
13 In this video clip President Aquino expounds on the accomplishments of his administration during the 45th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of GovernorsABS-CBN
Country 2008 (in tonnes) RankChina 193354180 1India 148770000 2Indonesia 60251000 3Bangladesh 46742000 4Viet Nam 38725100 5Myanmar 32573000 6Thailand 31650600 7Philippines 16815500 8Brazil 12061500 9Japan 11028800 10
2008 TOP 10 PRODUCERS OF RICE PADDY
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and
Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
16cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
According to statistics from the afore-mentioned article provided in the table above in 1980 the Philippines exported the third-largest quantity of rice in Southeast Asia after Thailand and Myanmar In fact up until 1992 the Philippines was still rice self-sufficient enough to be a net exporter of rice
The problem is that in 1993 the Philippinesrsquo rice consumption fueled by an ever-growing population started to overtake its production In 2008 the Philippines imported 25 million metric tons of rice highest in the world fueled by both its fast-growing population and a global food crisis
For all the progress the country has made and is making in rice production one noted agriculturist believes that President Aquinorsquos ldquoreiteration of the policy of self-sufficiency in rice is a political strategy and not a poverty strategyrdquo
According to Dr Emil Q Javier president of the National Academy of Science and Technology rice self-sufficiency will not be
achieved because of ldquoour still unresolved population management policy as well as the relative slow rise in family incomesrdquo
At a March Department of Agriculture symposium about ldquoBroad-based Strategies for Food Security and Changing World Food Marketsrdquo Dr Javier posited that ldquo until such time that our economy consistently attains high growth rates like our neighbors diversification of food preference from rice to other food commodities associated with increasing incomes will be relatively slow Thus total effective demand of rice will continue to rise in the intermediate futurerdquo
Politics and rice have always gone together The historical relationship between politics and rice was discussed in the July 2005 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) discussion paper Rice and Philippine Politics by Ponciano S Intal Jr and Marissa C Garcia
The study said that rice has been a ldquopivotal political commodity since the Commonwealthrdquo for rice has become
ASEAN EXPORTER
ASEAN Country
1970 (in tonnes)
Rank 1980 (in tonnes)
Rank 1990 (in tonnes)
Rank 2000 (in tonnes)
Thailand 1047460 1 2762920 1 3557820 1 5282160Viet Nam 18479 5 33300 4 1624000 2 3476980Myanmar 640964 2 653100 2 213600 3 251400Singapore 33859 4 13342 5 1964 4 4105Cambodia 177688 3 - - - - 4860Philippines - - 256390 3 2 6 224Malaysia 70 6 - - 57 5 63Indonesia - - 10003 6 - - 196Brunei Darussalam
- - - - - - F
17
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
S OF RICE MILLED
Rank 2005(in tonnes)
Rank 2006 (in tonnes)
Rank 2007 (in tonnes)
Rank 2008 (in tonnes)
Rank
1 6043550 1 5996420 1 7408300 1 8672450 12 5250000 2 4642000 2 4558000 2 4735170 23 180000 3 71180 R 3 358500 3 40924 R 35 82239 4 67070 4 74872 4 13607 44 1384 R 7 3444 R 5 1170 R 5 4299 R 56 75 R 8 1370 R 6 68 R 7 1298 R 68 1531 6 1157 7 54 8 860 77 42280 5 907 8 336 6 429 8- - F - 369 R 9 - - 14 R 9
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
A matter of geographyHow did the Philippines which has long been in the forefront of rice research with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna become the worldrsquos top importer of rice A 2006 study ldquoWhy Does the Philippines Import Rice Meeting the challenge of trade liberalizationrdquo published by the IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) offered an interesting if not very obvious answer to its self-posed question The main reason it turns out might not owe so much to bad politicians corruption incompetence or laziness as it might to basic geography
ldquoExporters occupy river deltas with lots of land in general and lots of land suitable for rice in particular These countries are all located in mainland Southeast Asia Thailand Vietnam Cambodia and Myanmarrdquo the study explained The Philippines for its part is an island nation without any major river deltas one of a number of similarly configured Asian nations who have been historical rice importers ndash Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia and Sri Lanka
In addition the IRRI and PhilRice study also defended the Filipino farmer
ldquoSome may think the Filipino farmer is simply backward and cannot produce rice efficiently But a detailed survey of farmers in the various rice bowls of Asia found that Filipino farmers were among the leaders in reducing insecticide use and have progressed farther in mechanizing land preparation and postharvest operations than their counterparts in any other developing Asian country except Thailandrdquo the study claimed
the ldquostaple food and calorie source for majority of the population especially in the low-income groupsrdquo As such the study continued a strong relationship between rice and politics can be seen throughout the countryrsquos history The
report claimed that the price of rice has been a ldquosignificant determinant in election results since the 1950srdquo
However the study also criticized the governmentrsquos use of ldquoprice intervention
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
18cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
instrumentsrdquo which has favored rice farmers over consumers The shift to high nominal protection rates results in higher domestic prices for rice to benefit producers while lower nominal protection rates imply low domestic prices that would favor consumers
ldquo[R]eliance by the Philippine government primarily on price instruments to achieve its rice objectives and to protect farmer and consumer interests has not resulted in any substantial improvements in rice production In fact the shift to rice protection since the 1980s has failed to stabilize domestic rice prices and has effectively penalized the poorer householdsrdquo
lsquoObsolete and increasingly untenablersquo A more recent PIDS Policy Notes reiterated that the countryrsquos rice self-sufficiency policies are ldquoobsolete and increasingly untenablerdquo
A May 2011 PIDS Policy Notes brief ldquoPutting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food securityrdquo by Roehlano Briones and Danileen Kristel Parel assailed the countryrsquos special treatment of rice since 1994 as approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the granting of a Quantitative Restriction (QR) on rice imports to protect rice farmers has led to higher prices of rice which affect the poorest of the poor
The WTO defines QR as ldquospecific limits on the quantity or value of goods that can be imported (or exported)
during a specific time periodrdquo The PIDS study explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by law to set
The NFArsquos ₧100-billion problemThe National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to guarantee ldquothe food security of the country and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-ricerdquo As such NFA is the government agency tasked to ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the Filipino amidst soaring rice prices
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that according to a recently released 2009 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) the NFA lost more than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food security with stable prices as reported in a May 18 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Inquirer report said ldquoHuge rice imports and a policy of buying high selling low and storing long have resulted in the National Food Authority losing more than ₧100 billion in a span of 10 yearsrdquo
In 2008 alone COA said that the NFA suffered its biggest net loss of ₧3220 billion due to the global
13 GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES
900008000070000600005000040000300002000010000
0
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Gross Revenues
19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
20cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
22cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
26cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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12cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
New risks for a fragile world recovery
where is growthrsquordquo says economist Nouriel Roubini in his May 3 Milken Institute interview The New York University professor who famously predicted the 2008 US financial crisis thinks that due to this austerity fatigue ldquoeither this year or next Greece is highly likely to default on its debt and exit the eurozonerdquo (On the other hand he also mentions bailout fatigue in countries like Germany tired of paying billions for financial rescues)
In his Project Syndicate article ldquoGreece Must Exitrdquo Roubini spells out what he believes is the only way forward for Athens ldquoGreece is stuck in a vicious cycle of insolvency lost competitiveness external deficits and ever-deepening depression The only way to stop it is to begin an orderly default and exit coordinated and financed by the European Central Bank the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund (the lsquoTroikarsquo) that minimizes collateral damage to Greece and the rest of the eurozonerdquo He sets out an ugly but in his view unavoidable scenario of managing Greek default And if that horror story whets onersquos appetite for more try ldquoGet Ready for the Spanish Bailoutrdquo
What about America Will it bite the bullet Or will it too become a ldquotrain wreckrdquo as Roubini says of Europersquos fiscal landscape in his talk with former investment banker Michael Milken If so will the American economy tank not to mention the worldrsquos And what is Asia to do in the continuing economic malaise in big markets
That is the subject of the IMFrsquos Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 subtitled ldquoManaging Spillovers and Advancing Economic Rebalancing The report assesses the likely impact on Asia of the Westrsquos economic and financial troubles and recommends measures to address it The Fund also urges measures to rebalance the regionrsquos economies away from export dependence and toward greater reliance on domestic consumption and investment spending for economic growth
In a world of turmoil that is exactly the formula to keep Asia growing
GROWING ASIA
Real GDP Change in 2011 and 2012-13 Forecast 2011 2012 2013
Industrial Asia -02 22 20 Australia 20 30 35 Japan -07 20 17 New Zealand 14 23 32East Asia 82 73 80 China 92 82 88 Hong Kong SAR 50 26 42 Korea 36 35 40 Taiwan Province of China 40 36 47South Asia 71 68 72 Bangladesh 61 59 64 India 71 69 73 Sri Lanka 82 75 70ASEAN 46 52 60 Brunei Darussalam 19 32 16 Cambodia 61 62 64 Indonesia 65 61 66 Lao PDR 83 84 71 Malaysia 51 44 47 Myanmar 55 60 59 Philippines 37 42 47 Singapore 49 27 39 Thailand 01 55 75 Vietnam 59 56 63Emerging Asia 74 69 75
source IMF Regional Economic Outlook Asia Pacific April 2012 page 5
13
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Business
SBMA upbeat on lsquoSubic BPO Cityrsquo projectSubic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto V Garcia shared his positive outlook for the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the region recently as he address more than 200 graduating students of Olongapo Citys AMA College
Banking on the infrastructure projects within the freeport zone Garcia said that his management team has made plans to establish a BPO City inside Subic You are lucky he assured the graduates because there are lots of jobs waiting for you in the Subic Freeport
Further explanation from Garcia revealed that the future of BPO and Information Technology businesses in general has become very promising for the Philippines especially after it overtook India as the call center capital of the world The planned Subic BPO City seeks to capitalize on the rising trend and is poised to create jobs for more than 20000 IT-BPO workers by 2016 In fact PLDTs Vitro Data Center was recently launched in the area to help spur the local growth of the IT and BPO industry
The developments in Subic are only part of a concentrated effort by the government through the Department of Science and Technology Information and
Communications Technology Office to aim for a higher 2016 revenue target from the IT-BPO industry ndash raising it from $25 billion to $274 billion
PH conglomerates post higher Q1 profitsImproved economic activity in the country during the first quarter of 2012 appears to have boosted several of the Philippines leading conglomerates Last month Gokongwei-led JG Summit Holdings Inc was optimistic about its profits for this year due to a rising consumer demand for its varied products Accordingly the companys first quarter net income rose 767 to ₧491 billion in comparison to compared to ₧278 billion during the first quarter of 2011
Similarly Gotianun family-led Filinvest Development Corp (FDC) posted a consolidated net income of ₧121 billion in the first quarter of 2012 61 higher than the ₧114 billion from first quarter numbers last year FDCs real estate business accounted for 51 of the total revenues
Meanwhile GT Capital Holdings flagship of tycoon George Ty registered a net income of ₧13 billion in the first quarter of this year an increase of 505 from 2011 numbers
Lopez Holdings Corp ndash with a 603 economic interest in ABS-
CBN and 466 in First Philippine Holdings Corporation as of December 2011 ndash experienced a first-quarter net income increase of 192 to ₧263 billion compared to ₧902 million recorded during the same period last year However ABS-CBN itself posted a staggering profit drop of 69 for the first three months of 2012
Shipbuilder Hanjin Philippines to hire at least 10000 workersSouth Korean Shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries amp Construction-Philippines Inc (HHIC) through HHIC president Jin Kyu Ahn has announced that it is planning to hire at least 10000 more workers this 2012 for its shipyard in Zambales Subic Bay Freeport Zone The company has about 20000 local employees currently The Hanjin official noted that the promised jobs would clearly benefit the Philippine economy and bring opportunities to Filipino entrepreneurs and skilled workers and much needed revenue to the Philippine government
According to the Maritime Industry Authority the Philippines is the worldrsquos fourth-largest shipbuilding country The arrival of foreign shipbuilders such as HHIC in the country is a major factor that has spurred the growth of this industry at the same time that overseas Filipino workers are in demand in foreign shipyards
14cenSEI
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Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
NATION
In Pursuit of Rice Self-Sufficiency by 2013Promised pursued and probably attainable but at what costBy Joanne Angela B Marzan
ersquoll achieve rice self-sufficiency after 2013 so beginning 2014
Next year we anticipate nakulangin tayo konti na lang [Next year we anticipate the shortfall to be minimal] Well start to export next year Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told the ABS-CBN news channel in a May 4 report posted on the abs-cbn news website
In fact Secretary Alcala mentioned in a May 9 press conference of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that the countryrsquos production target of palay (paddy rice) is ldquoon trackrdquo at 399 million metric tons (MMT) for the 1st quarter and 385 MMT for the 2nd quarter for a combined 784 MMT for the first semester of the year This means that the country has reached 42 of its 1846 MMT palay production target for the year
Meanwhile President Benigno Simeon C Aquino echoed this promised milestone to the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) attending the 45thAnnual Meeting in Manila from May 2-5 2012 But not before taking a swipe at the previous administration
During his ADB speech President Aquino said ldquoRice imported at inflated cost by the government was rotting away in rented warehousesrdquo and then proudly announced that through the reforms implemented by his administration the Philippines is ldquoless than a year away from being a net exporter of ricerdquo should the weather cooperate
STRATEGY POINTSThe Department of Agriculture is optimistic that by 2014 one of President Aquinos agricultural milestones of rice self-sufficiency would finally be attained even as some wonder whether this target can be achieved with middling economic growth and a rapidly growing population
A couple of papers from Philippine Institute for Development Studies have examined the countrys historic rice self-sufficiency policies and blame them for causing soaring rice prices that threaten the food security of the poorest sectors of society
Rice self-sufficiency is a most worthy goal but not at the expense of food security
ldquoW
rdquo
15
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Whether its Agriculture Secretary Alcala you want to hold to his promise of rice self-sufficiency by 2014 or President Aquino to his promise of rice self-sufficiency within a year of his speech to the ADB Board of Governors in May it would look as if the goal is seen as eminently doable if not practically a fait accompli
And with all that we would now like to ask whether rice self-sufficiency is
in fact worth all the fuss
To put things in some perspective the Philippines might be the worlds largest importer of rice but its not as if the Philippines doesnt produce a lot of rice In fact according to the table below from
ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo by Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio of the National Statistics Coordination Board in 2008 the Philippines produced the eighth-most rice in the world
13 In this video clip President Aquino expounds on the accomplishments of his administration during the 45th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of GovernorsABS-CBN
Country 2008 (in tonnes) RankChina 193354180 1India 148770000 2Indonesia 60251000 3Bangladesh 46742000 4Viet Nam 38725100 5Myanmar 32573000 6Thailand 31650600 7Philippines 16815500 8Brazil 12061500 9Japan 11028800 10
2008 TOP 10 PRODUCERS OF RICE PADDY
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and
Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
16cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
According to statistics from the afore-mentioned article provided in the table above in 1980 the Philippines exported the third-largest quantity of rice in Southeast Asia after Thailand and Myanmar In fact up until 1992 the Philippines was still rice self-sufficient enough to be a net exporter of rice
The problem is that in 1993 the Philippinesrsquo rice consumption fueled by an ever-growing population started to overtake its production In 2008 the Philippines imported 25 million metric tons of rice highest in the world fueled by both its fast-growing population and a global food crisis
For all the progress the country has made and is making in rice production one noted agriculturist believes that President Aquinorsquos ldquoreiteration of the policy of self-sufficiency in rice is a political strategy and not a poverty strategyrdquo
According to Dr Emil Q Javier president of the National Academy of Science and Technology rice self-sufficiency will not be
achieved because of ldquoour still unresolved population management policy as well as the relative slow rise in family incomesrdquo
At a March Department of Agriculture symposium about ldquoBroad-based Strategies for Food Security and Changing World Food Marketsrdquo Dr Javier posited that ldquo until such time that our economy consistently attains high growth rates like our neighbors diversification of food preference from rice to other food commodities associated with increasing incomes will be relatively slow Thus total effective demand of rice will continue to rise in the intermediate futurerdquo
Politics and rice have always gone together The historical relationship between politics and rice was discussed in the July 2005 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) discussion paper Rice and Philippine Politics by Ponciano S Intal Jr and Marissa C Garcia
The study said that rice has been a ldquopivotal political commodity since the Commonwealthrdquo for rice has become
ASEAN EXPORTER
ASEAN Country
1970 (in tonnes)
Rank 1980 (in tonnes)
Rank 1990 (in tonnes)
Rank 2000 (in tonnes)
Thailand 1047460 1 2762920 1 3557820 1 5282160Viet Nam 18479 5 33300 4 1624000 2 3476980Myanmar 640964 2 653100 2 213600 3 251400Singapore 33859 4 13342 5 1964 4 4105Cambodia 177688 3 - - - - 4860Philippines - - 256390 3 2 6 224Malaysia 70 6 - - 57 5 63Indonesia - - 10003 6 - - 196Brunei Darussalam
- - - - - - F
17
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
S OF RICE MILLED
Rank 2005(in tonnes)
Rank 2006 (in tonnes)
Rank 2007 (in tonnes)
Rank 2008 (in tonnes)
Rank
1 6043550 1 5996420 1 7408300 1 8672450 12 5250000 2 4642000 2 4558000 2 4735170 23 180000 3 71180 R 3 358500 3 40924 R 35 82239 4 67070 4 74872 4 13607 44 1384 R 7 3444 R 5 1170 R 5 4299 R 56 75 R 8 1370 R 6 68 R 7 1298 R 68 1531 6 1157 7 54 8 860 77 42280 5 907 8 336 6 429 8- - F - 369 R 9 - - 14 R 9
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
A matter of geographyHow did the Philippines which has long been in the forefront of rice research with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna become the worldrsquos top importer of rice A 2006 study ldquoWhy Does the Philippines Import Rice Meeting the challenge of trade liberalizationrdquo published by the IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) offered an interesting if not very obvious answer to its self-posed question The main reason it turns out might not owe so much to bad politicians corruption incompetence or laziness as it might to basic geography
ldquoExporters occupy river deltas with lots of land in general and lots of land suitable for rice in particular These countries are all located in mainland Southeast Asia Thailand Vietnam Cambodia and Myanmarrdquo the study explained The Philippines for its part is an island nation without any major river deltas one of a number of similarly configured Asian nations who have been historical rice importers ndash Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia and Sri Lanka
In addition the IRRI and PhilRice study also defended the Filipino farmer
ldquoSome may think the Filipino farmer is simply backward and cannot produce rice efficiently But a detailed survey of farmers in the various rice bowls of Asia found that Filipino farmers were among the leaders in reducing insecticide use and have progressed farther in mechanizing land preparation and postharvest operations than their counterparts in any other developing Asian country except Thailandrdquo the study claimed
the ldquostaple food and calorie source for majority of the population especially in the low-income groupsrdquo As such the study continued a strong relationship between rice and politics can be seen throughout the countryrsquos history The
report claimed that the price of rice has been a ldquosignificant determinant in election results since the 1950srdquo
However the study also criticized the governmentrsquos use of ldquoprice intervention
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
instrumentsrdquo which has favored rice farmers over consumers The shift to high nominal protection rates results in higher domestic prices for rice to benefit producers while lower nominal protection rates imply low domestic prices that would favor consumers
ldquo[R]eliance by the Philippine government primarily on price instruments to achieve its rice objectives and to protect farmer and consumer interests has not resulted in any substantial improvements in rice production In fact the shift to rice protection since the 1980s has failed to stabilize domestic rice prices and has effectively penalized the poorer householdsrdquo
lsquoObsolete and increasingly untenablersquo A more recent PIDS Policy Notes reiterated that the countryrsquos rice self-sufficiency policies are ldquoobsolete and increasingly untenablerdquo
A May 2011 PIDS Policy Notes brief ldquoPutting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food securityrdquo by Roehlano Briones and Danileen Kristel Parel assailed the countryrsquos special treatment of rice since 1994 as approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the granting of a Quantitative Restriction (QR) on rice imports to protect rice farmers has led to higher prices of rice which affect the poorest of the poor
The WTO defines QR as ldquospecific limits on the quantity or value of goods that can be imported (or exported)
during a specific time periodrdquo The PIDS study explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by law to set
The NFArsquos ₧100-billion problemThe National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to guarantee ldquothe food security of the country and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-ricerdquo As such NFA is the government agency tasked to ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the Filipino amidst soaring rice prices
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that according to a recently released 2009 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) the NFA lost more than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food security with stable prices as reported in a May 18 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Inquirer report said ldquoHuge rice imports and a policy of buying high selling low and storing long have resulted in the National Food Authority losing more than ₧100 billion in a span of 10 yearsrdquo
In 2008 alone COA said that the NFA suffered its biggest net loss of ₧3220 billion due to the global
13 GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES
900008000070000600005000040000300002000010000
0
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Gross Revenues
19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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13
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Business
SBMA upbeat on lsquoSubic BPO Cityrsquo projectSubic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto V Garcia shared his positive outlook for the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the region recently as he address more than 200 graduating students of Olongapo Citys AMA College
Banking on the infrastructure projects within the freeport zone Garcia said that his management team has made plans to establish a BPO City inside Subic You are lucky he assured the graduates because there are lots of jobs waiting for you in the Subic Freeport
Further explanation from Garcia revealed that the future of BPO and Information Technology businesses in general has become very promising for the Philippines especially after it overtook India as the call center capital of the world The planned Subic BPO City seeks to capitalize on the rising trend and is poised to create jobs for more than 20000 IT-BPO workers by 2016 In fact PLDTs Vitro Data Center was recently launched in the area to help spur the local growth of the IT and BPO industry
The developments in Subic are only part of a concentrated effort by the government through the Department of Science and Technology Information and
Communications Technology Office to aim for a higher 2016 revenue target from the IT-BPO industry ndash raising it from $25 billion to $274 billion
PH conglomerates post higher Q1 profitsImproved economic activity in the country during the first quarter of 2012 appears to have boosted several of the Philippines leading conglomerates Last month Gokongwei-led JG Summit Holdings Inc was optimistic about its profits for this year due to a rising consumer demand for its varied products Accordingly the companys first quarter net income rose 767 to ₧491 billion in comparison to compared to ₧278 billion during the first quarter of 2011
Similarly Gotianun family-led Filinvest Development Corp (FDC) posted a consolidated net income of ₧121 billion in the first quarter of 2012 61 higher than the ₧114 billion from first quarter numbers last year FDCs real estate business accounted for 51 of the total revenues
Meanwhile GT Capital Holdings flagship of tycoon George Ty registered a net income of ₧13 billion in the first quarter of this year an increase of 505 from 2011 numbers
Lopez Holdings Corp ndash with a 603 economic interest in ABS-
CBN and 466 in First Philippine Holdings Corporation as of December 2011 ndash experienced a first-quarter net income increase of 192 to ₧263 billion compared to ₧902 million recorded during the same period last year However ABS-CBN itself posted a staggering profit drop of 69 for the first three months of 2012
Shipbuilder Hanjin Philippines to hire at least 10000 workersSouth Korean Shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries amp Construction-Philippines Inc (HHIC) through HHIC president Jin Kyu Ahn has announced that it is planning to hire at least 10000 more workers this 2012 for its shipyard in Zambales Subic Bay Freeport Zone The company has about 20000 local employees currently The Hanjin official noted that the promised jobs would clearly benefit the Philippine economy and bring opportunities to Filipino entrepreneurs and skilled workers and much needed revenue to the Philippine government
According to the Maritime Industry Authority the Philippines is the worldrsquos fourth-largest shipbuilding country The arrival of foreign shipbuilders such as HHIC in the country is a major factor that has spurred the growth of this industry at the same time that overseas Filipino workers are in demand in foreign shipyards
14cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
NATION
In Pursuit of Rice Self-Sufficiency by 2013Promised pursued and probably attainable but at what costBy Joanne Angela B Marzan
ersquoll achieve rice self-sufficiency after 2013 so beginning 2014
Next year we anticipate nakulangin tayo konti na lang [Next year we anticipate the shortfall to be minimal] Well start to export next year Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told the ABS-CBN news channel in a May 4 report posted on the abs-cbn news website
In fact Secretary Alcala mentioned in a May 9 press conference of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that the countryrsquos production target of palay (paddy rice) is ldquoon trackrdquo at 399 million metric tons (MMT) for the 1st quarter and 385 MMT for the 2nd quarter for a combined 784 MMT for the first semester of the year This means that the country has reached 42 of its 1846 MMT palay production target for the year
Meanwhile President Benigno Simeon C Aquino echoed this promised milestone to the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) attending the 45thAnnual Meeting in Manila from May 2-5 2012 But not before taking a swipe at the previous administration
During his ADB speech President Aquino said ldquoRice imported at inflated cost by the government was rotting away in rented warehousesrdquo and then proudly announced that through the reforms implemented by his administration the Philippines is ldquoless than a year away from being a net exporter of ricerdquo should the weather cooperate
STRATEGY POINTSThe Department of Agriculture is optimistic that by 2014 one of President Aquinos agricultural milestones of rice self-sufficiency would finally be attained even as some wonder whether this target can be achieved with middling economic growth and a rapidly growing population
A couple of papers from Philippine Institute for Development Studies have examined the countrys historic rice self-sufficiency policies and blame them for causing soaring rice prices that threaten the food security of the poorest sectors of society
Rice self-sufficiency is a most worthy goal but not at the expense of food security
ldquoW
rdquo
15
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Whether its Agriculture Secretary Alcala you want to hold to his promise of rice self-sufficiency by 2014 or President Aquino to his promise of rice self-sufficiency within a year of his speech to the ADB Board of Governors in May it would look as if the goal is seen as eminently doable if not practically a fait accompli
And with all that we would now like to ask whether rice self-sufficiency is
in fact worth all the fuss
To put things in some perspective the Philippines might be the worlds largest importer of rice but its not as if the Philippines doesnt produce a lot of rice In fact according to the table below from
ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo by Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio of the National Statistics Coordination Board in 2008 the Philippines produced the eighth-most rice in the world
13 In this video clip President Aquino expounds on the accomplishments of his administration during the 45th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of GovernorsABS-CBN
Country 2008 (in tonnes) RankChina 193354180 1India 148770000 2Indonesia 60251000 3Bangladesh 46742000 4Viet Nam 38725100 5Myanmar 32573000 6Thailand 31650600 7Philippines 16815500 8Brazil 12061500 9Japan 11028800 10
2008 TOP 10 PRODUCERS OF RICE PADDY
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and
Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
According to statistics from the afore-mentioned article provided in the table above in 1980 the Philippines exported the third-largest quantity of rice in Southeast Asia after Thailand and Myanmar In fact up until 1992 the Philippines was still rice self-sufficient enough to be a net exporter of rice
The problem is that in 1993 the Philippinesrsquo rice consumption fueled by an ever-growing population started to overtake its production In 2008 the Philippines imported 25 million metric tons of rice highest in the world fueled by both its fast-growing population and a global food crisis
For all the progress the country has made and is making in rice production one noted agriculturist believes that President Aquinorsquos ldquoreiteration of the policy of self-sufficiency in rice is a political strategy and not a poverty strategyrdquo
According to Dr Emil Q Javier president of the National Academy of Science and Technology rice self-sufficiency will not be
achieved because of ldquoour still unresolved population management policy as well as the relative slow rise in family incomesrdquo
At a March Department of Agriculture symposium about ldquoBroad-based Strategies for Food Security and Changing World Food Marketsrdquo Dr Javier posited that ldquo until such time that our economy consistently attains high growth rates like our neighbors diversification of food preference from rice to other food commodities associated with increasing incomes will be relatively slow Thus total effective demand of rice will continue to rise in the intermediate futurerdquo
Politics and rice have always gone together The historical relationship between politics and rice was discussed in the July 2005 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) discussion paper Rice and Philippine Politics by Ponciano S Intal Jr and Marissa C Garcia
The study said that rice has been a ldquopivotal political commodity since the Commonwealthrdquo for rice has become
ASEAN EXPORTER
ASEAN Country
1970 (in tonnes)
Rank 1980 (in tonnes)
Rank 1990 (in tonnes)
Rank 2000 (in tonnes)
Thailand 1047460 1 2762920 1 3557820 1 5282160Viet Nam 18479 5 33300 4 1624000 2 3476980Myanmar 640964 2 653100 2 213600 3 251400Singapore 33859 4 13342 5 1964 4 4105Cambodia 177688 3 - - - - 4860Philippines - - 256390 3 2 6 224Malaysia 70 6 - - 57 5 63Indonesia - - 10003 6 - - 196Brunei Darussalam
- - - - - - F
17
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
S OF RICE MILLED
Rank 2005(in tonnes)
Rank 2006 (in tonnes)
Rank 2007 (in tonnes)
Rank 2008 (in tonnes)
Rank
1 6043550 1 5996420 1 7408300 1 8672450 12 5250000 2 4642000 2 4558000 2 4735170 23 180000 3 71180 R 3 358500 3 40924 R 35 82239 4 67070 4 74872 4 13607 44 1384 R 7 3444 R 5 1170 R 5 4299 R 56 75 R 8 1370 R 6 68 R 7 1298 R 68 1531 6 1157 7 54 8 860 77 42280 5 907 8 336 6 429 8- - F - 369 R 9 - - 14 R 9
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
A matter of geographyHow did the Philippines which has long been in the forefront of rice research with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna become the worldrsquos top importer of rice A 2006 study ldquoWhy Does the Philippines Import Rice Meeting the challenge of trade liberalizationrdquo published by the IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) offered an interesting if not very obvious answer to its self-posed question The main reason it turns out might not owe so much to bad politicians corruption incompetence or laziness as it might to basic geography
ldquoExporters occupy river deltas with lots of land in general and lots of land suitable for rice in particular These countries are all located in mainland Southeast Asia Thailand Vietnam Cambodia and Myanmarrdquo the study explained The Philippines for its part is an island nation without any major river deltas one of a number of similarly configured Asian nations who have been historical rice importers ndash Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia and Sri Lanka
In addition the IRRI and PhilRice study also defended the Filipino farmer
ldquoSome may think the Filipino farmer is simply backward and cannot produce rice efficiently But a detailed survey of farmers in the various rice bowls of Asia found that Filipino farmers were among the leaders in reducing insecticide use and have progressed farther in mechanizing land preparation and postharvest operations than their counterparts in any other developing Asian country except Thailandrdquo the study claimed
the ldquostaple food and calorie source for majority of the population especially in the low-income groupsrdquo As such the study continued a strong relationship between rice and politics can be seen throughout the countryrsquos history The
report claimed that the price of rice has been a ldquosignificant determinant in election results since the 1950srdquo
However the study also criticized the governmentrsquos use of ldquoprice intervention
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
18cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
instrumentsrdquo which has favored rice farmers over consumers The shift to high nominal protection rates results in higher domestic prices for rice to benefit producers while lower nominal protection rates imply low domestic prices that would favor consumers
ldquo[R]eliance by the Philippine government primarily on price instruments to achieve its rice objectives and to protect farmer and consumer interests has not resulted in any substantial improvements in rice production In fact the shift to rice protection since the 1980s has failed to stabilize domestic rice prices and has effectively penalized the poorer householdsrdquo
lsquoObsolete and increasingly untenablersquo A more recent PIDS Policy Notes reiterated that the countryrsquos rice self-sufficiency policies are ldquoobsolete and increasingly untenablerdquo
A May 2011 PIDS Policy Notes brief ldquoPutting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food securityrdquo by Roehlano Briones and Danileen Kristel Parel assailed the countryrsquos special treatment of rice since 1994 as approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the granting of a Quantitative Restriction (QR) on rice imports to protect rice farmers has led to higher prices of rice which affect the poorest of the poor
The WTO defines QR as ldquospecific limits on the quantity or value of goods that can be imported (or exported)
during a specific time periodrdquo The PIDS study explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by law to set
The NFArsquos ₧100-billion problemThe National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to guarantee ldquothe food security of the country and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-ricerdquo As such NFA is the government agency tasked to ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the Filipino amidst soaring rice prices
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that according to a recently released 2009 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) the NFA lost more than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food security with stable prices as reported in a May 18 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Inquirer report said ldquoHuge rice imports and a policy of buying high selling low and storing long have resulted in the National Food Authority losing more than ₧100 billion in a span of 10 yearsrdquo
In 2008 alone COA said that the NFA suffered its biggest net loss of ₧3220 billion due to the global
13 GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES
900008000070000600005000040000300002000010000
0
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Gross Revenues
19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
20cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
22cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
-
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-
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14cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
NATION
In Pursuit of Rice Self-Sufficiency by 2013Promised pursued and probably attainable but at what costBy Joanne Angela B Marzan
ersquoll achieve rice self-sufficiency after 2013 so beginning 2014
Next year we anticipate nakulangin tayo konti na lang [Next year we anticipate the shortfall to be minimal] Well start to export next year Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told the ABS-CBN news channel in a May 4 report posted on the abs-cbn news website
In fact Secretary Alcala mentioned in a May 9 press conference of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that the countryrsquos production target of palay (paddy rice) is ldquoon trackrdquo at 399 million metric tons (MMT) for the 1st quarter and 385 MMT for the 2nd quarter for a combined 784 MMT for the first semester of the year This means that the country has reached 42 of its 1846 MMT palay production target for the year
Meanwhile President Benigno Simeon C Aquino echoed this promised milestone to the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) attending the 45thAnnual Meeting in Manila from May 2-5 2012 But not before taking a swipe at the previous administration
During his ADB speech President Aquino said ldquoRice imported at inflated cost by the government was rotting away in rented warehousesrdquo and then proudly announced that through the reforms implemented by his administration the Philippines is ldquoless than a year away from being a net exporter of ricerdquo should the weather cooperate
STRATEGY POINTSThe Department of Agriculture is optimistic that by 2014 one of President Aquinos agricultural milestones of rice self-sufficiency would finally be attained even as some wonder whether this target can be achieved with middling economic growth and a rapidly growing population
A couple of papers from Philippine Institute for Development Studies have examined the countrys historic rice self-sufficiency policies and blame them for causing soaring rice prices that threaten the food security of the poorest sectors of society
Rice self-sufficiency is a most worthy goal but not at the expense of food security
ldquoW
rdquo
15
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Whether its Agriculture Secretary Alcala you want to hold to his promise of rice self-sufficiency by 2014 or President Aquino to his promise of rice self-sufficiency within a year of his speech to the ADB Board of Governors in May it would look as if the goal is seen as eminently doable if not practically a fait accompli
And with all that we would now like to ask whether rice self-sufficiency is
in fact worth all the fuss
To put things in some perspective the Philippines might be the worlds largest importer of rice but its not as if the Philippines doesnt produce a lot of rice In fact according to the table below from
ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo by Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio of the National Statistics Coordination Board in 2008 the Philippines produced the eighth-most rice in the world
13 In this video clip President Aquino expounds on the accomplishments of his administration during the 45th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of GovernorsABS-CBN
Country 2008 (in tonnes) RankChina 193354180 1India 148770000 2Indonesia 60251000 3Bangladesh 46742000 4Viet Nam 38725100 5Myanmar 32573000 6Thailand 31650600 7Philippines 16815500 8Brazil 12061500 9Japan 11028800 10
2008 TOP 10 PRODUCERS OF RICE PADDY
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and
Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
16cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
According to statistics from the afore-mentioned article provided in the table above in 1980 the Philippines exported the third-largest quantity of rice in Southeast Asia after Thailand and Myanmar In fact up until 1992 the Philippines was still rice self-sufficient enough to be a net exporter of rice
The problem is that in 1993 the Philippinesrsquo rice consumption fueled by an ever-growing population started to overtake its production In 2008 the Philippines imported 25 million metric tons of rice highest in the world fueled by both its fast-growing population and a global food crisis
For all the progress the country has made and is making in rice production one noted agriculturist believes that President Aquinorsquos ldquoreiteration of the policy of self-sufficiency in rice is a political strategy and not a poverty strategyrdquo
According to Dr Emil Q Javier president of the National Academy of Science and Technology rice self-sufficiency will not be
achieved because of ldquoour still unresolved population management policy as well as the relative slow rise in family incomesrdquo
At a March Department of Agriculture symposium about ldquoBroad-based Strategies for Food Security and Changing World Food Marketsrdquo Dr Javier posited that ldquo until such time that our economy consistently attains high growth rates like our neighbors diversification of food preference from rice to other food commodities associated with increasing incomes will be relatively slow Thus total effective demand of rice will continue to rise in the intermediate futurerdquo
Politics and rice have always gone together The historical relationship between politics and rice was discussed in the July 2005 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) discussion paper Rice and Philippine Politics by Ponciano S Intal Jr and Marissa C Garcia
The study said that rice has been a ldquopivotal political commodity since the Commonwealthrdquo for rice has become
ASEAN EXPORTER
ASEAN Country
1970 (in tonnes)
Rank 1980 (in tonnes)
Rank 1990 (in tonnes)
Rank 2000 (in tonnes)
Thailand 1047460 1 2762920 1 3557820 1 5282160Viet Nam 18479 5 33300 4 1624000 2 3476980Myanmar 640964 2 653100 2 213600 3 251400Singapore 33859 4 13342 5 1964 4 4105Cambodia 177688 3 - - - - 4860Philippines - - 256390 3 2 6 224Malaysia 70 6 - - 57 5 63Indonesia - - 10003 6 - - 196Brunei Darussalam
- - - - - - F
17
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
S OF RICE MILLED
Rank 2005(in tonnes)
Rank 2006 (in tonnes)
Rank 2007 (in tonnes)
Rank 2008 (in tonnes)
Rank
1 6043550 1 5996420 1 7408300 1 8672450 12 5250000 2 4642000 2 4558000 2 4735170 23 180000 3 71180 R 3 358500 3 40924 R 35 82239 4 67070 4 74872 4 13607 44 1384 R 7 3444 R 5 1170 R 5 4299 R 56 75 R 8 1370 R 6 68 R 7 1298 R 68 1531 6 1157 7 54 8 860 77 42280 5 907 8 336 6 429 8- - F - 369 R 9 - - 14 R 9
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
A matter of geographyHow did the Philippines which has long been in the forefront of rice research with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna become the worldrsquos top importer of rice A 2006 study ldquoWhy Does the Philippines Import Rice Meeting the challenge of trade liberalizationrdquo published by the IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) offered an interesting if not very obvious answer to its self-posed question The main reason it turns out might not owe so much to bad politicians corruption incompetence or laziness as it might to basic geography
ldquoExporters occupy river deltas with lots of land in general and lots of land suitable for rice in particular These countries are all located in mainland Southeast Asia Thailand Vietnam Cambodia and Myanmarrdquo the study explained The Philippines for its part is an island nation without any major river deltas one of a number of similarly configured Asian nations who have been historical rice importers ndash Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia and Sri Lanka
In addition the IRRI and PhilRice study also defended the Filipino farmer
ldquoSome may think the Filipino farmer is simply backward and cannot produce rice efficiently But a detailed survey of farmers in the various rice bowls of Asia found that Filipino farmers were among the leaders in reducing insecticide use and have progressed farther in mechanizing land preparation and postharvest operations than their counterparts in any other developing Asian country except Thailandrdquo the study claimed
the ldquostaple food and calorie source for majority of the population especially in the low-income groupsrdquo As such the study continued a strong relationship between rice and politics can be seen throughout the countryrsquos history The
report claimed that the price of rice has been a ldquosignificant determinant in election results since the 1950srdquo
However the study also criticized the governmentrsquos use of ldquoprice intervention
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
18cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
instrumentsrdquo which has favored rice farmers over consumers The shift to high nominal protection rates results in higher domestic prices for rice to benefit producers while lower nominal protection rates imply low domestic prices that would favor consumers
ldquo[R]eliance by the Philippine government primarily on price instruments to achieve its rice objectives and to protect farmer and consumer interests has not resulted in any substantial improvements in rice production In fact the shift to rice protection since the 1980s has failed to stabilize domestic rice prices and has effectively penalized the poorer householdsrdquo
lsquoObsolete and increasingly untenablersquo A more recent PIDS Policy Notes reiterated that the countryrsquos rice self-sufficiency policies are ldquoobsolete and increasingly untenablerdquo
A May 2011 PIDS Policy Notes brief ldquoPutting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food securityrdquo by Roehlano Briones and Danileen Kristel Parel assailed the countryrsquos special treatment of rice since 1994 as approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the granting of a Quantitative Restriction (QR) on rice imports to protect rice farmers has led to higher prices of rice which affect the poorest of the poor
The WTO defines QR as ldquospecific limits on the quantity or value of goods that can be imported (or exported)
during a specific time periodrdquo The PIDS study explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by law to set
The NFArsquos ₧100-billion problemThe National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to guarantee ldquothe food security of the country and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-ricerdquo As such NFA is the government agency tasked to ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the Filipino amidst soaring rice prices
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that according to a recently released 2009 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) the NFA lost more than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food security with stable prices as reported in a May 18 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Inquirer report said ldquoHuge rice imports and a policy of buying high selling low and storing long have resulted in the National Food Authority losing more than ₧100 billion in a span of 10 yearsrdquo
In 2008 alone COA said that the NFA suffered its biggest net loss of ₧3220 billion due to the global
13 GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES
900008000070000600005000040000300002000010000
0
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Gross Revenues
19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
20cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
22cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
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The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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15
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Whether its Agriculture Secretary Alcala you want to hold to his promise of rice self-sufficiency by 2014 or President Aquino to his promise of rice self-sufficiency within a year of his speech to the ADB Board of Governors in May it would look as if the goal is seen as eminently doable if not practically a fait accompli
And with all that we would now like to ask whether rice self-sufficiency is
in fact worth all the fuss
To put things in some perspective the Philippines might be the worlds largest importer of rice but its not as if the Philippines doesnt produce a lot of rice In fact according to the table below from
ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo by Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio of the National Statistics Coordination Board in 2008 the Philippines produced the eighth-most rice in the world
13 In this video clip President Aquino expounds on the accomplishments of his administration during the 45th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of GovernorsABS-CBN
Country 2008 (in tonnes) RankChina 193354180 1India 148770000 2Indonesia 60251000 3Bangladesh 46742000 4Viet Nam 38725100 5Myanmar 32573000 6Thailand 31650600 7Philippines 16815500 8Brazil 12061500 9Japan 11028800 10
2008 TOP 10 PRODUCERS OF RICE PADDY
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and
Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
16cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
According to statistics from the afore-mentioned article provided in the table above in 1980 the Philippines exported the third-largest quantity of rice in Southeast Asia after Thailand and Myanmar In fact up until 1992 the Philippines was still rice self-sufficient enough to be a net exporter of rice
The problem is that in 1993 the Philippinesrsquo rice consumption fueled by an ever-growing population started to overtake its production In 2008 the Philippines imported 25 million metric tons of rice highest in the world fueled by both its fast-growing population and a global food crisis
For all the progress the country has made and is making in rice production one noted agriculturist believes that President Aquinorsquos ldquoreiteration of the policy of self-sufficiency in rice is a political strategy and not a poverty strategyrdquo
According to Dr Emil Q Javier president of the National Academy of Science and Technology rice self-sufficiency will not be
achieved because of ldquoour still unresolved population management policy as well as the relative slow rise in family incomesrdquo
At a March Department of Agriculture symposium about ldquoBroad-based Strategies for Food Security and Changing World Food Marketsrdquo Dr Javier posited that ldquo until such time that our economy consistently attains high growth rates like our neighbors diversification of food preference from rice to other food commodities associated with increasing incomes will be relatively slow Thus total effective demand of rice will continue to rise in the intermediate futurerdquo
Politics and rice have always gone together The historical relationship between politics and rice was discussed in the July 2005 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) discussion paper Rice and Philippine Politics by Ponciano S Intal Jr and Marissa C Garcia
The study said that rice has been a ldquopivotal political commodity since the Commonwealthrdquo for rice has become
ASEAN EXPORTER
ASEAN Country
1970 (in tonnes)
Rank 1980 (in tonnes)
Rank 1990 (in tonnes)
Rank 2000 (in tonnes)
Thailand 1047460 1 2762920 1 3557820 1 5282160Viet Nam 18479 5 33300 4 1624000 2 3476980Myanmar 640964 2 653100 2 213600 3 251400Singapore 33859 4 13342 5 1964 4 4105Cambodia 177688 3 - - - - 4860Philippines - - 256390 3 2 6 224Malaysia 70 6 - - 57 5 63Indonesia - - 10003 6 - - 196Brunei Darussalam
- - - - - - F
17
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
S OF RICE MILLED
Rank 2005(in tonnes)
Rank 2006 (in tonnes)
Rank 2007 (in tonnes)
Rank 2008 (in tonnes)
Rank
1 6043550 1 5996420 1 7408300 1 8672450 12 5250000 2 4642000 2 4558000 2 4735170 23 180000 3 71180 R 3 358500 3 40924 R 35 82239 4 67070 4 74872 4 13607 44 1384 R 7 3444 R 5 1170 R 5 4299 R 56 75 R 8 1370 R 6 68 R 7 1298 R 68 1531 6 1157 7 54 8 860 77 42280 5 907 8 336 6 429 8- - F - 369 R 9 - - 14 R 9
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
A matter of geographyHow did the Philippines which has long been in the forefront of rice research with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna become the worldrsquos top importer of rice A 2006 study ldquoWhy Does the Philippines Import Rice Meeting the challenge of trade liberalizationrdquo published by the IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) offered an interesting if not very obvious answer to its self-posed question The main reason it turns out might not owe so much to bad politicians corruption incompetence or laziness as it might to basic geography
ldquoExporters occupy river deltas with lots of land in general and lots of land suitable for rice in particular These countries are all located in mainland Southeast Asia Thailand Vietnam Cambodia and Myanmarrdquo the study explained The Philippines for its part is an island nation without any major river deltas one of a number of similarly configured Asian nations who have been historical rice importers ndash Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia and Sri Lanka
In addition the IRRI and PhilRice study also defended the Filipino farmer
ldquoSome may think the Filipino farmer is simply backward and cannot produce rice efficiently But a detailed survey of farmers in the various rice bowls of Asia found that Filipino farmers were among the leaders in reducing insecticide use and have progressed farther in mechanizing land preparation and postharvest operations than their counterparts in any other developing Asian country except Thailandrdquo the study claimed
the ldquostaple food and calorie source for majority of the population especially in the low-income groupsrdquo As such the study continued a strong relationship between rice and politics can be seen throughout the countryrsquos history The
report claimed that the price of rice has been a ldquosignificant determinant in election results since the 1950srdquo
However the study also criticized the governmentrsquos use of ldquoprice intervention
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
18cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
instrumentsrdquo which has favored rice farmers over consumers The shift to high nominal protection rates results in higher domestic prices for rice to benefit producers while lower nominal protection rates imply low domestic prices that would favor consumers
ldquo[R]eliance by the Philippine government primarily on price instruments to achieve its rice objectives and to protect farmer and consumer interests has not resulted in any substantial improvements in rice production In fact the shift to rice protection since the 1980s has failed to stabilize domestic rice prices and has effectively penalized the poorer householdsrdquo
lsquoObsolete and increasingly untenablersquo A more recent PIDS Policy Notes reiterated that the countryrsquos rice self-sufficiency policies are ldquoobsolete and increasingly untenablerdquo
A May 2011 PIDS Policy Notes brief ldquoPutting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food securityrdquo by Roehlano Briones and Danileen Kristel Parel assailed the countryrsquos special treatment of rice since 1994 as approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the granting of a Quantitative Restriction (QR) on rice imports to protect rice farmers has led to higher prices of rice which affect the poorest of the poor
The WTO defines QR as ldquospecific limits on the quantity or value of goods that can be imported (or exported)
during a specific time periodrdquo The PIDS study explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by law to set
The NFArsquos ₧100-billion problemThe National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to guarantee ldquothe food security of the country and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-ricerdquo As such NFA is the government agency tasked to ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the Filipino amidst soaring rice prices
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that according to a recently released 2009 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) the NFA lost more than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food security with stable prices as reported in a May 18 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Inquirer report said ldquoHuge rice imports and a policy of buying high selling low and storing long have resulted in the National Food Authority losing more than ₧100 billion in a span of 10 yearsrdquo
In 2008 alone COA said that the NFA suffered its biggest net loss of ₧3220 billion due to the global
13 GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES
900008000070000600005000040000300002000010000
0
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Gross Revenues
19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
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Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
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Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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16cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
According to statistics from the afore-mentioned article provided in the table above in 1980 the Philippines exported the third-largest quantity of rice in Southeast Asia after Thailand and Myanmar In fact up until 1992 the Philippines was still rice self-sufficient enough to be a net exporter of rice
The problem is that in 1993 the Philippinesrsquo rice consumption fueled by an ever-growing population started to overtake its production In 2008 the Philippines imported 25 million metric tons of rice highest in the world fueled by both its fast-growing population and a global food crisis
For all the progress the country has made and is making in rice production one noted agriculturist believes that President Aquinorsquos ldquoreiteration of the policy of self-sufficiency in rice is a political strategy and not a poverty strategyrdquo
According to Dr Emil Q Javier president of the National Academy of Science and Technology rice self-sufficiency will not be
achieved because of ldquoour still unresolved population management policy as well as the relative slow rise in family incomesrdquo
At a March Department of Agriculture symposium about ldquoBroad-based Strategies for Food Security and Changing World Food Marketsrdquo Dr Javier posited that ldquo until such time that our economy consistently attains high growth rates like our neighbors diversification of food preference from rice to other food commodities associated with increasing incomes will be relatively slow Thus total effective demand of rice will continue to rise in the intermediate futurerdquo
Politics and rice have always gone together The historical relationship between politics and rice was discussed in the July 2005 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) discussion paper Rice and Philippine Politics by Ponciano S Intal Jr and Marissa C Garcia
The study said that rice has been a ldquopivotal political commodity since the Commonwealthrdquo for rice has become
ASEAN EXPORTER
ASEAN Country
1970 (in tonnes)
Rank 1980 (in tonnes)
Rank 1990 (in tonnes)
Rank 2000 (in tonnes)
Thailand 1047460 1 2762920 1 3557820 1 5282160Viet Nam 18479 5 33300 4 1624000 2 3476980Myanmar 640964 2 653100 2 213600 3 251400Singapore 33859 4 13342 5 1964 4 4105Cambodia 177688 3 - - - - 4860Philippines - - 256390 3 2 6 224Malaysia 70 6 - - 57 5 63Indonesia - - 10003 6 - - 196Brunei Darussalam
- - - - - - F
17
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
S OF RICE MILLED
Rank 2005(in tonnes)
Rank 2006 (in tonnes)
Rank 2007 (in tonnes)
Rank 2008 (in tonnes)
Rank
1 6043550 1 5996420 1 7408300 1 8672450 12 5250000 2 4642000 2 4558000 2 4735170 23 180000 3 71180 R 3 358500 3 40924 R 35 82239 4 67070 4 74872 4 13607 44 1384 R 7 3444 R 5 1170 R 5 4299 R 56 75 R 8 1370 R 6 68 R 7 1298 R 68 1531 6 1157 7 54 8 860 77 42280 5 907 8 336 6 429 8- - F - 369 R 9 - - 14 R 9
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
A matter of geographyHow did the Philippines which has long been in the forefront of rice research with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna become the worldrsquos top importer of rice A 2006 study ldquoWhy Does the Philippines Import Rice Meeting the challenge of trade liberalizationrdquo published by the IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) offered an interesting if not very obvious answer to its self-posed question The main reason it turns out might not owe so much to bad politicians corruption incompetence or laziness as it might to basic geography
ldquoExporters occupy river deltas with lots of land in general and lots of land suitable for rice in particular These countries are all located in mainland Southeast Asia Thailand Vietnam Cambodia and Myanmarrdquo the study explained The Philippines for its part is an island nation without any major river deltas one of a number of similarly configured Asian nations who have been historical rice importers ndash Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia and Sri Lanka
In addition the IRRI and PhilRice study also defended the Filipino farmer
ldquoSome may think the Filipino farmer is simply backward and cannot produce rice efficiently But a detailed survey of farmers in the various rice bowls of Asia found that Filipino farmers were among the leaders in reducing insecticide use and have progressed farther in mechanizing land preparation and postharvest operations than their counterparts in any other developing Asian country except Thailandrdquo the study claimed
the ldquostaple food and calorie source for majority of the population especially in the low-income groupsrdquo As such the study continued a strong relationship between rice and politics can be seen throughout the countryrsquos history The
report claimed that the price of rice has been a ldquosignificant determinant in election results since the 1950srdquo
However the study also criticized the governmentrsquos use of ldquoprice intervention
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
18cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
instrumentsrdquo which has favored rice farmers over consumers The shift to high nominal protection rates results in higher domestic prices for rice to benefit producers while lower nominal protection rates imply low domestic prices that would favor consumers
ldquo[R]eliance by the Philippine government primarily on price instruments to achieve its rice objectives and to protect farmer and consumer interests has not resulted in any substantial improvements in rice production In fact the shift to rice protection since the 1980s has failed to stabilize domestic rice prices and has effectively penalized the poorer householdsrdquo
lsquoObsolete and increasingly untenablersquo A more recent PIDS Policy Notes reiterated that the countryrsquos rice self-sufficiency policies are ldquoobsolete and increasingly untenablerdquo
A May 2011 PIDS Policy Notes brief ldquoPutting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food securityrdquo by Roehlano Briones and Danileen Kristel Parel assailed the countryrsquos special treatment of rice since 1994 as approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the granting of a Quantitative Restriction (QR) on rice imports to protect rice farmers has led to higher prices of rice which affect the poorest of the poor
The WTO defines QR as ldquospecific limits on the quantity or value of goods that can be imported (or exported)
during a specific time periodrdquo The PIDS study explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by law to set
The NFArsquos ₧100-billion problemThe National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to guarantee ldquothe food security of the country and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-ricerdquo As such NFA is the government agency tasked to ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the Filipino amidst soaring rice prices
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that according to a recently released 2009 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) the NFA lost more than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food security with stable prices as reported in a May 18 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Inquirer report said ldquoHuge rice imports and a policy of buying high selling low and storing long have resulted in the National Food Authority losing more than ₧100 billion in a span of 10 yearsrdquo
In 2008 alone COA said that the NFA suffered its biggest net loss of ₧3220 billion due to the global
13 GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES
900008000070000600005000040000300002000010000
0
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Gross Revenues
19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
20cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
22cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
26cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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17
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
S OF RICE MILLED
Rank 2005(in tonnes)
Rank 2006 (in tonnes)
Rank 2007 (in tonnes)
Rank 2008 (in tonnes)
Rank
1 6043550 1 5996420 1 7408300 1 8672450 12 5250000 2 4642000 2 4558000 2 4735170 23 180000 3 71180 R 3 358500 3 40924 R 35 82239 4 67070 4 74872 4 13607 44 1384 R 7 3444 R 5 1170 R 5 4299 R 56 75 R 8 1370 R 6 68 R 7 1298 R 68 1531 6 1157 7 54 8 860 77 42280 5 907 8 336 6 429 8- - F - 369 R 9 - - 14 R 9
Source ldquoRice Self-Sufficiency or Rice Security Some Statistics on Rice and Exportsrdquo Aug 8 2011 posted in ldquoStatistically Speakingrdquo Dr Romulo A Virola and Mark C Pascasio National Statistics Coordination Board
A matter of geographyHow did the Philippines which has long been in the forefront of rice research with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna become the worldrsquos top importer of rice A 2006 study ldquoWhy Does the Philippines Import Rice Meeting the challenge of trade liberalizationrdquo published by the IRRI and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) offered an interesting if not very obvious answer to its self-posed question The main reason it turns out might not owe so much to bad politicians corruption incompetence or laziness as it might to basic geography
ldquoExporters occupy river deltas with lots of land in general and lots of land suitable for rice in particular These countries are all located in mainland Southeast Asia Thailand Vietnam Cambodia and Myanmarrdquo the study explained The Philippines for its part is an island nation without any major river deltas one of a number of similarly configured Asian nations who have been historical rice importers ndash Indonesia Japan Korea Malaysia and Sri Lanka
In addition the IRRI and PhilRice study also defended the Filipino farmer
ldquoSome may think the Filipino farmer is simply backward and cannot produce rice efficiently But a detailed survey of farmers in the various rice bowls of Asia found that Filipino farmers were among the leaders in reducing insecticide use and have progressed farther in mechanizing land preparation and postharvest operations than their counterparts in any other developing Asian country except Thailandrdquo the study claimed
the ldquostaple food and calorie source for majority of the population especially in the low-income groupsrdquo As such the study continued a strong relationship between rice and politics can be seen throughout the countryrsquos history The
report claimed that the price of rice has been a ldquosignificant determinant in election results since the 1950srdquo
However the study also criticized the governmentrsquos use of ldquoprice intervention
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
18cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
instrumentsrdquo which has favored rice farmers over consumers The shift to high nominal protection rates results in higher domestic prices for rice to benefit producers while lower nominal protection rates imply low domestic prices that would favor consumers
ldquo[R]eliance by the Philippine government primarily on price instruments to achieve its rice objectives and to protect farmer and consumer interests has not resulted in any substantial improvements in rice production In fact the shift to rice protection since the 1980s has failed to stabilize domestic rice prices and has effectively penalized the poorer householdsrdquo
lsquoObsolete and increasingly untenablersquo A more recent PIDS Policy Notes reiterated that the countryrsquos rice self-sufficiency policies are ldquoobsolete and increasingly untenablerdquo
A May 2011 PIDS Policy Notes brief ldquoPutting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food securityrdquo by Roehlano Briones and Danileen Kristel Parel assailed the countryrsquos special treatment of rice since 1994 as approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the granting of a Quantitative Restriction (QR) on rice imports to protect rice farmers has led to higher prices of rice which affect the poorest of the poor
The WTO defines QR as ldquospecific limits on the quantity or value of goods that can be imported (or exported)
during a specific time periodrdquo The PIDS study explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by law to set
The NFArsquos ₧100-billion problemThe National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to guarantee ldquothe food security of the country and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-ricerdquo As such NFA is the government agency tasked to ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the Filipino amidst soaring rice prices
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that according to a recently released 2009 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) the NFA lost more than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food security with stable prices as reported in a May 18 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Inquirer report said ldquoHuge rice imports and a policy of buying high selling low and storing long have resulted in the National Food Authority losing more than ₧100 billion in a span of 10 yearsrdquo
In 2008 alone COA said that the NFA suffered its biggest net loss of ₧3220 billion due to the global
13 GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES
900008000070000600005000040000300002000010000
0
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Gross Revenues
19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
22cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
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judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
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Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
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36cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
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the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
-
- Page 3 Off
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- Page 33
- Page 45
-
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-
- Page 3 Off
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- Page 33
- Page 45
-
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-
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-
- Button 19
-
- Page 5 Off
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- Button 20
-
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18cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
instrumentsrdquo which has favored rice farmers over consumers The shift to high nominal protection rates results in higher domestic prices for rice to benefit producers while lower nominal protection rates imply low domestic prices that would favor consumers
ldquo[R]eliance by the Philippine government primarily on price instruments to achieve its rice objectives and to protect farmer and consumer interests has not resulted in any substantial improvements in rice production In fact the shift to rice protection since the 1980s has failed to stabilize domestic rice prices and has effectively penalized the poorer householdsrdquo
lsquoObsolete and increasingly untenablersquo A more recent PIDS Policy Notes reiterated that the countryrsquos rice self-sufficiency policies are ldquoobsolete and increasingly untenablerdquo
A May 2011 PIDS Policy Notes brief ldquoPutting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food securityrdquo by Roehlano Briones and Danileen Kristel Parel assailed the countryrsquos special treatment of rice since 1994 as approved by the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the granting of a Quantitative Restriction (QR) on rice imports to protect rice farmers has led to higher prices of rice which affect the poorest of the poor
The WTO defines QR as ldquospecific limits on the quantity or value of goods that can be imported (or exported)
during a specific time periodrdquo The PIDS study explained that the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by law to set
The NFArsquos ₧100-billion problemThe National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to guarantee ldquothe food security of the country and the stability of supply and price of the staple grain-ricerdquo As such NFA is the government agency tasked to ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the Filipino amidst soaring rice prices
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that according to a recently released 2009 report of the Commission on Audit (COA) the NFA lost more than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food security with stable prices as reported in a May 18 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Inquirer report said ldquoHuge rice imports and a policy of buying high selling low and storing long have resulted in the National Food Authority losing more than ₧100 billion in a span of 10 yearsrdquo
In 2008 alone COA said that the NFA suffered its biggest net loss of ₧3220 billion due to the global
13 GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES
900008000070000600005000040000300002000010000
0
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Gross Revenues
19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
20cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
22cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
26cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
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Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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- Page 3 Off
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-
- Page 3 Off
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- Page 45
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19
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
annually the volume of rice to be imported by the country while taking into consideration a recommendation by an inter-agency committee
The countryrsquos QR on rice will however expire on June 30 2012 The PIDS study believes that it was about time the country lifted the
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
Debt
13 13
food crisis In 2009 the NFA lost ₧2642 billion its second biggest loss ever In 2006 the NFA lost ₧1097 billion ₧666 billion in 2003 ₧647 billion in 2004 ₧512 in 2005 ₧428 billion in 2000 ₧412 in 2002 ₧289 in 2007 and finally ₧175 billion in 2001
For its part the Inquirer report said that the NFA told the COA that ldquoits policy of buying high selling low and storing long which is causing the rice trading agency to operate at a loss was part of its social mandate to help farmers and ensure the countryrsquos security and stability in its staple foodrdquo The NFA also said that it has continuously appealed to the government to ldquoincrease the selling price of rice in order to reduce its loss or at least allow it to break evenrdquo but these requests have fallen on deaf ears
Meanwhile the May 2011 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes
Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security by Roehlano M Briones and Danileen Kristel C Parel also considered the NFArsquos policy of lsquobuy high sell lowrsquo as the main reason for the ldquofinancial hemorrhagerdquo plaguing the agency
PIDS however also mentioned other reasons for the NFArsquos big losses some of which include ldquooperational inefficiencies such as low stock turnover poor financial management information system overstaffing and administrative costs policy constraints and bureaucratic processes and weak equity baserdquo
The figures below (left) illustrate the NFArsquos gross revenues vis-agrave-vis expenses from 1994-2009 and a comparison of the NFArsquos net worth and debt over the same period (right)
Source Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes Putting Rice on the Table rice policy the WTO and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Expenses
Net
Wor
th a
nd D
ebt o
f the
NFA
(milli
on p
esos
)
160000140000120000100000
80000600004000020000
0-20000-40000-60000-80000
-100000-120000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
20cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
22cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
26cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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rice-importation limit in order to make rice more affordable to consumers
ldquoThis study recommends against negotiating a further extension of the special treatment for rice under the WTO After 2012 the rice QR should be tariffied that is importation is liberalized subject to payment of custom duties This eliminates the problem of setting up a fair efficient and credible allocation of the import quotardquo the PIDS brief proposed
The authors attribute the high cost of self-sufficiency to the countryrsquos lack of comparative advantage in rice production and argue that under import liberalization farmers would shift to
other crops where the country does have comparative advantage
The PIDS proposal might be falling on deaf ears as NFA administrator Lito Banayo admitted in a May 15 Philippine Star article that negotiations for the extension of the QR on rice have begun ldquoWe need to find out if we can get the support of countries we are negotiating with for the extension of the special treatment on ricerdquo Banayo said He added that ongoing negotiations were in preparation for the June 22 meeting with the WTO Council for Trade in Goods
Additionally the report added that in October 2011 Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that the country would offer
The Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 aims to 1 Produce at least 2111 and 2249 million tons of palay by end of 2013 and 2016 2 Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kgyear and 3 Increase production of non-rice staples by 35 annually Non-rice staples include white corn cassava and sweet potato
A three-pronged approach is designed by the government in order to achieve self-sufficiency in food staples
1 Increasing and sustaining the gains in production2 Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses 3 Managing consumption
More specifically the interventions identified by the government to increase production are1 Development and maintenance of irrigation systems2 Increase farmersrsquo access to quality seeds
3 Research amp Development and promotion of appropriate technologies4 Extension and farmers education5 Development of upland rice-based farming systems
Meanwhile enabling mechanisms are to be implemented to help reach the self-sufficiency target These are 1 Reforming the National Food Authority2 Accessibility of credit3 Crop insurance4 Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to achieve 100 self-sufficiency in food staples by 2016 is set at ₧14194 billion Of this amount ₧9747 billion or 69 has been allocated for irrigation ₧1854 billion or 13 for farm mechanization and postharvest loss reduction ₧1769 billion or 12 for research development and education ₧4 billion or 3 for regulatory policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrationrsquos road to self-sufficiency in food staples
21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
26cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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21
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
lower tariffs for rice imports to convince other countries to agree on a QR extension From the current 40 duty imposed on rice imports within the minimum access volume (MAV) of 350000 metric tons Secretary Alcala said that the tariff would be lowered to 35 Meanwhile rice imports beyond the MAV are imposed a huge 50 tariff
The perils of rice import restrictions A March 2011 Australian National University Working Paper in Trade and Development ldquoFood Security vs Food Self-Sufficiency The Indonesian Caserdquo by Peter Warr also discusses the perils of promoting rice-importation restrictions as a policy for achieving self-sufficiency in an Indonesian setting
Up until the early 2000s Indonesia was the worldrsquos largest importer of rice In 2004 the Indonesian government imposed an import-restriction policy similar to the Philippines which led to a 28 increase in domestic rice prices in relation to world market prices in 2006 According to the study thehigher cost of rice prices resulted in a 25 increase in poverty incidence in Indonesia
ldquoThe argument being advanced here is not that Indonesiarsquos self-sufficiency policy is a bad idea but that protection policy (the import ban) as an instrument of achieving it results in unnecessary social costs and places food self-sufficiency into
₧425 billion or 3 for balance fertilization and sustainable agriculture
In President Benigno Aquino IIIrsquos 2012 budget message he announced that the Department of Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase 536 from a budget of ₧352 billion in 2011 to ₧541 billion in 2012 making it the fifth-largest department in government
Meanwhile the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Agriculture Cluster a program under thecivil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines is concerned that the government is placing too much focus on irrigation which has led to infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DArsquos 2012 budget
ldquoWhile it supports the budget increase the ABI Agriculture Working Group raises cautionin the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA [National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without first the benefit of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments particularly in the last three years when its budget had risen to significant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis in 2008rdquo the press release prepared by the Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) said
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated that while they are one with the government in believing that the ldquomain driver in propelling rice production is irrigationrdquo findings coming from the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt over NIArsquos capability to implement large scale irrigation projects
As an example the ABI Agriculture Working Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report COA failed to ldquovalidaterdquo about 93 of ldquoNIArsquos Property Plant and Equipment (including irrigation canals and laterals) under its General Fund amounting to ₧ 64237 billion due to accounting deficiencies inadequate subsidiary records and non-reconciliation of inventory reports with accounting recordsrdquo
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
22cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
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40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
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44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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-
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-
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22cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conflict with the goals of food security and poverty reductionrdquo the study argues
For Warr a more sustainable strategy for attaining self-sufficiency is the promotion of ldquoimproved agricultural productivityrdquo which he explains ldquoreduces imports by raising agricultural output but does so without raising the domestic price of food and so without creating a conflict between the goals of higher levels of self-sufficiency on the one hand and food security and poverty reduction on the otherrdquo
Hence if we examine closely the governmentrsquos food self-sufficiency banner program Food Staples Self-Sufficiency Roadmap 2011-2016 much emphasis has been given to increasing rice productivity
Admittedly much attention has been given to rice and rightly so For the average Filipino rice is needed to satisfy hunger and for the government rice self-sufficiency would be a source of national pride
While we laud the government for wanting to achieve rice self-sufficiency what is important is that food security should not suffer in pursuit of this goal Put
Waste not want notldquoEvery Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily which is equivalent to 33 kilograms per yearrdquo according to an article ldquoThat Rice You Throw Awayrdquo published in the April ndash June 2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p27)
ldquoWith 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice per day the total wastage is 308000 tonshellip or 36 percent of the 2011 rice importsrdquo the IRRI article explains The price tag for the rice wastage is a whopping ₧23 million (US$535000) every day or about ₧83 billion a year ldquoenough to feed 3 million peoplerdquo
Meanwhile the 2011 study Global Food Losses and Food Wastes by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that about 13 of food produced or about 13 billion tons is lost or wasted globally every year
It comes as no surprise however that based on the study industrialized countries waste more than developing countries ldquoWe estimate that the per capita food waste by consumers in Europe and North-America is 95-115 kgyear while this figure in Sub-Saharan Africa and SouthSoutheast Asia is only 6-11 kgyearrdquo said the report
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
26cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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- Button 21
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- Page 54 Off
23
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
another way it would be most ironic if attaining rice self-sufficiency were to cause more hunger and poverty for the Filipino
In a nutshell what really matters is that there is enough rice for everyone to afford The rest is well just caramelized topping on the biko
In pursuit of rice self-sufficiency by 2013
In connection with this FAO also studies the causes of food losses and waste in middle to high-income countries as well as in developing nations In the middle to high-income countries food losses and waste can be attributed to ldquoconsumer behaviour as well as to a lack of coordination between different actors in the supply chainrdquo
ldquoFood can be wasted due to quality standards which reject food items not perfect in shape or appearance At the consumer level insufficient purchase planning and expiring lsquobest-before-datesrsquo also cause large amounts of waste in combination with the careless attitude of those consumers who can afford to waste foodrdquo the FAO report explained
The same cannot be said for developing countries though The FAO identifies ldquofinancial managerial and technical limitations in harvesting techniques
storage and cooling facilities in difficult climatic conditions infrastructure packaging and marketing systemsrdquo as the main reasons of food losses and waste in low-income countries
ldquoGiven that many smallholder farmers in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity a
reduction in food losses could have an immediate and significant impact on their livelihoodsrdquo the FAO report stressed
In response to alarming data on food losses and wastage the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) started the Save Rice Save Lives campaign The campaign
ldquoencourages Filipinos to lsquoEat their rice rightrsquomdashthe right amount and no leftoversrdquo
Above is one of the advocacy materials producedby PhilRice
13 Save Rice Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
24cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
26cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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24cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS
The lsquoNewrsquo Bangsamoro Governance Entity
By Atty John Carlo Gil M Sadian
Can this newly proposed solution to the Moro problem finally bring peace to the Land of Promise
25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
26cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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25
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
STRATEGY POINTSThe prospects for peace in Mindanao got a boost in late April when the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front announced an agreement in principle on several decision points including the establishment of a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
The devil might still be in the details as implementation of decision points related to the new proposed political entity -- eg revenue-sharing and the expansion of Sharirsquoah law -- will still be subject to negotiation
late April news emerged of a ldquobreakthroughrdquo in the 15-year-
old peace process between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) The ldquobreakthroughrdquo revolves around a document ldquoGPH-MILF Decision Points on Principlesrdquo that mentions ldquoa new autonomous political entityrdquo that would ultimately replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) This comes two months after lead negotiators from both sides expressed pessimism about concluding negotiations in the near future
It should be remembered that in March chief government negotiator Marvic Leonen warned both GPH and MILF panels that the peace process was already on the verge of reaching a ldquostalematerdquo because of both partiesrsquo disagreement on what constitutes ldquogenuine autonomyrdquo as it had been made apparent by MILF chief negotiator
Mohagher Iqbal that what they want is a Muslim sub-state distinct from the already autonomous ARMM
Thus the sudden turn of events after the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks in Malaysia is indeed a welcome development in the ailing peace process especially after the Aquino administration refused to order military operations against rogue MILF members who ambushed a military contingent in Basilan in October
But we should not get ahead of ourselves and hail this development at face value considering the bump that the GPH suffered in the botched Memorandum of Agreement on the Muslim Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) three years ago when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the governmentrsquos attempt to give life to the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) that should have replaced the ARMM
In
26cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
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Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Decades of separatist rebellion and peace negotiation
Prior to the ill-fated MOA-AD the government had already forged a number of agreements with Muslim secessionist groups most significant of which was the Muammar Gaddafi-sponsored Tripoli Agreement which the Marcos dictatorship signed with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1976 While this laid down the framework for future negotiations its express recognition of ldquothe sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo divided the Muslim separatist movement with MILF breaking away from the MNLF in 1996
Later on the revolutionary government of Corazon Aquino took over the task of implementing the Tripoli Agreement under a newly-crafted Constitution which mandated the creation of an autonomous region in the Muslim areas of Mindanao Implementing this constitutional mandate Republic Act 6734 called for a plebiscite in 13 provinces and 9 cities out of which only the provinces of Lanao del Sur Maguindanao Sulu and Tawi-Tawi voted favorably When the Ramos administration finally inked the Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF in 1996 exploratory talks with the breakaway MILF was just being started By 1999 this would collapse under the Estrada administrationrsquos all-out war policy against the largest rebel group in the country MILF only to be reversed by the Arroyo Administrationrsquos policy of reaching out to all rebel groups in the country
Seven years of on-and-off talks with the MILF finally reached a ldquobreakthroughrdquo when the government announced that the peace panels of the GPH and the MILF finally agreed on a draft accord on the Ancestral Domain Aspect of the Tripoli Agreement (MOA-AD) scheduled for signing on August 5 2008
Challenged by the provinces of North Cotabato Zamboanga del Norte Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Zamboanga Iligan and Isabela the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government vis-agrave-vis the BJE together with the method for its implementation was nullified by the Supreme Court on the ground that ldquothe Constitution does not recognize any state within this country other than the Philippine State much less does it provide for the possibility of any transitory status to prepare any part of Philippine territory for independencerdquo
Breakthrough The three-year impasse that followed the junking of the MOA-AD was marred with violence as clashes between government troops and rebel forces escalated It was during the 27th Round of Exploratory Talks that new hope sprung forth as a document entitled ldquoDecision Points on Principlesrdquo surfaced with much enthusiasm from both sides Under this document a ldquonew autonomous political entityrdquo governed by a ldquoministerial form of governmentrdquo shall be introduced as a replacement for the current ARMM This
new setup would be introduced during ldquoa transition periodrdquo through the ldquoinstitution of transitional mechanismsrdquo under the new entity
One of the most special aspects of this new entity is its ldquopower-sharing and wealth-sharingrdquo rights vis-agrave-vis the national government with an accompanying power to ldquoto create its own sources of revenuerdquo ie to tax The existing Sharirsquoah courts would also be strengthened by expanding their
27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
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Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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27
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
jurisdiction and giving them ldquocompetence over the Sharirsquoah justice systemrdquo The document also mentions ldquobasic rightsrdquo ought to be afforded the ldquocitizens residing in the new political entityrdquo
Considering that the 10 decision points are vague declarations regarding the new entity we cannot yet assess whether it can survive any constitutional challenge similar to that successfully posed against its predecessor Nonetheless as the points have been made public it might be a good idea to consider them carefully in thehope that they not suffer the same fate as befell the BJE
Compliance with the existing legal framework Implementation of these Ten Points would of course need to comply with the existing legal framework under Philippine law most important of which is the Constitution Section 18 Article X of the fundamental law explicitly provides that the power to create an autonomous region rests in Congress subject to the favorable vote of the people through a plebiscite Thusthe ARMM Organic Act (RA 6734) created the ARMM out of the four provinces that favorably voted in the plebiscite called by Congress in 1989 Another plebiscite was held under the ARMM Expansion Act (RA 9054) with only one other province and one city opting to join the ARMM
A ldquonew Bangsamoro political entityrdquo should it replace the ARMM must comply not only with the Constitution but also with the ARMM Organic Act as amended by RA 9054 In addition to this any attempt to create the entity must not require any amendment to the Constitution for it to be effective
It should be remembered that the main reason that the Supreme Court struck down the MOA-AD was because of the governmentrsquos commitment to the MILF that the necessary constitutional amendments would be made to implement the MOA-ADrsquos provisions Justice Conchita Carpio Morales saw this as outright illegal considering that the executive branch of government which has no power whatsoever to propose any amendment to the Constitution was then trying to guarantee something that it does not even have the power to do by itself For the new entity to survive any constitutional challenge its creation should not be based on any commitment on the part of the government to touch the Constitution
The 10 points which were signed by both Leonen and Iqbal laid down the general principles to guide the negotiations until the signing of a final peace pact Here are the Ten Decision Points (in bold) each followed by comments
Decision Point No 1 The Parties recognize Bangsamoro identity and the legitimate grievances and claims of the Bangsamoro people
The first decision point concerns the recognition of a ldquoBangsamoro identityrdquo Whatever identity that is would heavily depend on how most of the country would accept a radical change in the image of Muslim Filipinos According to Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy (PCID) director Amina Rasul implementation of Decision Point 1 means ldquothe whole nation will now have to look at fellow citizens in Muslim Mindanao and accept that Philippine history books have sold a story that is different from realityrdquo
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
28cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
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38cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
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42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
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the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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28cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
It should be kept in mind that the
creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same
lsquoautonomous regionrsquo mandated
by Section 15 Article X of the
Constitution
There should not be any legal issue regarding the adoption of this Decision Point because it requires no legislation whatsoever The task of the government here involves information dissemination and media conditioning to paint a whole new image of the Moro people to the rest of the country
Decision Point No 2 The Parties agree that the status quo is unacceptable and that the Parties will work for the creation of a new autonomous political entity in place of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
This according to leading peace process luminary Judge Soliman Santos is the ldquomost significant consensus point substance-wiserdquo as it would lead to a ldquoqualitatively higher form of self-determinationself-governance than the level of the ARMMrdquo This is so because at the onset the Muslim rebellion is really based on their demand for self-determination and the decades-old problem rests in the fact that both the government and the rebel forces fail to agree on what kind of self-determination best fits the region
Rasul believes that ldquoThe previous MILF demand for a sub-state in place of the present autonomous region was poisoned from the first as the term evoked visions of an independent Bangsamoro nation within the Philippinesrdquo This is probably the reason why the Supreme Court itself
rejected the sub-state proposed in the botched MOA-AD that introduced the ldquoassociativerdquo relationship between the Philippine government and the BJE
The negotiating panels must take care not to risk another adverse Supreme Court ruling should the resulting entity be challenged in the High Court especially with the MILFrsquos insistence that such entity would still be a ldquosub-staterdquo Iqbal himself admitted that ldquo[Just like] the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity [the] sub-state new autonomous political entity [as termed by the government] are descriptions not specific namesrdquo He also stressed that
ldquoThe Muslim sub-state in essence is a form of federal staterdquo
In any case it should be kept in mind that the creation of a new entity to replace the ARMM must still be the same ldquoautonomous regionrdquo mandated by Section 15 Article X of the Constitution that would exist ldquowithin the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippinesrdquo
Decision Point No 3 The Parties agree to the continuity of negotiations in the context of agreed documents
This simply means both the GPH and the MILF agrees to adopt the previous documents signed in previous negotiations This of course excludes the ill-fated MOA-AD
Decision Point No 4 The Parties agree that the new autonomous
29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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29
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
ARMM BJE The New EntityCreation RA 6734 ldquoComprehensive
Compactrdquo to be signed after the MOA-AD takes effect
Not mentioned
Form of government
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Presidential-type with the governor as executive
Parliamentary
Relationship with the National Government
Autonomy Association Autonomy
Taxation Allowed Not mentioned AllowedJurisdiction of Shairsquoa courts
Personal family and property laws
Not mentioned Expanded
THE ARMM VS THE BJE VS THE NEW BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS POLITICAL ENTITY
political entity shall have a ministerial form of government
The present setup in the ARMM was established by the ARMM Organic Act which provided a system of government similar to a presidential system with clear separation of powers between the executive (regional governor) and the legislature (regional assembly) Although the Constitution provides no specific instruction as to the form of government in autonomous regions established by Congress the decision as to the adoption of a ministerial form government for the new entity must still emanate from Congress as the sole body empowered to create any autonomous region in the country
While such provision in the peace pact may not require any constitutional amendment still the peace panel which is under the executive department may not be in a position to commit a ministerial form of government for the new entity This was the same mistake made in the MOA-AD when
the peace panel committed to something that only Congress can do
Decision Point No 5 The Parties agree to the need for a transition period and the institution of transitional mechanisms in order to implement the provisions of the agreement
Logically there needs to be a transition period during which the ARMM would pass on to the new entity its powers and responsibilities This matter however should just be considered as vague propositions considering that Congress would be the one with a final say on how the transition would be facilitated
Decision Point No 6 There will be power-sharing and wealth-sharing between the National Government and the new political entity In the matter of power-sharing the National Government will have its reserved powers the new political
source TCR compilation
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
30cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
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Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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30cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
entity will have its exclusive powers and there will be concurrent powers shared by the National Government and the new political entity
The parties agree that the following matters are reserved for the competence of the National Government
a Defense and external securityb Foreign policyc Common market and global traded Coinage and monetary policye Citizenship and naturalizationf Postal service
This list is without prejudice to other powers which the Parties may agree to reserve to the National Government in the course of the negotiation
National Government retains control (without prejudice to other powers which may be agreed on in future negotiations) over defense and external security foreign policy common market and global trade coinage and monetary policy citizenship and naturalization postal service
Consistent with the constitutional mandate of devolution of powers to local governments there is nothing new with Decision Point No 6 considering that Article IV of the ARMM Organic Act itself established a system of devolution of powers to the ARMM Nonetheless whatever ldquoexclusive powersrdquo would be delegated to the new entity depend on what Congress would be willing to grant Note the Decision Pointrsquos express reservation of powers to the national
government on matters concerning (a) Defense and external security (b) Foreign policy (c) Common market and global trade (d) Coinage and monetary policy (e) Citizenship and naturalization and (f) Postal service The ARMM Organic Act actually has a much more exhaustive enumeration of reserved powers to the national government
Decision Point No 7 The Parties agree that wealth creation (or revenue generation and sourcing) is important The Parties also acknowledge the power of the new political entity to create its own sources of revenue subject to limitations as may be agreed upon by the parties and to have a just share in the revenues generated through the exploration development or utilization of natural resources
Revenue-generation is also not a new concept as Article X of the ARMM Organic Act already grants such power to the ARMM In fact the present setup is that a province or cityrsquos total collections of national taxes are distributed 30 to the province or city
31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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31
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
30 to the regional government and 40 to the national government Each province or city automatically retains its share then remits the 70 to the regional government which after deducting its share remits the balance to the national government on a monthly basis Whether the new entity would demand a larger piece of the pie remains to be seen in the course of the negotiations
Decision Point No 8 The Parties recognize the need to strengthen the Sharirsquoah courts and to expand their jurisdiction over cases The new political entity shall also have competence over the Sharirsquoah justice system
Although this is not a political issue legal problems would most likely arise from this decision point Judge Santos argues that expanding the jurisdiction of the Sharirsquoah courts ldquomay entail a constitutional amendment since the 1987 Constitution Art X Sec 18 refers to lsquothe basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assemblyrsquo and
allows for lsquothe special courts with personal family and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national lawsrsquordquo Plus it ldquoalso goes to the core of the Islamic aspiration since Sharirsquoah is Islamic law where there is among others no principle of inviolable separation of Church and State but on the contrary the integration of religion and politicsrdquo
This decision point would certainly be contentious because of the contrast between the constitutional mandate of a secular government and the religious character of Islamic law How a concession could be achieved would certainly be a challenge to the peace panels
Decision Point No 9 The Parties agree to the creation of (third party) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms which may utilize competencies already available in existing mechanisms eg International Contact Group (ICG) International Monitoring Team (IMT) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH)
This is also already in effect as part of both partiesrsquo desire to minimize clashes between the military and rebel forces While there have been countless alleged violations of ceasefires over the years Amina Rasul believes that the existing mechanisms have been relatively successful ldquoas shown by its track record prior to the war over the MOA-AD in 2008rdquo
Decision Point No 10 In addition to basic rights already enjoyed the following rights of all citizens residing in the new political entity bind the legislature executive and
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
32cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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- Page 3 Off
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32cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
judiciary as directly enforceable law and are guaranteed
a Right to life and to inviolability of onersquos person and dignityb Right to freedom of expression and of religion and beliefsc Right to privacyd Right to freedom of speeche Right to express political opinion and pursue democratically political aspirationsf Right to seek constitutional change by peaceful and legitimate meansg Right of women to meaningful political participation and protection from all forms of violenceh Right to freely choose onersquos place of residence and the inviolability of the homei Right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in social and economic activity and public service regardless of class creed disability gender or ethnicityj Right to establish cultural and religious associationsk Right to freedom from religious ethnic and sectarian harassment andl Right to redress of grievances and due process of law
These rights already constitutionally recognized were included in the decision
points to highlight the demand of the Moros for equal treatment with non-Moros Rasul found it interesting ldquothat enjoyment by the Bangsamoro of human rights already accorded to all citizens by Philippine law had to be part of the 10 decision pointsrdquo
The prospect for peace This latest attempt by the government to woo the MILF into signing a peace deal is commendable But the peace negotiators should keep in mind that more than just appeasing the dominant rebel group they owe it to the Filipino people to ensure that every ethnic group in Mindanao enjoy the rights that they deserve under the protection of one government A half-baked solution may just result in a peace deal with one group only to find another splinter group breaking away because they did not agree with the deal their fellow rebels signed with the government It may just be another MNLF-MILF breakaway scenario in the making
Whether these decision points provide the bases for settling the Moro rebellion will be determined only when a final peace pact based on its provisions is signed We can only hope that this administration does not commit the same mistake its predecessor made three years ago with the junked MOA-AD mdash or any of the other mistakes in dealing with the Moro separatist movement over the past 40 years
The new Bangsamoro governance entity
33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
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Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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33
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Nation
DepEd to train science teachers on K to 12 programThe Department of Education is set to train science high school teachers to increase their skills and proficiency in teaching Science Mathematics and English in preparation for the K to12 program of the agency which will be implemented in June Secretary Armin Luistro said that the training of science high school teachers is important in order to achieve the national goal to produce globally competitive and science and technology-oriented graduates
The K to 12 program of the Aquino administration was conceptualized to upgrade and provide better education to students enrolled in the public schools by adding two more years in high school and a universal kindergarten education Luistro noted that the program includes skills development courses and special interest subjects that will help in the career direction of the student
DOJ DFA urge Senate to review Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunityDepartment of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima asked the Senate to review the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunities following the failure of the Philippine government to prosecute a Panamanian diplomat accused of abusing a Filipina De Lima added that the Department of Foreign Affairs is in close coordination
with the Panamanian government to prosecute Erick Schck of the Panama Maritime Authority The Senate committee on foreign relations is already investigating the alleged escape of Schck upon invoking his diplomatic immunity
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that all nations from ancient times have recognized the status of diplomatic agents It also provides under Article 31 number 1 A diplomatic agent shall enjoy immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the receiving State
Corona to testify in his impeachment trial on May 22Chief Justice Renato Corona will take the witness stand on Tuesday at the continuation of his impeachment trial on May 22 and will be the last witness to be presented by the defense Trial has been temporarily postponed until then to give Corona and his lawyers enough time to study the voluminous documents including those recently presented by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales Presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile has assured that Corona will be respected and given due courtesy as he testifies
Earlier during the week the Ombudsman testified and was qualified as a hostile witness by the defense after she revealed some alleged 82 dollar bank accounts purportedly belonging to the chief magistrate contained in an unsigned report that she claimed to have been sent by the Anti-Money Laundering Council The defense
was quick to deny the existence of these dollar accounts andsaid that these were all fabricated Also private citizen Harvey Keh was presented by the defense as another hostile witness because of the complaint which he and former Representative Risa Baraquel recently lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman against the Chief Justice Senator-judges questioned Keh for his act of impropriety in allegedly trying to influence the impeachment court when he sent documents to the presiding officer
Nuclear-powered lsquofast-attackrsquo US submarine docks in SubicAmid tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes at the South China Sea a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the Philippines and docked at the Subic Bay in Zambales The arrival of the USS North Carolina (SSN 777) is a regular port call and will only involve restocking of its provisions and rest and recreation for its crew members
The Department of National Defense said that the arrival of the US submarine has nothing to do with the tension between the Philippines and China However militant groups condemned the docking of the US submarine saying that it is in violation of Philippine laws It is provided in Article II Section 8 of the Constitution that the Philippines consistent with the national interest adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory
34cenSEI
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
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40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
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44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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34cenSEI
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Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
WORLD
By Victoria Fritz
Dying for WorkIn Asia over 11 million people die each year from work-related factors which should be a cause for alarm
STRATEGY POINTSAccording to the International Labor Organization at least 11 million people in Asia die every year due to hazardous work conditions but more specific numbers by country are hard to come by
A possible reason for the dearth of specific information might be that many if not most workers in Asia are either undocumented in formal settings or totally undocumented in the informal sector
Guidelines have been put in place to improve working conditions and minimize injuries and mortality due to occupational hazards as drawn up at a regional and global level but implementation is still weak
May tragedy struck in Butuan Cityin Agusan del Norte
Mindanao when at least 17 stay-in workers who were sleeping in an upper floor of a garments factory were killed in a fire The fire and the resulting deaths engendered a customary round of reaction stories after the fact if little outrage and anguish outside the general region
However many other little known cases of occupational death and disease are happening all over Asia
As reported by The Guardian in April Ramesh Makwani has silicosis which is an incurable disease and one that is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis It is contracted through the inhalation of fine dust which settles in the lungs Makwani developed silicosis by cutting and polishing gems the main industry in his village in Gujarat India He says that once you are in that job you are no longer able to marry since ldquothe girls know you will be dead in your 30srdquo
IN
35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
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Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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35
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The Guardian report also discusses the cases of two apparent victims of cadmium poisoning in China Meantime in China Wang Fung-ping from the south suffered kidney failure from cadmium poisoning She worked in a factory making batteries It took her seven years to get diagnosed ndash but her case is still not officially recognized as an occupational disease barring treatment or compensation The former supervisor of another battery factory Xiao Hong has now been diagnosed as suffering from excessive cadmium levels After three years of working in the battery factory he started to feel the effects sore throat nose infections dizziness and headaches He worked there for a total of 15 years He said nobody warned them of the risks
In 2008 the International Labor Organization estimated that in Asia more than 11 million people die each year due to unhealthy working conditions This comprised more than half of the estimated 2 million deaths per year globally So itrsquos not disproportionate in relation to the global count given that as of 2011 60 of
the world population lives in Asia per the United Nations Population Fundrsquos ldquoState of the World Population in 2011rdquo But itrsquos still a staggering number
According to the World Health Organization occupational health deals with all aspects of health and safety in the workplace focusing on the primary prevention of hazards Risk factors can lead to cancers accidents musculoskeletal diseases respiratory diseases hearing loss circulatory diseases stress related disorders and communicable diseases among others
The Asia Monitor Resource Center a nonndashgovernment organization based in Hongkong which focuses on labor concerns released a report in April this year warning of an epidemic of worker deaths from unhealthy working conditions as reported by CNN in late April AMRC called the ILO figure conservative and based on mathematical projections from existing data in industrialized countries as it criticized the lack of official records in developing Asian countries
Dying for work
36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
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38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
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40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
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44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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- Page 3 Off
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36cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Sectors 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female
Garments 2 242 29 211 14 373 2 269 1 208Brick 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0Oher Manufacturing
1 6 1 0 0 0 2 130 0 0
Construction 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Total 3 248 31 211 14 373 5 399 3 208
Due to a lack of info the AMRC resorted to developing reports from individual countries Countries selected for this report are Cambodia China India Indonesia Philippines and Thailand
The AMRC report collates its key findings in the Introduction section as follows
1 Underreporting and lack of data -- In all six countries chosen there was a lack of clear and credible data In the Philippines data is gathered arbitrarily every four years In India there were discrepancies and the figures reported were too low to reflect reality on the ground Chinarsquos official figures were said to be just the tip of the iceberg Data gathered in Cambodia were neither comprehensive nor reflective of the situation with reporting mechanisms being relatively new
2 Lack of coverage and implementation of the law -- Most laws do not cover all workers since many of the workers are in the informal sector Likewise implementation is weak since there is an overlapping of roles while at the same time equipment training and personnel are insufficient
3 Underreporting of occupational diseases -- In both the case of occupational accidents and diseases the figures are grossly underestimated
4 Difficulty obtaining compensation -- There is immense difficulty in getting just compensation
Some data and case studies from four of the countries in the report illustrate further the key findings
Cambodia Women garment workers
at risk
In the Occupational Safety and Health Status Report fromCambodia the paper noted that figures related to occupational health are reported on a limited levelcoming only from companies that are registered with the National Social Security Fund
The table below shows a much higher number of occupational injuries among women workers in the various industries in Cambodia
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 4
OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES BY INDUSTRY IN CAMBODIA 2001-2005
37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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-
- Page 3 Off
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- Page 45
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37
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Name of Factory No of Workers Fainting1 MampV International Manufacturing Ltd 1632 Huey Chuen (Cambodia) Corp Ltd 2363 King Hah Garment 2864 Eda Enterprise Co Ltd 365 Zhen Thai Garment Pte Ltd 3096 Ghim Li (Cambodia) Pte Ltd 1397 Hard Enterprise (Cambodia) Co Ltd 648 King Fashion Garment Co Ltd 288
In 2010 the number of occupational injuries jumped to 6068 of which 5878 involved women
Garments manufacturing is one of the top industries in Cambodia and many of the injuries occur there Most cases involve fainting due to overwork and poor working conditions ldquowith plenty of chemical agentsrdquo that have not been checked for safety (page 5) Due to the low wages workers are forced to work overtime
The table above shows the number of workers fainting in select companies from a Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training Report in June 2011
According to the status report this data as revealed only after pressur e from many ldquoconcerned parties and insistence from workers unions and also buyersrdquo is
applied (page 6) For other industries data is not made public
To better illustrate the occupational health situation in garments factories the report discusses a specific case of fainting in
one such factory On October 20 2011 25-year-old Chan Tongheng fainted while working at Sangwoo Co Ltd Upon arriving in the workplace she noticed the smell from the fabric combined with stench from the toilet in an altogether hot and stuffy environment Not feeling well she then asked to take leave from work
FAINTING INCIDENTS IN GARMENT COMPANIES IN CAMBODIA JANUARY - JUNE 2011
Source OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Bronh Sopheana and Choeung Theany Page 5
13
A woman being helped out after fainting in a factory in Cambodia (photo from OSH Status Report ndash Cambodia Appendix I page 16)
Dying for work
38cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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38cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
to rest While she was walking back she fainted and was brought to the hospital Other workers also started fainting In total 33 workers fainted that day out of a total of 1000 workers The factory is hot with little ventilation and the stench from the toilet plus the toxic fumes from the fabric combine to create very unhealthy conditions
China Great difficulty getting compensation
from work-related disease
In China the report written by Becky Fund and Francine Chan states that there is great difficulty in obtaining compensation from work related diseases This can be seen in
the case of Mr Ng (page 10) who worked in a leather factory in Dongguang He suffers from leukemia due to benzene poisoning In the hospital he was diagnosed with acute leukemia and identified as a potential case of occupational disease He approached his employer to demand compensation But the employer refused Mr Ng had to overcome many difficulties to claim his rights The employer did not provide necessary evidence on the use of toxic chemicals in the factory In the end the employer paid for the treatment but not Mr Ngrsquos salary and other expenses during treatment Mr Ng was even forced to sign an agreement with the employer to reduce the cost of living payments to be paid out When they complained to government agencies
Others20Forestry
38
Mining26
Transportation93
Construction319
ManufacturingIndustry316
PERCENTAGE OF WORK ACCIDENTS BY SECTOR IN INDONESIA 2010
Source ldquoMurders that still take place at workrdquo Status of OSH in Indonesia 2011 Muchamad Darisman page 3
39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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- Page 3 Off
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39
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
they were even discouraged to pursue their complaint
Indonesia Death rates high underreported
In Indonesia workplace death rates are high and underreported The figures reported reflect only workplace accidents of employees who are members of the government social security agency PT Jamsostek Of nearly 100 million Indonesia workers there are only nine million are members of Jamostek The great majority are from the informal sector
Among workers in the formal sector the following pie depicts the percentage
of work-accidents by sector as reported by Jamostek
Philippines Figures gathered intermittently
In the Status Report from the Philippines ldquoResponses to Challenges in Occupational Health and Safety in the Philippinesrdquo written by Noel Colina of the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development the conclusion is the same - there is dearth of information Figures for the number of deaths due to occupational hazards is gathered intermittently every few years or so The paper cited the Department of Labor and Employmentrsquos (DOLE) attached agency Occupational
Total Men and Women 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Total 178 302 170 115Mining and Quarrying 0 28 5 0Manufacturing 21 64 24 53Electricity Gas and Water Supply
22 21 25 26
Construction 40 13 4 0Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
29 84 48 1
Hotels and Restaurants 5 1 10 0Transport Storage and Communications
16 37 36 17
Financial Intermediation 1 0 2 1Real Estate Renting and Business Activities
44 46 14 14
Education 0 3 2 0Health and Social Work 1 2 0 1Other Community Social and Personal Service Activities
3 0
DEATHS IN THE PHILIPPINES DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS 1999-2008
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 2
Dying for work
40cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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40cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Major Industry Group 2003 2007All Industries 55413 47235Mining and Quarrying 1350 51Manufacturing 35956 26284Electricity gas and Water Supply 1112 526Construction 149 370Wholesale and Retail Trade Repair of Motor Vehicles Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods
5241 4342
Hotels and Restaurant 2195 1697Transport Storage and Communications 3828 6176Financial Intermediation 594 700Real Estate Renting and Business Activities 761 2926Real Estate and Renting 121 137Business Activities 640 2789Call Center Activities na 1175Private Education Services 2694 2204Health and Social Work except Public Medical Dental and Other Health Activities
839 1233
Safety and Health Center as the source of the figures though that table itself is not available online
Thailand No clear policy to monitor enforcement of labor laws
In the case of Thailand there are 24-25 million workers in the informal sector and only 8-10 million in the formal sector out of a total population of 65 million The status report limited itself only to workers in the formal sector For the year 2009 the Office of Workmenrsquos Compensation Fund under the Ministry of Labor reported a total of 149436 cases of occupational injury
The three industries with the highest incidence were
1 Metal goods production2 Trading 3 Construction
Again all these figures refer only to the formal sector which is about one-third the size of the informal sector
Certain factors prevent employees with work-related injuries from accessing the benefits assured by the Workmenrsquos Compensation Act such as workersrsquo ignorance of the law fear of confronting superiors and of being laid off and telling the truth to doctors and ignorance about available services among other reasons Employers also fail to inform the workers of their rights and do not arrange annual physical exams The government also has ldquono clear and serious
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES BY INDUSTRY GROUP 2003 AND
Source ldquoReport on Invisible Victims of Development ndash Workersrsquo Health and Safety in Asiardquo OSH Status Report ndash Philippines page 3
41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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- Page 3 Off
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41
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
policy to follow and monitor enforcement of the lawrdquo
The writers of the report Voravidh Charoenloet and Somboon Srikomdokcare
of the Council of Work and Environment-Related Patients Network of Thailand (WEPT) observed that ldquowe are doubtful of the capability readiness and adequacy of medical and healthcare personnel and
From a global perspective the leading causes of work-related death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer This is according to a paper by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCP2) which is a joint effort by several agencies to assess disease control priorities and related endeavors to inform health policymaking in developing countries It is a project of the World Bank in cooperation with the World Health Organization the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among other groups
According to DCP2 people in the developing world bear more than 80 percent of the global burden of occupational disease and injury
Some diseases such as lead poisoning no longer a cause for concern developed countries remain a major problem in the rest of the world
In developing countries workers are often exposed to known hazards such as silica and asbestos These hazards are no longer faced by workers in developed countries Ironically workers from developing countries still face them despite the widespread knowledge about the risks and preventive measure
Important differences that exist between developing and developed country workforces
bull About 70 of developing countriesrsquo economically active population works in agriculture
bull The informal workforce in developing countries (self-employed household-based unpaid labor
and independent service workers such as street vendors) may contribute up to 60 of the gross domestic product
The migrant workforce estimated at 120 million and increasing worldwide is often poorly protected from occupational hazards and at great risk of contracting silicosis tuberculosis and HIVAIDS which have been linked to workplace housing and economic factors
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that among the worldrsquos 27 billion workers at least 2 million deaths per year are attributable to occupational diseases and injuries However data for estimating nonfatal illness and injury are not available in most developing countries
According to the World Health Organization the leading occupational causes of death were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) followed by unintentional injuries and lung cancer Although the WHO assessment only accounts for 40 percent (800000) of the ILO-estimated 2 million deaths findings showed that unintentional injuries caused 312000 deaths globally per year for the worldrsquos 27 billion workers compared to 6000 deaths per year for 150 million workers in the United States Deaths are clustered primarily in the agricultural construction and mining sectors Occupational injuries alone account for more than 10 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lostor healthy years of life lost whether to disability or premature death and 8 of unintentional injuries worldwide
Leading causes of work-related death
Dying for work
42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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42cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
support systems in the clinics to provide proper diagnosis and treatment services for work-related casesrdquo
The World Health Organization has proposed broad guidelines to address this situation In May 2007 it held the Sixtieth World Health Assembly and issued a document outlining its ldquoWorkersrsquo Health Global Plan of Action 2008-2017rdquo
It recognized among other things that ldquolarge gaps (still) exist between and within countries with regard to the health status of workers and their exposure to occupational risksrdquo and that ldquo(S)till only a small minority of the global workforce has access to occupational health servicesrdquo
It also recognized that ldquo(I)ncreasing international movement of jobs products and technologies can help to spread innovative solutions for prevention of occupational hazards but can also lead to a shift of that risk to less advantaged groups The growing informal economy is
often associated with hazardous working conditions and involves such vulnerable groups as children pregnant women older persons and migrant workersrdquo
The objectives for its Global Plan of Action on Workersrsquo Health 2008-2017 were set as follows
1 Devise and implement policy instruments on workersrsquo health
National policy frameworks for workersrsquo health should be formulated and objectives and actions for workersrsquo health should be integrated into national health strategies
National action plans on workersrsquo health should be developed and coordinated among relevant ministries and other major national stakeholders As the WHO puts it ldquoMeasures need to be taken to minimize the gaps between different groups of workers in terms of levels of risk and health status Particular attention should be paid to high-risk sectors of economic activity and to the underserved and vulnerable working populations such as younger and older workers persons
Still only a small minority
of the global workforce
has access to occupational
health services
43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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43
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
with disabilities and migrant workers taking account of gender aspectsrdquo
2 Protect and promote health at the workplace
ldquoThe assessment and management of health risks at the workplace should be improved by defining essential interventions for prevention and control of mechanical physical chemical biological and psychosocial risks in the working environmentrdquo the global plan of action recommends ldquoProtecting health at the workplace also requires enacting regulations and adopting a basic set of occupational health standards to make certain that all workplaces comply with minimum requirements for health and safety protection ensuring an appropriate level of enforcement strengthening workplace health inspection and building up collaboration between the competent regulatory agencies according to specific national circumstancesrdquo it continues by way of elaboration
3 Improve the performance of and access to occupational health services
Aside from resolving that ldquoBasic occupational health services should
be provided for all workers including those in the informal economy small enterprises and agriculturerdquo the plan also calls for integrating the development of occupational health services into national health strategies health-sector reform and plans for improving health-systems performance setting targets for increasing the coverage of occupational health services for the working population and creating mechanisms for pooling resources and financing the delivery of occupational health services
4 Provide and communicate evidence for action and practice
The WHO global plan calls on governments to develop systems for surveillance of workersrsquo health with the objective of identifying and controlling occupational hazards This includes establishing national information systems developing capability to estimate occupational burden of diseases and injuries creating registries of exposure to major risks and occupational accidents and diseases and improving reporting and early detection of said accidents and diseases ldquoResearch on workersrsquo health needs to be further strengthened by framing special research agendas giving it priority in national research programs and
Dying for work
44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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44cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
grant schemes and fostering practical and participatory researchrdquo the plan advises
5 Incorporate workersrsquo health into other policies
The global plan of action states that ldquoMeasures to protect workersrsquo health should be incorporated in economic development policies and poverty reduction strategies The health sector should collaborate with the private sector in order to avoid international transfer of occupational risks and to protect health at the workplace Similar measures should be incorporated
in national plans and programmes for sustainable developmentrdquo
In the mad scramble for jobs and economic development we should be reminded that the goal of improving onersquos quality of life is not the exclusive province of people with the capital to launch business ventures but rather a common objective for all who work in them The mad scramble for economic growth is claiming lives of victims who are quickly forgotten if noticed at all and governments need to mobilize to identify problem areasand industries
Dying for work
45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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45
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET World
Ratko Mladics war crimes trial postponed over evidenceThe war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic ndash once dubbed as the Butcher of Bosnia and the Beast of the Balkans ndash has come to a halt due to the failure of the prosecutors to disclose 7000 pages of evidence to the defense Mladics lawyers have asked for six months to process the lengthy material
In order to quickly establish a new starting date for the trial presiding judge Alphons Orie said judges would have to first analyze the scope and full impact of the error The postponement occurred on the second day of the trial when prosecutors submitted evidence alleging that Mladic had orchestrated the 1995 massacre of over 7000 Muslim men and boys at the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia
During the first day of the trial Mladic appeared defiant and jaunty applauding the judges and even giving them a thumbs-up He also taunted a survivor of the Srebenica massacre by making a throat-slitting gesture in her direction after which the presiding judge called a recess and ordered an end to inappropriate interactions
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander Mladic is facing 11 charges ofwar crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the 1992-
1995 Bosnian conflict He denies the charges
3 boats held by North Korean gunmen China saysLast Thursday the Chinese state news media reported that North Korean gunmen had seized three Chinese fishing boats on the Yellow Sea The mariners are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the 29 Chinese sailors aboard the boats Murky details and conflicting accounts have left the Chinese people seeking details about the kidnapping
The Beijing News stated that the boats were intercepted on May 8 and quoted one of the shipsrsquo owners Zhang Dechang as confirming that he had spoken over the phone to a kidnapped sailor and that the North Korean captors were demanding around $189000 ndash an amount that was reduced to $142000 in later reports The origin of the three Chinese fishing boats is also been unclear as was the level of involvement of the North Korean government with the abduction
The situation threatens to aggravate relations between North Korea and China one of the Norths few remaining allies and an important source of aid for the impoverished land Sources say that China had earlier this week been pressuring North Korea to scrap plans for a third nuclear test
The news came after China Japan and South Korea announced a strengthening of ties as a reaction to North Koreas refusal to stop its plans for nuclear testing in addition to working towards a Free Trade Agreement
Francois Hollande takes oath as Frances presidentLast Tuesday Francois Hollande became the President of France following a ceremony at the Elysee Palace in central Paris He is the European countrys first Socialist leader in more than 15 years ever since Francois Mitterrand left office in 1995 Ousting incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy Hollande was elected earlier this month
Disappointed French citizens did not appreciate Sarkozys handling of Frances economy ndash which under his watch has suffered from high unemployment and low growth President Holland has promised to fight financial speculation and open a new path in Europe while at the same time acknowledging that he has inherited huge government debt
As part of President Hollandes fulfillment of his campaign promises the French government announced a hefty 30 pay cut for him and his cabinet last Thursday He has also pledged to withdraw all French combat troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012
46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
-
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- Page 45
-
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-
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46cenSEI
T H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Technology Brings the Cutting Edge to Cutting ToolsA review of the latest innovations in surgical instrumentsBy Tanya L Mariano
STRATEGY POINT
Todayrsquos surgical tools are becoming smaller smarter and less invasive effectively shortening procedures and recovery times and improving overall patient outcomes
Did you know that Neolithic man (around 7000 BC) used to cut circular
holes on the skulls of living people using flint scrapers No doubt a very bloody very unpleasant experience for the patient whose chances of survival were slim
Today brain surgery can be performed without having to crack open the skull video cameras as tiny as a grain of sand can be inserted into the body to peer inside in lieu of cutting patients open and sophisticated robots enable surgeons to
TECHNOLOGY
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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- Page 33
- Page 45
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- Page 33
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-
- Button 21
-
- Page 54 Off
47
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
make very precise movements And just as important if not more the procedures are shorter along with the recovery times less pain is inflicted and survival rates are higher
From the crude apparatuses of old surgical instruments have evolved into sophisticated and increasingly accurate equipment For instance researchers from the University of Texas at Austin have developed an endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser ldquoscalpelrdquo that is so accurate it can remove damaged or diseased tissue without affecting healthy cells the usual victims of collateral damage in most medical operations whether done by scalpel or laser as reported by a press release from The Optical Society a US-based scientific organization dedicated to advancing the study of light
The entire probe package is thinner than a pencil at 96 millimeters in circumference and 23 millimeters in length and can be attached to large endoscopes The laser emits pulses of light 200 quadrillionth of a second (a femtosecond) in duration powerful yet short enough to ldquospare surrounding tissuerdquo
Says principal investigator Adela Ben-Yakar ldquothe system is ready to move into commercializationrdquo but will need at least five years of clinical testing before a viable device gets FDA approval for use on humans The prototype has been tested only on pigs
The project was presented at the recently concluded Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO 2012) organized by The Optical Society and held in San Jose California from May 6-11
An endoscopic device fitted with a femtosecond laser that is so accurate it does not damage healthy cells Developed by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin
Source ldquoMedical lsquoLightsabersrsquo Laser Scalpels Get Ultrafast Ultra-Accurate and Ultra-Compact Makeoverrdquo April 23 2012
The Optical Society
Other recent technological innovations in the field of surgery include
DistalMotion the mechanical surgical robot While endoscopic and robotic surgeries bring many benefits there are still some drawbacks reports Medgadget an independent medical technology journal Endoscopic surgery which involves inserting a small camera called the endoscope and long surgical tools into the body through small incisions or natural bodily orifices ldquolacks fine precision due to the rigid nature of the tools Moreover because the surgeon is basically operating a lever (the beam being the surgical instrument and the
48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
-
- Page 3 Off
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- Page 33
- Page 45
-
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-
- Page 3 Off
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-
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48cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
trocar being the fulcrum) the surgeonrsquos movements are actually operating in opposite directionrdquo Because of this extensive training in the use of such equipment is required
Robotic surgery on the other hand while addressing the precision limitation of endoscopy does not provide tactile feedback when coming into contact with tissue and can be very big and very expensive The da Vinci robot one of the most widely used costs $18 million and weighs over half a ton according to The Economist (the article also mentions another robotic surgery device called the Raven which runs on open software and is lighter and cheaper at $250000)
Ricardo Beira a student at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland hopes to bring the best of robotic and endoscopic surgeries together by creating a completely mechanical system
According to a news report on the universityrsquos website Beira first articulated the idea in his thesis and eventually founded tech startup DistalMotion to develop the device which consists of small joysticks that control the operation of surgical tools attached to the end of a metal arm
It allows for seven degrees of freedom in the replication of the surgeonrsquos hand movements provides force feedback to the surgeon because of its mechanical nature and is approximately one-tenth the cost of other surgical robots because it omits the sophisticated electronic components usually present in other robotic systems
A video camera as small as a grain of salt Endoscopes themselves are getting cheaper and tinier as small as a grain of salt and cheap enough to manufacture that they can be disposed of after one use lowering the risk of infection due to poorly sanitized reusable instruments
Ricardo Beira founder of DistalMotion has created a mechanical system that combines the best of robotic surgery and endoscopy
Source ldquoDistalMotionrsquos Surgical Tool Combines the Best of Robotic and Endoscopic Surgeryrdquo Scott Jung April 6 2012 as published in Medgadget
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
-
- Page 3 Off
- Page 13
- Page 33
- Page 45
-
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-
- Page 3 Off
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- Page 33
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-
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-
- Button 21
-
- Page 54 Off
49
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
A brief history of surgerySurgery has come a long way from the days when procedures were more likely to hurt than help you and surgeons seemed more like butchers than highly skilled medical professionals
The earliest form of surgery is said to be trephination a Neolithic practice of cutting circular holes in the skull by means of flint tools according to a slideshow presentation by British public service broadcaster Channel 4
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also expert doctors and surgeons with the Greeks said to be able to mend broken bones without causing deformity and the Romans removing polyps from the nose and goiters from the neck Galen was the most famous surgeon during Roman times and his influence carried over into the next millennia
Indiana University provides a photo collection taken from John Stewart Milnersquos ldquoSurgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Timesrdquo of surgical instruments believed to have been available to Hippocrates considered the ldquofather of medicinerdquo and still used until the late Roman Empire
In England from the mid-1500s to the mid-1700s barber-surgeons were the primary practitioners of surgeries While physicians treated patients with drugs barber-surgeons amputated limbs extracted teeth and performed bloodletting The United Company of Barber-Surgeons was dissolved in 1745
Anesthetics to numb the pain were first used in the 1840s and by the 1890s surgeon Joseph Listerrsquos methods of sanitation and disinfection (he would spray carbolic acid also known as ldquophenolrdquo to disinfect the operating
theater and doused wound dressings with it) became widely adopted
And while Scottish bacteriologist and later Nobel Prize winner Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 it wasnrsquot until the 1940s that antibiotics were effectively applied in the field of medicine to prevent post-operative infections
The 1980s saw the mainstreaming of heart transplant surgery and the advent of minimally invasive surgery a technique that involves making smaller than usual incisions in the body which combined with the use of very small video cameras that could be inserted into the body has revolutionized the way surgeries are performed
Bone drills used by ancient Greek and Roman surgeons
Source Indiana University
From the Neolithic practice of cutting holes into a living personrsquos head the era of the barber-surgeons in England in the 1500s to the dawn of modern medicine this slideshow by UKrsquos Channel 4 tracks the milestones in surgery
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
-
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- Page 45
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-
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50cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Created by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Germany in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering and Awaiba GmbH the new camera has a resolution of 62500 pixels and measures just one cubic millimeter making it possibly the smallest complete video camera in the world Instead of the usual fiber-optic cable the new endoscope transmits images via an electrical cable
Reports gizmag ldquoIts creators believe it could be used not only in medicine but also in fields such as automotive design where it could act as an aerodynamic replacement for side mirrors or be used to monitor drivers for signs of fatiguerdquo It is expected to be on the market by 2013
A rib opener that prevents tissue trauma One person who is convinced
that many surgical tools have changed little is Charles Pell co-founder of Physcient a startup that develops smarter surgical equipment that prevent tissue trauma Pell observes that many tools found in the modern surgical tray still resemble those in use even during the Egyptian times Even in todayrsquos surgeries ribs are still cracked open using a conventional steel tool 75-year-old design that causes significant tissue damage which then leads to a longer and more painful recovery
In this video from TEDMED 2011 Pell presents a new handheld robotic tool that will gently pry open a patientrsquos ribs and will not tear at the tissues that are in the way
Stretchable electronic sensors for the heart There is a new tool in development that could cut from over an hour to just a few minutes the time it takes to map electrical trouble spots in the hearts of
Source ldquoDisposable endoscopic camera is the size of a grain of saltrdquo Ben Coxworth March 10 2011 gizmag
German engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration have created a disposable endoscopic camera measuring one cubic millimeter roughly the size of a grain of salt
Speaking at TEDMED 2new surgical tools that
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
-
- Page 3 Off
- Page 13
- Page 33
- Page 45
-
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-
- Page 3 Off
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- Page 53
-
- Button 21
-
- Page 54 Off
51
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
people who suffer from atrial fibrillation reports Technology Review John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne created the stretchable silicon electronics that made it possible to create a device fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors that can make many electrical readings at once instead of just one at a time like traditional balloon catheters do
The device itrsquos been reported has performed well in animal tests that mimic the disorder which affects over two million people in the US and is found in 15 of stroke victims The condition which is caused by electrical problems in the heart tissue surrounding the pulmonary vein triggers the upper chambers of the heart to quiver rather than beat The drugs used to treat it have serious side effects so an appealing alternative is correction via surgery which entails mapping the source of the electrical problem with the use of
probes and then ablating which means heating and damaging the tissues causing the problem
Makers of the device are conducting animal tests for more complicated arrhythmias in the heart ventricles However it could take a few years before it becomes available on the market if the FDA requires clinical trials
Non-invasive neurosurgery using sound waves Researchers in Switzerland reported in 2009 the successful treatment of 10 patients using an image-guided completely non-invasive procedure that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) a world first
According to a June 22 2009 news release from the University of Zurich the clinical study conducted by the team from the Magnetic Resonance Center of
011 Charles Pell founder of Physcient discusses creating prevent tissue trauma
Source video uploaded to YouTube by tedmed November 30 2011
A new kind of catheter fitted with hundreds of thousands of sensors could cut down the mapping time of electrical trouble spots in atrial fibrillation sufferers from over an hour to just a few minutes effectively improving patient outcomes
Source ldquoA Stretchy Sensing Tool for Surgeryrdquo Katherine Bourzac Technology Review Massachusetts Institute of
Technology March 7 2011
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
-
- Page 3 Off
- Page 13
- Page 33
- Page 45
-
- Button 14
-
- Page 3 Off
- Page 13
- Page 33
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-
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-
- Button 21
-
- Page 54 Off
52cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
the University Childrenrsquos Hospital Zurich ldquosucceeded in proving the safety and efficacy of this revolutionary surgical method which permits fully non-invasive brain interventions even on an out-patient basisrdquo
HIFU is already used to treat uterine fibroids and prostate gland tumors but technical difficulties made it previously impossible to use it on an intact skull The new system combines the HIFU system called ExAblate 4000 developed by InSightec and a 3 Tesla high field GE Magnetic Resonance Scanner
Magnetic resonance imaging is used throughout the procedure for real-time
planning and monitoring The ultrasound beams are then aimed at and applied to a three- or four-millimeter target inside a patientrsquos brain
The entire procedure lasts a few hours is performed without anesthesia and patients are awake and conscious throughout the operation
With surgical tools becoming smaller smarter and less invasive patient outcomes are significantly improving These innovations have not made it to the mainstream yet but already they hold out plenty of promise for the hope that ldquogoing under the kniferdquo will no longer be as scary as it sounds
A patient prepped to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging-guided non-invasive brain surgery using high-intensity focused ultrasound
Source ldquoSuccessful neurosurgery with transcranial MR-guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasoundrdquo University of Zurich news release June 22 2009
53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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53
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
The open operating room Social media demystifies surgeriesOn May 9 2012 at the Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX neurosurgeon Dr Dong Kim performed the first brain surgery broadcast live over social media site Twitter as reported on online storytelling platform Storify The patient was a 21-year-old female with an angioma in her right temporal lobe The hospital posted photos and videos throughout the procedure such as this one of the patientrsquos MRI scan
Previously the hospital made history on February 21 2012 when cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Michael P Macris performed the first live-tweeted open heart surgery
Apart from social media websites live streaming videos of surgeries are also helping dispel the air of mystery surrounding surgical procedures and increasing public awareness of diseases
For instance in March 2011 orthopedic surgeon Dr James Crutcher moderated a webcast of a knee-replacement procedure performed by fellow orthopedic surgeon Dr Sean Toomey at the Swedish Orthopedic Institute
MRI scan of the patient in the first live-tweeted brain surgery at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston TX
Source Memorial Hermann North-west Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
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54cenSEIT H E
Report
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
Websites like ORLive are also a gold mine of information for both professionals and patients The surgical broadcast company hosts live and on-demand videos of surgical procedures and product innovations Visit their YouTube channel for direct access to available videos
One of the many photos of the open-heart operation uploaded to Twitter
Source Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital
Cutting edge tools A review of the latest innovations in surgical instruments
55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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55
The cenSEI Report bull May 21-27 2012
NEWS ON THE NET Technology
Facebook IPO a jackpot for backers and insidersWith a $38 IPO price and a total valuation soaring past $100 billion social networking giant Facebooks IPO is set to raise around $16 billion and well is on its way to being the largest ever in the technology industrys history It is the third largest ever in terms of US IPOs behind the $197 billion raised by Visa in 2008 and the $181 billion raised by automotive company GM
Though the IPO was said to have fallen short of the hype surrounding it during its first day of trade last Friday the modest outcome still generated billions of dollars for Facebook
Facebook backers and insiders some of whom are now billions richer include PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel Russian tycoon Yuri Milner and Facebook co-founders Eduardo Saverin Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz U2 singer Bono ndash whose 15 percent stake in the social network had analysts speculating that he could soon be the worlds wealthiest musician ndash gained as well though not as much as reports had predicted
Microsoft is also cashing in on a 16 percent stake in Facebook that it had snapped up five years ago for what was then an exorbitant $240 million The small
stake is now worth about $125 billion Microsoft plans to recoup its initial investment in Facebook through the sale of $249 million worth of company stock though it will hold on to 262 million shares
Light-powered bionic eye invented to help restore sightA revolutionary new retinal implant powered by light has been invented by scientists at the Stanford University in California Currently similar implants need to be powered by a battery
In fact a clinical trial being carried out at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Kings College in London is testing the viability of one such device ndash a wafer-thin chip surgically implanted behind the retina with a fine cable running behind the ear to a special control unit However this new device uses a special pair of goggles to beam near infrared light straight into the eye
Stanford researchers have also said that their study could be a step forward in eliminating the need for complex electronics and wiring Though the light-powered bionic eye has yet to be tested on humans the potential is astounding A fully integrated implant such as this promises the restoration of useful vision through taking advantage of natural eye movements that play a crucial role in visual processing
In the same vein this week two quadriplegic women fitted with the Braingate2 Neural Interface System ndash a small electronic implant placed on the surface of the brain ndash were reported to be able to control body movement using just their thoughts
Twitter joins Do Not Track gives users privacy optionIts official According to US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten the micro-blogging service is participating in ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo a Mozilla Internet privacy feature launched last year for Firefox webs browser users
Through Do Not Track users can block third-party cookies which may be used to conjecture Internet users personal information and online activity In a blog post Mozilla Public Policy Chief Alex Fowler said that the company is excited that Twitter now supports ldquoDo Not Trackrdquo and global user adoption rates continue to increase which signifies a big step forward
The move further cements the widening differences between privacy advocates such as Twitter and Mozilla and the likes of Facebook and Google ndash both huge companies with business models built on targeted advertising through the collection and analysis of user information
- Button 13
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