UNDP taps acclaimed Science Diplomat for BARMM climate security program

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The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has just tapped internationally-acclaimed Filipino climate expert and science diplomat Glenn Banaguas to spearhead climate security risk and vulnerability assessment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The UNDP Philippines’ Climate Security Project within the BARMM has the overarching objective of enhancing resilience in the affected communities; building regional, provincial, and municipal capabilities for dealing with climate-related security risks; and ensuring that local governments can finance these initiatives in order to move forward.

 

Specific objectives include:

 
Examining the interaction of climate change and natural disasters with factors (social, economic, political) that impact the peace and security situation in the region;

Analyzing climate change impacts as key drivers for social, economic and political risks and vulnerabilities in the BARMM;

 
Evaluating peace and security risks arising from the direct and indirect effects of climate, taking into consideration climate stressors or shocks, exposure, vulnerability and coping capacity;
Assessing the potential magnitude and impacts of extreme climate-related events, through the classification of hotspots for climate change exposure and vulnerability that intersect with conflict and violence;

 
Examining how intersecting factors (e.g., gender, age, socio-economic status, race, ethnicity and disability) potentially leave some groups disproportionately exposed to climate-related security risks;

 
Identifying potential gaps and entry points towards advocacy and capacity-building for the integration of climate security considerations into local resilience planning and budgeting processes.

“This initiative is unique in that it also takes into account key social factors in addition to the usual metrics. We are aiming for a more holistic and customized approach to the BARMM,” Banaguas explained.

“This project will help every stakeholder understand how climate change, security and peacebuilding interact while highlighting the peace dividends offered by climate adaptation and mitigation efforts and disaster resilience mechanisms. It will also advance peace-positive climate action, catalyze climate-informed approaches to peace and security, and forge partnerships with all the stakeholders to exchange information and create science and evidence-based solutions,” Banaguas added.

“I pray that this project will continue to amplify peace in the hearts of our brothers and sisters to build united communities in the region,” Banaguas concluded.

This UNDP initiative builds on Sci. Dpl. Banaguas’ previous work on Climate Smart Bangsamoro in 2020 with the support from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MENRE) and through Climate Smart Mindanao 2050, which was renewed in 2022 in partnership with the Mindanao Development Authority (MINDA) as a way to help the region to reduce its carbon footprint and empower its people to proactively assess and manage its climate risks.

Sci. Dpl. Banaguas’ pioneering environmental work earned him the prestigious UN Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction in 2022, the first individual Filipino recipient in the award’s 35-year history.

Further inquiries may be sent to csdra-secretariat@csdrasean.com

"The Menu" is deliciously bonkers!

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No hate to anyone that didn’t like the movie but this is the exact reason why I love The Menu. Personally I’m not a huge horror person and I think the horror in the film isn’t necessarily scary but rather unnerving (which is good). 

We’ve become so precious about satire that when its value is purely fun, we see it as lesser than. Satire doesn’t need to be opaque or complex or to be good. People have forgotten how nice it is to just be entertained.

We've been so spoiled by movies like Get Out, Parasite and The Lobster, which do incredible work to add to the conversation. But it's also okay to re-up the current conversation in a different (and effective) way without having to add to it.

There are many kinds of satire, but most importantly, it’s about what the writers want to achieve with their premise and concept. The Menu is so much fun because it knows what it is and doesn’t waste time to be extra about it. It just comes in and does its job and takes a bow.

"The Menu" is such a funny dark comedy. Anya Taylor-Joy ordering a cheeseburger and saying that line after one bite was so great.

"Unfortunately my eyes were a little bigger than my stomach."

I really enjoyed this movie! Best part is I went into it expecting a completely different movie then what it ended up being and I ended up enjoying it even more.

I liked it when Hong Chau said you will eat less than you desire and more than you deserve it's true the menu really be giving me anxiety in all the right places.

"Where did you go to school?"

"Brown"

"Student loans?"

"No"

"Sorry, you're dying."

As a foodie who also loves thriller movies, "The Menu" was the perfect combination. I watched this movie last night and am still haunted. 

I’ve watched lots of mediocre fare the last few days and this one kept me invested and alert the whole way through.

Original, well-acted, weird, surprisingly moving. Blends horror & drama & comedy beautifully. Uses a single space enormously well. And keeps surprising us all the way to its last shot.  I genuinely couldn't guess what comes next. I loved it!

The movie is "delicious". It is unhinged entertainment at its finest form. It threw me for a loop but perfectly executed. Honestly! So iconic from beginning to end! It’s absolutely bonkers!!

It’s a dark-comedy thriller with a Chef’s Table theme that’s great whether you love or hate high end dining culture/media. I’m not sure what was more contrived and pretentious, the food critics and dishes in the film or the film itself.

It's one of the best films I've seen in ages. This is a polarizing film. You can say it tries too hard to be Yorgos Lanthimos, but to me it's still a fun enjoyable watch. It's one of the best comedies, but it still has the same problems as Velvet Buzzsaw and Triangle of Sadness.

Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy were faultless as always...I can watch Fiennes' micro facial muscles move all day. He is a true masterclass. Taylor-Joy eating a cheeseburger at the end is a real "final girl"..oooppss! sorry for the spoiler.

But damn if Nicholas Hoult doesn't steal the show at times. Hoult mansplaining to Taylor-Joy every bit of the evening is fucking hilarious. He is so good at playing a pathetic, overeager little bottom bitch to a powerful man. Hoult is so good at looking flustered. His comedic timing is such a tentpole of how perfectly paced this movie is. Every time the tension builds to a fever pitch, there he is acting like the most important thing in the world is how fucking good this food is.

Very much not what I was expecting, and the later courses got a little "eh" for my taste, but I enjoyed the hell out of this meal of a movie. Very much recommend. 

Knives Out Glass Onion and The Menu all in the same mid-tier vaguely anti rich without saying anything revolutionary cinematic universe.

The Menu is quite solid, and delivers some points much better than the preachy, smug Glass Onion...or the try-hard, indulgently naturalistic Triangle of Sadness.

I miss movies that aren’t afraid to be less than 2 hours. The Menu almost feels like one long scene, focusing on "the meal". It has tension, sprinkled with dark humor, all wrapped into a commentary about pretentiousness and class.

Now, this is a masterpiece! With such enthralling screenplay, masterful directing and a great cast, this horror satire is must-see cinema.

One of my favorite movies of the year!

UPD-CS develops automated environmentally-sustainable campus

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Communities across the Philippines could become more environmentally sustainable, thanks to the University of the Philippines - Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) spearheading the use of automated environmental monitoring technology and regular environmental testing procedures for possible deployment nationwide.

The AirboxSense is one of several automated air quality sensors deployed within the National Science Complex by the IESM. UPD-CS scientists are looking at the feasibility of rolling out similar initiatives nationwide. (Photo credit: Eunice Jean Patron)

At the behest of UPD Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo, who prioritized the protection and preservation of UPD's natural environment in his vision for the campus, the UPD-CS led other colleges and institutions in the University in setting up sophisticated sensors for keeping an eye on the environment around the clock. The Chancellor appointed the multi-sectoral Task Force on Environmental Sustainability (TFES) to create environmental action points for a possible model for a green campus, which could then serve as the prototype for green spaces nationwide.



Real-time environmental monitoring

Two key action points determined by the expert team are the deployment in the UPD-CS' National Science Complex (NSC) of the AirboxSense system for real-time air quality reporting to the general public, and the establishment of an air and water quality monitoring network with the Diliman Environmental Management Office.

The AirboxSense was co-developed by UP and foreign university partners with funding from the Asia-India Science, Technology, and Innovation Cooperation (AISTC). “Air quality monitoring using AirboxSense in the NSC started in August 2022. It’s an initiative between the Philippines, Malaysia, and India to put up these monitoring devices for air quality control,” explained Dr. Mylene Cayetano, a professor at the UPD-CS’ Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM), a member of the UPD TFES, and the Philippine Principal Investigator for the AISTIC.

Aside from deploying automated air quality sensors, the UPD-CS also developed water testing procedures to regularly monitor the University’s creeks and streams. (Screengrab via UPD-CS Facebook page)

To complement the AirboxSense data, the IESM undertakes regular monitoring of the University’s various creeks and streams: water samples are collected at least once a month and analyzed in the laboratory to assess factors such as the presence of excessive nutrients and suspended solids, irregular pH, and alkalinity, among other parameters.



Towards a solar-powered campus

The UPD-CS also aims to lessen its ecological footprint through solar power installations throughout the NSC. By considering the optimal size and placement of solar panels, Dr. Cayetano and her colleagues were able to determine the best ways to address the campus' energy needs. Solar panels can save energy for the UPD-CS by lessening the dependency on fossil fuels during the daytime.

“Together with UPD-CS scientists Dr. Lillian Jennifer Rodriguez and Ms. Jelaine Gan, we calculated the area ng lahat ng rooftop ng CS buildings. We determined the surface area of the rooftops facing south. Then we proposed how many solar panels we need to install in CS para hindi na tayo dependent sa fossil fuels, and eventually we will transform into an efficient campus,” said Dr. Cayetano. “UPD-CS Dean Giovanni Tapang presented this idea to Chancellor Fidel, and it aligns with the Chancellor’s initiative to make UPD an environmentally-sustainable campus,” she added.



Deployment beyond UP

Going beyond the confines of the University, the UPD-CS, and the IESM collaborated with the Rotary Club of Makati on a system that reports real-time data on air quality via the Airtoday.ph website. The system was also initially designed to record and display air quality data on other areas outside the UPD, including the Lung Center of the Philippines and EDSA Muñoz.

“Picking up from this initiative, nagkakaroon ng other initiatives pa towards a smart campus and environmental sustainability,” Dr. Cayetano said. She cited the UPD Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute (EEEI) for helping automate the AirboxSense through the UP Center for Air Research (UP CARE) program. Dr. Cayetano also highlighted the Robust Optical Aerosol Monitor (ROAM) developed by Dr. Len Herald Lim of the Institute of Chemistry, which could be deployed outside UPD in the future.



Aiming for nationwide deployment

Dr. Cayetano believes that these projects are of nationwide significance: the information they gather and the data they record will greatly help organizations and institutions across the country in finding solutions to environmental issues. “These [information and data] will eventually tell the numbers. Nasaan na tayo? Nasaan ‘yung baseline? Ano ‘yung emissions natin noong walang activities dahil sa pandemic? Ano naman ‘yung increase ng emissions noong nagkaroon ng activities such as face-to-face classes and the opening of the UPD campus and offices? By knowing these, we know where to stand. By knowing those numbers, we will know how to manage the impacts on the environment of such activities.”

Through these and other initiatives, UPD’s TFES is spearheading the creation of tailor-fit approaches to environmental challenges that can be implemented outside the campus. Data collected from these initiatives can also be used by local governments and other decision-makers in managing localized environmental activities.