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LOOK: Beauty queen Katrina Dimaranan is engaged
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Ysa Abad
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04/01/2024 12:03
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Katrina Dimaranan's Instagram
MANILA, Philippines – Miss Universe Philippines-Tourism 2021 Katarina Dimaranan is ready to tie the knot with boyfriend Robby Rodriguez after more than four years of dating.
In an Instagram post, the Filipina-American beauty queen shared photos from the proposal that took place in Cancun, Mexico.
“I have always said love is friendship on fire and now I get to call my best friend, my FIANCÉ,” she wrote.
Addressing Robby in her post, Katrina wrote: “It feels so surreal that I can officially say that I can’t wait to spend the rest of forever with you. Our love for each other has only gotten stronger through the years.”
She added that she also cried after hearing Robby’s proposal speech.
“Cheers to officially being off the market and getting to annoy each other for the rest of our lives,” she added.
Fellow beauty queens such as Mutya Datul, Samantha Panlilio, Steffi Rose Aberasturi, Maureen Wroblewitz, and Graciella Lehmann wrote congratulatory messages in the comments section.
Katrina started her pageant journey in 2012, where she won the Binibining Pilipinas Tourism crown. In 2018, she represented the United States at the Miss Supranational pageant wherein she finished first runner-up. Katrina came back to the Philippine pageant scene in 2021 and was named Miss Universe Philippines Tourism.
In April 2022, she bid goodbye to the pageant world, saying that she can “finally close this chapter and move forward to [her] next goals.”
Since then, she has been staying in the United States where she’s currently attending nursing school. – Rappler.com
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2 Chinese vessels shadowed PH, US ships – Philippine military
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Chito de la Vega
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04/01/2024 23:41
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FILE PHOTO. Philippine Navy ships BRP Davao Del Sur (right) and BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (left) conduct a maritime cooperative activity with HMAS Toowoomba during a regional presence deployment.
(Photo from the Australian Defence Department)
Australian Defence Department
MANILA, Philippines – Two Chinese navy vessels shadowed Philippine and US ships conducting joint patrols in the South China Sea, the Philippine military said on Thursday, January 4 as tensions flare in the region over disputed territorial claims.
“We confirm the presence of two PLA-N (People’s Liberation Army Navy) vessels from a distance shadowing the participants of the Maritime Cooperative Activity,” said Xerxes Trinidad, chief of the Philippine military’s public affairs office.
The two-day maritime exercises involving Manila and Washington, which ended as planned on Thursday, were the second in less than two months in the West Philippine Sea – what Manila calls the waters in the South China Sea that fall within its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The activities followed Beijing’s warning to the Philippines that any miscalculation in their escalating dispute in the South China Sea would bring a resolute response.
“We are hoping that China and other foreign countries will respect our sovereignty and right to conduct the activity that is following international law,” Trinidad said.
China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately comment.
The joint patrols were underway when China’s military said it would conduct routine patrols with its naval and air forces in the South China Sea from Wednesday to Thursday but did not say where exactly the patrols would be held.
Beijing and Manila have traded accusations in recent months over several run-ins in the South China Sea, including charges that China rammed a ship last month carrying the Philippine armed forces chief of staff.
The Philippine military said on Wednesday that their second joint patrol this week involved four vessels from the Philippine navy and four ships from the US Indo-Pacific command that included an aircraft carrier, a cruiser and two destroyers.
China lays claim to almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual commerce carried by ship, including waters claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China’s claims had no legal basis, but China has rejected that ruling. – Rappler.com
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Fireworks injuries in Ilocos Region double after pandemic restrictions lifted
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Chito de la Vega
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04/01/2024 22:40
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FILE PHOTO. Firecrackers and luces workers load a powder (polvora) into a luces shells at a fireworks factory in Bocaue, Bulacan on Tuesday, December 26, 2107.
Darren Langit/Rappler
ILOCOS NORTE, Philippines— Fireworks-related injuries (FWRI) in the Ilocos Region surged two-fold compared to last year, with the public’s increased mobility after pandemic restrictions were lifted as a likely factor for the jump in cases, the regional Department of Health (DOH) said on Thursday, January 4.
“Kung ating matatandaan na noong [2022], kakabangon palang natin mula sa pandemic, kaka-lift pa lang ng restrictions at hindi gaano naka-access ng fireworks at firecrackers ang mga tao,” according to Dr. Rheuel Bobis, DOH spokesperson, during a virtual press forum.
(If we will recall, we have just recovered from the pandemic and the restrictions have just been lifted, and previously the people did not have access to firecrackers.)
Lockdowns were imposed in the country beginning March 2020 and some remained enforced until 2022 to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Three days after ringing in the New Year, injuries climbed to 213, a 117% increase compared to the 98 cases logged during the same period last year, said Bobis.
Among the top fireworks that caused the injuries were “kwitis or skyrocket” and illegal fireworks such as boga (improvised cannon) and “5-star“.
The latest DOH monitoring showed that all provinces in the region saw a rise in FWRI, with Pangasinan having the highest number with 143 cases (up 98.6% from last year), La Union with 29 (up 81.3%), Ilocos Norte with 23 (up 66.7%), and Ilocos Sur with 18 (157.1%).
Those injured ranged from ages two to 77 years old. More minors, or 10 to 14 years old, comprised the most affected group who sustained FWRI, Bobis said.
Of the 213, almost half, or 92, were hurt as “passive” victims or those who were just watching others use and ignite firecrackers.
At least seven of the 213 injuries required amputation and one was confirmed dead, Bobis said.
The youngest injured was a two-year-old while the oldest was 77-year-old.
As the FWRI jumped, Bobis said that they would urge local government units to come up and put teeth into their ordinances relating to regulation of fireworks and firecrackers during the next New Year festivities.
In San Fabian town in Pangasinan province, a 32-year-old man was arrested for indiscriminately firing a gun on New Year’s Eve that hit two siblings on their home.
The victims, aged 26 and 21, were grazed by stray bullets in their back and head. They were rushed to a nearby hospital and were subsequently declared safe.
In Ilocos Norte, the police provincial office intensified its crackdown against boga, with at least 181 confiscated.
The provincial government also enacted an ordinance which provided penalties for the possession, use, manufacture, and sale of boga and regulated the sale and possession of denatured alcohol, acetone, and its derivatives, and electronic gas stove switches, as well as similar devices, to minors. – Rappler.com
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Blogger Sass Sasot’s Facebook page temporarily disappears, returns days later
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Gaby Baizas
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04/01/2024 14:52
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MANILA, Philippines – The Facebook page of blogger Sass Sasot, a vocal supporter of former president Rodrigo Duterte, temporarily disappeared from the platform but was restored days later in January 2024.
On Facebook, Sasot posts hyperpartisan political commentary under the page “For the Motherland – Sass Rogando Sasot.”
As of writing, the URL facebook.com/forthemotherlandofficial reads, “This content isn’t available right now.” This message appears if privacy settings prevent a certain user from accessing the content, or if the content has been deleted.
Other pro-Duterte bloggers announced that Sasot was no longer on Facebook as early as January 2. Banat By, whose real name is Byron Cristobal, shared on Tuesday that Sasot’s Facebook page disappeared from the platform, after his own Facebook page became unavailable on December 31.
Pro-administration blogger Krizette Laureta Chu said that apart from Sasot’s Facebook page, her personal account also became unavailable on the platform. The URL facebook.com/sassrogandosasot also displays the same error message about its content being unavailable.
In a video with vlogger Maharlika livestreamed on Tuesday, Sasot said that she received an email from Facebook’s parent company Meta, which said that her account had been flagged and suspended. This prohibited her from also accessing her page and Messenger.
Meta said that Sasot had 180 days to appeal the decision. She explained in Maharlika’s live video that she had already submitted an appeal to the tech company.
It is currently unclear why Sasot’s page became temporarily unavailable on the platform. She also claimed that prior to her Facebook page and account becoming inaccessible, Sasot did not receive any warnings from Meta about possible platform violations.
As of Thursday, January 4, Sasot’s Facebook page was restored, and is accessible under the new URL facebook.com/forthemotherland. However, Sasot also confirmed on Thursday that her personal account is still inaccessible.
Latest records from social media analytics site Social Blade showed that Sasot’s Facebook page had amassed over 807,000 likes before becoming unavailable. Social Blade did not record any Facebook statistics for Sasot’s page on January 2, when her Facebook page disappeared from the platform.
Sasot is a pro-Duterte blogger who has spread disinformation and attacked those critical of the former president in the past. A Rappler investigation also found that Sasot is among the most prominent actors spreading pro-China propaganda online in the Philippines.
Rappler has reached out to Meta to comment on the matter, but has yet to receive a response. – Rappler.com
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Blogger Sass Sasot’s Facebook page temporarily disappears, returns days later
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Gaby Baizas
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04/01/2024 14:52
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MANILA, Philippines – The Facebook page of blogger Sass Sasot, a vocal supporter of former president Rodrigo Duterte, temporarily disappeared from the platform but was restored days later in January 2024.
On Facebook, Sasot posts hyperpartisan political commentary under the page “For the Motherland – Sass Rogando Sasot.”
As of writing, the URL facebook.com/forthemotherlandofficial reads, “This content isn’t available right now.” This message appears if privacy settings prevent a certain user from accessing the content, or if the content has been deleted.
Other pro-Duterte bloggers announced that Sasot was no longer on Facebook as early as January 2. Banat By, whose real name is Byron Cristobal, shared on Tuesday that Sasot’s Facebook page disappeared from the platform, after his own Facebook page became unavailable on December 31.
Pro-administration blogger Krizette Laureta Chu said that apart from Sasot’s Facebook page, her personal account also became unavailable on the platform. The URL facebook.com/sassrogandosasot also displays the same error message about its content being unavailable.
In a video with vlogger Maharlika livestreamed on Tuesday, Sasot said that she received an email from Facebook’s parent company Meta, which said that her account had been flagged and suspended. This prohibited her from also accessing her page and Messenger.
Meta said that Sasot had 180 days to appeal the decision. She explained in Maharlika’s live video that she had already submitted an appeal to the tech company.
It is currently unclear why Sasot’s page became temporarily unavailable on the platform. She also claimed that prior to her Facebook page and account becoming inaccessible, Sasot did not receive any warnings from Meta about possible platform violations.
As of Thursday, January 4, Sasot’s Facebook page was restored, and is accessible under the new URL facebook.com/forthemotherland. However, Sasot also confirmed on Thursday that her personal account is still inaccessible.
Latest records from social media analytics site Social Blade showed that Sasot’s Facebook page had amassed over 807,000 likes before becoming unavailable. Social Blade did not record any Facebook statistics for Sasot’s page on January 2, when her Facebook page disappeared from the platform.
Sasot is a pro-Duterte blogger who has spread disinformation and attacked those critical of the former president in the past. A Rappler investigation also found that Sasot is among the most prominent actors spreading pro-China propaganda online in the Philippines.
Rappler has reached out to Meta to comment on the matter, but has yet to receive a response. – Rappler.com
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[Ilonggo Notes] The attractions along Iloilo City’s Bonifacio Drive
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Marguerite de Leon
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04/01/2024 13:51
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It’s a short strip, extending from the end of General Luna to the Forbes Bridge – just about 250 meters. Thousands pass here every day to Lapaz or Jaro, barely noticing it. But Bonifacio Drive deserves more than a cursory glance; it is chock full of history and attractions. Up till the early ’70s it was lined with acacia trees, which were felled when the road was widened. In the ’80s a politician had a pedestrian overpass constructed, but few used it and it was eventually demolished, the unnecessary eyesore consigned to oblivion.
At the southern end of Bonifacio Drive is the Arroyo fountain, which is “kilometer zero” for Panay Island. All distances through the provinces of Iloilo, Antique, Capiz, and Aklan are measured from this 1928 landmark, named after the former senator Jose Maria Arroyo, who was responsible for a Republic Act creating the Iloilo Metropolitan Waterworks Authority.
The neoclassic-style fountain once had bare-breasted female statues, but this caused an uproar among conservative religious groups, and so they were covered up with flowing robes. I still have to make a closer inspection to see if I can make out the changes, but that might mean clambering over the fountain, which may not be advisable for seniors. The fountain fronts a heritage building, the Casa Real (aka Casa Gobierno), the former Iloilo provincial government’s office from the 1870s. It was hailed as the largest and most elegant of its kind in the colony, and has hosted visits of presidents and US high commissioners.
It’s been through at least a couple of fires and extensive renovations. It still hosts the Provincial Library as well as the regional offices of the DOT. On the ground floor is a display of the DTI where one can purchase tasty Ilonggo delights (tsokolate tablea, lengua de gato, cassava chips, peanuts, herbal teas) at very reasonable prices. The second floor, now for meetings and events, is reached through a grand staircase. From its tinted glass wall one can have a view of the expanse of JM Basa Street and Calle Real all the way to Guimaras Island.
The “islas de siete pecados” is a term given to the seven little “islands” and partial roundabouts that make the start of Bonifacio Drive quite challenging to pedestrians and motorists alike. It can become a traffic chokepoint at times. It’s best viewed from the upper floors of the Atrium, which has the Iloilo Supermart, a hotel, retail spaces, and a food court. On a Yuletide night the traffic is horrendous – in part because the provincial government installed a magnificent lighting display, overflowing with visitors.
On one of the “islands” is a triangular monument with a bust of Nicolas Jalandoni. Local historian Demy P. Sonza writes that Jalandoni was once the most brilliant political star in Iloilo, born in Jaro in 1881, educated at the Ateneo and the Escuela de Derecho in Manila. When the first national elections were held in 1907 for delegates to the First National Assembly, he defeated Raymundo Melliza, former justice of the Supreme Court (1899-1900) and immediate past governor of Iloilo (1904-1906). Jalandoni was the president of the Partido Nacionalista in Iloilo and a member of Nacionalista National Directorate. At age 26, he was the youngest member of the National Assembly and presided at the opening session. Sergio Osmeña was elected Speaker, Jalandoni as Speaker Protempore, and Manuel Quezon Majority Floor Leader.
Jalandoni founded the evening newspaper El Adalid (The Hero), to counter the El Tiempo of the Partido Federalista. He also founded Ang Baganihan, which was the first daily paper in Hiligaynon. Among its writers were Rosendo Mejica, Angel Magahum, Flavio Zaragoza Cano, Ulpiano Vergara, Delfin Gumban, and Quirico Abeto.
Jalandoni’s passing at the age of 30 in 1911 was deeply mourned. Colleagues and friends erected a monument in his honor. For this purpose, a committee was formed composed of Quintin Salas (chairman), Amando Avancena, Quirico Abeto, Federico Ortiz, Eladio de Guia, Fidel Hervas, and Cresenciano Lozano. The monument was unveiled on July 19, 1913.
To get a better view, I scrambled over the little picket fence to read the fading Spanish inscriptions on all three sides of the 110-year-old monument, which also features the figure of a sorrowful woman holding a wreath at its base. There is a Jalandoni quote, about the 1910 Nacionalista defeat: “Podemos caer /si: sin embargo/procuraremos/levantarmos otra vez (We can fall, nevertheless we strive to rise again).” On the other sides of the monument, some in typical Art Noveau style, are the names of the leaders of the Nacionalista Party, the monument committee members, and logos of the Associacion Escolar de Filipinas, the Jalandoni Library, and the Escuela de Derecho de Manila. The monument’s location means it is only the determined who will take a second look; it should be transplanted somewhere more accessible.
One recent addition is a relief sculpture that is a fanciful rendition of moments in Ilonggo history. Unveiled in late 2019 just before the pandemic hit, the “Iloilo” mural shows the Barter of Panay, a costumed warrior holding aloft the Santo Niño, and General Delgado astride a rearing horse. Alongside are reliefs of the Miagao Church, San Joaquin Campo Santo, and the Guimbal Watchtower; interspersed among this mélange are a Spanish galleon, paraws, the Oton death mask, the Jaro bandstand, shells, fishes, prawns, birds, and the provincial high school. A tapestry winds its way around the figures, like a thread running through history; perhaps it is a tribute to the storied past of Iloilo as a weaving capital of the country. Built by AR Sculptura, the 15-meter-long by 2-meter-high mural is of fiberglass resin, painted and glazed to look like bronze.
50 meters away is the Museo Iloilo, which is 53 years old in 2024 – the first-ever purpose-built museum in the country. It is run by the Iloilo Cultural Heritage Foundation, and has an iconic trapezoidal design by Ilonggo architect Sergio Peñasales. On its façade is a low relief of Ilonggo churches. It has a display of religious artifacts, WWII memorabilia, and relics from a sunken British steamship, and occasionally hosts contemporary art exhibits.
At the back of the Museo Iloilo is the eight-story provincial capitol of Iloilo; when it was constructed, one of the city’s open spaces, the former Rotary Park Amphitheater, was torn down and a parking lot built in its place.
Right beside the Museo Iloilo stands the former Iloilo provincial jail, with its distinctive guard turrets on four corners; it was built in 1911, and was in use for a century. In 2018 it was extensively renovated, a central glass dome installed, and it re-opened as the Regional Museum for Western Visayas. It has on display a national cultural treasure – the Oton gold death mask. There are well-curated exhibits on native embroidery and archaeology; fossils and petrified trees tell the story of ancient Panay’s emergence from the seas millions of years ago; and it has the jawbone of an extinct elephant specie that was unearthed in Cabatuan. The museum also has changing exhibitions and interactive displays and activities for school children. In front of it is a landscaped lawn and park, where native Iloilo trees (Aglaia argentea) are planted.
Across the street from the museums are a series of heritage buildings. First one is the 1923 building of the Doane Baptist Bible Institute. It is well preserved, with an overhanging balcony and filigreed ceiling carvings; some of the original exterior panel paintings with scroll designs are visible but have been given a white coat. The supporting pillars have lovely, neoclassic designs with touches of Art Noveau and emerging Art Deco. The building originally belonged to the Lopez-Vito Family.
A few meters away is Balay Remedios – built by Julio Ledesma in the late 1920s. It is in the modified balay na bato style, with huge windows and ventanillas. The house was acquired by the designer/engineer of the house, Eusebio Villanueva. It has been in four generations of the Villanueva family, and it opened to the public in late 2023 as a stylish restaurant, offering classic Ilonggo and Spanish influenced cuisine. There is a grand entrance and foyer, with Machuca tiles. The interiors are a shade of salmon pink, with vintage lighting fixtures, carvings, hardwood ebony and ivory floors, and family photographs. The exterior wood panels bear decorative scrolls and interesting floral designs – that, it is said, the Japanese occupiers liked when they expropriated the house as their headquarters in the early 1940s, and allegedly turned the basement into a torture chamber. The front fence posts are tapped by urns, and the grill gates are designed in the Art Deco style. There are plans to open the second floor as a lifestyle museum, which will further add to the attractions of Bonifacio Drive.
Two houses away is a palatial building, the former home of Don Juan Ledesma and acquired in the ’60s by a Chinoy family; this is painted a striking blue and white. In its past incarnations it was occupied by the Japanese, then used by the US Army as its headquarters, a reportedly haunted home, a bodega, an upscale massage and spa, offices, and is now the Castle Chateau hotel. And right next to it, is Iloilo’s oldest continuously running hotel – the River Queen Hotel. It used to be known as the Ledesma Hotel from its opening post World War II, until the mid ’60s. Across the street is the Iloilo Hall of Justice which hosts the courts. Beside it and just next to the bridge is a building in the Brutalist style, which are the offices of the Iloilo water district.
This whole strip could also have been called Ledesma Drive – because the Ledesma family owned most of the land in the area. Bonifacio Drive ends at the foot of the Forbes Bridge, and you can turn to either side and enjoy Iloilo’s fabled Esplanades, or you can walk about a quarter of a kilometer to the Lapaz market, where you can have your fill of batchoy! – Rappler.com
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Pocket parks, people’s streets: How you can start one in your community
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Pia Ranada
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04/01/2024 16:30
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PEOPLE'S STREET. Pasig residents make use of their car-free streets, such as Emerald Avenue.
Pasig Transport Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – How would the quality of life in your barangay or city improve if there was a public open space 10 to 15 minutes away, by foot?
Numerous studies and papers have shown the benefits of parks to people. Public parks are known to improve mental health, reduce air pollution, enliven local economies, and more.
In the Philippines, many sectors and groups have long been calling for more public open spaces, especially in cities where there is a dearth of them, amid rapid and often uncontrolled urbanization.
Policy-wise, progress was achieved in mid-2023 with the signing of a joint administrative order by no less than six department secretaries and two agency heads.
Robert Siy Jr., co-convenor of the Move As One Coalition, pointed to this new government directive as a possible starting point for anyone who wants to engage with government in creating parks in their own communities.
The Move As One Coalition, a network of mobility and active transport activist groups, had actively lobbied for this order, said Siy in an interview on Rappler’s “Be The Good” show aired on December 15.
The Joint Administrative Order No. 2023-0001 was signed by the secretaries of health, tourism, interior and local government, housing, environment, and public works departments; and the heads of the National Commission for the Culture and Arts and the Philippine Commission on Women.
Dated August 2023, it’s entitled, “Guidelines on the Creation, Use, and Management of Parks and Public Open Spaces for the Promotion of Physical and Mental Health and Social Well-being.”
Calling it a “milestone document,” Siy, a public transport expert, said, “We can use this as civil society to lobby and encourage our local officials to actually take action. Because there’s a policy basis now. This is the national government’s order already. This is their aspiration.”
Siy thinks there should be at least one public open space in every barangay, and that this government directive can make that into reality.
What are highlights of the multi-agency order? It states that:
The roles of all the signing government agencies are spelled out in the order, as well as the guidelines and standards for parks and open spaces. Read the entire document here.
Siy was asked during the interview for his suggestions on how concerned citizens can, on their own, start an initiative to create a public open space in their area.
We paraphrase his tips here.
1. Get a group of concerned and like-minded community members together. Approach the barangay captain and discuss the possibility of creating a public open space. Bring a copy of the joint administrative order to cite as basis for why the local government must support your initiative. It’s important to involve as many stakeholders as possible – from local bicycle groups, business chambers, schools, and more.
2. With the barangay officials and other members of the community, select a place for the public open space. The proposed public park doesn’t have to be large. There are benefits to pocket parks too. With the lack of available land in many cities, you could propose the creation of a peoples’ street. The joint administrative order explicitly supports the establishment of people’s streets. It has its own definition in the order.
People’s streets are streets, roads, parking lots, or bridges that are “prioritized for use by pedestrians, bicycles, and light mobility devices, closed for motor vehicular through-traffic, and are designated only for physical activity, leisure, and recreational use by community members exclusively or on a specified schedule.”
For a people’s street, choose a street that, if closed off to cars, will not create traffic jams in the area. Siy suggests choosing a street in an area where the streets are in a grid system so that, when that street is closed, those parallel to it can be used as alternative routes. In Pasig City, this is implemented in Emerald Avenue. In Makati, Ayala Avenue was chosen. Siy said the Tomas Morato area, with the “Scouts” streets, is a good place to create a people’s street because of its grid arrangement.
3. Decide when and how long the car-free period will be for that street. You can start slow, blocking off only a few hours during a day of the week known to have the least car traffic – like Sunday mornings. Depending on how the community reacts to the initiative, decide whether to scale it down or up. Should it stay a people’s street only on certain holidays? Should this be extended to months because it has been beneficial to tourism and the local economy?
4. Decide what activities to hold in the street or park. They can be exercises like Zumba, or games like a treasure hunt for children. The community can hold bazaars or food fairs. Activities can also help market the initiative to the community, get their buy-in, and improve social cohesion. This could be your chance to meet your neighbors or exchange more than a greeting.
If done right and with consistency, the people’s street or park initiative will “take a life of its own,” said Siy.
Online sentiment about car-free streets or people’s streets are mostly positive, said Ivy Pedida, a Rappler Digital Communications Specialist who did an online scan about conversations surrounding these initiatives.
She said lots of people go on social media to express their satisfaction and delight at people’s streets, like those in Pasig City. Parents, in particular, post about how they feel their children are so much safer when biking or jogging in these car-free streets.
“They are very happy. If there is any criticism, what we can see is how this can be implemented longer. That’s what people really want,” said Pedida. – Rappler.com
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RESULTS: August 2023 civil service examination
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clescudero0258
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04/01/2024 19:32
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The following is a press release from the Civil Service Commission.
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has announced the topnotchers in the Career Service Examination-Pen and Paper Test (CSE-PPT) conducted nationwide on August 20, 2023.
Patricia D. Victa from the National Capital Region (NCR) topped the Professional level with a rating of 93.60, while Leonard Brian E. Nicolas, also from NCR, topped the Sub-Professional level with a rating of 90.83.
Completing the list of topnotchers in the Professional level are:
Meanwhile, the rest of the top passers in the Subprofessional level are:
The list of passers in the August 20, 2023 CSE-PPT may be accessed through the widget found on the left side of the CSC website. Alternatively, examinees may go directly to the CSC Examination Portal to view the results.
Here is the list of regional performances in order of passing rate:
The CSC Examination, Recruitment, and Placement Office advised examinees to communicate with the CSC Regional Office concerned on the schedule, requirements, and procedure in claiming their certificate of eligibility.
The Career Service Professional Eligibility qualifies individuals for permanent appointment to both first level (clerical) and second level (technical) positions within the career service that do not involve practice of profession and are not covered by the bar, board, and other laws.
On the other hand, the Career Service Sub-Professional Eligibility shall be appropriate to first level positions only.
The CSC reminded the public that eligibility alone does not guarantee appointment in government service as education, experience, training, and other competency requirements of the positions must also be met. – Rappler.com
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Why CHED is halting the senior high school program in SUCs, LUCs
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Bonz Magsambol
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04/01/2024 13:26
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CHED Chairman Prospero De Vera III attends the budget hearing of the Commission on Higher Education for fiscal year 2023 at the senate on October 13, 2022. Angie de Silva/Rappler
Rappler.com
MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has ordered state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local universities and colleges (LUCs) to discontinue offering the senior high school program beginning next school year as “there was no legal basis to fund it.”
In a CHED memorandum dated December 18, 2023, the commission said that its engagement with the Department of Education on the implementation of senior high school programs in SUCs and LUCs should only be limited to the K to 12 transition period which was only from school year 2016 to 2017 to school year 2020 to 2021.
“Considering the foregoing, SUC presidents/OICs are directed to bring their respective SUC board of regents and board of trustees the discontinuance of senior high school in SUCs because there is no legal basis to fund the same,” the memorandum read.
Based on DepEd data, some 17,751 grade 11 students are currently enrolled in SUCs and LUCs.
In a Bagong Pilipinas interview on Wednesday, January 3, CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera III said that in the past two years, the commission had been telling public universities to “wind down their senior high [enrollment] because there is no more legal basis for their offering of high school [education].”
“Tapos na ang transition period. Puno na ang state universities and colleges. Kailangan na nilang gamitin ang mga kuwarto at mga teacher. Kaya’t wala ng basehan para mag-offer sila ng senior high school,” he said.
(The transition period is over. State universities and colleges are full. They need to use the classrooms and teachers. That’s why there’s no more basis for them to offer senior high school.)
He noted that SUCs should only offer degree courses. De Vera said that SUCs that have “laboratory schools” can still offer the senior high school program since they have been doing this even prior to K to 12. Laboratory schools are those under SUCs that are being used by those pursuing an education degree.
Meanwhile, there are some 2,030,451 grade 12 students currently enrolled in SUCs and LUCs. De Vera said that universities and colleges “should let them finish the academic year.”
“The Department of Education has already issued a notice, through Private Education Assistance Committee, that beginning SY 2023-2024, there should be no more Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education and Teachers in Private Education beneficiaries from SUCs/LUCs, except those who will be entering Grade 12 in SY 2023-2024 to finish their basic education and that SUCS and LUCs with laboratory school can accept enrolled but will no longer receive vouchers,” the CHED memorandum read.
DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said that those who might be displaced have two options next school year: enroll in public schools or enroll in private schools and avail of the voucher program.
– Rappler.com
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Stray bullet hits priest during New Year’s Day revelry in Baguio
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Herbie G
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04/01/2024 13:38
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Shutterstock
BAGUIO, Philippines – A 60-year-old priest was hit by a stray bullet during the New Year’s Day revelry in Baguio City, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) confirmed on Wednesday, January 3.
The priest from Baguio’s Irisan district, whose identity was not disclosed, was hit in his left shoulder at around 12:15 am on January 1.
“He was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment and was later scheduled for an operation due to a fractured collarbone,” read a statement on the CBCP’s website.
Local authorities said investigators found a slug from a 9-millimeter handgun near the area where the priest was wounded. Efforts are now underway to identify the person responsible for the incident.
The local diocese’s AM radio station, DZWT, reported that the priest was already “in stable condition.”
This incident sparked renewed calls in Baguio for stricter gun control and responsible firearms use, highlighting the dangers of indiscriminate shooting, particularly during celebrations.
The CBCP and the local diocese have requested prayers for the quick recovery of the priest and have appealed to the public for any information that may aid in the investigation.
The police and the military have repeatedly warned its personnel against firing guns to greet the new year.
The Department of Health (DOH) noted a rise in New Year’s Day revelry-related injuries compared to previous years when the country was in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorities suggested a possible “revenge drive” among the public for celebrating the new year with fireworks.
Data showed that there have been 116 new fireworks-related injuries recorded following New Year’s Eve celebrations based on DOH data as of January 1. Of these, 113 cases were reported in Metro Manila, followed by 27 in Central Luzon, and 24 in the Ilocos Region. – Rappler.com
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Stray bullet hits priest during New Year’s Day revelry in Baguio
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Herbie G
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04/01/2024 13:38
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Shutterstock
BAGUIO, Philippines – A 60-year-old priest was hit by a stray bullet during the New Year’s Day revelry in Baguio City, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) confirmed on Wednesday, January 3.
The priest from Baguio’s Irisan district, whose identity was not disclosed, was hit in his left shoulder at around 12:15 am on January 1.
“He was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment and was later scheduled for an operation due to a fractured collarbone,” read a statement on the CBCP’s website.
Local authorities said investigators found a slug from a 9-millimeter handgun near the area where the priest was wounded. Efforts are now underway to identify the person responsible for the incident.
The local diocese’s AM radio station, DZWT, reported that the priest was already “in stable condition.”
This incident sparked renewed calls in Baguio for stricter gun control and responsible firearms use, highlighting the dangers of indiscriminate shooting, particularly during celebrations.
The CBCP and the local diocese have requested prayers for the quick recovery of the priest and have appealed to the public for any information that may aid in the investigation.
The police and the military have repeatedly warned its personnel against firing guns to greet the new year.
The Department of Health (DOH) noted a rise in New Year’s Day revelry-related injuries compared to previous years when the country was in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorities suggested a possible “revenge drive” among the public for celebrating the new year with fireworks.
Data showed that there have been 116 new fireworks-related injuries recorded following New Year’s Eve celebrations based on DOH data as of January 1. Of these, 113 cases were reported in Metro Manila, followed by 27 in Central Luzon, and 24 in the Ilocos Region. – Rappler.com
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ABS-CBN win in contempt case prompts new standards in free speech
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Jairo Bolledo
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06/01/2024 21:45
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MEDIA GIANT. In this file photo, media groups mark the first anniversary of ABS-CBN's shutdown on May 5, 2021.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) has ruled in favor of ABS-CBN in a contempt case filed in relation to the gruesome Maguindanao massacre.
In a decision dated April 25, 2023, but was made public only this week, the High Court granted ABS-CBN’s petition for certiorari – a remedy used to review grave abuse of discretion – in relation to the contempt case filed by Andal Ampatuan in 2010.
The case was filed by Ampatuan when ABS-CBN, through then-reporter Jorge Cariño, interviewed a person that provided information about the Ampatuans’ involvement in the massacre.
“ACCORDINGLY, the Petition for Review on Certiorari is GRANTED. The March 24, 2015 Decision and September 7, 2016 Resolution of the Court of Appeals (CA) in CA-G.R. SP No. 126985 affirming the challenged June 8, 2012 and August 14, 2012 Orders in SP. PROC. Case No. Q-10-67543 are REVERSED and SET ASIDE,” the ruling penned by Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen said.
“Likewise, the Petition for Indirect Contempt is DISMISSED for failure to state a cause of action.”
The rest of the magistrates, including Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, concurred in the ruling.
The case involves an alleged violation of the sub judice rule, which restricts “comments and disclosures pertaining to judicial proceedings.” The SC said this rule prohibits the discussion on the merits of a pending case, which includes contents of the actual pleadings, comments, assessment of the evidence, and relevance of the evidence, among others.
In the decision, Leonen explained that the court had tried to define sub judice before, and now the concept requires “further clarification given the context of public speech.” The senior magistrate said that the SC’s indirect contempt powers are “broad” and “traverse” all kinds of speech.
“The lack of clear-cut rules on the limits of the exercise of speech with clear and present danger to our administration of justice and well-defined boundaries as to when a speech can be punishable and when it is privileged leads to confusion among the litigants, their counsels, members of the bench and bar, the media, and the public,” the senior associate justice further explained.
On the ABS-CBN case, Leonen said the media had the right to provide “legitimate publicity” on matters that were of public interest without prior restraint or punishment. But, he added, the media’s responsibility to inform the public must be balanced alongside the court’s administration, particularly in the sub judice rule.
In the ruling, Leonen said there were facts required for the alleged violation of sub judice:
The senior magistrate said the second and third allegations were not sufficiently alleged and became “fatal” to the petition against ABS-CBN and Cariño.
In the case, mental element pertains to the “reckless disregard of the truth or falsity of the story” since the ones facing the case are members of the media. Leonen, however, said the mental element was not sufficiently alleged in the case. It was not mentioned in the petition for indirect contempt that ABS-CBN and Cariño recklessly regarded the falsity of the statements of Lakmodin Saliao, a witness who was interviewed by Cariño after the Maguindanao massacre.
“More importantly, there was no sufficient allegation of the clear and present danger of the interview and its broadcast,” the decision said.
Leonen said the petition was able to show the “serious evil” that was sought to be prevented by the sub judice rule but failed to allege its effect on the court’s administration of justice. “Considering that the Petition for Indirect Contempt failed to state all the required allegations for violating the sub judice rule, this Court is constrained to dismiss the Petition.”
Although, Leonen noted that ABS-CBN and Cariño should not have presented Saliao as a witness on national television. He explained that the term “tetestigo (will testify)” removed the distinction between media interviews and the presentation of a witness in a court, adding that Cariño “ended the interview in a manner that bolstered the truth of Saliao’s statements.”
“As Associate Justice Lazaro-Javier points out, the public interest character of Saliao’s statement is not an excuse to disregard the sub judice rule,” the ruling read.
The media, while exercising its mandate to provide news, has the duty to ensure that they are not infringing upon the rights of a person to a fair trial, said the ruling. It added that freedom of speech, of expression, and of the press have always been considered primordial and fundamental – but they were never absolute.
The ruling noted that these rights should not be invoked at the expense of the fundamental rights of others, to further injustice, undermine the dignity of other people, and undermine the ability of the judiciary to administer justice.
“The power to punish for contempt is not a weapon to stifle freedom of expression and the right to information on matters of public interest. Without sufficiently stating a cause of action for contempt, this Court is constrained to dismiss the Petition for Indirect Contempt.”
On November 23, 2009, dozens of armed individuals blocked the convoy of then-Maguindanao gubernatorial candidate Esmael Mangudadatu on their way to file candidacy. The incident resulted in a massacre – later known as the Maguindanao massacre – that claimed the lives of 57 people, 32 of which were journalists.
Months later, on June 23, 2010, Cariño interviewed Saliao for TV Patrol World. In the interview, Saliao said he was present when the Ampatuan planned the massacre. He even named the members of the Ampatuans who were present in the said meetings.
On July 16 of the same year, Andal Ampatuan filed a petition for indirect contempt against ABS-CBN, Cariño, and Saliao, claiming the interview was “calculated to interfere with court proceedings to serve Saliao’s own interest without passing through the scrutiny of the police of the National Prosecution Service if it indeed is to form part of or used as evidence in the murder cases aforesaid.”
Two years later, the Regional Trial Court (RTC) denied the affirmative defenses by ABS-CBN and Cariño, according to the ruling. The case reached the Court of Appeals (CA), which also denied ABS-CBN and Cariño’s petition for certiorari and affirmed the RTC’s ruling.
ABS-CBN and Cariño sought the SC’s help by filing a petition for certiorari to assail the CA’s decision.
In the context of courts and the judiciary, the sub judice rule ensures that there will be fairness in the administration of justice by seeing to it that there will be no influences during a court trial. This is the principle the courts have been reiterating.
In essence, this latest decision gave another reminder on the limitations of the freedom of speech, expression, and of the press.
The latest ruling set the standards on how sub judice should be interpreted in terms of media and its reportage on courts. The decision penned by Leonen further clarified the line between the public’s need to information and a person’s right to fair and objective trial.
Aside from providing a deeper understanding of what sub judice is, the decision will now guide the media, especially reporters, when dealing with witnesses or people involved in an ongoing case. – Rappler.com
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Kylie Padilla shares new realizations since split with Aljur Abrenica
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jreyes0314
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06/01/2024 22:15
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REFLECTIONS. Kylie Padilla shares on her Instagram broadcast channel her realizations on navigating life.
Kylie Padilla's Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – Kylie Padilla shared on her Instagram broadcast channel on Friday, January 5, some of her realizations since her split with Aljur Abrenica.
“Since this Tokyo trip, I have [realized] so much. Ever since my separation with my ex, I have been so afraid of life. Afraid of relaxing and letting go of my grip on control,” Padilla wrote.
The actress said that she had not noticed how much single parenthood scared her, adding that it was a lot of pressure having two young kids rely on her while she was “falling apart.”
“I was bursting at the seams, but looking back, I’m so proud of how far I’ve come. 2024 is here, and I think I can afford to calm down. Since abundance is my [mantra] this year, maybe the lesson is the more you let go, then the more you can accept into your life. More help, more calmness, and more smiles rather than overthinking,” she continued.
Padilla also shared a video montage of moments from her recent trip to Japan.
A post shared by k y l i e ☽◯☾ (@kylienicolepadilla)
Padilla and Abrenica tied the knot in 2018 and welcomed their second son in 2019. The two officially split up in 2021.
Abrenica later admitted in an interview with Toni Gonzaga in April 2023 that he had cheated on Padilla when they were together. While both Padilla and Abrenica denied actress AJ Raval’s being a third party in their marriage, Raval and Abrenica confirmed their relationship in February 2023.
Padilla is an actress known for her roles in the films and teleseryes Dilim, Encantadia, The Good Daughter, and Adarna, among others. She currently stars in the GMA Network teleserye Black Rider and is set to play Sanggre in the upcoming teleserye Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre. She is the daughter of actor-turned-senator Robin Padilla. – Rappler.com
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Thirdy Ravena stars as San-En blasts Ray Parks, Nagoya; Kai Sotto efficient in Yokohama win
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delfin.dioquino editor
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06/01/2024 22:32
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KAIJU. Kai Sotto in action for the Yokohama B-Corsairs in the Japan B. League.
Yokohama B-Corsairs' Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – Thirdy Ravena put on a show for the San-En NeoPhoenix as they torched Ray Parks and the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins, 92-79, in the Japan B. League on Saturday, January 6.
Ravena, the fourth-year San-En forward, went off for a game-high 25 points on an 11-of-14 field goal clip, including a sensational highlight play late in the 2nd quarter.
After intercepting a careless pass by his Filipino counterpart Parks, Ravena went coast-to-coast and soared high for a thunderous one-handed poster jam over Nagoya’s Seiga Sakamoto, plus the foul.
「これは凄い…😱」実況も言葉を失うスーパーダンク！！！@ThirdyRavenaaa @NEO_PHOENIX#Bリーグ pic.twitter.com/JwD2kNgU6P
Ravena, who also racked up 1 rebound, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, continued to dominate in the third period, scoring 8 quick points in the first five minutes of the period to help San-En break the game wide open after leading by only 2 points at halftime, 50-48.
The NeoPhoenix then cruised the rest of the way, even extending their lead to as many as 20 points with four minutes to go in the final frame, 86-66.
Robert Franks paced Nagoya in the losing effort with a double-double of 22 points and 14 rebounds as Parks was held to only 6 points and 1 rebound.
San-En picked up its fifth straight win and remained tied with the Alvark Tokyo at the top of the Division 1 standings with a 23-4 record.
Nagoya, meanwhile, fell to its third consecutive loss and dropped to a 16-11 card.
Over in Toyama, Kai Sotto had a perfect outing for the Yokohama B-Corsairs in their 100-95 win over the Grouses.
With his fellow Gilas Pilipinas big man AJ Edu out for Toyama due to a torn meniscus injury, Sotto imposed his will against the Grouses’ frontline and connected on all of his four attempts from the field.
The 7-foot-3 Sotto finished with 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, and a plus-minus of +20 in just 18 minutes and 12 seconds of play.
Sotto’s 9-point output is his season-high so far after putting up just 4 and 6 points, respectively, in his first two games as a member of the B-Corsairs following a loan from the Hiroshima Dragonflies.
Yuki Kawamura led Yokohama with an impressive 20-20 stat line of 25 points and 20 assists, while Yusei Sugiura added 23 markers.
On the other side, Ivan Buva carried the fight for Toyama with 27 points and 15 rebounds.
Yokohama returned to the win column and improved its record to 12-15, while Toyama slipped further to 3-24.
Like Ravena and Sotto, Matthew Wright and RJ Abarrientos also made an impact for their respective teams on Saturday.
Wright came up with a team-best 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 1 rebound, 7 assists, and 1 steal, but those numbers went for naught as the Kyoto Hannaryz suffered a 99-83 loss to the Chiba Jets.
Abarrientos, for his part, produced 13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal in Shinshu’s 79-73 victory against the Nagasaki Velca.
Kyoto fell to 8-19, while Shinshu rose to a 5-22 record.
Sunrockers Shibuya def. Levanga Hokkaido, 74-73 (Dwight Ramos – 8 points, 3-of-14 field goal, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 24:37 minutes)
Fighting Eagles Nagoya def. Ryukyu Golden Kings, 68-57 (Carl Tamayo – 1 rebound, 2:06 minutes)
– Rappler.com
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New import shines as Meralco holds off No. 1 Magnolia in Iloilo City
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delfin.dioquino editor
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06/01/2024 22:14
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DEBUT. Shonn Miller in action for the Meralco Bolts in the 2023-24 PBA Commissioner's Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – Shonn Miller did not disappoint in his PBA debut and powered Meralco to a gripping 85-80 win over league-leading Magnolia in the Commissioner’s Cup in Iloilo City on Saturday, January 6.
The Bolts’ third import this conference after Suleiman Braimoh and Zach Lofton, Miller churned out a 33-point, 22-rebound double-double as his side boosted its bid for a playoff bonus with a 7-2 record.
Miller, a 30-year-old forward who previously saw action for teams in Portugal, Mexico, Italy, Greece, and Germany, also came up clutch by scoring a crucial putback that ignited an 8-4 win-sealing run.
Fans inside the University of San Agustin Gym were on the edge of their seats when the Hotshots uncorked a 12-3 burst anchored by Tyler Bey to cut a 64-74 deficit to a whisker with 2:45 minutes remaining, 76-77.
Miller, though, steadied the ship for Meralco as he converted a putback off a miss by Cliff Hodge, who drained a rare jumper in the ensuing play for an 81-76 lead.
Bey and Mark Barroca pulled the Hotshots within a single point off back-to-back buckets, 80-81, but Chris Newsome drained four free throws inside the final 40 seconds to guide the Bolts back to the winning column.
Meralco tied Phoenix at second place and improved its chances of making the top 4, a feat that comes with a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals.
Newsome backstopped Miller with 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in the low-scoring affair that saw no other Bolts player breach double figures in scoring.
Iloilo City pride Anjo Caram rose to the occasion for Meralco as he poured all of his 6 points in the 4th quarter.
Bey tallied 23 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 steals for Magnolia, which ended the elimination round with a 9-2 slate.
Despite the loss, the No. 1 Hotshots are already guaranteed of a win-once bonus and will enjoy a near-two-week break before the quarterfinals unfolds.
Barroca and Calvin Abueva had 18 and 10 points, respectively, in the defeat.
Meralco 85 – Miller 33, Newsome 17, Quinto 8, Caram 6, Maliksi 5, Banchero 3, Hodge 3, Rios 2, Bates 2, Black 2, Almazan 2.
Magnolia 80 – Bey 23, Barroca 18, Abueva 10, Jalalon 8, Eriobu 5, Lee 4, Sangalang 4, Dela Rosa 3, Mendoza 3, Laput 2, Tratter 0, Dionisio 0.
Quarters: 20-16, 35-37, 57-58, 85-80.
– Rappler.com
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Ilocos Norte offers scholarship to aspiring lawyers
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Michelle Abad
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06/01/2024 13:00
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BAR SEASON. Examinees arrive as early as 4am at the the University of Santo Tomas in Manila for the first of three days of the Bar Examinations, on September 17, 2023.
Rappler
ILOCOS NORTE, Philippines – After graduating from college in 2023, Jezreel Larry Caunca immediately enrolled in law school. He now juggles his time as a working-student, making sure that he gets both work and school covered.
Given the rigorous demand of the study of the law, he would have wanted to be a full-time student. But he chose to work to help cover the cost of studying.
Caunca, a first-year law student of Northwestern University in Laoag City, is among the first applicants of the “Juris Doctor (Law) Scholarship Program of Ilocos Norte,” a new education scholarship offered by the provincial government to aspiring lawyers.
It aims to encourage aspiring lawyers to choose a career in government service, particularly at the provincial government.
In Ordinance No. 051-2023, the provincial government would set aside an amount of P1.8 million from its budget per academic year to cover the tuition and 10-month stipend of 16 law students enrolled in public and private law schools in the province.
The scholarship would also prioritize poor but deserving students.
On Friday, January 5, Caunca said in an interview that to be granted a legal scholarship would be a “good opportunity” as it would help him and his family with the expenses he incurs in studying the law.
The law student said that public scholarship programs, like the one offered by the provincial government, are also important to shift the focus of legal education to public service.
He believed that the issue of the lack of lawyers engaged in pro bono services, especially for the poor, has been persisting because of the “high cost” of legal studies and the “limited scholarship opportunities, most of which come from the private sectors.”
Senator Raffy Tulfo, in filing a similar measure before the Senate in 2022, said that the cost of legal education in private institutions ranged from P75,000 to P98,000 per semester. While in state universities, it costs around P24,000 to P30,000.
Tulfo said that the figures “exclude all living expenses and other necessities.”
Because of the expenses, Caunca had in mind that law graduates might think of “recouping the investment made in their legal education” instead of the goal to serve the public.
“[This scholarship offering] is instrumental in encouraging young individuals like us pursuing law to focus not only on financial gains but also on serving the people, especially those in need.”
According to the ordinance, the screening of the 16 legal scholars include a scholastic record (60%), economic considerations (30%), and an interview (10%).
The members of the Ilocos Norte provincial scholarship committee would conduct the final screening and evaluate applications for the scholarship.
The scholars, who must be residents of Ilocos Norte, should maintain at least a general weighted average of 2.50, and must not incur a grade of a conditional 4.0 or a failing 5.0 in any subject, the ordinance reads.
Accepted scholars are asked to render a “return service” at the provincial government of at least one year for every period they get shortlisted for the scholarship.
Caunca, for his part, said that he would gladly make the service if he gets shortlisted.
Interested applicants can learn more about the program through the Provincial Education Office.
“It is acceptable to me. I intend to serve the taxpayers who funded this scholarship program,” he said. – Rappler.com
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Case vs bomb-joking foreigner in Laoag airport dismissed
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Michelle Abad
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06/01/2024 15:12
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LAOAG AIRPORT. Returning Ilocos Norte residents and tourists land in Laoag International Airport.
John Michael Mugas
ILOCOS NORTE, Philippines – The criminal case filed against a 70-year-old foreigner who cracked a “bomb joke” while inside the Laoag International Airport (LIA) has been dismissed, authorities said Friday, January 5.
Police Major Darwin Ocon of LIA’s Aviation Security Group (ASG) said in an interview with Bombo Radyo Laoag that the gist of the prosecution’s decision was although the foreigner cracked the bomb joke, it did not result in panic, and sow public confusion and disorder.
On Wednesday night, the Dutch, who went on vacation in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur province, was supposed to embark with her family on a connecting flight to return to her home country, Ocon said.
She was earlier identified by authorities as Mary Evelyn Dolor Neuen.
She was not allowed to board the flight after she told a screening officer that she had a bomb in her luggage while it was being checked. She admitted later on that it was only a joke, said Ocon.
The foreigner was detained for around three days at a LIA facility as she underwent inquest proceedings before the prosecutor’s office.
Ocon said they were bound by duty not to ignore the joke of the foreigner as LIA is a “vital installation.”
“Kapag may nangyaring gulo diyan, may sumabog at may namatay, hindi na natin maibabalik ‘yung buhay at pinsala, kaya hindi tayo nag-atubiling sampahan ng kaso,” emphasized Ocon. (If a situation erupted where something exploded and people died, we cannot bring back the lives and damage done, which is why we did not hesitate to file a case.)
What happened should serve as a warning to individuals not to crack bomb jokes in public areas, such as in airports, as it could result in widespread panic and compromise the safety of travelers.
Cracking bomb jokes in all types of transportation in the country is considered a criminal offense punished by Presidential Decree 1727, also known as Anti-Bomb Joke Law.
The law penalizes making bomb jokes and bomb threats with penalties that include up to five years in prison, a fine of up to P40,000, or both. – Rappler.com
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LOOK: Robi Domingo, Maiqui Pineda tie the knot
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jreyes0314
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06/01/2024 21:17
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MR. AND MRS. DOMINGO. Robi Domingo and Maiqui Pineda tie the knot over a year after their engagement in November 2022.
Robi Domingo's Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – Robi Domingo and Maiqui Pineda are now married!
According to a report by ABS-CBN News, the couple tied the knot at the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of San Isidro Labrador in Pulilan, Bulacan, on Saturday, January 6.
Fellow celebrity attendees shared snaps from Robi and Maiqui’s wedding on Instagram.
“Nakahabol din ako (I made it) Robsy Wabsy…. Super happy to witness this moment, Robs. We [love you] Rob and Maiqui,” Melai Cantiveros captioned her Instagram Story taken at the parish.
JC Intal, the husband of Robi’s longtime Pinoy Big Brother co-host Bianca Gonzalez, also shared a photo of the bride and groom under a fireworks display at the reception.
Meanwhile, singer Erik Santos shared a video of Robi and Maiqui sharing their first kiss as newlyweds at the altar.
“Congratulations and best wishes Mr. and Mrs. Robi Domingo!” Santos wrote.
Other celebrities in attendance included Enchong Dee, Bianca Gonzalez, Gab Valenciano, Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla, Joshua Garcia, and Ogie Alcasid, to name a few.
Robi and Maiqui got engaged in November 2022 after almost four years of dating.
In August 2023, Maiqui revealed that she was diagnosed with Dermatomyositis, an autoimmune disease. Domingo said in an interview with ABS-CBN News in the same month that their wedding would still happen as planned.
“We talked about it. And honestly, because of her condition, I was the one who told her [na] baka dapat i-delay natin nang konti, kasi medyo iniisip ko na ‘yung health niya e. And then, siya ‘yung nagsabi na, ‘Don’t. Give me something to hope for.’ And upon hearing that, siyempre, umiyak ako,” he said.
(We talked about it. And honestly, because of her condition, I was the one who told her that maybe we should delay our wedding a bit, because I was thinking about her health. And then, she said, “Don’t. Give me something to hope for.” And upon hearing that, of course, I cried.)
Robi and Maiqui met during their college days at Ateneo de Manila University. However, they only began to get to know each other at the ABS-CBN Christmas party in 2017.
Robi is a VJ, actor, and host best known for hosting the hit reality television series Pinoy Big Brother. – Rappler.com
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Jared Bahay turns back on UP Maroons commitment
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Jasmine Payo
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05/01/2024 15:48
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HIGH SCHOOL SENSATION. Jared Bahay in action for Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu during the 2023 NBTC National Finals.
NBTC
MANILA, Philippines – Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu high school standout Jared Bahay has taken a step back and decommitted from the University of the Philippines, the men’s basketball team announced on Friday, January 5.
Bahay, who recently led the Magis Eagles to a successful title defense in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI) Season 23, reneged on his well-publicized commitment last March 2023 due to what team officials described as “outside forces.”
“In the last two years, the UP MBT and Jared Bahay have developed a special relationship. We envisioned a common future with Jared handling the reins of a championship-caliber team. We believed in his immense talent and capacity to lead,” said UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development director Bo Perasol.
“However, not all things go according to plan. Although we have remained in our commitment to Jared, outside forces have intervened for him to have a change of heart.”
According to Perasol, State U respects Bahay’s change of plans even as there is no official word yet where the teenage prospect is headed to next.
However, sources say that the dynamic scoring guard is likely headed to the Ateneo Blue Eagles, with UAAP defending champion De La Salle also expressing interest.
The Blue Eagles already nabbed Bahay’s former teammates Raffy Celis and Michael Asoro, with the former making his collegiate debut in UAAP Season 86.
During the recent championship series between SHS-Ateneo and the University of the Visayas Baby Lancers, Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin was reportedly spotted watching when the Magis Eagles completed a three-peat.
In the championship-clinching Game 3, Bahay ended up with 14 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, and a block in SHS-Ateneo’s 58-55 win, earning Finals Most Valuable Player honors.
At 5-foot-9, Bahay stood tall among all high school players in the country as the top-ranked player of the National Basketball Training Centre (NBTC) 24 list. — Rappler.com
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New NAIA at last? Decision day for rehab deal winner set on February 15
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lkyu0285
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06/01/2024 16:55
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David Castuciano
MANILA, Philippines – By February 15, the government will select a new private operator for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) among four mega-consortiums battling for the lucrative contract to rehabilitate the ailing international gateway.
Four groups, made up of some of the biggest local conglomerates and international operators, are officially bidding for the P170.6-billion airport project. These include:
This comes after the government stuck to its December 27, 2023, bid submission date despite some potential bidders requesting for an extension.
Now, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista is confident that the government can pick a winning bidder among the four by next month despite NAIA’s history of delayed and derailed rehabilitation plans.
“Tayo, talagang pinag-aralan nang mabuti natin. Ayaw natin ng delay. Gusto natin mabilis (We really studied this well. We don’t want delays. We want things fast),” Bautista told reporters on Friday, January 5.
The DOTr targets to open the bidders’ technical proposals by January 15 and complete the evaluation of these proposals by February 4. This will then be followed by the opening of their financial proposals, the details of which will determine who wins the project.
Bautista said that the “most important” factor for the basis of the award would be how much of NAIA’s revenue an operator is willing to share with the government. In other words, once bidders make it to the last stage of the bidding process, the one that proposes the best gross revenue-sharing terms will win.
By February 14, the DOTr will announce the result of the financial evaluation, with the notice of award to be issued on February 15. The winning bidder will sign the contract between the government and private sector on March 15.
By rejecting a previous unsolicited proposal and opting for this bidding process, the DOTr hopes to maximize “competitive tension” to earn the most favorable terms for the government, according to Transportation Undersecretary for Planning and Project Development TJ Batan.
Under the concession agreement, the Philippines’ ailing main airport will be handed over to the private operator for up to 25 years. The operator will be required to “rehabilitate, operate, optimize, and maintain” the airport, which includes improvements to its runways, four terminals, and other facilities. (READ: Bidding for NAIA rehab, privatization begins. Here’s what it covers.)
While making a return on their investment, the private operator must also abide by the revenue-sharing scheme agreed to with the government, on top of an upfront payment of P30 billion and a fixed annual payment of P2 billion to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).
The government originally planned for the winning bidder to begin operations by September 11, although Bautista said that the turnover could happen even earlier, depending on how quickly they can complete the financial closing. This process includes the transfer of current airport employees and assets to the new private operator.
“We’re looking at, siguro, mga (around) 3 to 6 months. Kung magagawa natin ng three months, gagawin natin ng three months (If we can do it in three months, we’ll do it in three months). Ang target ko (My target is), I want it done not later than 6 months after the award,” Bautista said.
The transportation secretary also promised no immediate job losses would happen once the private operator takes over the airport.
“Either you stay with the MIAA as a regulator or you stay with the private sector as an operator. So, mamimili (they’ll have to choose). Depende sa trabaho, pero lahat (It depends on their job, but everyone) will be given an offer,” he said.
However, these job offers will not necessarily be for permanent positions right away as it would depend on whether or not “they can keep up with the requirements of the private sector,” Bautista said. – Rappler.com
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Rondae clarifies late-game frustration directed towards referees, not Rain or Shine
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delfin.dioquino editor
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06/01/2024 16:06
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SHOT. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in action for the TNT Tropang Giga in the East Asia Super League.
East Asia Super League
MANILA, Philippines – Rondae Hollis-Jefferson meant no disrespect.
The former TNT import said he merely wanted to talk to the referees after his decision to stand behind the Rain or Shine bench ignited a word war with Elasto Painters head coach Yeng Guiao on Friday, January 5.
Upset after his brother and new Tropang Giga import Rahlir got called for a shooting foul and a technical foul in succession, Rondae left his spectator seat and stood behind the Rain or Shine bench to argue with the officials.
But Guiao found the move “disrespectful” and figured in a heated exchange with Hollis-Jefferson before TNT players pulled the former NBA player away.
“I didn’t approach the bench. That’s the issue. That’s the problem. He said that I approached the bench. I’m not approaching the bench,” said Hollis-Jefferson.
“I didn’t say anything to any player. Even when they were still telling me, ‘Get out of here!’ I didn’t say anything to them.”
Hollis-Jefferson took exception to the way Guiao reacted.
“Once the coach said something to me, I looked at him and said, ‘Don’t do that. Don’t do that, bro.’ That’s what I said and he will tell you that. But my frustration was with the ref. I was talking to the ref,” said Hollis-Jefferson.
“Have you ever seen a coach go on the court to a ref? He’s coaching and he does that. Out of frustration as a fan of TNT – I’m a fan of TNT right now – and as a little brother of a person that’s doing really well, I was hurt.”
“My emotions led me to follow the referee. Not your team,” he added. “I have no disrespect to your team. I said nothing to your team.”
Replays showed Guiao flashing his middle finger while Hollis-Jefferson was being escorted away.
“I would never flip you off. I’m sure they got that on camera, him flipping me off. Let’s play that back please,” Hollis-Jefferson said.
Taking the spot of injured Rondae, Rahlir showed out in his debut with a 50-point explosion on top of 16 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.
However, the shooting and technical fouls Rahlir incurred with a minute left doomed the Tropang Giga as the Elasto Painters hacked out a 119-112 win to lock up the seventh quarterfinal berth.
Riding on a three-game skid, TNT needs to win it last elimination-round game against Phoenix on January 14 to bolster its chances of securing the last playoff spot. – Rappler.com
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Rondae clarifies late-game frustration directed towards referees, not Rain or Shine
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delfin.dioquino editor
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06/01/2024 16:06
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SHOT. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in action for the TNT Tropang Giga in the East Asia Super League.
East Asia Super League
MANILA, Philippines – Rondae Hollis-Jefferson meant no disrespect.
The former TNT import said he merely wanted to talk to the referees after his decision to stand behind the Rain or Shine bench ignited a word war with Elasto Painters head coach Yeng Guiao on Friday, January 5.
Upset after his brother and new Tropang Giga import Rahlir got called for a shooting foul and a technical foul in succession, Rondae left his spectator seat and stood behind the Rain or Shine bench to argue with the officials.
But Guiao found the move “disrespectful” and figured in a heated exchange with Hollis-Jefferson before TNT players pulled the former NBA player away.
“I didn’t approach the bench. That’s the issue. That’s the problem. He said that I approached the bench. I’m not approaching the bench,” said Hollis-Jefferson.
“I didn’t say anything to any player. Even when they were still telling me, ‘Get out of here!’ I didn’t say anything to them.”
Hollis-Jefferson took exception to the way Guiao reacted.
“Once the coach said something to me, I looked at him and said, ‘Don’t do that. Don’t do that, bro.’ That’s what I said and he will tell you that. But my frustration was with the ref. I was talking to the ref,” said Hollis-Jefferson.
“Have you ever seen a coach go on the court to a ref? He’s coaching and he does that. Out of frustration as a fan of TNT – I’m a fan of TNT right now – and as a little brother of a person that’s doing really well, I was hurt.”
“My emotions led me to follow the referee. Not your team,” he added. “I have no disrespect to your team. I said nothing to your team.”
Replays showed Guiao flashing his middle finger while Hollis-Jefferson was being escorted away.
“I would never flip you off. I’m sure they got that on camera, him flipping me off. Let’s play that back please,” Hollis-Jefferson said.
Taking the spot of injured Rondae, Rahlir showed out in his debut with a 50-point explosion on top of 16 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.
However, the shooting and technical fouls Rahlir incurred with a minute left doomed the Tropang Giga as the Elasto Painters hacked out a 119-112 win to lock up the seventh quarterfinal berth.
Riding on a three-game skid, TNT needs to win it last elimination-round game against Phoenix on January 14 to bolster its chances of securing the last playoff spot. – Rappler.com
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Choco Mucho captain De Leon transfers to Creamline, replaces Akari-bound Domingo
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jisaga0269
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06/01/2024 18:54
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CHANGE. Bea de Leon in action for the Choco Mucho Flying Titans in the Premier Volleyball League.
PVL Images
MANILA, Philippines – The rich get richer in the PVL as Creamline continued its stunning off-season coup with the signing of former Choco Mucho captain Bea de Leon on Saturday, January 6, just a few hours after snagging veteran libero Denden Lazaro-Revilla.
A former Ateneo star and champion like her new captain Alyssa Valdez, the Choco Mucho pioneer De Leon is expected to slot right into the vacant middle blocker spot left by the departing Celine Domingo, who announced her intention to sign with the rising Akari Chargers also on Saturday.
Like Revilla, De Leon received minimal playing time in Choco Mucho’s franchise-best runner-up finish in the 2023 Second All-Filipino Conference as head coach Dante Alinsunurin elected to play eventual Best Libero Thang Ponce and middle blocker Cherry Nunag in their respective positions.
Both Revilla and De Leon, however, will likely get ample opportunities to shine and get back to top form in Creamline tactician Sherwin Meneses’ rotation.
The Cool Smashers are fresh off a successful title defense in the aforementioned tournament against none other than their Flying Titans sister squad and are once again expected to be the team to beat in the 2024 First All-Filipino Conference. – Rappler.com
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PVL Finals MVP Celine Domingo commits to Akari for next career chapter
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jisaga0269
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06/01/2024 14:54
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CHARGING UP. Former Creamline middle blocker Celine Domingo moves to Akari.
AKARI CHARGERS
MANILA, Philippines – Former Creamline star middle blocker Celine Domingo is nearing a deal with the Akari Chargers for the next chapter of her PVL career, player agency VP Global Management confirmed on Saturday, January 6.
One day after her official release from the Creamline Cool Smashers, the former Finals MVP is teaming up with an increasingly formidable core that recently added another former MVP in Grethcel Soltones.
“Leaving Creamline is always a hard decision,” said Domingo, who is currently playing as an import in Thailand for Nakhon Ratchasima Volleyball Club. “That’s how it felt in October, especially since the Thailand offer also came by quickly, but I thought this opportunity doesn’t come often so I grabbed it.”
“It’s been a long time since I switched teams, so I’m very much excited to try a new system and environment. I’m excited to play alongside Ate Dindin (Santiago-Manabat), Ate Michelle Cobb, Faith (Nisperos), Fifi (Sharma), and my former teammates.”
Alongside the names she mentioned, Domingo is expected to further boost Akari’s chances for legitimate title contention and help drastically improve a 4-8 record – already a franchise-best last 2023 Second All-Filipino Conference.
The Chargers have yet to name a head coach following the departure of Philippine women’s volleyball team mentor Jorge Souza de Brito, but the franchise is already putting safeguards in place after promoting NxLed tactician Taka Minowa to head of volleyball operations.
Domingo’s contract in Thailand is set to run until the end of February, so it is likely that she will miss the entirety of the 2024 First All-Filipino tilt. – Rappler.com
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Kevin Quiambao, Topex Robinson beef up Strong Group squad for Dubai joust
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delfin.dioquino editor
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06/01/2024 17:39
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KING ARCHERS. Kevin Quiambao tows the La Salle Green Archers to the UAAP championship.
UAAP SEASON 86 MEDIA TEAM
MANILA, Philippines – La Salle star forward Kevin Quiambao and head coach Topex Robinson will bolster a stacked Strong Group Athletics crew that will shoot for the Dubai International Basketball Championship crown.
Strong Group announced on Saturday, January 6, the addition of Quiambao and Robinson to its team that will be bannered by former NBA players Dwight Howard, Andray Blatche, and Andre Roberson.
Fresh from steering the Green Archers to the UAAP Season 86 title, Robinson will reinforce the staff of head coach Charles Tiu, who is bringing his new St. Benilde players Tony Ynot, Justine Sanchez, and Allen Liwag.
Also joining Strong Group is La Salle gunner Francis Escandor.
“I’m super happy to be included again knowing the roster is super loaded and talented,” said reigning UAAP MVP Quiambao, who suited up for the Strong Group squad that reached the quarterfinals last year.
“The hunger to bounce back is there because we’re joining a league that is for the best of the best,” he added. “I’ll give my best every game and I’ll do anything to help the team attain its goal of becoming a champion.”
Robinson is expected to provide a wealth of experience to a coaching staff that has former Bay Area Dragons and current Australia Boomers head coach Brian Goorjian as a consultant.
“I’ve talked with coach Topex about working together in the past, even before he got the DLSU job. We are good friends and I am sure he will add a lot of value to us. He is a champion coach,” said Tiu.
Tiu opted to tap Ynot, Sanchez, and Liwag – who transferred to St. Benilde from other schools – to prepare them for the next NCAA season.
“We wanted to give our newest Benilde recruits the experience of playing overseas and competing at a high level,” said Tiu.
Former TNT import McKenzie Moore will also see action for Strong Group in the tournament that will run from January 19 to 28 at Al Nasr Club in Dubai. – Rappler.com
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Majoy Baron bolsters PLDT frontline, joins ex-F2 teammate Kim Fajardo
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jisaga0269
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06/01/2024 14:56
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GREENER PASTURES. Majoy Baron gets a chance to pursue an overseas career.
PVL
MANILA, Philippines – The mad scramble for former F2 Cargo Movers stars is nearing an end as the PLDT High Speed Hitters struck anew, signing star middle blocker Majoy Baron on Saturday, January 6, to join resurgent setter Kim Fajardo.
The move of the former UAAP and Philippine Superliga MVP marks the end of a seven-year stint with the F2 franchise, broken only due to its shocking disbandment that triggered a PVL free agent frenzy in the last few weeks.
Baron, who languished with inconsistent playing time in her last few conferences with the Cargo Movers, is set to boost an already formidable PLDT frontline featuring her former La Salle teammate Mika Reyes and Dell Palomata.
“The thought that everything I learned from La Salle and F2 is set to expand due to a new system makes me really excited,” said Baron, a three-time UAAP champion under legendary head coach Ramil de Jesus.
“Every new coach and every new teammate, I intend to learn from them.”
The High Speed Hitters are looking to improve their contention status up a few ranks, as their rise has been capped at fourth place twice and fifth place three times in their seven conferences so far in the PVL.
The franchise is rumored to end its free agency coup with a bang, as another former La Salle and F2 star waits in the wings. – Rappler.com
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Lazaro-Revilla jumps to Creamline, reunites with Ateneo teammates Valdez, De Guzman
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jisaga0269
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06/01/2024 16:33
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VETERAN VOICE. Choco Mucho libero Denden Lazaro-Revilla (center) reacts in the 2023 PVL First All-Filipino Conference
PVL Images
MANILA, Philippines – The Creamline Cool Smashers have beefed up their stacked roster with even more veteran leadership ahead of the 2024 PVL season, scooping up star libero Denden Lazaro-Revilla from sister team Choco Mucho on Saturday, January 6.
The move comes one day after the Flying Titans officially bid farewell to Lazaro-Revilla and captain Bea de Leon, with the latter also reportedly donning the iconic blue and pink colors in the very near future.
Lazaro-Revilla reunites with her former UAAP title-winning Ateneo teammates Alyssa Valdez, Ella de Jesus, and – once she returns from her Japan V. League stint – Jia de Guzman.
Along with Choco Mucho pioneer De Leon, Lazaro-Revilla was one of the longest-tenured Flying Titans on the roster that recently won silver in the 2023 Second All-Filipino Conference.
In 2020, the then-28-year-old defensive specialist joined a once-middling Choco Mucho program that recently finished seventh in the 2019 All-Filipino tilt, then called the Open Conference, and became one of the team’s vocal leaders amid its highs and lows.
Now 31 with still a lot left in the tank, Lazaro-Revilla is expected to further bolster Creamline’s floor defense alongside fellow standout liberos De Jesus and Kyla Atienza. – Rappler.com
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In pattern of ‘fake surrenders,’ 1 case links abduction to military intel service
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Lian Buan
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06/01/2024 15:48
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ADVOCATES. Development workers and labor rights advocates Dyan Gumanao and Armand Dayoha reunite with their family members after a press conference at the University of the Philippines-Cebu on January 21, 2023.
Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler
First of 2 parts
MANILA, Philippines – It’s not easy to say it was just luck, said Dyan Gumanao, that she and partner Armand Dayoha were released by their captors alive, dropped off at a resort in northern Cebu on January 15, 2023, with no other hard demand but to post a nonchalant MyDay on their Facebook.
Dyan’s narration of their ordeal from their abduction at the Cebu City port on January 10, 2023 tells a story of a couple with extraordinary connection – blindfolded and hands zip-tied, and separated for most of the days, they passed messages to each other by writing with fingers on the other’s palm whenever they were transported in a car, and by using food as codes whenever they were allowed to share meals.
Armand, Dyan said, was resolute from the beginning that they were not going to give in to their captors’ wishes, which was to sign an affidavit that they were surrendering as communist rebels, and potentially to be presented to the public as “returnees.” They were going to play a long game, and Armand communicated that by using their meals: appetizer comes first, dessert last, they would say, or code for “do not give in to what they want at the first instance, save it for last.”
Maybe it was that: that they were two strategic thinkers. Or maybe that their fellow activists mounted an effective surface campaign that put the pressure on their captors. Maybe they picked the wrong victims. Or maybe, 29-year-old Dyan said, it’s that their captors were lousy. “Sabi nga nila, walang perfect crime din, parang ang dami din kasi nilang, tingin namin ang daming loopholes (As they say, there is no perfect crime, because for us, they had a lot of loopholes)” Dyan told Rappler in an interview done in Quezon City on November 28, 2023.
An imperfect crime, the wrong victims, and a closed-circuit television (CCTV) are what may crack these cases open as the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) reaches a rare stage. Rappler has exclusively learned that the CHR found solid links: a name of a person and a motorcycle that are involved in Dyan and Armand’s abductions can be traced to the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).
To Alfred Balajola, the CHR investigator, this is the closest they have ever come to identifying a state perpetrator.
“Kaya nga natagalan siya kasi di mo puwedeng i-close nang ganito eh. Sayang naman yung effort na mukhang may lead ka talaga (This is why it’s taken us long, because we cannot close it like this. We don’t want to waste our efforts if you have a solid lead),” Balajola told Rappler in an interview on December 7, 2023.
Rappler reached out to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Spokesperson Colonel Medel Aguilar on December 4, 2023, to ask for their side of the story. An interview was set with him for December 13 but they canceled the night before, citing a conflict in schedule. A list of questions was emailed on December 14, which the AFP’s Public Affairs Office (PAO) had confirmed receiving. We followed up with PAO on January 1, 2024 and Aguilar on January 3, but neither has responded as of writing. We will update this story once they do.
Activists have called out this emerging pattern of “fake surrender,” where they are held captive until they execute an affidavit denouncing their leftist affiliations, and do whatever the demands are: be an asset or just stay quiet.
In the case of Dyan and Armand, their captors were very sympathetic to their causes, saying it’s “part of democracy.” All they asked of them, Dyan said, was to “keep in touch and coordinate.”
Since 2018, human rights group Karapatan has documented 14 instances of “fake surrenders.”
“Anecdotally, in these cases, state forces have deliberately made sure that there are formalities or trappings of legitimacy or legality. The conditions are hostile which the Desap (Anti-Enforced Disappearance) Law would have addressed. But until and unless we show the public and the victims that you can rely on the judicial process to seek relief, then it’s going to be very difficult,” said Edre Olalia, chairperson of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL).
Perhaps Dyan was right – that her and Armand’s captors were a little lousy, even negligent. For one, they abducted the two in broad daylight at a crowded port. Soon enough, a video was released, seemingly filmed by a bystander from an elevated position. In the video, masked men were seen shoving Dyan and Armand into a gray Innova with onlookers just nearby. “Help them!” someone was heard shouting in the video.
Port authorities told CHR investigators that someone who identified himself as being with the armed forces coordinated beforehand that they were going to apprehend people wanted for estafa. The person was referred to the port authorities by maritime police, said Balajola, giving the coordination request credibility.
Text messages to the port authority revealed several names, later confirmed in a manifesto of passengers at the Escalante Port where Dyan and Armand were taken before their final destination in Carmen. The final name was then traced to ISAFP.
In the initial correspondences with the AFP, there was a misspelling in the name that forced the CHR to redo the summons. The first response they got was that this person had gone AWOL (absence without leave), said Balajola. Another response from the AFP on December 18, 2023, said the person would not be able to attend a hearing because he was in Marawi.
CCTV from the Cebu port showed a motorcycle tailing the gray Innova, which the CHR again traced to ISAFP.
“Kung totoo naman na hindi sa kanila, ginamit ‘yung plate number nila (If it’s true that the motorcycle is not theirs, then somebody used their plate number,” said Balajola.
They were able to arrange an ocular inspection to see the motorcycle in the ISAFP compound, but “‘nung pagpunta namin, although may usapan na kami, hindi na kami makapasok (when we went there, although we had a prior arrangement, we could no longer enter),” said Balajola. That’s when CHR started sending summons.
When Rappler talked to Aguilar via text on December 8, the AFP spokesperson said he was “not aware of the CHR notice.”
The CHR started sending summons to the AFP in July 2023. The back-and-forth lasted until November 2023 when the person of interest sent a counter affidavit denying any involvement. The CHR insisted on having a clarificatory hearing and on December 18, 2023, the Judge Advocate General Service (JAGS) – the military’s main legal unit – sent a response asking for the clarificatory questions.
That is the latest status of the investigation, after which the CHR can choose its next step: issue a final report and recommendation, file a complaint if they find enough basis to do so, or close the probe, depending on the outcome of the next phase. This is why Rappler is withholding the name of the ISAFP agent, pending further investigation.
Before this, the last case that identified a state agent involved in an abduction of an activist was that of Jonas Burgos, who disappeared on April 28, 2007. The smoking gun was also a vehicle, with a plate number linked to the army’s 56th Infantry Battalion in Bulacan. Burgos is still missing, and the only state agent ever charged in court was an army major who was acquitted in 2017.
From 1986 to present, there have been 1,911 cases of enforced disappearances in the Philippines, according to Karapatan, including Jonas.
The 14 cases of “fake surrenders” since 2018 involve a total of 147 victims. All of them are alive and accounted for, allowing for documentation.
That the victims are alive also means they continue to live under threat, with most of them choosing to go low-profile. It is also possible that some cases went undocumented because they adhered to the demands of their captors.
Or that they are dead. (To be concluded) – Rappler.com
NEXT: Part 2 | Play the psy-war game: Young activists try to crack the case of disappearances
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An appreciation to the Commission on Human Rights for a work well done. Keep it up.
Enforced disappearances and fake surrenders are standard actions of the military with “utak pulbura (gunpowder-filled brain).” Unfortunately, in fairness to the Military Establishment, it is under a Civilian who is their Commander-in-Chief. With a strict obey first before you complain attitude and behavior, the Military merely reflects its Commander-in-Chief.
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LOOK: Katya Santos is engaged to non-showbiz boyfriend
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jreyes0314
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06/01/2024 14:36
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Paolo Pilar's Instagram
MANILA, Philippines – Katya Santos is set to tie the knot with her non-showbiz boyfriend, she announced in an Instagram post on Friday, January 5.
Santos shared a series of photos of her now-fiancé Paolo Pilar proposing to her in Japan.
A post shared by Katya Santos (@simplykatya)
“It all started in 2004. They say it was love at first sight, but I truly believed it was destiny! Now I understand what happened in the past needed to happen,” Santos wrote.
“The universe has its own way of bringing us back together. We [are] still headed in the same direction. I loved you once, I love you still, I always have, I always will,” she added.
Numerous celebrities like Maui Taylor, Diana Zubiri, Janno Gibbs, and Aiko Melendez left congratulatory comments under Santos’ post.
Pilar also shared his own photos from his proposal to Santos. He said that they met 20 years ago in Boracay.
A post shared by Paolo Pilar (@paopilar)
“Today in 2024, I finally asked her to be my wife with our families, friends, and the majestic Fuji-San as witnesses,” Pilar shared.
Santos is an actress known for her roles in the films Wala Na Bang Pag-ibig?, Radyo, and Aringkingking: Ang Bodyguard Kong Sexy, among others. She recently starred as Eva in the Filipino adaptation of Keys to the Heart alongside Dolly de Leon, Zanjoe Marudo, and Elijah Canlas.
The 41-year-old actress currently stars in the hit television series Can’t Buy Me Love.
She has a 10-year-old daughter named Tala from a previous relationship. – Rappler.com
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TAPE stops using Eat Bulaga! as Tito, Vic, Joey start using it for noon show
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gdecastro0289
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06/01/2024 13:47
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WINNER. TAPE Inc. stops using Eat Bulaga! on its noon show starting January 6, 2024, adopting instead the name Tahanang Pinakamasaya, while Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon start using Eat Bulaga! on TV5.
Composite of screenshots from TAPE Inc. FB/TVJ FB
MANILA, Philippines – Television and Production Exponents Incorporated (TAPE) stopped using Eat Bulaga! on its noon show on television channel GMA-7 on Saturday, January 6, a day after a court ordered it, as well as the GMA Network (GMA), to stop using the trademark on the Philippines’ longest-running noon show.
TAPE adopted the name Tahanang Pinakamasaya (Happiest Home) instead of Eat Bulaga! for its show, now led by former Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and actor Paolo Contis. TAPE is the blocktimer for the show on GMA-7 until end of 2024.
Late Friday, January 5, it was disclosed that a Marikina Regional Trial Court (RTC) ruled in favor of comedians Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon (TVJ) who had sought an injunction on TAPE’s use of Eat Bulaga and the initials EB on GMA-7, the country’s number one free tv channel.
The court “permanently enjoined” TAPE and GMA from using the Eat Bulaga and EB trademarks, including logos, on its shows, programs, projects, and promotions.
They were also ordered to stop using the Eat Bulaga! song, and from airing playbacks of all recorded episodes of Eat Bulaga! prior to May 31, 2023, the day TVJ left TAPE. TAPE, however, had already stopped using the Eat Bulaga song in July 2023 as it unveiled a rap-like song for its show.
The Marikina RTC also urged the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to “cause the cancellation” of the trademark registrations of TAPE from its records.
A post shared by Joey de Leon (@angpoetnyo)
Last December, adjudication officer of the IPOPHL had already ruled in favor of TVJ on the trademark cancellation but this was for the use of Eat Bulaga for merchandise. De Leon also won a separate trademark registration for entertainment use case before the IPOPHL last year. TAPE has appealed both rulings before the IPOPHL.
Following their victory on Friday, Vic Sotto said in a video posted on TVJ Facebook, “Sa madaling salita, atin talaga ang Eat Bulaga!” (In other words, we are the real owners of Eat Bulaga!)
On Saturday, the trio started using Eat Bulaga! on their E.A.T. show on the Kapatid network, TV5, with all the Legitdabarkads (Legitimate Friends) wearing t-shirts with the Eat Bulaga! logo.
In a statement on Saturday, GMA said the Marikina RTC found that the network “was a mere nominal party to TVJ’s suit,” and that the trio “never claimed any damages in their complaint as against GMA.”
“For accuracy and clarity of the public, the Regional Trial Court clearly found that GMA did not commit any act of copyright infringement or unfair competition against the plaintiffs as it was merely complying with its contractual commitments under its airtime agreement with co-defendant TAPE,” the broadcast company said.
In addition, GMA said it will comply with the court’s directive not to air playbacks of Eat Bulaga! prior to May 31, 2023 in its platforms.
“Nevertheless, GMA Network will refer the matter to our external counsel to avail of the proper remedies before the appellate courts,” the network said.
De Leon coined Eat Bulaga for their noon show back in 1979, but it was TAPE owner, ex-convict Romeo Jalosjos, who chose it from list of names given to him.
TAPE went on to produce the show Eat Bulaga for over four decades, the longest under GMA.
TAPE and TVJ, however, had a falling out last year over how to run the show, prompting TVJ to leave the outfit on May 31, 2023.
They then created a new noon show, E.A.T., on businessman Manny V. Pangilinan’s network, TV5, which began airing July 1, 2023.
TAPE’s legal counsel Maggie Garduque has said on several occasions that they will appeal all rulings all the way to the Supreme Court in the event they lose these separate cases.
Noon shows are a lucrative business for producers and networks with many companies still finding it useful to promote products and services while viewers have their lunch. Although the television audience has plateaued in the Philippines, many poor Filipino families still tune in to free television for entertainment. – Rappler.com
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Six cafes to visit in Cebu City
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Herbie G
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06/01/2024 17:16
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Drinks at HueMann Coffee in Barangay Zapatera, Cebu City.
CEBU, Philippines – Whether you’re in the mood for a quick coffee fix, or brunch, or in search of Instagrammable spots, these cafes in Cebu City could just be the destinations for you.
From Korean-inspired to Japanese-themed cafes, Cebu City boasts a thriving cafe culture that caters to various tastes and preferences. Here are some recommendations listed in alphabetical order:
Location: Advent Business Center, Acacia Street, Barangay Kamputhaw, Cebu City
First on the list is Capu Coffee, which had its soft opening in December 2023. With an edgy and clean ambiance, Capu Coffee features corners perfect for selfies and quick mobile photoshoots.
One of the cafe’s best sellers is its matcha drink, but it also offers a variety of drinks and pastries, such as Spanish latte and ube creme cake.
Open from 8 am to 6 pm daily, this cafe is perfect for those seeking a less busy ambiance, as it is tucked away in a serene location–yet remains easily accessible to the Cebu Business Park.
Location: G/F Queensland Manor Condominium, Rahmann Street, Barangay Zapatera, Cebu City
This coffee shop labels itself as the first German coffee brand in Cebu. So, don’t be surprised if it’s the first time you’ll hear the names of their drinks as they are also in German.
HueMann’s best sellers are its Sea Salt Latte and the Meersalz Latte. It also offers other varieties, such as those called “Spanisched Latte,” “Dunkel Mocha,” and “Weisser Mocha.”
With a minimalist design, the cafe offers a clean aesthetic, which resembles the Because Coffee by Harlan + Holden in Bonifacio Global Center.
You can even order drinks from HueMann while getting your hair done in a studio just across the coffee shop!
Location: 368 Tojong Street, Cebu City
Aside from their drink offerings, customers of Misfits Coffee can dig in on its cute laptop stickers and other artworks for sale.
This pleasantly old-fashioned, uptown coffee shop offers espresso, cold brew, pour-over, and tea.
Location: Ginza Compound, J. Panis Street, Banilad, Cebu City
If you want to try a modern Japanese Cafe, Mono is a pick for you. This cafe offers indoor and outdoor dining and maintains a cozy and aesthetic ambiance.
This cafe sells souffle pancakes (in two flavors: mono classic and purple taro), donburi (protein + dashi egg rice bowl set with a side of vegetable pickles, miso soup, and a slice of fruit), and shokupan (the cafe’s rendition of the open-face toast using fluffy Japanese milk bread, served with a side of slaw), among others.
Mono is open daily from 9 am to 8 pm.
Location: Alice’s House, Prissan Road, Cebu City (front of Abaca Commissary)
I would recommend visiting this cafe on a sunny afternoon, where the rays of the sun perfectly bounce off the cafe’s large, modern windows–ideal for capturing the golden hour and taking photos.
Don’t be surprised to discover that the cafe is located in an actual house. This cafe also caters to pop-up events of local brands. It had its grand opening in November 2023.
Location: 7K, 2nd Street, San Antonio Village, Apas, Cebu City
This coffee shop prides itself as Cebu’s best croissant spot, and true to its claim, it offers delicious croissants and other pastries. Their matcha drink is also worth trying!
Located in the quiet neighborhood of San Antonio Village, just a few blocks away from Cebu IT Park, 5G Coffee sells signature specialty coffee and accepts pre-orders for its wide array of croissant flavors.
Seeing the coffee shop industry thriving is a welcome development. It not only reflects a shift towards coffee consumption but also indicates a positive economic activity, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
As someone who has recently developed the habit of exploring newly opened cafes, this trend definitely means enhancing the social experience of Cebu City! – Rappler.com
Wenilyn Sabalo is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow.
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I’m amused because Abaca Baking Company is a renowned coffee shop for Cebu residents, beginning with the Abaca in Ayala Center.
I can only Rappler is merely Manila-Centric, with little regard for subscribers from Cebu, like myself.
This needs to change, try not to be so isolated, there is enough of that here in Cebu.
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Kevin Quiambao, Topex Robinson beef up Strong Group squad for Dubai joust
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delfin.dioquino editor
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06/01/2024 17:39
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KING ARCHERS. Kevin Quiambao tows the La Salle Green Archers to the UAAP championship.
UAAP SEASON 86 MEDIA TEAM
MANILA, Philippines – La Salle star forward Kevin Quiambao and head coach Topex Robinson will bolster a stacked Strong Group Athletics crew that will shoot for the Dubai International Basketball Championship crown.
Strong Group announced on Saturday, January 6, the addition of Quiambao and Robinson to its team that will be bannered by former NBA players Dwight Howard, Andray Blatche, and Andre Roberson.
Fresh from steering the Green Archers to the UAAP Season 86 title, Robinson will reinforce the staff of head coach Charles Tiu, who is bringing his new St. Benilde players Tony Ynot, Justine Sanchez, and Allen Liwag.
Also joining Strong Group is La Salle gunner Francis Escandor.
“I’m super happy to be included again knowing the roster is super loaded and talented,” said reigning UAAP MVP Quiambao, who suited up for the Strong Group squad that reached the quarterfinals last year.
“The hunger to bounce back is there because we’re joining a league that is for the best of the best,” he added. “I’ll give my best every game and I’ll do anything to help the team attain its goal of becoming a champion.”
Robinson is expected to provide a wealth of experience to a coaching staff that has former Bay Area Dragons and current Australia Boomers head coach Brian Goorjian as a consultant.
“I’ve talked with coach Topex about working together in the past, even before he got the DLSU job. We are good friends and I am sure he will add a lot of value to us. He is a champion coach,” said Tiu.
Tiu opted to tap Ynot, Sanchez, and Liwag – who transferred to St. Benilde from other schools – to prepare them for the next NCAA season.
“We wanted to give our newest Benilde recruits the experience of playing overseas and competing at a high level,” said Tiu.
Former TNT import McKenzie Moore will also see action for Strong Group in the tournament that will run from January 19 to 28 at Al Nasr Club in Dubai. – Rappler.com
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Kean Baclaan bids NU Bulldogs goodbye
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Jasmine Payo
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05/01/2024 19:30
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PLAYMAKER. NU point guard Kean Baclaan calls a play in UAAP action.
UAAP
MANILA, Philippines – Combo guard Kean Baclaan has bid the NU Bulldogs farewell after two seasons, a source with personal knowledge of the situation confirmed to Rappler on Friday, January 5.
Baclaan is set to play for his third collegiate team since 2022, playing momentarily with the UST Growling Tigers during the men’s basketball offseason before transferring to National University.
The source also clarified that the guard has not talked to any school yet regarding his transfer, although there is strong speculation that he is headed to reigning UAAP champion De La Salle.
If his transfer to Taft pushes through, the Green Archers will still have a huge void at point guard as Baclaan still needs to redshirt for UAAP Season 87 to serve his one-year residency.
The 21-year-old played high school ball at La Salle Zobel before committing to the UST program.
Baclaan could be reunited with UAAP Most Valuable Player Kevin Quiambao, whom he grew up with as childhood friends in their hometown of Muntinlupa.
Quiambao, on his X (formerly Twitter) account, has tweeted and retweeted posts alluding to the reunion.
During his sophomore season under coach Jeff Napa, the streaky point guard emerged as the team’s second-leading scorer at 10.7 markers, which went along with 4.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 3.6 turnovers.
The Bulldogs were ousted from the playoff picture by La Salle, 97-73, in the UAAP Final Four. – Rappler.com
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Lazaro-Revilla jumps to Creamline, reunites with Ateneo teammates Valdez, De Guzman
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jisaga0269
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06/01/2024 16:33
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VETERAN VOICE. Choco Mucho libero Denden Lazaro-Revilla (center) reacts in the 2023 PVL First All-Filipino Conference
PVL Images
MANILA, Philippines – The Creamline Cool Smashers have beefed up their stacked roster with even more veteran leadership ahead of the 2024 PVL season, scooping up star libero Denden Lazaro-Revilla from sister team Choco Mucho on Saturday, January 6.
The move comes one day after the Flying Titans officially bid farewell to Lazaro-Revilla and captain Bea de Leon, with the latter also reportedly donning the iconic blue and pink colors in the very near future.
Lazaro-Revilla reunites with her former UAAP title-winning Ateneo teammates Alyssa Valdez, Ella de Jesus, and – once she returns from her Japan V. League stint – Jia de Guzman.
Along with Choco Mucho pioneer De Leon, Lazaro-Revilla was one of the longest-tenured Flying Titans on the roster that recently won silver in the 2023 Second All-Filipino Conference.
In 2020, the then-28-year-old defensive specialist joined a once-middling Choco Mucho program that recently finished seventh in the 2019 All-Filipino tilt, then called the Open Conference, and became one of the team’s vocal leaders amid its highs and lows.
Now 31 with still a lot left in the tank, Lazaro-Revilla is expected to further bolster Creamline’s floor defense alongside fellow standout liberos De Jesus and Kyla Atienza. – Rappler.com
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Rondae clarifies late-game frustration directed towards referees, not Rain or Shine
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delfin.dioquino editor
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06/01/2024 16:06
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SHOT. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in action for the TNT Tropang Giga in the East Asia Super League.
East Asia Super League
MANILA, Philippines – Rondae Hollis-Jefferson meant no disrespect.
The former TNT import said he merely wanted to talk to the referees after his decision to stand behind the Rain or Shine bench ignited a word war with Elasto Painters head coach Yeng Guiao on Friday, January 5.
Upset after his brother and new Tropang Giga import Rahlir got called for a shooting foul and a technical foul in succession, Rondae left his spectator seat and stood behind the Rain or Shine bench to argue with the officials.
But Guiao found the move “disrespectful” and figured in a heated exchange with Hollis-Jefferson before TNT players pulled the former NBA player away.
“I didn’t approach the bench. That’s the issue. That’s the problem. He said that I approached the bench. I’m not approaching the bench,” said Hollis-Jefferson.
“I didn’t say anything to any player. Even when they were still telling me, ‘Get out of here!’ I didn’t say anything to them.”
Hollis-Jefferson took exception to the way Guiao reacted.
“Once the coach said something to me, I looked at him and said, ‘Don’t do that. Don’t do that, bro.’ That’s what I said and he will tell you that. But my frustration was with the ref. I was talking to the ref,” said Hollis-Jefferson.
“Have you ever seen a coach go on the court to a ref? He’s coaching and he does that. Out of frustration as a fan of TNT – I’m a fan of TNT right now – and as a little brother of a person that’s doing really well, I was hurt.”
“My emotions led me to follow the referee. Not your team,” he added. “I have no disrespect to your team. I said nothing to your team.”
Replays showed Guiao flashing his middle finger while Hollis-Jefferson was being escorted away.
“I would never flip you off. I’m sure they got that on camera, him flipping me off. Let’s play that back please,” Hollis-Jefferson said.
Taking the spot of injured Rondae, Rahlir showed out in his debut with a 50-point explosion on top of 16 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.
However, the shooting and technical fouls Rahlir incurred with a minute left doomed the Tropang Giga as the Elasto Painters hacked out a 119-112 win to lock up the seventh quarterfinal berth.
Riding on a three-game skid, TNT needs to win it last elimination-round game against Phoenix on January 14 to bolster its chances of securing the last playoff spot. – Rappler.com
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In pattern of ‘fake surrenders,’ 1 case links abduction to military intel service
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Lian Buan
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06/01/2024 15:48
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ADVOCATES. Development workers and labor rights advocates Dyan Gumanao and Armand Dayoha reunite with their family members after a press conference at the University of the Philippines-Cebu on January 21, 2023.
Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler
First of 2 parts
MANILA, Philippines – It’s not easy to say it was just luck, said Dyan Gumanao, that she and partner Armand Dayoha were released by their captors alive, dropped off at a resort in northern Cebu on January 15, 2023, with no other hard demand but to post a nonchalant MyDay on their Facebook.
Dyan’s narration of their ordeal from their abduction at the Cebu City port on January 10, 2023 tells a story of a couple with extraordinary connection – blindfolded and hands zip-tied, and separated for most of the days, they passed messages to each other by writing with fingers on the other’s palm whenever they were transported in a car, and by using food as codes whenever they were allowed to share meals.
Armand, Dyan said, was resolute from the beginning that they were not going to give in to their captors’ wishes, which was to sign an affidavit that they were surrendering as communist rebels, and potentially to be presented to the public as “returnees.” They were going to play a long game, and Armand communicated that by using their meals: appetizer comes first, dessert last, they would say, or code for “do not give in to what they want at the first instance, save it for last.”
Maybe it was that: that they were two strategic thinkers. Or maybe that their fellow activists mounted an effective surface campaign that put the pressure on their captors. Maybe they picked the wrong victims. Or maybe, 29-year-old Dyan said, it’s that their captors were lousy. “Sabi nga nila, walang perfect crime din, parang ang dami din kasi nilang, tingin namin ang daming loopholes (As they say, there is no perfect crime, because for us, they had a lot of loopholes)” Dyan told Rappler in an interview done in Quezon City on November 28, 2023.
An imperfect crime, the wrong victims, and a closed-circuit television (CCTV) are what may crack these cases open as the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) reaches a rare stage. Rappler has exclusively learned that the CHR found solid links: a name of a person and a motorcycle that are involved in Dyan and Armand’s abductions can be traced to the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).
To Alfred Balajola, the CHR investigator, this is the closest they have ever come to identifying a state perpetrator.
“Kaya nga natagalan siya kasi di mo puwedeng i-close nang ganito eh. Sayang naman yung effort na mukhang may lead ka talaga (This is why it’s taken us long, because we cannot close it like this. We don’t want to waste our efforts if you have a solid lead),” Balajola told Rappler in an interview on December 7, 2023.
Rappler reached out to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Spokesperson Colonel Medel Aguilar on December 4, 2023, to ask for their side of the story. An interview was set with him for December 13 but they canceled the night before, citing a conflict in schedule. A list of questions was emailed on December 14, which the AFP’s Public Affairs Office (PAO) had confirmed receiving. We followed up with PAO on January 1, 2024 and Aguilar on January 3, but neither has responded as of writing. We will update this story once they do.
Activists have called out this emerging pattern of “fake surrender,” where they are held captive until they execute an affidavit denouncing their leftist affiliations, and do whatever the demands are: be an asset or just stay quiet.
In the case of Dyan and Armand, their captors were very sympathetic to their causes, saying it’s “part of democracy.” All they asked of them, Dyan said, was to “keep in touch and coordinate.”
Since 2018, human rights group Karapatan has documented 14 instances of “fake surrenders.”
“Anecdotally, in these cases, state forces have deliberately made sure that there are formalities or trappings of legitimacy or legality. The conditions are hostile which the Desap (Anti-Enforced Disappearance) Law would have addressed. But until and unless we show the public and the victims that you can rely on the judicial process to seek relief, then it’s going to be very difficult,” said Edre Olalia, chairperson of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL).
Perhaps Dyan was right – that her and Armand’s captors were a little lousy, even negligent. For one, they abducted the two in broad daylight at a crowded port. Soon enough, a video was released, seemingly filmed by a bystander from an elevated position. In the video, masked men were seen shoving Dyan and Armand into a gray Innova with onlookers just nearby. “Help them!” someone was heard shouting in the video.
Port authorities told CHR investigators that someone who identified himself as being with the armed forces coordinated beforehand that they were going to apprehend people wanted for estafa. The person was referred to the port authorities by maritime police, said Balajola, giving the coordination request credibility.
Text messages to the port authority revealed several names, later confirmed in a manifesto of passengers at the Escalante Port where Dyan and Armand were taken before their final destination in Carmen. The final name was then traced to ISAFP.
In the initial correspondences with the AFP, there was a misspelling in the name that forced the CHR to redo the summons. The first response they got was that this person had gone AWOL (absence without leave), said Balajola. Another response from the AFP on December 18, 2023, said the person would not be able to attend a hearing because he was in Marawi.
CCTV from the Cebu port showed a motorcycle tailing the gray Innova, which the CHR again traced to ISAFP.
“Kung totoo naman na hindi sa kanila, ginamit ‘yung plate number nila (If it’s true that the motorcycle is not theirs, then somebody used their plate number,” said Balajola.
They were able to arrange an ocular inspection to see the motorcycle in the ISAFP compound, but “‘nung pagpunta namin, although may usapan na kami, hindi na kami makapasok (when we went there, although we had a prior arrangement, we could no longer enter),” said Balajola. That’s when CHR started sending summons.
When Rappler talked to Aguilar via text on December 8, the AFP spokesperson said he was “not aware of the CHR notice.”
The CHR started sending summons to the AFP in July 2023. The back-and-forth lasted until November 2023 when the person of interest sent a counter affidavit denying any involvement. The CHR insisted on having a clarificatory hearing and on December 18, 2023, the Judge Advocate General Service (JAGS) – the military’s main legal unit – sent a response asking for the clarificatory questions.
That is the latest status of the investigation, after which the CHR can choose its next step: issue a final report and recommendation, file a complaint if they find enough basis to do so, or close the probe, depending on the outcome of the next phase. This is why Rappler is withholding the name of the ISAFP agent, pending further investigation.
Before this, the last case that identified a state agent involved in an abduction of an activist was that of Jonas Burgos, who disappeared on April 28, 2007. The smoking gun was also a vehicle, with a plate number linked to the army’s 56th Infantry Battalion in Bulacan. Burgos is still missing, and the only state agent ever charged in court was an army major who was acquitted in 2017.
From 1986 to present, there have been 1,911 cases of enforced disappearances in the Philippines, according to Karapatan, including Jonas.
The 14 cases of “fake surrenders” since 2018 involve a total of 147 victims. All of them are alive and accounted for, allowing for documentation.
That the victims are alive also means they continue to live under threat, with most of them choosing to go low-profile. It is also possible that some cases went undocumented because they adhered to the demands of their captors.
Or that they are dead. (To be concluded) – Rappler.com
NEXT: Part 2 | Play the psy-war game: Young activists try to crack the case of disappearances
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An appreciation to the Commission on Human Rights for a work well done. Keep it up.
Enforced disappearances and fake surrenders are standard actions of the military with “utak pulbura (gunpowder-filled brain).” Unfortunately, in fairness to the Military Establishment, it is under a Civilian who is their Commander-in-Chief. With a strict obey first before you complain attitude and behavior, the Military merely reflects its Commander-in-Chief.
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Majoy Baron bolsters PLDT frontline, joins ex-F2 teammate Kim Fajardo
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jisaga0269
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06/01/2024 14:56
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GREENER PASTURES. Majoy Baron gets a chance to pursue an overseas career.
PVL
MANILA, Philippines – The mad scramble for former F2 Cargo Movers stars is nearing an end as the PLDT High Speed Hitters struck anew, signing star middle blocker Majoy Baron on Saturday, January 6, to join resurgent setter Kim Fajardo.
The move of the former UAAP and Philippine Superliga MVP marks the end of a seven-year stint with the F2 franchise, broken only due to its shocking disbandment that triggered a PVL free agent frenzy in the last few weeks.
Baron, who languished with inconsistent playing time in her last few conferences with the Cargo Movers, is set to boost an already formidable PLDT frontline featuring her former La Salle teammate Mika Reyes and Dell Palomata.
“The thought that everything I learned from La Salle and F2 is set to expand due to a new system makes me really excited,” said Baron, a three-time UAAP champion under legendary head coach Ramil de Jesus.
“Every new coach and every new teammate, I intend to learn from them.”
The High Speed Hitters are looking to improve their contention status up a few ranks, as their rise has been capped at fourth place twice and fifth place three times in their seven conferences so far in the PVL.
The franchise is rumored to end its free agency coup with a bang, as another former La Salle and F2 star waits in the wings. – Rappler.com
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Panama celebrates its black Christ, part of protest against colonialism and slavery
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Chito de la Vega
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06/01/2024 12:32
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The life-sized wooden statue of the Black Christ in St. Philip Church in Panama.
Dan Lundberg/Flickr, CC BY-SA
Panama’s “Festival del Cristo Negro,” the festival of the “Black Christ,” is an important religious holiday for local Catholics. It honors a dark, life-sized wooden statue of Jesus, “Cristo Negro” – also known as “El Nazaraeno,” or “The Nazarene.”
Throughout the year, pilgrims come to pay homage to this statue of Christ carrying a cross, in its permanent home in Iglesia de San Felipe, a Roman Catholic parish church located in Portobelo, a city along the Caribbean coast of Panama.
But it is on October 21 each year that the major celebration takes place. As many as 60,000 pilgrims from Portobelo and beyond travel for the festival, in which 80 men with shaved heads carry the black Christ statue on a large float through the streets of the city.
The men use a common Spanish style for solemn parades – three steps forward and two steps backward – as they move through the city streets. The night continues with music, drinking and dancing.
In my research on the relationship between Christianity, colonialism and racism, I have discovered that such festivals play a crucial role for historically oppressed peoples.
About 9% of Panama’s population claims African descent, many of whom are concentrated in Portobelo’s surrounding province of Colón. Census data from 2010 shows that over 21% of Portobelo’s population claim African heritage or black identity.
To Portobelo’s inhabitants, especially those who claim African descent, the festival is more than a religious celebration. It is a form of protest against Spanish colonialism, which brought with it slavery and racism.
Portobelo’s black Christ statue is a fascinating artifact of Panama’s colonial history. While there is little certainty as to its origin, many scholars believe the statue arrived in Portobelo in the 17th century – a time when the Spanish dominated Central America and brought in enslaved people from Africa.
Various legends circulate in Panama as to how the black Christ got to Portobelo. Some maintain that the statue originated in Spain, others that it was locally made, or that it washed ashore miraculously.
One of the most common stories maintains that a storm forced a ship from Spain, which was delivering the statue to another city, to dock in Portobelo. Every time the ship attempted to leave, the storms would return.
Eventually, the story goes, the statue was thrown overboard. The ship was then able to depart with clear skies. Later, local fishermen recovered the statue from the sea.
The statue was placed in its current home, Iglesia de San Felipe, in the early 19th century.
Stories of miracles added to its mystique. Among the legends in circulation is one about how prayers to the black Christ spared the city from a plague ravaging the region in the 18th century.
Since its exact origins are unknown, so are the artistic intention behind the Jesus statue. However the figure’s blackness has made it an object of particular devotion for locals of African descent.
At the time of the arrival of Cristo Negro, the majority of the Portobelo’s population was of African descent. This cultural heritage is significant to the city’s identity and traditions.
The veneration of the statue represents one of many ways that the black residents of Portobelo and the surrounding Colón region of Panama have engendered a sense of resistance to racism and slavery.
Each year around the time of Lent, local men and women across Colón – where slavery was particularly widespread – dramatize the story of self-liberated black slaves known as the Cimarrones. This reenactment is one of a series of celebrations, or “carnivals,” observed around the time of Lent by those who identify with the cultural tradition known colloquially as “Congo.” The term Congo was originally used by the Spanish colonists for anyone of African descent. It is now is used for traditions that can be traced back to the Cimarrones.
During the carnival celebration, some local people dress up as the devil, meant to represent Spanish slave masters or complicit priests. Others don the dress of the Cimarrones.
Many of the participants in both the black Christ and carnival celebrations of Panama are Catholics as well. Together they participate to bring to light the Catholic Church’s complex relationship with Spanish colonization and slavery. Many Catholic leaders in the 16th to 18th centuries justified the enslavement of Africans and the colonization of the Americas, or at least did not object to it.
Many people from throughout Panama have donated robes to clothe the statue. The colors of the robes donned by the statue varies throughout the year. Purple is reserved for the October celebrations, which likely reflects the use of purple in Catholic worship to signify suffering.
These robes draped on Panama’s black Christ are meant to represent those placed on Jesus when he was mockingly dressed in royal garb by the soldiers torturing him before his crucifixion.
Evoking this scene perhaps serves to remind the viewer of the deeper theological meaning of Jesus’s suffering as it is often understood in Christianity: Although Jesus is the Son of God prophesied to save God’s people from suffering and should thus be treated like royalty, he was tortured and executed as a common criminal. His suffering is understood to save people from their sins.
Some pilgrims specifically come during the October festival to seek forgiveness for any sinful actions. Some wear their own purple robes, the color indicating a sign of their suffering – and, of course, that of the black Christ. The Conversation/Rappler.com
S. Kyle Johnson is a doctoral candidate/ teaching fellow in Systematic Theology, Boston College.
This article was first published in The Conversation.
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Yeng resents ‘disrespectful’ Rondae act that sparks bench commotion
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delfin.dioquino editor
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06/01/2024 11:26
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DYNAMIC. Head coach Yeng Guiao of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao said he was baffled by the actions of former TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson which sparked a late bench commotion that marred their PBA game on Friday, January 5.
Hollis-Jefferson and Guiao figured in a verbal spat with under a minute left in the Elasto Painters’ 119-112 win after the former NBA player stood behind the Rain or Shine bench to vent his ire on the referees.
Frustrated after his brother and new Tropang Giga import Rahlir got called for a contentious shooting foul and a subsequent technical foul, Rondae approached the Elasto Painters bench to argue with the officials.
That move, though, did not sit well with Guiao as he exchanged heated words with Hollis-Jefferson, who needed to be pulled away by several TNT players.
“I was surprised he was behind our bench,” said Guiao. “That’s disrespectful. Totally disrespectful. Nobody does that.”
“I don’t know if I’ve seen that in my 33 years of coaching in the PBA, that somebody – in the heat of the game – just goes behind the bench. That’s our area. We had staff behind our bench. That’s a dangerous thing to pull.”
Rondae got sidelined after sustaining a neck injury following a bad fall in their East Asia Super League victory over the Taipei Fubon Braves last December 20.
With Rondae unable to return under PBA rules, the Tropang Giga replaced him with his older brother Rahlir.
Rahlir did not disappoint and dropped 50 points in his PBA debut with 16 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, although his foul on Rain or Shine import Demetrius Treadwell and technical foul for resentment to a call proved crucial.
Treadwell sank both of his foul shots and Rey Nambatac drained the technical free throw as the Elasto Painters erected a 115-106 lead en route to their fifth straight win and an outright quarterfinal berth in the Commissioner’s Cup.
“Hindi ko alam anong nangyari sa kaniya, tinopak ‘yung gago,” said Guiao. (I don’t know what happened to him. He went mad.)
“It was a beautiful game, the fans would love a game like that so maybe he just got emotional or frustrated. But you don’t take it out that way.”
No thanks to the loss, TNT slipped to 4-6 and fell into a precarious race for the last playoff berth against sister team NLEX, which totes a 3-6 record. – Rappler.com
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Rights group: Don’t be proud of return to pre-pandemic OFW deployment
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Michelle Abad
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06/01/2024 12:24
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OVERSEAS JOB FAIR. Jobseekers try their luck as over 4,000 overseas job were offered by various recruitment agencies during the 2023 Overseas Job Fair hosted by the Department of Migrant Workers in Central Visayas, at a mall in Cebu City on December 8, 2023.
Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The return of overseas Filipino worker deployment to pre-pandemic levels is “not something that the Philippine government should be proud of,” an OFW rights group said on Saturday, January 6.
Progressive group Migrante International was responding to an update from Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) officer-in-Charge Hans Cacdac in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing on Thursday, January 4, that the department issued 2.5 million overseas employment certificates (OECs) and OFW Passes in 2023, and overseas employment had returned to pre-pandemic levels.
“It is yet another proof that after four years since COVID-19 hit the world, the Philippines continues to fail in creating decent jobs at home,” said Migrante, pointing out that 2.5 million issued OECs and OFW Passes translated to more than 6,800 Filipinos leaving the country each day.
Cacdac also noted that under the late DMW Secretary Susan Ople, who died in August 2023, the department was able to hasten the process for deployment.
He said that an OEC could now be issued within a day, and the time needed to accredit foreign employers went down from 20-30 days to 7-15 days.
But Migrante raised concern, saying, “We certainly hope that this does not mean reducing or letting go of standards for legitimate employers. Failure to properly weed out unscrupulous and abusive employers will directly have a negative effect on OFWs’ living and working conditions, rights and even lives.”
Cacdac also hailed the department’s increased anti-trafficking efforts, including several closure operations of alleged illegal recruitment firms, and the takedown of around 7,000 illegal recruitment pages on Facebook.
As of Friday, January 5, the DMW has closed 14 firms accused of illegal recruitment since 2022.
But Migrante still noted how many Filipinos fell victim to illegal recruitment in 2023.
“Many OFWs have filed cases against illegal recruiters and scammers like former Cebu City councilor Prisca Nina Mabatid, CEO of PCVC Opportunities Abroad, Pinoy Care Visa Center, and PCVC-Opportunities Abroad. These figures also do not paint a rosy picture of the jobs situation in the Philippines,” said Migrante.
Cacdac said that the DMW aimed to further fight illegal recruitment and human trafficking in 2024.
“We wish to crack down on more illegal recruitment activities. There are still many establishments that need to be shut down,” said Cacdac in a mix of English and Filipino.
Migrante said that the DMW and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should “seriously reconsider their uncritical celebration of the Philippine government’s labor export program.”
It was only in 2023 that the DMW went fully operational since its creation in December 2021. In January 2023, Ople said in a Malacañang press briefing that she had hoped to deploy more OFWs throughout the year. – Rappler.com
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TAPE stops using Eat Bulaga! as Tito, Vic, Joey start using it for noon show
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gdecastro0289
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06/01/2024 13:47
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WINNER. TAPE Inc. stops using Eat Bulaga! on its noon show starting January 6, 2024, adopting instead the name Tahanang Pinakamasaya, while Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon start using Eat Bulaga! on TV5.
Composite of screenshots from TAPE Inc. FB/TVJ FB
MANILA, Philippines – Television and Production Exponents Incorporated (TAPE) stopped using Eat Bulaga! on its noon show on television channel GMA-7 on Saturday, January 6, a day after a court ordered it, as well as the GMA Network (GMA), to stop using the trademark on the Philippines’ longest-running noon show.
TAPE adopted the name Tahanang Pinakamasaya (Happiest Home) instead of Eat Bulaga! for its show, now led by former Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and actor Paolo Contis. TAPE is the blocktimer for the show on GMA-7 until end of 2024.
Late Friday, January 5, it was disclosed that a Marikina Regional Trial Court (RTC) ruled in favor of comedians Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon (TVJ) who had sought an injunction on TAPE’s use of Eat Bulaga and the initials EB on GMA-7, the country’s number one free tv channel.
The court “permanently enjoined” TAPE and GMA from using the Eat Bulaga and EB trademarks, including logos, on its shows, programs, projects, and promotions.
They were also ordered to stop using the Eat Bulaga! song, and from airing playbacks of all recorded episodes of Eat Bulaga! prior to May 31, 2023, the day TVJ left TAPE. TAPE, however, had already stopped using the Eat Bulaga song in July 2023 as it unveiled a rap-like song for its show.
The Marikina RTC also urged the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) to “cause the cancellation” of the trademark registrations of TAPE from its records.
A post shared by Joey de Leon (@angpoetnyo)
Last December, adjudication officer of the IPOPHL had already ruled in favor of TVJ on the trademark cancellation but this was for the use of Eat Bulaga for merchandise. De Leon also won a separate trademark registration for entertainment use case before the IPOPHL last year. TAPE has appealed both rulings before the IPOPHL.
Following their victory on Friday, Vic Sotto said in a video posted on TVJ Facebook, “Sa madaling salita, atin talaga ang Eat Bulaga!” (In other words, we are the real owners of Eat Bulaga!)
On Saturday, the trio started using Eat Bulaga! on their E.A.T. show on the Kapatid network, TV5, with all the Legitdabarkads (Legitimate Friends) wearing t-shirts with the Eat Bulaga! logo.
In a statement on Saturday, GMA said the Marikina RTC found that the network “was a mere nominal party to TVJ’s suit,” and that the trio “never claimed any damages in their complaint as against GMA.”
“For accuracy and clarity of the public, the Regional Trial Court clearly found that GMA did not commit any act of copyright infringement or unfair competition against the plaintiffs as it was merely complying with its contractual commitments under its airtime agreement with co-defendant TAPE,” the broadcast company said.
In addition, GMA said it will comply with the court’s directive not to air playbacks of Eat Bulaga! prior to May 31, 2023 in its platforms.
“Nevertheless, GMA Network will refer the matter to our external counsel to avail of the proper remedies before the appellate courts,” the network said.
De Leon coined Eat Bulaga for their noon show back in 1979, but it was TAPE owner, ex-convict Romeo Jalosjos, who chose it from list of names given to him.
TAPE went on to produce the show Eat Bulaga for over four decades, the longest under GMA.
TAPE and TVJ, however, had a falling out last year over how to run the show, prompting TVJ to leave the outfit on May 31, 2023.
They then created a new noon show, E.A.T., on businessman Manny V. Pangilinan’s network, TV5, which began airing July 1, 2023.
TAPE’s legal counsel Maggie Garduque has said on several occasions that they will appeal all rulings all the way to the Supreme Court in the event they lose these separate cases.
Noon shows are a lucrative business for producers and networks with many companies still finding it useful to promote products and services while viewers have their lunch. Although the television audience has plateaued in the Philippines, many poor Filipino families still tune in to free television for entertainment. – Rappler.com
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Archbishop Fernando Capalla, scourge of Duterte in Davao, dies at 89
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Paterno Esmaquel II
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06/01/2024 11:10
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CBCP News
MANILA, Philippines – Davao Archbishop Emeritus Fernando Capalla, one of the first churchmen to condemn Davao Death Squad (DDS) killings under then-mayor Rodrigo Duterte, died at the age of 89 on Saturday, January 6.
The president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, confirmed Capalla’s death in a Facebook post. CBCP News said Capalla died at 1:38 am on Saturday in Davao City.
Capalla, archbishop of Davao for 15 years, was CBCP president from 2003 to 2005.
He was the second Filipino Catholic bishop who died in the first week of 2024, following the death of Pagadian Bishop Ronald Lunas also in Davao City on January 2.
Born on November 1, 1934 in Leon, Iloilo, Capalla was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Jaro in 1961. Capalla led the Archdiocese of Davao from 1996 to 2012, a fraction of the time Duterte was Davao City mayor for more than two decades.
Even before the likes of David and Archbishop Socrates Villegas condemned killings when Duterte was Philippine president, Capalla was one of the few voices that cried out against DDS slays in Davao two decades ago. His was a powerful though lonely voice, as Duterte was and still is popular in Davao to this day.
The DDS was the shadowy vigilante group associated with Duterte when he was Davao City mayor, which is now the subject of an investigation by the International Criminal Court. The DDS mode of killing drug suspects through extrajudicial means was said to have been Duterte’s template when he was president from 2016 to 2022.
“Killing, murder, salvaging, or the taking of life in whatever manner, is an affront against the Creator and against humanity,” Capalla wrote in a pastoral letter titled “Thou Shall Not Kill,” read in all Catholic churches in the Archdiocese of Davao on November 21, 2001.
Capalla added that “no one takes the law into one’s hands simply because no one is above the law and a law unto oneself” and that rehabilitating prisoners “is an easy possibility” for the government.
“It is therefore erroneous and wrong for any government to have recourse to the principle of self-defense when it inflicts capital punishment on prisoners. Or, when it seems to tolerate criminal groups like the Davao Death Squad to kill. It is an admission of failure in the fulfillment of its obligation to prevent crime and its recurrence,” Capalla said.
“The so-called death squads are violating both civil and moral laws and therefore are criminals themselves. We call on our government and its law enforcement agencies to stop them from making Davao City a ‘wild, wild, West’ where the only law is the law of the gun,” he continued.
In an interview with MindaNews when Duterte was already president, Capalla said the former Davao City mayor should “listen” more. “Listen. Listen. Listen. I will tell him, ‘Digong, ang Ginoo naghatag kanatog duha ka dalunggan, usa ra baba (Digong, God gave us two ears and only one mouth). Which means that we have to listen twice as much as we speak,” he said.
Capalla said he was “worried about him as a friend,” according to this article published on October 8, 2016.
He remembered Soledad Duterte having approached him after he was installed as archbishop in 1996, with the Duterte matriarch asking him, “Monsignor, can I ask a favor? Can you help my son become a religious leader?”
Capalla told MindaNews that if he had the chance to see Duterte, “I would say to him that what you are doing now, your mother may not like it. I’ll say also that this is not the Digong I knew.”
Capalla’s interview with MindaNews incensed Duterte, prompting him to lash out at Capalla in a speech two days after the article was published.
Capalla, whom Pope John Paul II named the first bishop of Iligan in 1982, and was caretaker of the Catholic Church in Marawi from 1987 to 1991, was also an advocate of peace in Mindanao.
He was a founding father of the Bishops-Ulama Conference, the interfaith organization seeking to build understanding between Christians and Muslims in Mindanao, according to CBCP News. At the CBCP, he also once led its commissions on interreligious dialogue and ecumenical affairs.
In 2017, Capalla condemned attempts by Christian groups to “proselytize” Muslims in Marawi by giving them Bibles alongside relief goods after terrorists ravaged the city.
“If they do it deliberately, it’s either an insult or ignorance of the needs of Muslims,” Capalla said, according to a UCAN report. “We should be more sensitive.”
In an interview with ABC Radio International’s Dr. Rachel Kohn in 2006, Capalla pushed for interfaith dialogue to promote peace in the Philippines.
“For me, in the last analysis, dialogue is to be human, although it’s very risky and it’s disastrous for some people. But there’s no other way to solve conflicts except through respectful and human dialogue,” Capalla said.
He said dialogue does not necessarily mean “setting aside one’s doctrinal beliefs.” He said, “No, I think we have to be very clear about ourselves and about the truth that we stand for and not be afraid of telling the truth. And respect each other’s stand on faith matters. That’s to be human.”
He then called on “interfaith people” to push for “reconciliation through repentance and forgiveness.”
“Otherwise there’s no future for our country if the hatred will still be there in the hearts of people,” Capalla said. – Rappler.com
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Panama celebrates its black Christ, part of protest against colonialism and slavery
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Chito de la Vega
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06/01/2024 12:32
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The life-sized wooden statue of the Black Christ in St. Philip Church in Panama.
Dan Lundberg/Flickr, CC BY-SA
Panama’s “Festival del Cristo Negro,” the festival of the “Black Christ,” is an important religious holiday for local Catholics. It honors a dark, life-sized wooden statue of Jesus, “Cristo Negro” – also known as “El Nazaraeno,” or “The Nazarene.”
Throughout the year, pilgrims come to pay homage to this statue of Christ carrying a cross, in its permanent home in Iglesia de San Felipe, a Roman Catholic parish church located in Portobelo, a city along the Caribbean coast of Panama.
But it is on October 21 each year that the major celebration takes place. As many as 60,000 pilgrims from Portobelo and beyond travel for the festival, in which 80 men with shaved heads carry the black Christ statue on a large float through the streets of the city.
The men use a common Spanish style for solemn parades – three steps forward and two steps backward – as they move through the city streets. The night continues with music, drinking and dancing.
In my research on the relationship between Christianity, colonialism and racism, I have discovered that such festivals play a crucial role for historically oppressed peoples.
About 9% of Panama’s population claims African descent, many of whom are concentrated in Portobelo’s surrounding province of Colón. Census data from 2010 shows that over 21% of Portobelo’s population claim African heritage or black identity.
To Portobelo’s inhabitants, especially those who claim African descent, the festival is more than a religious celebration. It is a form of protest against Spanish colonialism, which brought with it slavery and racism.
Portobelo’s black Christ statue is a fascinating artifact of Panama’s colonial history. While there is little certainty as to its origin, many scholars believe the statue arrived in Portobelo in the 17th century – a time when the Spanish dominated Central America and brought in enslaved people from Africa.
Various legends circulate in Panama as to how the black Christ got to Portobelo. Some maintain that the statue originated in Spain, others that it was locally made, or that it washed ashore miraculously.
One of the most common stories maintains that a storm forced a ship from Spain, which was delivering the statue to another city, to dock in Portobelo. Every time the ship attempted to leave, the storms would return.
Eventually, the story goes, the statue was thrown overboard. The ship was then able to depart with clear skies. Later, local fishermen recovered the statue from the sea.
The statue was placed in its current home, Iglesia de San Felipe, in the early 19th century.
Stories of miracles added to its mystique. Among the legends in circulation is one about how prayers to the black Christ spared the city from a plague ravaging the region in the 18th century.
Since its exact origins are unknown, so are the artistic intention behind the Jesus statue. However the figure’s blackness has made it an object of particular devotion for locals of African descent.
At the time of the arrival of Cristo Negro, the majority of the Portobelo’s population was of African descent. This cultural heritage is significant to the city’s identity and traditions.
The veneration of the statue represents one of many ways that the black residents of Portobelo and the surrounding Colón region of Panama have engendered a sense of resistance to racism and slavery.
Each year around the time of Lent, local men and women across Colón – where slavery was particularly widespread – dramatize the story of self-liberated black slaves known as the Cimarrones. This reenactment is one of a series of celebrations, or “carnivals,” observed around the time of Lent by those who identify with the cultural tradition known colloquially as “Congo.” The term Congo was originally used by the Spanish colonists for anyone of African descent. It is now is used for traditions that can be traced back to the Cimarrones.
During the carnival celebration, some local people dress up as the devil, meant to represent Spanish slave masters or complicit priests. Others don the dress of the Cimarrones.
Many of the participants in both the black Christ and carnival celebrations of Panama are Catholics as well. Together they participate to bring to light the Catholic Church’s complex relationship with Spanish colonization and slavery. Many Catholic leaders in the 16th to 18th centuries justified the enslavement of Africans and the colonization of the Americas, or at least did not object to it.
Many people from throughout Panama have donated robes to clothe the statue. The colors of the robes donned by the statue varies throughout the year. Purple is reserved for the October celebrations, which likely reflects the use of purple in Catholic worship to signify suffering.
These robes draped on Panama’s black Christ are meant to represent those placed on Jesus when he was mockingly dressed in royal garb by the soldiers torturing him before his crucifixion.
Evoking this scene perhaps serves to remind the viewer of the deeper theological meaning of Jesus’s suffering as it is often understood in Christianity: Although Jesus is the Son of God prophesied to save God’s people from suffering and should thus be treated like royalty, he was tortured and executed as a common criminal. His suffering is understood to save people from their sins.
Some pilgrims specifically come during the October festival to seek forgiveness for any sinful actions. Some wear their own purple robes, the color indicating a sign of their suffering – and, of course, that of the black Christ. The Conversation/Rappler.com
S. Kyle Johnson is a doctoral candidate/ teaching fellow in Systematic Theology, Boston College.
This article was first published in The Conversation.
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Yeng resents ‘disrespectful’ Rondae act that sparks bench commotion
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delfin.dioquino editor
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06/01/2024 11:26
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DYNAMIC. Head coach Yeng Guiao of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao said he was baffled by the actions of former TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson which sparked a late bench commotion that marred their PBA game on Friday, January 5.
Hollis-Jefferson and Guiao figured in a verbal spat with under a minute left in the Elasto Painters’ 119-112 win after the former NBA player stood behind the Rain or Shine bench to vent his ire on the referees.
Frustrated after his brother and new Tropang Giga import Rahlir got called for a contentious shooting foul and a subsequent technical foul, Rondae approached the Elasto Painters bench to argue with the officials.
That move, though, did not sit well with Guiao as he exchanged heated words with Hollis-Jefferson, who needed to be pulled away by several TNT players.
“I was surprised he was behind our bench,” said Guiao. “That’s disrespectful. Totally disrespectful. Nobody does that.”
“I don’t know if I’ve seen that in my 33 years of coaching in the PBA, that somebody – in the heat of the game – just goes behind the bench. That’s our area. We had staff behind our bench. That’s a dangerous thing to pull.”
Rondae got sidelined after sustaining a neck injury following a bad fall in their East Asia Super League victory over the Taipei Fubon Braves last December 20.
With Rondae unable to return under PBA rules, the Tropang Giga replaced him with his older brother Rahlir.
Rahlir did not disappoint and dropped 50 points in his PBA debut with 16 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, although his foul on Rain or Shine import Demetrius Treadwell and technical foul for resentment to a call proved crucial.
Treadwell sank both of his foul shots and Rey Nambatac drained the technical free throw as the Elasto Painters erected a 115-106 lead en route to their fifth straight win and an outright quarterfinal berth in the Commissioner’s Cup.
“Hindi ko alam anong nangyari sa kaniya, tinopak ‘yung gago,” said Guiao. (I don’t know what happened to him. He went mad.)
“It was a beautiful game, the fans would love a game like that so maybe he just got emotional or frustrated. But you don’t take it out that way.”
No thanks to the loss, TNT slipped to 4-6 and fell into a precarious race for the last playoff berth against sister team NLEX, which totes a 3-6 record. – Rappler.com
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Vatican moves to calm bishops over same-sex blessings approval
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Michelle Abad
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06/01/2024 9:44
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Pope Francis leads the Angelus prayer at the Vatican, January 1, 2024. REUTERS/Remo Casilli
REUTERS
VATICAN CITY – The Vatican on Thursday, January 4, moved to calm Catholic bishops in some countries who have balked over last month’s approval of blessings for same-sex couples, telling them that the measure is not “heretical” or “blasphemous.”
In a five-page statement, the Vatican’s doctrinal office also acknowledged that such blessings could be “imprudent” in some countries where people who receive them might become targets of violence, or risk prison or even death.
Catholic bishops in some countries, particularly in Africa, have expressed various degrees of dissent over the December 18 declaration, known by its Latin title Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust), which was approved by Pope Francis.
The fact that the Vatican needed to issue a five-page clarification of an eight-page declaration – little more than two weeks after it was issued – appeared to underscore the extent of the confusion it caused in many countries.
After the original declaration was issued, a number of Catholic bishops’ conferences issued statements stressing that the blessings did not amount to an official approval of gay sex or a sacrament of marriage for same-sex couples.
The doctrinal office, known as the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, stressed these aspects in its statement on Thursday, saying that blessings for same-sex couples should not be seen as “a justification of all their actions, and they are not an endorsement of the life that they lead.”
The office said it wanted “to clarify the reception of Fiducia Supplicans while recommending at the same time a full and calm reading” of the December 18 declaration, which it said is “clear and definitive about marriage and sexuality.”
It added: “Evidently, there is no room to distance ourselves doctrinally from this declaration or to consider it heretical, contrary to the Tradition of the Church or Blasphemous.”
The Church teaches that same-sex attraction is not sinful but homosexual acts are. Since his election in 2013, Francis has tried to make the more than 1.35-billion-member Church more welcoming to LGBTQ+ people, without changing moral doctrine.
Still, some African bishops’ conferences have made clear that they will not allow their priests to conduct such blessings. Thursday’s statement advised “pastoral prudence” depending on local laws and circumstances.
Last week, Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye called on citizens to stone gay people.
Uganda passed a law last May that carries the death sentence for certain categories of same-sex offenses and lengthy jail sentences for others – a move that was widely condemned by Western governments and human rights activists.
“If there are laws that condemn the mere act of declaring oneself as a homosexual with prison and in some cases with torture and even death, it goes without saying that a blessing would be imprudent,” the Vatican statement said.
The original declaration and Thursday’s statement both said blessings of people in same-sex relationships should not be included in Church rituals or in any way resemble a wedding. Thursday’s statement said they should be short.
“We are talking about something that lasts about 10 or 15 seconds. Does it make sense to deny these kinds of blessings to these two people who ask for them?” it said. – Rappler.com
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Gov’t denies job loss, higher fares even as only half of jeepneys in NCR consolidate
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lkyu0285
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05/01/2024 13:45
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CONSOLIDATION. Jeepneys ply Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on December 12, 2023.
Jire Carreon/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Even with only about half of jeepneys in Metro Manila consolidating before the December 31 deadline, the government maintained that the controversial move will not lead to livelihood loss for drivers or higher transport fares.
In the National Capital Region (NCR), only 21,655 or 51.34% of jeepneys were able to consolidate before the deadline. Similarly, only 1,400 or 59.33% of UV Express vehicles consolidated. Nationwide, the consolidation figures stand at 111,581 units (73.96%) for jeepneys and 15,844 (82.03%) units for UV Express, according to the latest figures provided by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
Still, this means that tens of thousands of public utility vehicles (PUVs) could soon lose their right to operate because of their failure to consolidate.
The government doesn’t see this leading to jeepney drivers losing their livelihood because affected drivers could be absorbed by other cooperatives or corporations.
“Ang mga drivers po ngayon, supposedly ay walang hanapbuhay dahil wala na ‘yung mga operator (Drivers right now supposedly don’t have jobs anymore becuase their operators are gone), but this is not the situation. OTC has contacted different cooperatives nationwide,” Office of Transportation Cooperatives Chairman Jesus Ferdinand Ortega said in a press conference on Friday, January 5.
“We were assured by the cooperatives na sila po ay tatanggap ng mga drivers doon sa operators na hindi po nag-consolidate (that they will accept drivers from operators that were unable to consolidate),” he said.
According to Ortega, drivers displaced by operators who did not consolidate will be “badly needed” by cooperatives and corporations.
Why? Cooperatives and corporations will take over the routes previously handled by the operators who failed to consolidate.
Meanwhile, Ortega argued that the decision whether to consolidate or not – and therefore whether to continue operating or not – was a “business decision” made by jeepney operators. Now that the December 31 deadline has passed, jeepney operators no longer have a chance to form a consolidated entity.
Operators who did not consolidate will only have until January 31, 2024 to operate along select routes, after which the LTFRB may begin due process proceedings to cancel their franchise.
Ortega also address the statement of House Speaker Martin Romualdez that “corrupt practices may have tainted” the PUV modernization program.
“Definitely, wala pong katotohanan (there’s no truth to it),” Ortega said on Friday, adding that the DOTr “will be there” in any hearing called by Congress on the issue.
Responding to House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s statement, OTC Chairman Andy Ortega says there’s no truth to accusations that “corrupt practices” have tainted the PUV Modernization program. He says the DOTr is ready to attend congressional hearings on the matter. @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/Rga1H5oqUF
The government also defended the PUV Modernization Program against fears that its implementation could lead to a big-time fare hike.
“Paying the bank loans used to acquire the modern PUVs will be obligation of the cooperative, not by individual drivers who are members of the cooperative,” the DOTr said in a statement on Friday. “Loan payments will not determine increases in fares, which is approved exclusively by the LTFRB primarily due to increases in fuel prices. Other considerations for fare increases include effect of economy and affordability of commuters.”
The transportation department also criticized the “falsehoods” being spread as attempts by minority groups to “sow fear.”
“They are attempts by the minority oppositors to the PUVMP to continue to be relevant despite government’s intent to finally implement the long-delayed program for the benefit of commuters and drivers/operators,” the DOTr added.
Think tank IBON Foundation earlier said that jeepney fares could reach up to P50 in five years because of the program, as cooperatives and corporations pay back loans for modern jeepneys and try to make a profit.
Several groups such as Bayan, Anakbayan, and PISTON have also warned that the consolidation deadline could lead to an “imminent transport crisis,” which the government also denied. Jeepney drivers and operators – led by transport groups PISTON and MANIBELA – also rose up in protest against the program throughout 2023. – Rappler.com
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The Department of Transportation is free to criticize the “falsehoods” being spread by specific groups. Soon, it will be known who is speaking the truth and who is spreading falsehoods. It is hoped that those “falsehoods (loss of jobs, increase in transport fare)” will turn out to be false; otherwise, the former jeepney operators and Filipino commuters in Metro Manila will suffer.
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Cagayan de Oro river quarrying bad for whitewater rafting, group warns
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Herbie G
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06/01/2024 9:10
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WET ADVENTURE. Whitewater rafting adventure-seekers enjoying the rapids of the Cagayan River.
JBD
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Organized whitewater rafting outfitters in Cagayan de Oro are sounding the alarm over the quarrying of sand and gravel at the Cagayan River, saying these activities are drastically altering the features of the river.
Chisum Christopher Factura, president of the Oro Association of Rafters (OAR) and co-owner of Kagay Outdoors, said they feel they are not getting enough support from the city government, despite the activity being a long-standing tourism attraction in the city.
It is estimated that some 20,000 tourists come to Cagayan de Oro City annually for whitewater rafting.
Factura said at least four quarry operators extract sand and gravel from the Cagayan River both from Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon.
He said that, unlike the periodic flooding that naturally shapes and reshapes the river, mechanized man-made activities permanently alter the river.
“It is ironic that we promote rafting as the OTOP of Cagayan de Oro and yet the city does not seem to object to these projects,” Factura said. The OTOP, which stands for One Town, One Product, is a government program aimed at promoting local entrepreneurship and boosting economic development in various localities by focusing on unique products or industries that a place specializes in.
Factura also said quarry operators as well as other human activities in the area also seem to have made wildlife sightings more rare.
“We used to see monkeys, monitor lizards, snakes, and other wildlife as we paddle along the river,” Factura said.
Factura said the grinding noise made by backhoes has also dampened the experience.
“Before you used to only hear the river and various birds but now machines are what you hear,” he said.
Factura said while they understand the need for sand and gravel, he said the city should at least identify which areas for quarrying and which stretches of the river should be protected so ecotourism activities can continue to prosper.
Asked for comment, Engineer Armen Cuenca of the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office said his office has been monitoring the quarrying activities, at least those that fall within the city’s jurisdiction.
Cuenca identified two quarry firms from Cagayan de Oro operating in the Cagayan River.
Records show one of the two was granted a permit to operate in 2022, valid until January 17, 2024. The other firm’s permit, given in 2023, is also set to expire on March 14, 2024. Both are allowed to extract sand and gravel from the riverbed.
But Cuenca said while they have been regulating the operations of both, they are powerless when it comes to quarry firms operating from the other side of the riverbank.
The Cagayan River, which has its headwaters in the Kalatungan Mountain Range and Kitanglad Mountain Range, traverses the municipalities of Talakag, Baungon, and Libona in Bukidnon and empties into Macajalar Bay in Cagayan de Oro.
To craft a common understanding of allowable activities in the river, Cuenca said it may be best to gather the different stakeholders, like local government units and other interested parties, under one roof.
Cagayan de Oro Councilor Jay Roa Pascual, who chairs the city council’s Committee on Tourism, said he agrees with Cuenca and added that he also plans to hold a committee hearing in the coming months.
Pascual said he hopes Bukidnon officials, especially from Talakag and Baungon towns, will take part in the hearing. – Rappler.com
JB Deveza is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow.
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Very nice! SEVENTEEN’S artist-made collection to open pop-up store in Metro Manila
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Steph Arnaldo
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05/01/2024 14:02
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SEVENTEEN. The K-pop boy group is bringing their 'FOLLOW' concert tour to the Philippines.
SEVENTEEN's Twitter
MANILA, Philippines – Prepare your wallets, Carats! SEVENTEEN’S special “Artist-Made Collection” will be setting up shop in Metro Manila from January 10 to February 11, 2024 at Level 2, North Tower, SM City North EDSA, Quezon City.
Artist-Made Collection by SEVENTEEN Season 1. POP-UP in METRO MANILA 📅 10th January – 11th February 2024 📍 Level 2, North Tower, SM City North Edsa #SEVENTEEN #세븐틴 #bySEVENTEEN pic.twitter.com/yzCYY6P8o5
It will be open from 10 am to 9 pm on weekdays, and until 10 pm on weekends. The pop-up store can accommodate only a maximum of 50 persons at a time.
The store will be selling exclusive merch under the “Season 1” collection, made by select SEVENTEEN members themselves. For this round, only items made by S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, and Jun will be available, such as umbrella and glass sets, blankets, lamps, perfume, phone cases, and mini-plushies.
The 13-member K-pop group is set to perform in Bulacan’s Philippine Sports Stadium on January 13 and 14 for their FOLLOW concert. Members S.Coups and Jeonghan will not be participating. – Rappler.com
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Jared Bahay turns back on UP Maroons commitment
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Jasmine Payo
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05/01/2024 15:48
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HIGH SCHOOL SENSATION. Jared Bahay in action for Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu during the 2023 NBTC National Finals.
NBTC
MANILA, Philippines – Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu high school standout Jared Bahay has taken a step back and decommitted from the University of the Philippines, the men’s basketball team announced on Friday, January 5.
Bahay, who recently led the Magis Eagles to a successful title defense in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI) Season 23, reneged on his well-publicized commitment last March 2023 due to what team officials described as “outside forces.”
“In the last two years, the UP MBT and Jared Bahay have developed a special relationship. We envisioned a common future with Jared handling the reins of a championship-caliber team. We believed in his immense talent and capacity to lead,” said UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development director Bo Perasol.
“However, not all things go according to plan. Although we have remained in our commitment to Jared, outside forces have intervened for him to have a change of heart.”
According to Perasol, State U respects Bahay’s change of plans even as there is no official word yet where the teenage prospect is headed to next.
However, sources say that the dynamic scoring guard is likely headed to the Ateneo Blue Eagles, with UAAP defending champion De La Salle also expressing interest.
The Blue Eagles already nabbed Bahay’s former teammates Raffy Celis and Michael Asoro, with the former making his collegiate debut in UAAP Season 86.
During the recent championship series between SHS-Ateneo and the University of the Visayas Baby Lancers, Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin was reportedly spotted watching when the Magis Eagles completed a three-peat.
In the championship-clinching Game 3, Bahay ended up with 14 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals, and a block in SHS-Ateneo’s 58-55 win, earning Finals Most Valuable Player honors.
At 5-foot-9, Bahay stood tall among all high school players in the country as the top-ranked player of the National Basketball Training Centre (NBTC) 24 list. — Rappler.com
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Rain or Shine edges Hollis-Jefferson, TNT for 5th straight win, outright playoff berth
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delfin.dioquino editor
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05/01/2024 23:39
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NEW IMPORT. Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson in action for the TNT Tropang Giga in the 2023-24 PBA Commissioner's Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – Rain or Shine overcame a sensational PBA debut by Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson and survived TNT in a gritty 119-112 win in the Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum on Friday, January 5.
Demetrius Treadwell produced a massive 25-point, 24-rebound double-double to negate a 50-point explosion by the Tropang Giga import as the Elasto Painters improved to 5-5 to lock up the seventh quarterfinal berth.
Even if Rain or Shine ends up in a three-way logjam with TNT (4-6) and NLEX (3-6) at 5-6, the Elasto Painters own the tiebreaker by virtue of beating both teams.
Andrei Caracut backstopped Treadwell in scoring with 23 points, knocking down a bunch of clutch free throws down the stretch that helped propel resurgent Rain or Shine to its fifth straight win after a woeful 0-5 start.
The Tropang Giga held a 106-104 edge with 3:50 minutes left before Caracut and Treadwell scored 4 points each in an 11-0 blast that gave the Elasto Painters a comfortable 115-106 cushion.
A pair of Calvin Oftana triples pulled TNT within 112-117 with under 25 ticks remaining, but Jhonard Clarito converted a layup to seal the win.
Rey Nambatac chimed in 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists for Rain or Shine, which returned to the playoffs after placing 10th in the Governors’ Cup last season.
Beau Belga added 16 points in the win and Leonard Santillan supplied 10 points and 6 rebounds.
As stellar as Hollis-Jefferson was, he failed to score when it mattered the most, going scoreless in the final 5:30 minutes.
Still, it was a rare feat for Hollis-Jefferson, who took the spot of his injured brother Rondae, as he became just the fifth player in franchise history to hit 50 points, joining Jerod Ward, Damien Cantrell, Asi Taulava, and Jalen Hudson.
Hollis-Jefferson also put up 16 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.
Oftana fired 37 points in the loss that marked the third straight for the Tropang Giga, who are vying for the last quarterfinal spot with their sister team Road Warriors.
Rain or Shine 119 – Treadwell 25, Caracut 23, Nambaatc 19, Belga 16, Santillan 10, Clarito 9, Mamuyac 8, Norwood 4, Datu 4, Asistio 1, Borboran 0
TNT 112 – Hollis-Jefferson 50, Oftana 37, Aurin 7, Galinato 6, Khobuntin 6, Heruela 3, Montalbo 2, K.Williams 1, Reyes 0, Ganuelas-Rosser 0, Ponferada 0.
Quarters: 32-31, 66-62, 89-91, 119-112.
– Rappler.com
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GAB, CIDG raid wrong POGO in Pasay
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Joann Manabat - CMS
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05/01/2024 16:09
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PAMPANGA, Philippines – The Games and Amusements Board (GAB) and the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP CIDG) conducted a December 23 raid on the wrong Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Pasay City that led to the release of 173 foreigners.
Based on the inquest resolution obtained by Rappler, the GAB and CIDG implemented four search warrants to search, seize, and examine computer data. The warrants were addressed to six individuals: Ryan Hao, Ely Chan, Ian Lim, Bao Ma, Raymond Tan, and Noe Ming, alleged owners and operators of Xing Yao Company, and other occupants in four floors of the HC Bay Hotel at Seascape Village, CCP Complex.
The warrants, issued by the Regional Trial Court National Capital Judicial Region, Office of the Executive Judge Racquelen Abary-Vasquez, were for alleged violation of Presidential Decree 1602 or “Prescribing Stiffer Penalties for Illegal Gambling” in relation to Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
The inquest stated that the foreigners found working onsite were actually employees of Tri Technology Corporation, a POGO licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor). The inquest said that the foreigners were not employees of Xing Yao Company or those named in the search warrants.
The 173 foreigners underwent inquest proceedings on December 25, two days after the raid. They were ordered released on December 27.
During the raid, a Chinese man tried to escape and fractured his right leg by jumping from the second floor of the hotel building.
The attending nurse, Staff Sergeant Joemari Gumaru, said the Chinese flew back to China on December 29 for his surgery, but will return to the Philippines to work. Gumaru clarified that the injured Chinese is not employed in the wrongly raided POGO.
Sought for comment about the raid, Lieutenant Colonel Marissa Bruno of the PNP CIDG Public Information Office denied to Rappler that there was an operation last December 23 in Pasay City, based on their report.
Rappler reached out to GAB but to no avail as of posting.
Pasay City police chief Colonel Mario Mayames, however, confirmed the raid led by GAB and CIDG. Mayames added that the local police were not allowed to enter the building, and they were also not given details of the raid.
“So, in short, there was a raid. It is legal because they were armed with a search warrant. The lead agency there is GAB and CIDG. Us local police, we were not able to go up because we were disallowed. They said we are not allowed so we stayed outside the building,” Mayames told Rappler in a mix of Filipino and English.
“We are the local so it’s in our jurisdiction. But the agency who led here was CIDG and GAB so the details, the names and nationalities, we don’t have. They actually refused to give us so we did not get the details,” he added.
Mayames said they are implementing Oplan ReACT POGO or Repress Acts of Criminals Targeting POGO, which includes checking compliance with government requirements and protecting workers.
“As long as they have permits, they have licenses, we are also obliged to protect them because they have complied with the requirements of our government,” he said.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said it respects what law enforcers are doing.
PAOCC spokesperson Winston Casio said government agencies should have a cooperative effort in conducting operations to prevent “encroaching” on each other’s mandates.
Casio also said the operating units should have been more transparent with the basis of their operations as well as the evidence they presented in court.
“The commission fully respects the conduct of legitimate law enforcement rooted on valid orders of the courts. In saying this, PAOCC would like to believe that the operations conducted by GAB together with detailed personnel from the PNP CIDG is legitimate unless proven otherwise,” Casio told Rappler on Thursday, January 4.
“The latter is crucial given that all the cases filed against the apprehended individuals have been recommended for future investigation owing to insufficiency,” he said. “In the case of Tri Tech, the question in everyone’s mind is why did they operate against a legitimate internet gaming license duly certified by Pagcor.” – Rappler.com
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Philippines remains open to diplomacy with China – national security adviser
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Chito de la Vega
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05/01/2024 16:53
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EX-DILG CHIEF. Former Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año gives an update to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Malacañan Palace on January 6, 2022.
ALBERTO ALCAIN/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines remains open to diplomatic discussions with China and believes the two nations can achieve a resolution to disputes over the South China Sea through peaceful dialogue, its national security adviser said in a statement on Friday, January 5.
Eduardo Año’s remarks came after a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Thursday called recent joint patrols by the United States and the Philippines in the South China Sea “provocative” and “irresponsible”.
“Our joint patrols with the United States and potential future activities with other allied countries shows our mutual commitment to a rules-based international order and for promoting peace and stability of the region,” Año said.
The Chinese embassy in Manila repeated the foreign ministry spokesperson’s comments when asked to respond to Año’s remarks.
Two Chinese navy vessels had shadowed Philippine and US ships conducting the recently concluded joint patrols, the Philippine military said on Thursday.
The two-day maritime exercises involved four vessels from the Philippine navy and four ships from the US Indo-Pacific fleet, including Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. The patrols ended on Thursday and the US vessels called at the port of Manila on Friday.
The joint patrols were the second held by the Philippines and the US in less than two months in the South China Sea, where tensions over disputed territorial claims are flaring.
“The Philippines remains open to diplomatic discussions with China and reaffirms its commitment to fostering good relations with all nations,” Año said.
“We believe that through peaceful dialogue and adherence to international law, we can achieve a resolution that serves the best interest of all parties involved in the region,” he said.
China lays claim to almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. China’s claims of sovereignty overlap territorial waters claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague said China’s claims had no legal basis. China has rejected that ruling.
– Rappler.com
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Beware of this ‘Mama Mary necklace from the Vatican’
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Paterno Esmaquel II
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05/01/2024 17:00
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FAKE. It's not GMA anchor Ivan Mayrina in this video, but an AI-generated 'anchor' promoting a 'Mama Mary necklace from the Vatican.'
Screenshot from Brother Eduard on Facebok
One has the baritone voice, tone, timber, and cadence of GMA news anchor Ivan Mayrina. The other has the homey, animated TV presence of the one-and-only Susan Enriquez.
In Facebook videos of less than 40 seconds each, both of them are promoting “Mama Mary necklaces” that supposedly came from the “Mama Mary Shrine.” The necklaces, according to them, “were blessed by priests in Vatican, Italy, so they can give guidance and comfort to anyone.” Send a message to our page, they said, and you can get these for free.
Amen?
Eek, they’re not even Ivan or Susan.
GMA’s 24 Oras exposed on Thursday, January 4, the “fake and possibly AI-generated” voices of GMA anchors promoting a free “Mama Mary necklace from Vatican, Italy.” (Hey, the Vatican is not in Italy.)
The videos of the fake GMA anchors are posted on the Facebook page of a certain “Brother Eduard.” The video of the fake Susan Enriquez was posted on December 4, and has 149,000 views as of posting time, while the video of the fake Ivan Mayrina was posted on December 16, and now has 1.9 million views on Facebook.
It’s the latest incident of fraudsters exploiting the deep religiosity of Filipinos. A former Spanish colony where friars dominated society, the Philippines is a country where 85.65 million people, or nearly 79% of the population, belong to the Roman Catholic Church.
Filipinos are known for their devotion to the saints, especially Mary, even as Catholic bishops have lost their influence over the years as seen in, well, the 2022 presidential elections.
In October 2023, we also reported about a possibly AI-generated priest named “Father Niño” who was giving away free statues of the “Santo Niño Hubad” (Naked Child Jesus), supposedly blessed by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma. The archbishop promptly denied this claim. Later, the GMA public affairs show Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho featured the Rappler report on “Santo Niño Hubad” in one of its episodes.
Beware of these so-called lucky charms – even if they’re “free.” If they faked the voices of GMA anchors, we’ll never know what they’re truly up to.
As is written in the Gospel of Luke (16:10), “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.” – Rappler.com
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The significance of Jokowi’s visit to Manila
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Dwight de Leon
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05/01/2024 17:47
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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Indonesian President Joko Widodo during the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia in May 2023.
Presidential Communications Office
MANILA, Philippines – Indonesian President Joko Widodo is set to make a three-day official visit to the Philippines from January 9 to 11, and is scheduled to meet President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the 10th.
The trip reciprocates Marcos’ visit to Indonesia in September 2022 – his first foreign travel as chief executive – where he was welcomed by the Indonesian president, who is popularly known as Jokowi.
Malacañang said in a press statement that the visit seeks to review how diplomatic relations between Manila and Jakarta are progressing following Marcos’ state visit to Indonesia two years ago.
During that trip, the Marcos administration signed four deals, the most prominent of which was the renewal of a 1997 defense agreement focusing on joint exercises, development of defense technology, and logistical cooperation between the Philippines and Indonesia.
Since then, tensions have increased dramatically in the South China Sea, amid provocations – as Marcos previously described them – by China against Philippine ships.
Marcos has met with Jokowi on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit last year, but the Indonesian president’s trip to Manila offers yet another chance for the two to compare notes in terms of addressing the threats posed by Beijing in the maritime region.
“What we want is to ensure that we get to secure what is rightfully ours based on international law, while working with our like-minded partners, our neighbors especially,” geopolitical analyst Don McLain Gill told Rappler in a phone interview.
“President Marcos Jr. floated the idea of a new code of conduct between and among Southeast Asian states. I think these areas converge with the leadership in Manila and Jakarta. You know, on one hand, trying to ensure that the region builds up its own capabilities, but on the other hand, not falling victim to great power politics,” added Gill, an international studies lecturer at the De La Salle University.
The visit also gives Marcos an opportunity to personally bring up with Jokowi the case of Mary Jane Veloso, a migrant Filipino worker who has been on Indonesia’s death row for over a decade due to drug trafficking.
Marcos himself did not raise the matter when he met with Jokowi in September 2022 in Jakarta, although Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo asked the Indonesian government, through his counterpart, to grant executive clemency to Veloso.
On the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, in May 2023, Marcos asked Jokowi to examine the case again.
“I believe that it’s not a thing that only takes place when both leaders meet. I think that it’s ongoing. Of course, I believe that a sustainable outcome may be achieved, will be achieved, given, of course, the convergence of interests between President Marcos Jr. and President Jokowi,” Gill said.
In the past, Marcos said his administration is not giving up on Veloso, as the Philippine government seeks legal remedies that include pardon, commutation of sentence, or extradition.
Indonesians are heading to the polls next month to select the successor of Jokowi, who is constitutionally barred from seeking another term.
It is the end of an era not just in Indonesian politics but in Indo-Pacific geopolitics, where Jokowi has emerged as among the most influential voices.
Gill stressed that the retiring Jokowi is far from a lame duck. The Indonesian president’s defense minister, Prabowo Subianto, is the front-runner in the presidential race, and Jokowi’s son Gibran Rakabuming Raka is his running mate.
“There would be that level of continuity and whatever would be discussed between President Marcos Jr. and President Widodo would be significant because I believe that if the frontrunner wins, then, of course, this would continue to be carried out in the next administration because, you know, the Philippines-Indonesia relationship is of great significance,” Gill said.
The presidential vote in the world’s third largest democracy will be held on February 14. A runoff election will be held in June if no candidate gets a simple of majority of the votes. Jokowi’s successor will assume office in October. – Rappler.com
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One-eyed Philippine eagle rescued in Davao
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Herbie G
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05/01/2024 17:51
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RESCUE. Members of the Philippine Eagle Foundation team bring a rescued Philippine eagle upslope toward a waiting vehicle, which will transport it to the veterinary clinic for assessment.
Ivy Marie Mangadlao/Rappler
DAVAO, Philippines – A critically endangered Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), with a severe eye injury, was rescued from the wild along the Lipadas River at the Mount Apo Natural Park, Davao City, on Tuesday, January 2.
Lipadas, named after the river, is a two-year-old Philippine eagle with a blind right eye.
The rescue team comprised biologists from the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), animal keepers, and a forest guard from the Bagobo-Klata indigenous community.
Jayson Ibanez, PEF director for research and conservation, who was also present during the rescue, said it marked the first-ever rescue of a one-eyed Philippine eagle in the wild. It is also the first PEF-documented case of an eagle acquiring an eye injury at the early stage of its nestling period.
Before the rescue, Ibanez said they consulted an expert from Kenya who examined photographs of the injured eye.
Based on the expert’s analysis, the eyeballs were already swollen, and it appeared that the right eye was completely blind. Consequently, the expert recommended trapping the bird and keeping it in captivity permanently.
“We always make it a point to rescue and save each imperiled individual. And with its status now being one-eyed, its survival chances in the wild are very low. But if we rescue it and take care of it in captivity, it can still contribute new individuals to the population by breeding it and then releasing any potential offspring back to the wild to help increase population numbers,” Ibañez said.
The injured Philippine eagle was taken to a veterinary clinic by the breeding team for a thorough assessment.
Dr. Bayani Vandenbroeck, a veterinary consultant with PEF, conducted a physical examination, revealing that the eagle weighs 4.3 kilograms.
“The eagle seems to be healthy, except for the blind (right) eye. The eyeball is completely gone on the right side. The left eye appears normal, but changes seem to be happening inside. Also, the eagle might eventually be completely blind. There are no bullet wounds or evidence of any other recent physical injuries. The bones appear intact as well, with no evidence of fractures. The body condition score is 4/5, and it seems to have extra fats,” Vandenbroeck said.
Rowell Taraya, a PEF senior biologist who led in the monitoring, assessment, and study of the eagle even before it was taken in, said the bird will undergo rehabilitation at the Philippine Eagle Center (PEC) quarantine facility.
“After the full blood chemistry analysis is completed, supplemental food and medicines will be provided as needed. If its analysis showed an infection in the bloodstream, appropriate medication will be given,” Taraya said.
Taraya said blood samples will also be sent to the Institute of Biology Laboratory at the University of the Philippines-Diliman for confirmatory DNA sexing, and further assessment will be sought from a resident ophthalmologist and foreign experts to determine the appropriate intervention for the eye.
The discovery of Lipadas dates back to October 2022 when the PEF received a report from a tribal chieftain, Bagobo-Klata Datu Mariano Daug, about a Philippine eagle spotted at Lipadas River.
Daug told them that the eagle slammed against the forest floor, but flew off when locals attempted to get near it.
“The place where they saw it is a known Philippine eagle nesting territory. The territory was first discovered in 2018, and a post-fledged young was spotted together with its eagle parents. Since then, the site has been monitored with the help of the Bagobo-Klata and Bagobo-Tagabawa Bantay Bukid Volunteers from Davao City,” PEF stated in a written report.
During the monitoring, the eagle, then a 10-month-old eaglet, was photographed, and a right eye injury was noted.
PEF said that although the young eagle is still capable of flying, its infected eye prevents it from going to farther areas.
The group tried trapping the then eaglet to rescue it, but it was too young to fly to the ground to catch the bait – a rabbit – and was still dependent on its parents for food.
In November 2023, the young eagle, estimated to be two years old, was observed loudly calling and “begging” for food from its parents.
“At such an age, healthy eaglets in the wild are fully independent and would have dispersed away from their parents’ territory. However, perhaps due to its eye injury, it remained dependent on its parents for nourishment,” the report said.
Due to concerns about the young eagle possibly starving, the team decided to give it supplemental food.
In November 2023, Lipadas managed to go down to the ground and feed, leading them to confirm that the young eagle can now confidently fly and hunt on the ground.
“To habituate the bird to the bait and ensure trapping and rescue success, we continued supplemental feeding in December. Starting December 19, 2023, our forest guards started deploying a rabbit to lure the young eagle back to the nest site. The young eagle came back and took and ate the rabbit,” read part of the report.
However, after Christmas, forest guards received complaints from fellow villagers that Lipadas started feeding on native chickens from farms, and farmers threatened harm to the bird if action wasn’t taken to prevent it from hunting livestock.
This prompted the PEF to schedule an emergency trapping activity and attempt a rescue on January 2.
Ibanez pointed out that Lipadas’ case underscores the significance of community-based conservation.
“Lipadas’ case points out the value of engaging indigenous forest guards who are the direct neighbors of Philippine eagles because of their proximity to the nesting site and familiarity with the Philippine Eagle and then other wildlife. It’s practically easy for them to monitor and then protect the species. It’s a proof of concept that indeed indigenous peoples can positively contribute to endangered species conservation,” he said.
Christian Tan, one of the indigenous forest guards of Bagobo Klata who assisted in monitoring the eagle and was part of the rescue team, said he couldn’t describe his feelings when he saw the eagle.
“It was really worth the effort because after all the time we spent monitoring it, I finally held it, and up close. I saw how beautiful and majestic it truly is,” Tan said.
After the rescue, Tan said he became even more motivated to contribute to the conservation of the country’s national bird. – Rappler.com
Ivy Marie Mangadlao is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow.
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Who’s who: Meet the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s new members from the Philippines
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Bea Cupin
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05/01/2024 20:01
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PRESIDENT. Philippine Ambassador to the Netherlands Eduardo Malaya leads the Administrative Council's approval of the budget of the PCA for 2024.
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday, January 4, announced that the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)’s International Bureau confirmed the appointment of four new Filipino members of the court.
They are:
According to the DFA, their names were submitted before the PCA by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo. The PCA’s roster of its members indicate that the four were nominated or appointed on December 22, 2023.
But what is the PCA and what will Pangalangan, Candelaria, La Viña, and Malaya be doing as its members?
The PCA is based in The Hague, Netherlands and is the “first permanent intergovernmental organization to provide a forum for the resolution of international disputes through arbitration and other peaceful means,” according to its own website.
It was created in 1899 through the Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes, which was held during the first Hague Peace Conference.
“Today the PCA provides services for the resolution of disputes involving various combinations of states, state entities, intergovernmental organizations, and private parties,” reads the PCA’s official website.
Most Filipinos – or at least those who have kept abreast of the Philippine claims in the South China Sea – would remember the PCA as the body before which Manila filed an arbitration case against China over maritime disputes in those resource-rich waterway.
From 2013 to 2016, the PCA was registry and the literal venue at which hearings were held over Beijing’s activities in part of the South China Sea, known to Manila as the West Philippine Sea.
In that case – and in most other arbitration cases – the PCA formed a tribunal composed of one to five members. Arbitrators can technically be from any origin as long as the PCA considers that person “most appropriate, subject to the parties’ agreement and the rules governing the arbitration.”
Potential arbitrators are also selected from the Members of the Court.
Each member state – all 122 of them – designates up to four members who are “of known competency in questions of international law, of the highest moral reputation, and disposed to accept the duties of arbitrator.”
The four members are then considered that state’s national group. According to the DFA, this gives them “the privilege to nominate candidates for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and propose candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize, in collaboration with the ICJ judges.”
Terms for members of the PCA last for six years at a time and may be renewed.
Who are representing the Philippines for the next six years in the PCA?
Raul Pangalangan is no stranger to international bodies. He is also familiar with The Hague. The lawyer and law professor once served as a judge in the International Criminal Court, also based in The Hague, from 2015 to 2021.
Pangalangan holds a political science and law degree from the University of the Philippines. He also has Masters of Law and Doctor of Juridicial Science degrees from Harvard University, according to his official profile on the UP Diliman College of Law website.
He was also the Philippine delegate in the drafting of the Rome Statute, which created the ICC. He was also a former publisher of the broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Sedfrey Candelaria was dean of the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law from 2012 to 2018. He has also been a teacher of undergraduate courses in the Political Sciences Department and European Studies Program of the same university’s Loyola Schools, according to his Philippine Judicial Academy profile.
In the Philippine Judicial Academy, Candelaria heads the Research, Publications and Linkages Office.
Candelaria earned a law degree from Ateneo, and a masters of laws degree from the University of British Columbia. He has also sat as a Peace Panel Member in previous attempts to negotiate with the Communist Party of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, according to his PHILJA profile.
Tony La Viña was once a member of the PCA’s Specialized Panel of Arbitrators and Experts for Environmental Disputes. He is Associate Director for climate policy and international relations of Manila Observatory (MO), after having served as its Executive Director previously.
La Viña, on his official website, describes himself as a “teacher, thinker, leader, lawyer, human rights and climate justice advocate, and social entrepreneur.”
Dean Tony to friends and followers, La Viña holds a Philosophy degree from the Ateneo de Manila and a law degree from the University of the Philippines College of Law. He also holds Master of Laws and Doctor of Juridical Science degrees from Yale Law School.
According to his official website, he has taught in different institutions, including Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro, the different schools and colleges under the Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, among others.
La Viña is also a member of Rappler’s Board of Directors and regularly writes for this news website’s Thought Leaders section.
Eduardo Malaya is currently the Philippine Ambassador to the Netherlands and Acting President of the PCA Administrative Council from 2023 until 2024. Prior to his posting in the Netherlands, Malaya was Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs and Vice President of the Philippine Society of International Law.
Malaya, a lawyer, has also previously served as the Philippines’ Ambassador to Malaysia and DFA spokesperson. To say that Malaya is awarded is an understatement – he is the recipient of different awards, citations and distinctions from several Philippine presidents and even the Philippine Congress.
The Philippine Ambassador to The Hague is also a prolific writer, having published nine books covering international law and diplomacy. He also happens to be the brother of Jonathan Malaya, spokesperson and assistant director-general of the Philippines’ National Security Council. – Rappler.com
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Ced Domingo parts ways with Creamline
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delfin.dioquino editor
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05/01/2024 20:32
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KEY PLAYER. Ced Domingo in action for the Creamline Cool Smashers in the Premier Volleyball League.
PVL Images
MANILA, Philippines – Ced Domingo will not be returning to Creamline once her stint in Thailand ends.
The Cool Smashers officially parted ways with Domingo on Friday, January 5, three months after she left the Premier Volleyball League team to sign with Women’s Volleyball Thailand League squad Nakhon Ratchasima VC.
“We thank you for your excellence and heart that you showed inside and outside the court, and most importantly, for being a Creamline Cool Smasher,” the team said in a statement in Filipino.
Domingo joined Creamline in 2019 after her collegiate career with the FEU Lady Tamaraws and helped the Cool Smashers win four PVL crowns out of seven finals appearances over the next four years.
Individually, the 24-year-old earned a Second Best Middle Blocker plum and a Finals MVP award during her time with Creamline.
Despite her success with the Cool Smashers, Domingo left the team in October to pursue her aspirations of being an import in a foreign league, joining Thai powerhouse Nakhon Ratchasima.
Creamline, though, proved it remains the PVL yardstick even after the departures of Domingo and star setter Jia Morado-De Guzman, who also left for Japan, as it swept the Second All-Filipino Conference in December for its seventh title.
Determined to keep its place on top, Creamline is reportedly bringing in middle blocker Bea de Leon and libero Denden Lazaro-Revilla from sister team Choco Mucho. – Rappler.com
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Sara Duterte is ‘my president,’ says retired soldier. His Matikas ‘mistahs’ are annoyed.
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Glenda Gloria
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05/01/2024 11:27
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MANILA, Philippines – So it’s come to this. Saying this was his holiday “gift” to Filipinos, a long-retired, little-known military officer went on YouTube during the break to announce two things: that there’s a move to withdraw support from the current administration, and that the purveyors want Vice President Sara Duterte to “save the boat, save the country.”
“You are the president now, as far as I’m concerned,” declared retired Army captain Clemente Enrique, referring to Vice President Duterte. Enrique graduated in 1983 at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) as the baron of the Matikas class – which meant he was the most ranking cadet of the corps at the time. But he left the service early, so that those who were fed his video in various chat groups had to Google his name and check whether the face wearing a beret looked familiar. It didn’t. This is Enrique’s first front act in military politics – and we don’t know where he’s coming from. (Editor’s note: We misspelled Enrique’s family name in an earlier version of this story. We regret the error.)
His incendiary spiel was interrupted by another graying soldier who, before talking about the “anger” of many retired soldiers towards the Marcos government, sipped hot chocolate and – for real! – displayed a phone number where one can order.
It would have been comical if not tragic. These are, after all, men who were trained by taxpayers’ money to serve the public, not strut around with pathetic antics and market their choco business.
The irony is, some of Enrique’s PMA classmates (or mistahs in military parlance) are in the echelons of power. To name a few, there’s National Security Adviser Eduardo Año and retired police general Roman “Popong” Felix, the presidential adviser on police and military affairs.
Class officers sent Rappler a brief statement disowning Enrique’s claims. “Mr. Clemente Enrique is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1983. Mr. Enrique’s statements in his VLOG of Pinoy Survivor, in the exercise of his right to freedom of expression, are his own personal views and opinions alone and do not in any way reflect that of PMA Class 1983 or of the individual members.”
The uploading of the video followed the release of a “Manifesto ng Taong Bayan Para Sagipin ang Inang Bayan (Manifesto of the People to Save the Mother Land)” which essentially described President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. as incompetent, greedy, indolent, cruel; declared withdrawal of support from him; and recognized “VP Inday Sara Zimmerman Duterte as the President of the Republic of the Philippines by way of succession.”
On Thursday, January 4, Armed Forces chief General Romeo Brawner, Jr. issued a statement titled, “On the emerging challenges of 2024.” Feel free to read between the lines: “The Armed Forces of the Philippines stands firm in its unwavering loyalty to the Constitution and its solemn commitment to fulfill its mandate. The men and women of the AFP remain steadfast in their role as the guardians of our nation’s sovereignty and defender of democratic principles.”
In November, Brawner admitted that he had spoken with disgruntled retired officers and warned them against recruiting active-duty soldiers to their destabilization efforts. “Some of them [are] former officers of the AFP, and nakausap ko ‘yung iba sa kanila (I’ve spoken with some of them),” Brawner said at the turnover of command of the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City. His public information officer had to do damage control later, saying his boss had been “misquoted.”
What’s the context? The breakup of the Marcos-Duterte coalition and the cascade of that quarrel down to the loyalists of both factions in the armed services.
The issues compounding that are the Marcos government’s decision to reform the generous military pension system; its recent announcement resuming the stalled peace negotiations with the communist guerrillas; and the President’s distance from military generals – which is very much in contrast to Rodrigo Duterte’s feudal, personal ties with them.
Power, pension, communism – potent ingredients for agitation even to amateurs in military rebellion. But Filipinos had seen smarter days of past mutinies and actual withdrawal of institutional support from the commander-in-chief. Those days appear to be gone – gauging from the performance of these sloppy copycats.
Will these theatrical acts turn into something more serious? Depends on whether the Marcos government has the ability to separate noise from real threat – and the skills to handle them differently. – Rappler.com
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I agree with Ms. Glenda Gloria: “Power, pension, communism – potent ingredients for agitation even to amateurs in military rebellion.” And also: “Will these theatrical acts turn into something more serious?” Perhaps, more likely not. Why? By way of how these “copycats” act, they indeed act in a “sloppy” manner. The mastermind behind them is, most likely, former President Digong Duterte, who is noted for his brave and death-threatening words but “sloppy” moves.
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Bishop vows banged-up knee not a concern for Ginebra as PBA playoffs near
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delfin.dioquino editor
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07/01/2024 23:25
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CONTESTED. Tony Bishop in action for Barangay Ginebra in the 2023-24 PBA Commissioner's Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – Barangay Ginebra import Tony Bishop eased concerns over a feared injury with the PBA Commissioner’s Cup playoffs fast approaching.
Gin Kings head coach Tim Cone on Sunday, January 7, bared Bishop missed a couple of practices after hurting his left knee, but the American-Panamanian reinforcement said fans and the team have nothing to be alarmed about.
“It’s no concern. Don’t worry about it. I’m a tough player. I play through injuries. I’m a vet. It’s part of the game,” said Bishop.
“Going into the playoffs, I don’t know anybody who’s not banged up. For me, I’ll continue to work hard, continue to get therapy. Part of basketball, part of being a pro. Let’s take it day by day.”
True enough, Bishop hardly looked like someone who is not in tip-top shape as he delivered one of his finest performances of the conference in a 103-93 win over NorthPort on Sunday.
Bishop finished with 26 points on top of a conference-high 16 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 blocks in over 40 minutes of action.
The victory allowed Ginebra to claim its third straight win and seventh overall in 10 games and boost its chances for a top-four finish, which merits a twice-to-beat bonus in the quarterfinals.
Averaging 22.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks, Bishop said he continues to learn the ropes since the Gin Kings brought him in as a replacement for resident import Justin Brownlee.
“Ten games in, I’m there. I’ve been working each and every day to understand more of the offense and understand the players, where the guys like the ball, our system on offense and defense,” Bishop said.
In a tight battle with Meralco (7-2), Phoenix (7-2), and San Miguel (7-3) for the three remaining win-once incentives, Ginebra hopes to beat NLEX in its final elimination-round game on Saturday, January 13, in Albay. – Rappler.com
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Thirdy, San-En repeat over Parks, Nagoya; Kai suffers heartbreaker to Edu-less Toyama
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Jasmine Payo
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07/01/2024 22:19
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DEFENSIVE STANCE. San-En guard Thirdy Ravena in action in the Japan B. League.
JAPAN B. LEAGUE
MANILA, Philippines – Thirdy Ravena and the San-En NeoPhoenix continued their winning ways in the Japan B. League as they repeated over Ray Parks and the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins, 80-74, at the Dolphins Arena on Sunday, January 7.
Ravena, who sent social media into a frenzy on Saturday, January 6, following his ferocious one-handed poster slam on Nagoya’s Seiga Sakamoto, put up another solid performance and was one of four San-En players to breach double-digit scoring with 13 points.
After leading all scorers with 25 markers on Saturday, Ravena flaunted his passing skills this time and dished out a game-high 7 assists, along with 3 rebounds and 1 steal in a team-best 32 minutes and 49 seconds of play.
Ravena’s fellow import Yante Maten showed the way for San-En with 18 points and 8 rebounds, while David Dudzinski and Kosuke Kanamaru produced 13 and 11 markers, respectively.
With their sixth straight win, the red-hot NeoPhoenix improved their record further to 24-4 and remained tied with the Alvark Tokyo at the No. 1 spot of the Division 1 standings.
Parks, who reached the 1,000-point milestone in the B. League on Saturday, had a forgettable showing for Nagoya in the loss, scoring just 2 points on a dismal 1-of-8 field goal clip, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal in over 22 minutes of action.
Scott Eatherton led the Dolphins – who slid to 16-12 – with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Kai Sotto and the Yokohama B-Corsairs failed to make it two wins in a row after absorbing a heartbreaking 70-68 loss to the AJ Edu-less Toyama Grouses at the Toyama City Gymnasium.
With Toyama holding a precarious two-point advantage, 70-68, off two clutch free throws by Ivan Buva, Yokohama had a golden opportunity to win it all in the final possession, but Devin Oliver’s potential game-winning triple failed to hit the mark at the buzzer.
Sotto only played a total of 8 minutes and 19 seconds in the first half and never returned the rest of the way due to an apparent ankle sprain.
He had 6 points on 3-of-5 shooting, 4 rebounds, 1 block, and a team-high plus-minus of +17 before exiting the game.
Buva paced the Grouses (4-24) in their two-point escape with 16 points, while Yuki Kawamura carried the scoring cudgels for the B-Corsairs (12-16) in the losing cause with 19 markers.
Elsewhere, Matthew Wright became the fifth and the fastest Filipino import to hit 1,000 points in the B. League after pouring in 13 markers in the Kyoto Hannaryz’s 83-76 loss to the Chiba Jets at the Kataoka Arena Kyoto on Sunday.
In just his 80th game in the Land of the Rising Sun, Wright, the second-year Kyoto guard, joined Thirdy and Kiefer Ravena, Dwight Ramos, and Parks as the first five Filipino players to accomplish the scoring feat.
Kyoto, however, fell to 8-20 following the weekend sweep at the hands of Chiba.
Similar to Sotto’s Yokohama and Wright’s Kyoto, RJ Abarrientos’ Shinshu Brave Warriors (5-23) and Dwight Ramos’ Levanga Hokkaido (8-20) couldn’t get over the hump on Sunday.
Abarrientos racked up 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in Shinshu’s 92-64 loss to the Nagasaki Velca at the Nagasaki Prefectural Gymnasium.
Ramos, meanwhile, was limited to only 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block in Hokkaido’s 92-61 defeat versus the Sunrockers Shibuya at the Aoyama Gakuin Memorial Hall.
Finally, Carl Tamayo provided quality minutes in the Ryukyu Golden Kings’ 88-65 thrashing of the Fighting Eagles Nagoya.
Tamayo came up with 9 points on a near-perfect 4-of-5 clip from the field and 1 rebound in just 7 minutes and 32 seconds of playing time for the defending champion Ryukyu, which hiked its record to 20-8. – Rappler.com
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[OPINION] Hoping amidst ‘this thing’: COP28 reflections from a 24-year-old first-timer
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Marguerite de Leon
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07/01/2024 19:00
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Guia Abogado/Rappler
I went to Dubai to attend COP28 last month. As a Humanities girlie who has always been more of a literature-and-art person, this was such a jarring experience. I only ever thought of climate change in broad strokes – you know, that thing that makes us suffer, that thing that has killed so many and could probably kill us all?
Being in a different country to attend the biggest climate change conference forced me to zoom in a bit, though, with my minimal knowledge and big worrisome brain. In my stay, I often thought about how the Conference of the Parties is older than me. For reference, I was born in 1999; the COP was born in 1995. Yet, we are still here doing the same thing. Despite this large and expensive gathering, we’re still facing this thing. From the vignettes I can remember, it has only gotten worse since I was a child, has it not?
I was in the overflow room for COP28’s opening where it was officially announced that 2023 was the hottest year we have had…like, ever. I wasn’t surprised by this. I was instead surprised by the headlines that followed – big and bold and red. I asked myself then, was I supposed to be surprised? Because to me, I thought every year in recent years, as it happens, was the hottest year ever. If there’s an active problem we don’t actually try our best to solve, it will only get worse and blow up in our faces after decades of warnings. It doesn’t take a scientist to know and think this.
What can we really expect after lukewarm efforts?
I am a baby in the climate movement. I have only been working in the Manila Observatory for a little more than a year. It’s safe to say that I don’t really know much – about the science of climate change, or the negotiations because of climate change. Ultimately, I only really know the effects that I’ve felt and seen other people experience. Maybe not knowing much aside from the bad has led me to be nihilistic and pessimistic. At COP28, I often thought, why are we really here? Why were we doing a climate change conference in Dubai, a big oil-producing country? Why was Sultan Al Jaber, the head of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADCO), named COP28’s President?
Most of the events I followed were youth-led, and it seemed that, despite these ironies, it is the youth’s job to be hopeful. As part of this younger generation, I found myself getting angry because of this. It is a great ask from neglectful governments and giant corporations to demand hope from us when they have barely done anything to earn it.
Of course, I understand the importance of negotiations and diplomacy and alliances. I understand that policies can bring change. I guess it’s just that as someone who was an outsider to this world until recently, how come I have never felt any good change? And if I haven’t, am I in a place where I can hope for things? Does hoping, then, become a privilege?
I am not a fan of this spiraling thought – that I shouldn’t hope because of people in power, that there is no place for hope, that this thing is so much larger, so really, what’s the point? In Sibol, an anthology by Green Dreams of a Generation, the editor’s foreword says, Many of us are tired of convincing other people to listen to us.
In my stay in Dubai, I swung between anger and guilt repeatedly. Angry at having hope, and guilty of being angry at having to hope. I come back to a colleague’s question at one of those COP dinners you do to network and catch up with work partners. She asked the entire table, why are you here [doing climate work]?
I gave an easy answer. I was about to graduate and was offered a job so I took it. Why not? In a table full of people doing climate work, everyone will have finished their dinner before everyone’s done with their stories. In truth, I have no special climate story of my own pushing me into this realm. In truth, I was desperate to be employed. I thought, climate change is a “universal struggle.” Kumbaga, everybody experiences it albeit disproportionately. Therefore, the movement is accessible.
After the dinner though, I kept going back to another time of anger and hopelessness for me. My years in Ateneo, the ones when I was physically on campus, are less than half of what it should have been. At a very crucial point in college — although all of those years are arguably crucial — my second semester of second year when my majors were important for my writing, when I could feel my bones melting into the campus out of comfort and love for it, when I was finally ready to drink, all schools closed. Everything did. Indefinitely.
It pushed a lot of people, especially students, into a very dark place. Our routines, our communities, our spaces were gone. We were forced to show the vulnerabilities of our homes through Zoom classes, forced to listen to our tinny speakers echo our professors visibly as disengaged as we were. And then with all of this, two typhoons. Typhoon Rolly then Typhoon Ulysses. Ulysses forced our fellow students to their roofs. We watched videos and heard recordings, in the same tinny speakers, of people from the North begging for help. Amidst all this, we didn’t hear from the administration soon enough. No suspension of classes, no extension of the break we were having (from what I can remember). Nothing. Between the calamities and the pandemic, the students had no space to think of school. There’s really no other way to describe it, it felt like we were drowning in grief.
My batchmates and I started to protest, which turned into a student strike – One Big Strike. This was a polarizing movement; either people really supported us or had no problem trying to wreck us. We ended up dropping our subjects to protest against the criminal negligence of the government in handling both the pandemic and the calamities. We echoed the youth and education sectors’ call: no student left behind. We interviewed students, we gave relief, and did a clean-up. We did as much as we could in the whirlwind that was the strike.
It was not perfect, but it was ours. And we fought as hard as we could. In a time of anger and hopelessness, we persevered.
In Kasiglahan Village in Rizal, when we did our clean-up, we got to talk to former Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago. She told us to keep marching forward despite things. And we did. We kept being angry, but we also found hope among each other. I found hope in my co-organizers.
I then understood that I was there, in Dubai and in the movement, because of community. I cared for local communities who are drastically impacted not only by climate change, but by extractive practices. In Kasiglahan, we shoveled an unimaginable amount of mud inside and surrounding relocation houses. They said it was because the mayor allows quarrying in the mountains, causing the soil to be loose. I was there and now here for and with communities.
Remembering my time as a student on the brink of giving up, I now understand that while it is frustrating to hope, I do so anyway. But my hope is reserved for my fellow youth. My hope is reserved for the marginalized communities. My hope is reserved for environmental defenders. My hope is for those fighting the good fight. For those who march on despite things. The point of hope then, is not so the people in power can feel better about themselves. It is not for them to wash their hands. Hope is the only way we are able to live in a world of all-consuming catastrophe. The point of hope is surviving this thing, and surviving it together. We can be angry and hopeful, but we never have to feel these alone. – Rappler.com
Bernardine de Belen is a magna cum laude Humanites graduate of Ateneo de Manila University who currently works as a researcher and program coordinator at the Klima Center of the Manila Observatory.
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LOOK: Dwight Howard lands in the Philippines ahead of Dubai tournament
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jisaga0269
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07/01/2024 21:26
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MAJOR BOOST. Former NBA star Dwight Howard arrives in Manila to join a Philippine club team in a Dubai tournament.
STRONG GROUP ATHLETICS
MANILA, Philippines – Former NBA champion and eight-time All-Star Dwight Howard arrived in the Philippines on Sunday, January 7, and is set to prepare with Strong Group Athletics for the 2024 Dubai International Basketball Championship this January 19 to 28.
In a short video posted across his social media platforms, the 38-year-old center expressed his excitement after landing in Manila, while Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player Andray Blatche waved in the background.
“Guess what y’all? We finally made it in the Philippines!” said Howard, a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and the No. 1 overall pick in 2004.
A post shared by Dwight Howard (@dwighthoward)
Blatche and Howard are set to join fellow former NBA player Andre Roberson in the massively stacked Strong Group squad that also boasts American guard McKenzie Moore, UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao, UAAP champion JD Cagulangan, and coaches Brian Goorjian, Topex Robinson, and Charles Tiu.
Like the previous year when it fielded ex-NBA players Nick Young and Shabazz Muhammad, Strong Group is again a heavy favorite in the annual weeklong pocket tournament that features some of the Middle East’s best teams.
The Frank Lao-owned squad, however, looks to erase a humiliating early exit in the last tournament and go for gold this time around with Howard – inarguably its best recruited import yet. – Rappler.com
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Bishop solid vs NorthPort as streaking Ginebra boosts Top 4 chances
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delfin.dioquino editor
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07/01/2024 21:06
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TOUGH SHOT. Scottie Thompson in action for Barangay Ginebra in the 2023-24 PBA Commissioner's Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – Tony Bishop shone on both ends and lifted Barangay Ginebra to a 103-93 win over NorthPort at the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, January 7, as the top four race in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup intensifies.
Bishop turned in 26 points, 16 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 blocks to propel the Gin Kings to their third consecutive victory, which enabled them to hike their record to 7-3 and stay in close contention for a playoff bonus.
Only league-leading Magnolia (9-2) has secured a twice-to-beat armor in the quarterfinals as Meralco (7-2), Phoenix (7-2), San Miguel (7-3), and Ginebra duke it out for the three remaining playoff incentives.
“We’re getting there,” said Gin Kings head coach Tim Cone when asked about his wards’ readiness for the quarterfinals.
“A lot of it depends whether you make the top four or the bottom four. We’re in the bottom four at this point still so we still have our work cut out for us.”
Jamie Malonzo delivered 16 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, while Christian Standhardinger chimed in 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in the triumph that saw Ginebra pull away only in the fourth quarter.
The Batang Pier were still within striking distance with 8:30 minutes left when Arvin Tolentino pulled them within 79-84 before the Gin Kings dropped a 12-0 bomb to blow the game wide open.
Japeth Aguilar scored 4 straight points to ignite the run as Bishop and Maverick Ahanmisi drained a pair of three-pointers that allowed Ginebra to prop up its biggest lead at 96-79.
Aguilar put up 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, Ahanmisi tallied 13 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds, while Stanley Pringle added 10 points.
Former league MVP Scottie Thompson stuffed the stat sheet with 7 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds as the Gin Kings went on a winning streak since his return from a knee injury.
Arvin Tolentino torched his former team Ginebra with 27 points on top of 6 rebounds and 4 steals, although NorthPort simply ran out of steam after engaging the Gin Kings to a see-saw affair in the first three periods.
The first three quarters were marked by 6 ties and 18 lead changes before Ginebra seized the upper hand for good.
Venky Jois had 21 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks for the Batang Pier, who entered the playoffs with a 6-5 record having lost three of their last four games.
Barangay Ginebra 103 – Bishop 26, Malonzo 16, Standhardinger 16, J.Aguilar 15, Ahanmisi 13, Pringle 10, Thompson 7, Tenorio 0, Pinto 0, Onwubere 0, Cu 0, Gumaru 0.
NorthPort 93 – Tolentino 27, Jois 21, Zamar 11, Calma 10, Yu 8, Munzon 6, Chan 5, Paraiso 5, Flores 0, Rosales 0, Amores 0, Adamos 0.
Quarter: 24-26, 50-50, 77-72, 103-93.
– Rappler.com
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Wright, Parks join Filipino imports’ 1,000-point club in Japan B. League
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delfin.dioquino editor
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07/01/2024 20:44
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GUNNER. Matthew Wright in action for the Kyoto Hannaryz in the Japan B. League.
Kyoto Hannaryz Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – Matthew Wright and Ray Parks joined the growing list of Filipino imports who have cracked the 1,000-point mark in the Japan B. League over the weekend.
Wright became the fastest Filipino player to reach the scoring milestone as he hit 1,000 points in 80 games for the Kyoto Hannaryz, albeit in an 83-76 loss to former B. League champions Chiba Jets on Sunday, January 7.
Needing just a point to become the fifth member of the club that includes Parks, brothers Thirdy and Kiefer Ravena, and Dwight Ramos, Wright scored 13 points on Sunday.
Parks, meanwhile, notched the feat on Saturday, January 6, after tallying 6 points in the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins’ 92-79 defeat to Thirdy and the San-En NeoPhoenix.
Now in his third season with Nagoya, Parks breached the 1,000-point plateau in 100 games.
Just before the past year ended, Ramos achieved the milestone by putting up 13 points for the Levanga Hokkaido in their 87-65 thrashing of his former team Toyama Grouses last December 30.
Ravena brothers Thirdy and Kiefer were the first two Filipino players to record 1,000 points when they got the job done last season.
Thirdy did it in January 2023 before Kiefer followed suit in February 2023, previously holding the record as the fastest Filipino import to score 1,000 points in 82 games.
Enjoying arguably his best season in the B. League, Thirdy – who averages a career-high 13.3 points – is on pace to surpass 2,000 points as he currently has 1,710 points with still half of the eliminations to be played. – Rappler.com
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Play the psy-war game: Young activists try to crack the case of disappearances
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Lian Buan
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07/01/2024 17:00
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FREE. Environmental activists Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro arrive at the Department of Justice on November 7, 2023, to submit their counter-affidavit in relation to perjury charges filed against them by the Department of National Defense.
Rappler
Second of 2 partsPart 1: In pattern of ‘fake surrenders,’ 1 case links abduction to military intel service
MANILA, Philippines – Jonila Castro was prepared for death when she and fellow environmental defender Jhed Tamano were abducted in Bataan on September 2, 2023.
“Pinaghandaan ko naman na ‘to dati. Expected naman ‘to, ginagawa naman talaga ‘to sa aktibista (I have been preparing for this since before. This is expected, this is really what they do to activists),” Jonila, 23 years old, told Rappler.
She and Jhed both studied at the Bulacan State University, but only met when they became activists full-time and were assigned to monitor a reclamation project in Bataan.
Rain was pouring all day on September 2, so they left their apartment only when the rain stopped, around 7 pm. The streets were unusually empty, Jonila said, and then it happened so fast. She turned around, was shoved into a van with Jhed, and then thought to herself, “Yun na ‘yung worst case scenario (This is it, it’s the worst case scenario).”
When Jhed and Jonila were abducted in September, Cebu-based activists Dyan Gumanao and Armand Dayoha were in the thick of pursuing the perpetrators of their abduction in January of the same year. In September, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) had already been sending subpoenas to the armed forces in what could be a game-changing investigation where the abduction links back to the military’s intelligence service.
By this time, Armand and Dyan, and Jhed and Jonila, were already the 13th and 14th cases of so-called “fake surrenders,” where activists are abducted and forced into executing an affidavit to denounce their affiliations, and declare themselves as “returnees” joining the fold of civil government.
It’s curious that even after Armand and Dyan blew the cover of their captors after their release, and given an ongoing CHR investigation, Jhed and Jonila were still abducted. And they survived.
“Psychological war talaga (it’s really a psychological war),” said Jonila.
Jonila and Jhed played along with their captors long enough to gain their trust to present them to the public as returnees. They had a gutsy plan, to announce in the press conference that they were not surrendering, and that in fact, were being held captive by the military.
Jhed and Jonila did just that in a press conference with major television networks on September 19, where Jonila went off-script stunning the officials on the panel with her.
Jonila said what worked for them was that they knew how to mislead their captors. The trick was to say some hints of truth with the lies. While Jhed and Jonila were dropping crumbs of their willingness to surrender, they always tried to negotiate not naming or even badmouthing fellow activists. This, Jonila said, preserved their activist persona so their captors would not suspect they were lying.
Their captors’ biggest psychological weapon, at least to Jonila, was Jhed, a shy and meek 22-year-old, and very new to organizing. “Sumali lang ako [sa activism] after the 2022 elections, dun ko nakita na kailangan meron akong gawin sa labas ng eleksyon (I only joined activism after the 2022 elections, that’s when I knew that I needed to do something outside of the elections),” said Jhed.
The 2022 elections saw Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of the dictator, overwhelmingly win the presidency, alongside Sara Duterte, the daughter of the strongman and former president Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte’s crackdown on the Left during his time saw a jump in numbers of charged, detained, and killed activists.
“Ang pinang-guilty sa ’kin noon si Jhed, na hawak ko na ang buhay niya (They used Jhed to me feel guilty, that her life was in my hands),” said Jonila.
The 14 cases of fake surrenders since 2018 do not include Cebu-based development worker Elena Tijamo, abducted in Bantayan Island on June 13, 2020, and discovered to be dead on September 1, 2021. In more than a year of disappearance, Tijamo managed to make phone calls. Her organization Farmers Development Center-Central Visayas (FARDEC) told Rappler they cannot recall a case was ever initiated.
Dyan said one of her captors was a woman who always wore a face mask. The woman talked in soft tones, Dyan said, balancing the aggressiveness of the male captors in convincing her to give in to the demand to execute a surrender affidavit. She would tell Dyan, “Just cooperate, our boss is very kind.” Dyan asked her if they also abducted Tijamo. The woman nodded, Dyan said. “Why didn’t you return her if you’re kind?” Dyan asked.
“She made a mistake,” the woman said.
Thinking about it now, Dyan said the mistake could have been the phone calls. Tijamo exposed too much emotion, or gave away too much information. Dyan and Armand resisted communicating with their families and friends – they wanted them to think they were missing to sustain a surface campaign.
Jonila said perhaps her best strategy was that she remained the way she was: spunky and stubborn. They were able to communicate because Jhed always made an excuse to use Jonila’s bathroom, they’d play sudoku, and use the paper to write messages to each other. When their captors entered the room to watch them, Jonila would tease: “Pinapaparinggan ko ng, ‘Grabe naman, binabantayan ‘nyo pa kami.'” (I would make snide remarks that it was too much to have to watch us closely in that situation),” Jonila said.
Jhed and Jonila were able to speak to Lieutenant Colonel Ronnel dela Cruz, the battalion commander of the 70th Infantry Batallion (IB) of the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, on September 12, 2023.
In Dela Cruz’s version, the two had already surrendered to them by that time and he met them only to facilitate the surrender. While Jhed and Jonila also only met Dela Cruz on September 12, they said they saw markings of the 70th IB in the place where they were held captive. The security forces have repeatedly denied Jhed and Jonila’s accusations.
In Jonila’s version, she endeared herself to Dela Cruz when she egged him on to organize a big press conference “to disseminate the truth faster.” The plan, as it turned out, was to turn the tables on them in a sensational manner.
“Naiisip ko talaga, hindi na kami makakalabas, hindi na kami ilalabas katulad nung mga nangyari na sa mga nauna (I was really thinking we wouldn’t ever get out, they would not show us to the public like what happened to others),” said Jhed.
Like Jhed and Jonila, Dyan and Armand also came face-to-face with their captors. Dyan remembers four faces. Armand, an artist, had been sketching them. If the CHR investigation prospers, Dyan and Armand only need to see their captors again to identify them.
But Dyan concedes,“Matagal ‘to, mahirap ‘to (This will take long, it will be hard).” Alfred Balajola, their CHR investigator, said the same: “Posible talaga mapatagal ‘to, kasi may mga resources din itong suspect natin.” (It is really possible that this would take long, because the suspects have resources.)
The lukewarm outlook reflects a reality for activists when it comes to holding the state accountable, and in this specific pattern, the weakness of the decade-old Anti-Enforced Disappearance or “Desap” Law.
“It’s really because there has been no precedent that the Desap Law has been used, and which resulted into something concrete,” said Edre Olalia, the chairperson of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers.
Jhed and Jonila have filed a petition for a writ of amparo before the Supreme Court, naming Dela Cruz as among their respondents. If granted, the court can give a protection order, or a form of a restraining order, against the respondents. Dela Cruz has filed a perjury complaint against the two, with a preliminary investigation ongoing at the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“Alam naman natin historically speaking, mahirap sila mapanagot. Pero siyempre, gagawa at gagawa pa rin tayo ng paraan (it’s hard to hold state agents accountable. But of course, we will always find a way),” said Jonila.
Among the 14 incidents of abduction with fake surrender was Alexandra Pacalda, taken September 2019, and who later alleged that her affidavit of surrender was forced upon her through “mental torture.” She filed for a petition for a writ of habeas corpus to question why the military held her in custody without a charge, but the Court of Appeals denied her plea, saying that the eventual charge against her for illegal possession of firearms and explosives rendered the request moot.
This frustrated activists at the time because it added to the successive losses in amparo and habeas corpus petitions, raising questions on whether the writs – extraordinary by nature, and created specifically to address human rights abuses – had become useless. (Habeas corpus will have an effect of freeing somebody who is detained).
In late 2020, in a rare statement to address the surge in lawyer killings, the Supreme Court promised to review the efficiency and strength of the writs.
“We confirm that our review of the writs of amparo, habeas data, and habeas corpus will have initial but indicative results by first quarter of 2024. However, so as not to prejudice the objectivity of the studies, the Court has opted not to release any preliminary observations,” Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, chairperson of the human rights committee, told Rappler in a statement sent through the Court’s Public Information Office (PIO) on December 21, 2023.
Dyan said she and Armand have tempered their expectations. If someone falls in this case, “for sure it would be low-ranking, someone they can let go,” she said.
“Tingin ko, hindi lang sa kaso naming dalawa, but kailangan ng mas malaking movement and clamor from the people para mas i-punish kung sino ‘yong mga really behind these attacks,” said Dyan.
(I think that beyond our case, there is a need for a bigger movement and clamor from the people to punish who were really behind these attacks.)
Jhed is reluctant to be the face of activism in these times. “It’s overwhelming sometimes,” she said, “[pero] nakikita ko ‘yung pangangailangan na magsalita, kasi importante siyang marinig ng tao.“
(But I see the need to speak, because it’s important that people hear it.” – Rappler.com
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Because of the “psy-war” done by the activists, the AFP would now think twice about conducting “fake surrenders.” They will have to improve their act before doing so. It will also be helpful if Rappler can determine if the activism of both Jehd and Jonila endangers any commercial interests. If this is so, then their case may be analogous or related to the anti-“war profiteering” advocacy of former US Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler.
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Alex Eala back in Australian Open, battles Sweden foe to open qualifiers
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delfin.dioquino editor
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07/01/2024 17:56
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GEARING UP. Alex Eala at Melbourne Park for the 2024 Australian Open.
Alex Eala Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala returns to the Australian Open with hopes of having a deeper run.
Eala kicks off her campaign in the opening Grand Slam tournament of the year against Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson in the first round of the women’s singles qualifying draw at the Melbourne Park on Tuesday, January 9.
Entering her fourth year in the professional circuit, the Filipina tennis ace seeks to advance to the next round after suffering an early exit in the Australian Open last year.
The 18-year-old Eala made her professional Grand Slam debut in the Australian Open last year, but she blew a sizable lead against Japan’s Misaki Doi in the first qualifying round.
Standing in the way of Eala this time is 28-year-old Peterson, who notched a career-high ranking of No. 43 and reached at least the second round in each of the four Grand Slams.
Currently ranked No. 128, Peterson advanced to the second round of the Australian Open in 2019 and 2022.
Eala improved to a career-high No. 185 in the latest world rankings released on January 1 after a stellar 2023 campaign that saw her win two ITF titles and a pair of bronze medals in the Asian Games.
She warmed up for the Australian Open by joining the Canberra International, where she and Brazil’s Laura Pigossi reached the doubles semifinals.
If Eala beats Peterson, she needs two more wins to qualify for the main draw. – Rappler.com
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Alex Eala back in Australian Open, battles Sweden foe to open qualifiers
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delfin.dioquino editor
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07/01/2024 17:56
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GEARING UP. Alex Eala at Melbourne Park for the 2024 Australian Open.
Alex Eala Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala returns to the Australian Open with hopes of having a deeper run.
Eala kicks off her campaign in the opening Grand Slam tournament of the year against Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson in the first round of the women’s singles qualifying draw at the Melbourne Park on Tuesday, January 9.
Entering her fourth year in the professional circuit, the Filipina tennis ace seeks to advance to the next round after suffering an early exit in the Australian Open last year.
The 18-year-old Eala made her professional Grand Slam debut in the Australian Open last year, but she blew a sizable lead against Japan’s Misaki Doi in the first qualifying round.
Standing in the way of Eala this time is 28-year-old Peterson, who notched a career-high ranking of No. 43 and reached at least the second round in each of the four Grand Slams.
Currently ranked No. 128, Peterson advanced to the second round of the Australian Open in 2019 and 2022.
Eala improved to a career-high No. 185 in the latest world rankings released on January 1 after a stellar 2023 campaign that saw her win two ITF titles and a pair of bronze medals in the Asian Games.
She warmed up for the Australian Open by joining the Canberra International, where she and Brazil’s Laura Pigossi reached the doubles semifinals.
If Eala beats Peterson, she needs two more wins to qualify for the main draw. – Rappler.com
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Boatwright hangs 51 on luckless Terrafirma as San Miguel extends hot streak
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delfin.dioquino editor
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07/01/2024 18:23
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SCORING MACHINE. Bennie Boatwright in action for the San Miguel Beermen in the 2023-24 PBA Commissioner's Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – San Miguel import Bennie Boatwright came out with guns blazing and starred in a 132-110 demolition of luckless Terrafirma in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, January 7.
Boatwright finished with 51 points after a sizzling first-quarter display as the Beermen clinched their fourth straight win and improved to 7-3 to enhance their chances for a twice-to-beat bonus in the quarterfinals.
The 6-foot-10 import put San Miguel on his back with a 23-point explosion in the opening period and went on to add more to his tally the rest of the way to become the third player this conference to hit the 50-point mark.
Former Meralco reinforcement Zach Lofton (54) and TNT import Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson (50) are the only other players to breach the half-century plateau.
With Boatwright – who also tallied 12 rebounds and 2 blocks – at the forefront of the attack, four more Beermen players scored in double figures in the rout that saw San Miguel pull away for good in the second half.
Birthday boy Don Trollano put up all-around numbers of 22 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals on the day he turned 32 years old, while Mo Tautuaa and CJ Perez netted 16 points each and combined for 13 rebounds.
Terrence Romeo had 12 points and 7 assists, scattering 9 points in the fourth quarter to help put the also-ran Dyip away.
Although limited to just a single point, Chris Ross made his presence felt for the Beermen with 10 assists, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals.
San Miguel has learned to live life without star big man June Mar Fajardo, who missed his sixth consecutive game after sustaining a hand injury.
The seven-time league MVP, though, nears his return after being activated by the Beermen with the playoffs just around the corner.
Javi Gomez de Liaño continued his stellar play this conference with 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, but that went for naught as Terrafirma crashed to its seventh straight loss and slid to 2-8.
Import Thomas de Thaey posted a 17-point, 17-rebound double-double and Juami Tiongson also chimed in 17 points in the defeat.
San Miguel 132 – Boatwright 51, Trollano 22, Tautuaa 16, Perez 16, Romeo 12, Lassiter 6, Cruz 6, Brondial 2, Ross 1, Teng 0.
Terrafirma 110 – Gomez de Liano 26, De Thaey 17, Tiongson 17, Holt 13, Camson 11, Sangalang 6, Cahilig 6, Carino 6, Miller 4, Alolino 4, Go 0, Ramos 0.
Quarters: 33-30, 67-60, 103-91, 132-110.
– Rappler.com
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Bacolod Diocese loses 2 Church stalwarts during fight against dictatorship
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Victor Barreiro Jr.
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07/01/2024 15:53
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REST IN PEACE. Monsignor Felix Pasquin and Fr. Romeo Empestan.
Images adapted from ADSUM Diocese of Bacolod Facebook page
BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – The Diocese of Bacolod City on Sunday, January 7, said it lost two stalwarts of the Church from the time of the two-decade Marcos dictatorship.
Based on the diocese’s official notices on its Facebook Page, Fr. Romeo Empestan and Monsignor Felix Pasquin died at the same time, 9:02 am.
Both priests were of the generation that the late Bacolod Bishop Antonio Fortich nurtured and led in campaigns against human rights violations and oppressive economic conditions in Negros Island, then called the “social volcano” for the social and political conflicts rooted on the chasm between the lives of the few rich haciendero clans and the sugar workers.
Empestan, a pioneer of the Basic Christian Communities (BCC), served as coordinator of the diocese’s Pastoral Center, was very close to Fortich.
Pasquin served as Vicar General and social communications head of the diocese and rector of the San Sebastian Cathedral.
The fiery, sometimes brusque Empestan was at the forefront of the activist Church during the dark days of the first Marcos era and the wild, wooly years marking the supposed return to democracy, which rural folk in Negros barely felt.
Empestan’s positions meant he ministered to landless farmers in isolated hamlets of Negros Occidental, then mostly under one diocese. He also aided besieged sugar workers on the frontlines of strikes and protests.
He was perpetually red-tagged but that never stopped him.
Empestan was a writer and an archivist who published in 2017 a memoir, The Struggles of the People and the Church of the Poor in Negros from the 70s to 90s.
Among the stories he recounted in spare but powerful language were the defiance of BBC peasant women, barefoot as they physically blocked tractors and military escorts sent to demolish their village homes in 1980.The aftermath led to the kidnapping and murder of two BCC leaders in Tan-awan Village, Kabankalan, which heralded increasing attacks against members and leaders of the local BCCs.
In 2012, Empestan was appointed spiritual director of the diocese’s Sacred Heart Seminary.
In 2013, he was among four Fotrich protégés who wrote, Vir Fortis, a centenary tribute for a mentor who earned the tag “Commander Tony” for his activist stance on social issues.
He also had his gentle side and was known as a gardener and grower of local herbs.
The young Pasquin was Fortich’s go-to, together with the late Monsignor Victorino Rivas, to tap the more well-heeled faithful for aid to sugar workers, or to mediate during conflicts.
He was vicar general in 2013 when the diocese, then under Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra made the controversial decision to hang “Team Patay” banners to influence Catholics not to vote for reproductive health advocates.
That placed him on the opposite side of the fence from many friends who had marched with him on human rights issues. Privately, like other clergy, he sighed over Church opposition to reproductive and LGBTQ rights, but was implacable against those who pushed the death penalty.
Pasquin later became parish priest of Our Lady of Candles. He continued to join protests against attacks on press freedom and the Duterte government’s killing of ABS-CBN’s franchise.
“So the people will be aware of this situation, which is not good…we want to unite in prayers to stop what the government is doing so freedom and democracy will thrive,” he said.
In 2022, Rappler’s Voices from the Regions spoke to him to show that People Power did not start nor stop with EDSA. He also discussed the Church’s role in nurturing democratic forces and playing shepherd to abused communities.
– Rappler.com
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Boatwright hangs 51 on luckless Terrafirma as San Miguel extends hot streak
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delfin.dioquino editor
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07/01/2024 18:23
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SCORING MACHINE. Bennie Boatwright in action for the San Miguel Beermen in the 2023-24 PBA Commissioner's Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – San Miguel import Bennie Boatwright came out with guns blazing and starred in a 132-110 demolition of luckless Terrafirma in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, January 7.
Boatwright finished with 51 points after a sizzling first-quarter display as the Beermen clinched their fourth straight win and improved to 7-3 to enhance their chances for a twice-to-beat bonus in the quarterfinals.
The 6-foot-10 import put San Miguel on his back with a 23-point explosion in the opening period and went on to add more to his tally the rest of the way to become the third player this conference to hit the 50-point mark.
Former Meralco reinforcement Zach Lofton (54) and TNT import Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson (50) are the only other players to breach the half-century plateau.
With Boatwright – who also tallied 12 rebounds and 2 blocks – at the forefront of the attack, four more Beermen players scored in double figures in the rout that saw San Miguel pull away for good in the second half.
Birthday boy Don Trollano put up all-around numbers of 22 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals on the day he turned 32 years old, while Mo Tautuaa and CJ Perez netted 16 points each and combined for 13 rebounds.
Terrence Romeo had 12 points and 7 assists, scattering 9 points in the fourth quarter to help put the also-ran Dyip away.
Although limited to just a single point, Chris Ross made his presence felt for the Beermen with 10 assists, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals.
San Miguel has learned to live life without star big man June Mar Fajardo, who missed his sixth consecutive game after sustaining a hand injury.
The seven-time league MVP, though, nears his return after being activated by the Beermen with the playoffs just around the corner.
Javi Gomez de Liaño continued his stellar play this conference with 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, but that went for naught as Terrafirma crashed to its seventh straight loss and slid to 2-8.
Import Thomas de Thaey posted a 17-point, 17-rebound double-double and Juami Tiongson also chimed in 17 points in the defeat.
San Miguel 132 – Boatwright 51, Trollano 22, Tautuaa 16, Perez 16, Romeo 12, Lassiter 6, Cruz 6, Brondial 2, Ross 1, Teng 0.
Terrafirma 110 – Gomez de Liano 26, De Thaey 17, Tiongson 17, Holt 13, Camson 11, Sangalang 6, Cahilig 6, Carino 6, Miller 4, Alolino 4, Go 0, Ramos 0.
Quarters: 33-30, 67-60, 103-91, 132-110.
– Rappler.com
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Alex Eala back in Australian Open, battles Sweden foe to open qualifiers
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delfin.dioquino editor
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07/01/2024 17:56
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GEARING UP. Alex Eala at Melbourne Park for the 2024 Australian Open.
Alex Eala Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala returns to the Australian Open with hopes of having a deeper run.
Eala kicks off her campaign in the opening Grand Slam tournament of the year against Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson in the first round of the women’s singles qualifying draw at the Melbourne Park on Tuesday, January 9.
Entering her fourth year in the professional circuit, the Filipina tennis ace seeks to advance to the next round after suffering an early exit in the Australian Open last year.
The 18-year-old Eala made her professional Grand Slam debut in the Australian Open last year, but she blew a sizable lead against Japan’s Misaki Doi in the first qualifying round.
Standing in the way of Eala this time is 28-year-old Peterson, who notched a career-high ranking of No. 43 and reached at least the second round in each of the four Grand Slams.
Currently ranked No. 128, Peterson advanced to the second round of the Australian Open in 2019 and 2022.
Eala improved to a career-high No. 185 in the latest world rankings released on January 1 after a stellar 2023 campaign that saw her win two ITF titles and a pair of bronze medals in the Asian Games.
She warmed up for the Australian Open by joining the Canberra International, where she and Brazil’s Laura Pigossi reached the doubles semifinals.
If Eala beats Peterson, she needs two more wins to qualify for the main draw. – Rappler.com
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[OPINION] To make the PUVMP work for the poor, the government needs to spend
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Marguerite de Leon
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07/01/2024 13:05
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David Castuciano/Rappler
December 31st was the deadline for jeepney operators to consolidate into cooperatives or corporations under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP). The program aims to induce changes that result in vehicles with better emissions standards, more organized and predictable routes, and consistent income for operators. It proposes to do this by first nudging operators to join cooperatives or form corporations. These entities will finance vehicle purchases and updating while exercising monopoly power over certain routes.
In some sense, the program is an acknowledgement that the Philippines at large needs a public ground transportation system – a void which the private sector fills. This is because mass transport exhibits the properties of a natural monopoly, which exists if a single seller can most efficiently service a given market. The average daily commuter does not need to be told that the current system is inefficient. In particular, competition for passengers among multiple jeepneys leads to crowding, overfilling within vehicles, and congestion on major stops and streets. Operators themselves also decry the difficulties of making their boundary and being unable to maintain their vehicles. On both the supply and demand side of this market, there is much improvement to be made.
Why then are both operators and commuters joining strikes and protests against the PUVMP? On the consumer side, the worry is that the consolidation of operators into singular entities may disrupt service. Further, due to the eventual monopolization of routes, the costs of commuting might go up as market power allows operators to set prices. Just think of the stretch between Katipunan and the Cubao-Araneta station. This segment of Aurora Boulevard is serviced by possibly dozens of jeepneys each hour. If consolidation reduced the volume of jeepneys with the same amount of passengers, one can imagine long lines, delays, and a worse commute.
On the operator side, the biggest concern is the loss of jobs due to the barriers-to-entry that the program would introduce. These include: the costs of updating existing vehicles, purchasing new vehicles, and the costs of forming and coordinating a cooperative or corporation such as land for the headquarters and barriers to credit. The fact that the government set a ceiling of P80,000 of subsidies per unit despite the updated jeepneys costing upwards of P1 million does not assuage fears that the program may simply push poorer operators out, letting well-financed corporations take over.
Despite these problems, I believe that the PUVMP can jumpstart a pro-poor mass transit reform by creating a new kind of Public-Private-Partnership between the government and operator-run cooperatives. Concretely, this means four things. First, the government should shoulder most if not all of the costs of updating vehicles. Second, the government should finance the fixed costs for the cooperatives including the spaces for their headquarters. Third, it should guarantee some benefits to the operators such as covering their PhilHealth and social security contributions, and immediate inclusion in the 4Ps program. Finally, it should limit its assistance to operator-run cooperatives, whose board members and officers come from the ranks of operators and who regularly rotate, rather than extend assistance to private corporations.
The first two recommendations follow, once again, from the economics of natural monopolies. Subsidies are needed to get natural monopolies to operate since it may be difficult for them to start up. The jeepney operators who are needed to form the co-ops that will service different routes face high fixed costs. However, their reorganization is needed to provide a more efficient mass transit system which in turn means productivity gains from workers who can travel easier, and greater well-being for Filipinos from shorter commutes. By shouldering most of the cooperatives’ fixed costs, the government is effectively investing in the potential economic gains from better mass transit – just like the major cities in the advanced industrialized world.
As for the additional benefits such as PhilHealth and the 4Ps, these simply make use of existing programs to make the government a sustained stakeholder in the operations of the cooperatives. As other commentators point out, consolidation, by cooperatives or otherwise, do not mean improvement in service. There has to be some accountability to commuters’ needs. By tying the cooperative’s continued financing to the government, taxpayers can have a voice (albeit imperfect) in their operations, allowing for improvements like those that made the point-to-point bus system a modest success.
As usual, the objection to these proposals is whether the government can afford such measures. After all, they can simply limit the subsidies, allow small, independent operators to fall by the wayside, and leave the transport system to well-financed corporations. However, since monopolies exercise market power, this may mean reduced service quality and higher fares. If the mass transport system can run more efficiently through coordination by cooperatives partially accountable to taxpayers, the system is more likely to avoid the pitfalls of higher prices and lower quality endemic in monopolies. This means that the economic gains of improving mass transit do not have to come at the cost of transit jobs. That is certainly worth at least as much as the confidential and intelligence funds that our public officials seem quite fond of.
The PUVMP is an opportunity to overhaul mass transit in the Philippines only if the government puts its money where its mouth is. Otherwise, the program will simply erect barriers that create an opportunity for already well-capitalized corporations at the expense of consumers and smaller operators. Thankfully, the PUVMP can still accommodate changes in its implementation without changing its primary objectives. The choices that the government makes in this respect will ultimately reflect its priorities. – Rappler.com
Alfredo RM Rosete is an Associate Professor at Central Connecticut State University.
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I agree with Alfredo Rosete: “The choices that the government makes in this respect will ultimately reflect its priorities.” But more likely, the Government’s choice will favor private corporations especially those owned by the 2022 Presidential Election Campaign Fund donors of President Marcos Jr.
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PLDT scores F2 star trifecta, nabs star hitter Kianna Dy to join Baron, Fajardo
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jisaga0269
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07/01/2024 13:03
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PLDT ON POINT. Former F2 spiker Kianna Dy poses in her new PLDT jersey
PLDT High Speed Hitters
MANILA, Philippines – PLDT saved the best for last in its star-studded recruitment haul, unveiling former F2 top scorer Kianna Dy as its third new High Speed Hitter ahead of the highly-anticipated 2024 PVL season on Sunday, January 7.
The star opposite hitter, currently out of commission due to a knee injury, joins her former La Salle and F2 teammates Majoy Baron and Kim Fajardo, and reunites with another ex-Lady Spiker in captain Mika Reyes.
“Stepping out of your comfort zone can be scary sometimes. But at the same time, that’s when you realize that you can learn so much more from new coaches and teammates,” Dy said in a statement.
“Knowing that there’s still so much to learn inspires me to thrive and work harder. It’s going to take a lot of hard work, but I hope we can meet the expectations set for us here in PLDT.”
The 28-year-old spiker is expected to be a massive boost to a solid wing rotation featuring the likes of standout Fil-Canadian Savannah Davison, breakout hitter Erika Santos, and ever-ready reserve Jules Samonte.
With its off-season recruitment momentum on point, PLDT is revitalizing its campaign for a breakthrough PVL podium finish after multiple fourth and fifth place finishes in its seven-conference stint so far in the pros. – Rappler.com
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LOOK: SB19’s Justin joins cast of ABS-CBN’s ‘Senior High’
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Ysa Abad
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07/01/2024 11:54
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ABS-CBN's YouTube
MANILA, Philippines – Justin de Dios of P-pop powerhouse SB19 is set to make his acting debut in the ABS-CBN series Senior High.
Justin’s participation in the series was revealed on Friday, January 5, in the show’s teaser for the Monday, January 8 episode. His character was seen attending the school’s prom with Gela Atayde’s Tanya.
Further details about Justin’s character have yet to be disclosed. Additionally, SB19’s “Bazinga,” a track from the group’s 2021 EP Pagsibol, is the official soundtrack of Senior High.
On his Facebook account, Justin shared a photo from the show’s filming.
“Nice meeting you,” he wrote.
The SB19 member also shared the teaser on his Instagram story, writing, “Lah, andito pala ako (Oops, turns out I’m here).”
[ #SB19_JUSTIN IG STORY UPDATE ] "lah andito pala ako" Lah may pogi! Nice to meet you po! 🙈ACTOR JUSTIN #JustinDeDios#JustinInSeniorHigh pic.twitter.com/ww9aU99Euh
Following the release of the teaser, the phrase “ACTOR JUSTIN” and hashtags #JustinInSeniorHigh, #JustinDeDios were aong the top trending topics in the Philippines on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Senior High stars Andrea Brillantes, Kyle Echarri, Daniela Stranner, JK Labajo, Xyriel Manabat, Zaijian Jaranilla, and Elijah Canlas. The ABS-CBN series is down to its last two weeks. – Rappler.com
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LOOK: Miss Universe PH announces 2024 coronation dates for local pageants
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Ysa Abad
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07/01/2024 11:51
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Miss Universe Philippines 2023 coronation night. May 13, 2023.
ROBREYES
MANILA, Philippines – The search for the next Miss Universe Philippines title holder is on!
On their official social media accounts, the Miss Universe Philippines (MUPH) organization has announced the dates of coronation nights for select local pageants around the country.
To recall, the MUPH organization first announced in April 2023 that they would be holding a new Accredited Partners Program for their succeeding editions, starting in 2024. These accredited partners will select the candidates from their respective localities through local pageants. Only the winners of these local pageants will be able to participate in the national edition of Miss Universe Philippines.
According to the organization, the new program aims to help expand their reach “by promoting the pageant, organizing local events, and selecting candidates in their respective areas.”
Since late 2023, several local accredited partners have crowned their delegates, including Baguio, Tuguegarao, Leyte, Bukidnon, Palawan, and Occidental Mindoro, among others.
This 2024, more localities are set to stage their respective pageants. Here’s the schedule posted by the MUPH organization:
“And 2024 is off to a roaring start,” the MUPH organization captioned the post. “Who will represent these provinces and cities in the 2024 Miss Universe Philippines Competition?”
Meanwhile, the organization has yet to announce the coronation date for the national pageant.
Makati’s Michelle Dee, who finished in the Top 20 of the international edition, is the reigning Miss Universe Philippines.
The Miss Universe 2024 pageant will also be the first edition without age restrictions for the candidates. This comes after mothers and wives were welcomed into the competition starting 2023. – Rappler.com
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‘Miss Saigon’ in Manila opens audition for child character Tam
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Ysa Abad
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07/01/2024 14:25
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MISS SAIGON. The world-class international production is premiering at Solaire in 2024.
GMG Productions' Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – Your child might be the next theater star! Producer GMG Productions announced on Friday, January 5, that they’ve opened auditions for the child character Tam in the upcoming Miss Saigon musical in Manila and other Asian territories.
Inspired by the 1904 opera Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil’s Miss Saigon centers on the romance between American sergeant Chris and a Vietnamese bar girl named Kim amidst the 1970s Vietnam War.
Tam is Kim and Chris’ child. Tam was raised alone by his mother.
“The character is male identifying, of Vietnamese heritage with a playing age of three years,” GMG Productions said about the character.
According to the producers, the role can be portrayed by any gender aged four to eight. However, auditionees with long hair may be required to cut their hair if cast for the musical.
Only those who are 115 cm tall and below can audition. GMG Productions noted that while they’re flexible in the age and gender of the auditionees, they’re strict with the height restriction.
Those interested to portray Tam must be confident and have basic understanding of the English language. They must also be able to remain still and silent as the role doesn’t have singing or speaking lines.
GMG Productions also listed that while there’s no preparation required for the audition, auditionees can expect to play games during the casting call.
Interested auditionees should pre-register via the form found in GMG Productions’ website until January 9, 6:30 pm. Walk-in auditionees will not be entertained on the day of the audition.
Auditions will be held on January 11 to 12 at The Theater at Solaire.
Rehearsals and performances for the Manila run will run from around March 21 to May 5 while June 1 to July 14 for the potential further dates in Asia, so auditionees should be available during that time frame.
“The schedule rotates, with each child being present in the theater for a number of shows each week,” they noted.
The latest production of Boublil & Schönberg’s Miss Saigon will be available to Filipino audiences starting March 23, 2024 at the Theatre at Solaire in Parañaque City. It will run until May 5.
Laurence Connor will direct, with musical staging by Bob Avian and additional choreography by Geoffrey Garratt.
Meanwhile, other details about the cast for Miss Saigon in Manila have yet to be announced. – Rappler.com
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Makati excludes EMBO barangays from national tax allocation
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Bonz Magsambol
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07/01/2024 14:47
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Students of EMBO schools attend the opening day of classes for SY 2023-24 amid the dispute between Makati and Taguig local government, on August 29, 2023.
Alecs Ongcal/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The local government of Makati City has excluded 10 Enlisted Men’s Barrios (EMBO) barangays from its 2024 national tax allocation (NTA), which means that Taguig City will “assume full responsibility for the benefits and welfare of over 300,000 residents that are now under its jurisdiction.”
“It is now incumbent upon Taguig to take up the mantle of governance and welfare for these communities. This transition marks a new chapter, not only in the administrative dynamics of our cities but also in the lives of the residents of these barangays. We trust that Taguig City will uphold the highest standards of service and care that these residents rightfully deserve,” Makati City Administrator Claro Certeza said in a statement released on Friday, January 5.
The official cited budget department memorandum 87-A dated December 28, 2023, which states Makati will only receive tax allocation for its 23 barangays.
Under the memorandum, Makati will have P1,006,144,469.00 for the fiscal year 2024. Before, it received tax allocation of P1,775,342,277.00 when EMBO barangays were part of its jurisdiction.
“Makati does not rely on the NTA because of our consistent tax collection performance. Locally-sourced revenues are more than enough to fund our 2024 budget, not to mention the savings gained from the subsidies previously given to the EMBO barangays,” Certeza said.
Similarly, Makati announced on January 2 that the elderly in EMBO barangays can also no longer use their Blu Card for access to the city’s benefits and services.
In 2023, at least 67,097 senior citizens benefitted from Makati’s free medicine program.
To qualify as a Blu Card holder, an individual should be 60 years old and above, a registered voter in the city, and a bonafide Makati resident.
In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that the EMBO barangays are under Taguig’s jurisdiction.
These 10 barangays are the following:
– Rappler.com
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‘Miss Saigon’ in Manila opens audition for child character Tam
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Ysa Abad
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07/01/2024 14:25
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MISS SAIGON. The world-class international production is premiering at Solaire in 2024.
GMG Productions' Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – Your child might be the next theater star! Producer GMG Productions announced on Friday, January 5, that they’ve opened auditions for the child character Tam in the upcoming Miss Saigon musical in Manila and other Asian territories.
Inspired by the 1904 opera Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil’s Miss Saigon centers on the romance between American sergeant Chris and a Vietnamese bar girl named Kim amidst the 1970s Vietnam War.
Tam is Kim and Chris’ child. Tam was raised alone by his mother.
“The character is male identifying, of Vietnamese heritage with a playing age of three years,” GMG Productions said about the character.
According to the producers, the role can be portrayed by any gender aged four to eight. However, auditionees with long hair may be required to cut their hair if cast for the musical.
Only those who are 115 cm tall and below can audition. GMG Productions noted that while they’re flexible in the age and gender of the auditionees, they’re strict with the height restriction.
Those interested to portray Tam must be confident and have basic understanding of the English language. They must also be able to remain still and silent as the role doesn’t have singing or speaking lines.
GMG Productions also listed that while there’s no preparation required for the audition, auditionees can expect to play games during the casting call.
Interested auditionees should pre-register via the form found in GMG Productions’ website until January 9, 6:30 pm. Walk-in auditionees will not be entertained on the day of the audition.
Auditions will be held on January 11 to 12 at The Theater at Solaire.
Rehearsals and performances for the Manila run will run from around March 21 to May 5 while June 1 to July 14 for the potential further dates in Asia, so auditionees should be available during that time frame.
“The schedule rotates, with each child being present in the theater for a number of shows each week,” they noted.
The latest production of Boublil & Schönberg’s Miss Saigon will be available to Filipino audiences starting March 23, 2024 at the Theatre at Solaire in Parañaque City. It will run until May 5.
Laurence Connor will direct, with musical staging by Bob Avian and additional choreography by Geoffrey Garratt.
Meanwhile, other details about the cast for Miss Saigon in Manila have yet to be announced. – Rappler.com
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[Uncle Bob] Visiting Manila? How to spend your Lunar New Year 2024 in the PH capital
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Marguerite de Leon
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03/01/2024 17:10
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RED. Scenes of the celebration of the Chinese New Year at Binondo Manila.
Alecs Ongcal/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia are my three favorite countries after my own.
Two weeks ago, I was in a busy, festive mall in Manila and I thought, why not create a guide to an easy lunar new year holiday in Manila for friends in these countries, with a heavy emphasis on food, shopping, and culture? Food is a priority of course lah.
I brought some Singaporeans to Cebu years ago and we had a blast.
The Manila agenda below should be good for a four-night stay including a weekend.
I saw that the Conrad Hotel near Manila Bay is plugged directly into the Mall of Asia (MOA) and the world’s largest IKEA store. So I recommend the Conrad.
Arrange for the hotel to have their car pick you up at the airport upon arrival.
At IKEA, the restaurant is crazy huge. You can have the usual Swedish meatballs as well as Filipino dishes like sisig.
It’s nice to walk around the world’s largest IKEA store because of its wide corridors and friendly staff. Compare prices with those in your country.
It has a direct link to MOA, one of the largest malls in Asia, where you have all the major international brands like Nike, Uniqlo, Under Armour, Crocs, Muji, etc. but also a lot of local Filipino clothing, leather goods, and other shops.
Bench is the local fast-fashion brand. It’s like Uniqlo. I like their socks, handkerchiefs, underwear, and casual clothing. There’s something for everyone at Bench – short for the founder’s name Ben Chan.
Philippine souvenirs are sold in MOA at a shop called Kultura. You don’t have to go anywhere else.
Manila has one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world. Walk from the Conrad or MOA at 4 pm to the seaside. The sun sets early in Manila, around 5:30 pm, so you have to be at the seaside promenade during the magic hour before sunset.
Very Instagrammable. You will be surrounded by happy Filipino families. There are a lot of food and beverage options along the shore. Very child-friendly ambience.
Yes, the favorite topic of Singaporeans, Malaysians, and Indonesians. MOA has a staggering array of food options. They have a large food hall as well as individual restaurants.
Filipino cuisine is a blend of Spanish, Chinese, American, Malay/Indo, and regional Filipino cooking.
Korean food is huge in Manila because of the large Korean community (students, businessmen etc).
My food suggestions in the MOA area:
AbeCafe RemediosDin Tai Fung (we call it DTF) Mary Grace – Great breads and desserts, try ensaymada and cheese rolls with coffee Locavore in Conrad Halal – Of course I won’t forget my Muslim friends
There’s one point I should point out for Malaysians, the weird Filipino habit of bringing dogs to the mall. Tiny ones are pushed in prams like babies but there are big ones too, fully leashed but still annoying to me.
Dampa (take a hotel car) – Dampa is a fresh seafood market near Conrad where you pick what you want to eat and tell the staff how you want it cooked. They will give you options and suggestions. You will dine in a clean aircon restaurant next to the market. But make sure they tell you what the cooking charges are up front before closing the deal. Like Newton Hawker Centre lah, you might get overcharged.
For pork eaters, go to Rico’s lechon in MOA. Whole roast pig with crispy skin and tender meat sliced for you. It’s the national dish.
Wet wipesTissue paper in packetsPhilippine pesos in 50, 100, and 200 bills
Men should experience a haircut with a mustache-beard trim at Bruno’s Barbers in MOA. Costs P700 (SGD 17), and it’s of course cheaper for a haircut alone. Show the barber a picture of yourself with the haircut you want him to create. Leave a P100 (SGD 2.40, $1.80) tip. This tip is okay for most occasions except luxury dining.
Manila has a 12% Value Added Tax, like GST, and service charges at restaurants. Be kind and tip well if service is good, as it usually is.
The Manila Hotel – Book the buffet lunch on a weekday. I did a lot of feasting here under the guise of business meetings. Filipino, Italian, Japanese, and Arabic options are what I recall. After lunch, sit in the massive lobby and just watch people. It is 111 years old and dwarfs the Raffles Hotel.
Binondo – Ask your hotel to book you a car and guided tour of Binondo, the world’s oldest Chinatown. You will have a blast.
Sofitel buffet dinner – The Spiral dinner buffet is regarded by many as the best in Manila. Close to Conrad. A cool breeze from Manila Bay will keep you comfortable as you dine.
Grab works well in Manila. If you are adventurous, try motorcycle taxis like Joyride or Angkas (founded by a Singaporean woman married to a Pinoy). They supply helmets.
Finally, leave for the airport four hours before your flight just in case there’s heavy traffic, rain, or long queues in immigration, etc. You will probably arrive early but T3 is great, T2 is not good due to few F&B options, and T1 is the oldest and underwent a makeover in recent years.
Buy the local Don Papa rum at Duty Free. It’s great with Coke on the rocks (Cuba Libre)
I hope you enjoy my wonderful hometown. – Rappler.com
Roberto Coloma, better known as Bobby, retired in 2022 after 40 years as a foreign correspondent. He started his career as editor-in-chief of the Philippine Collegian, the student newspaper of the University of the Philippines.
#ShareAsia highlights the best and most sought-after experiences in the Asia-Pacific region. It’s a content and resource hub for tourists and locals alike seeking new, exciting experiences in the region.
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LOOK: Beauty queen Katrina Dimaranan is engaged
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Ysa Abad
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04/01/2024 12:03
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Katrina Dimaranan's Instagram
MANILA, Philippines – Miss Universe Philippines-Tourism 2021 Katarina Dimaranan is ready to tie the knot with boyfriend Robby Rodriguez after more than four years of dating.
In an Instagram post, the Filipina-American beauty queen shared photos from the proposal that took place in Cancun, Mexico.
“I have always said love is friendship on fire and now I get to call my best friend, my FIANCÉ,” she wrote.
Addressing Robby in her post, Katrina wrote: “It feels so surreal that I can officially say that I can’t wait to spend the rest of forever with you. Our love for each other has only gotten stronger through the years.”
She added that she also cried after hearing Robby’s proposal speech.
“Cheers to officially being off the market and getting to annoy each other for the rest of our lives,” she added.
Fellow beauty queens such as Mutya Datul, Samantha Panlilio, Steffi Rose Aberasturi, Maureen Wroblewitz, and Graciella Lehmann wrote congratulatory messages in the comments section.
Katrina started her pageant journey in 2012, where she won the Binibining Pilipinas Tourism crown. In 2018, she represented the United States at the Miss Supranational pageant wherein she finished first runner-up. Katrina came back to the Philippine pageant scene in 2021 and was named Miss Universe Philippines Tourism.
In April 2022, she bid goodbye to the pageant world, saying that she can “finally close this chapter and move forward to [her] next goals.”
Since then, she has been staying in the United States where she’s currently attending nursing school. – Rappler.com
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[Ilonggo Notes] The attractions along Iloilo City’s Bonifacio Drive
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Marguerite de Leon
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04/01/2024 13:51
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It’s a short strip, extending from the end of General Luna to the Forbes Bridge – just about 250 meters. Thousands pass here every day to Lapaz or Jaro, barely noticing it. But Bonifacio Drive deserves more than a cursory glance; it is chock full of history and attractions. Up till the early ’70s it was lined with acacia trees, which were felled when the road was widened. In the ’80s a politician had a pedestrian overpass constructed, but few used it and it was eventually demolished, the unnecessary eyesore consigned to oblivion.
At the southern end of Bonifacio Drive is the Arroyo fountain, which is “kilometer zero” for Panay Island. All distances through the provinces of Iloilo, Antique, Capiz, and Aklan are measured from this 1928 landmark, named after the former senator Jose Maria Arroyo, who was responsible for a Republic Act creating the Iloilo Metropolitan Waterworks Authority.
The neoclassic-style fountain once had bare-breasted female statues, but this caused an uproar among conservative religious groups, and so they were covered up with flowing robes. I still have to make a closer inspection to see if I can make out the changes, but that might mean clambering over the fountain, which may not be advisable for seniors. The fountain fronts a heritage building, the Casa Real (aka Casa Gobierno), the former Iloilo provincial government’s office from the 1870s. It was hailed as the largest and most elegant of its kind in the colony, and has hosted visits of presidents and US high commissioners.
It’s been through at least a couple of fires and extensive renovations. It still hosts the Provincial Library as well as the regional offices of the DOT. On the ground floor is a display of the DTI where one can purchase tasty Ilonggo delights (tsokolate tablea, lengua de gato, cassava chips, peanuts, herbal teas) at very reasonable prices. The second floor, now for meetings and events, is reached through a grand staircase. From its tinted glass wall one can have a view of the expanse of JM Basa Street and Calle Real all the way to Guimaras Island.
The “islas de siete pecados” is a term given to the seven little “islands” and partial roundabouts that make the start of Bonifacio Drive quite challenging to pedestrians and motorists alike. It can become a traffic chokepoint at times. It’s best viewed from the upper floors of the Atrium, which has the Iloilo Supermart, a hotel, retail spaces, and a food court. On a Yuletide night the traffic is horrendous – in part because the provincial government installed a magnificent lighting display, overflowing with visitors.
On one of the “islands” is a triangular monument with a bust of Nicolas Jalandoni. Local historian Demy P. Sonza writes that Jalandoni was once the most brilliant political star in Iloilo, born in Jaro in 1881, educated at the Ateneo and the Escuela de Derecho in Manila. When the first national elections were held in 1907 for delegates to the First National Assembly, he defeated Raymundo Melliza, former justice of the Supreme Court (1899-1900) and immediate past governor of Iloilo (1904-1906). Jalandoni was the president of the Partido Nacionalista in Iloilo and a member of Nacionalista National Directorate. At age 26, he was the youngest member of the National Assembly and presided at the opening session. Sergio Osmeña was elected Speaker, Jalandoni as Speaker Protempore, and Manuel Quezon Majority Floor Leader.
Jalandoni founded the evening newspaper El Adalid (The Hero), to counter the El Tiempo of the Partido Federalista. He also founded Ang Baganihan, which was the first daily paper in Hiligaynon. Among its writers were Rosendo Mejica, Angel Magahum, Flavio Zaragoza Cano, Ulpiano Vergara, Delfin Gumban, and Quirico Abeto.
Jalandoni’s passing at the age of 30 in 1911 was deeply mourned. Colleagues and friends erected a monument in his honor. For this purpose, a committee was formed composed of Quintin Salas (chairman), Amando Avancena, Quirico Abeto, Federico Ortiz, Eladio de Guia, Fidel Hervas, and Cresenciano Lozano. The monument was unveiled on July 19, 1913.
To get a better view, I scrambled over the little picket fence to read the fading Spanish inscriptions on all three sides of the 110-year-old monument, which also features the figure of a sorrowful woman holding a wreath at its base. There is a Jalandoni quote, about the 1910 Nacionalista defeat: “Podemos caer /si: sin embargo/procuraremos/levantarmos otra vez (We can fall, nevertheless we strive to rise again).” On the other sides of the monument, some in typical Art Noveau style, are the names of the leaders of the Nacionalista Party, the monument committee members, and logos of the Associacion Escolar de Filipinas, the Jalandoni Library, and the Escuela de Derecho de Manila. The monument’s location means it is only the determined who will take a second look; it should be transplanted somewhere more accessible.
One recent addition is a relief sculpture that is a fanciful rendition of moments in Ilonggo history. Unveiled in late 2019 just before the pandemic hit, the “Iloilo” mural shows the Barter of Panay, a costumed warrior holding aloft the Santo Niño, and General Delgado astride a rearing horse. Alongside are reliefs of the Miagao Church, San Joaquin Campo Santo, and the Guimbal Watchtower; interspersed among this mélange are a Spanish galleon, paraws, the Oton death mask, the Jaro bandstand, shells, fishes, prawns, birds, and the provincial high school. A tapestry winds its way around the figures, like a thread running through history; perhaps it is a tribute to the storied past of Iloilo as a weaving capital of the country. Built by AR Sculptura, the 15-meter-long by 2-meter-high mural is of fiberglass resin, painted and glazed to look like bronze.
50 meters away is the Museo Iloilo, which is 53 years old in 2024 – the first-ever purpose-built museum in the country. It is run by the Iloilo Cultural Heritage Foundation, and has an iconic trapezoidal design by Ilonggo architect Sergio Peñasales. On its façade is a low relief of Ilonggo churches. It has a display of religious artifacts, WWII memorabilia, and relics from a sunken British steamship, and occasionally hosts contemporary art exhibits.
At the back of the Museo Iloilo is the eight-story provincial capitol of Iloilo; when it was constructed, one of the city’s open spaces, the former Rotary Park Amphitheater, was torn down and a parking lot built in its place.
Right beside the Museo Iloilo stands the former Iloilo provincial jail, with its distinctive guard turrets on four corners; it was built in 1911, and was in use for a century. In 2018 it was extensively renovated, a central glass dome installed, and it re-opened as the Regional Museum for Western Visayas. It has on display a national cultural treasure – the Oton gold death mask. There are well-curated exhibits on native embroidery and archaeology; fossils and petrified trees tell the story of ancient Panay’s emergence from the seas millions of years ago; and it has the jawbone of an extinct elephant specie that was unearthed in Cabatuan. The museum also has changing exhibitions and interactive displays and activities for school children. In front of it is a landscaped lawn and park, where native Iloilo trees (Aglaia argentea) are planted.
Across the street from the museums are a series of heritage buildings. First one is the 1923 building of the Doane Baptist Bible Institute. It is well preserved, with an overhanging balcony and filigreed ceiling carvings; some of the original exterior panel paintings with scroll designs are visible but have been given a white coat. The supporting pillars have lovely, neoclassic designs with touches of Art Noveau and emerging Art Deco. The building originally belonged to the Lopez-Vito Family.
A few meters away is Balay Remedios – built by Julio Ledesma in the late 1920s. It is in the modified balay na bato style, with huge windows and ventanillas. The house was acquired by the designer/engineer of the house, Eusebio Villanueva. It has been in four generations of the Villanueva family, and it opened to the public in late 2023 as a stylish restaurant, offering classic Ilonggo and Spanish influenced cuisine. There is a grand entrance and foyer, with Machuca tiles. The interiors are a shade of salmon pink, with vintage lighting fixtures, carvings, hardwood ebony and ivory floors, and family photographs. The exterior wood panels bear decorative scrolls and interesting floral designs – that, it is said, the Japanese occupiers liked when they expropriated the house as their headquarters in the early 1940s, and allegedly turned the basement into a torture chamber. The front fence posts are tapped by urns, and the grill gates are designed in the Art Deco style. There are plans to open the second floor as a lifestyle museum, which will further add to the attractions of Bonifacio Drive.
Two houses away is a palatial building, the former home of Don Juan Ledesma and acquired in the ’60s by a Chinoy family; this is painted a striking blue and white. In its past incarnations it was occupied by the Japanese, then used by the US Army as its headquarters, a reportedly haunted home, a bodega, an upscale massage and spa, offices, and is now the Castle Chateau hotel. And right next to it, is Iloilo’s oldest continuously running hotel – the River Queen Hotel. It used to be known as the Ledesma Hotel from its opening post World War II, until the mid ’60s. Across the street is the Iloilo Hall of Justice which hosts the courts. Beside it and just next to the bridge is a building in the Brutalist style, which are the offices of the Iloilo water district.
This whole strip could also have been called Ledesma Drive – because the Ledesma family owned most of the land in the area. Bonifacio Drive ends at the foot of the Forbes Bridge, and you can turn to either side and enjoy Iloilo’s fabled Esplanades, or you can walk about a quarter of a kilometer to the Lapaz market, where you can have your fill of batchoy! – Rappler.com
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Why CHED is halting the senior high school program in SUCs, LUCs
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Bonz Magsambol
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04/01/2024 13:26
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CHED Chairman Prospero De Vera III attends the budget hearing of the Commission on Higher Education for fiscal year 2023 at the senate on October 13, 2022. Angie de Silva/Rappler
Rappler.com
MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has ordered state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local universities and colleges (LUCs) to discontinue offering the senior high school program beginning next school year as “there was no legal basis to fund it.”
In a CHED memorandum dated December 18, 2023, the commission said that its engagement with the Department of Education on the implementation of senior high school programs in SUCs and LUCs should only be limited to the K to 12 transition period which was only from school year 2016 to 2017 to school year 2020 to 2021.
“Considering the foregoing, SUC presidents/OICs are directed to bring their respective SUC board of regents and board of trustees the discontinuance of senior high school in SUCs because there is no legal basis to fund the same,” the memorandum read.
Based on DepEd data, some 17,751 grade 11 students are currently enrolled in SUCs and LUCs.
In a Bagong Pilipinas interview on Wednesday, January 3, CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera III said that in the past two years, the commission had been telling public universities to “wind down their senior high [enrollment] because there is no more legal basis for their offering of high school [education].”
“Tapos na ang transition period. Puno na ang state universities and colleges. Kailangan na nilang gamitin ang mga kuwarto at mga teacher. Kaya’t wala ng basehan para mag-offer sila ng senior high school,” he said.
(The transition period is over. State universities and colleges are full. They need to use the classrooms and teachers. That’s why there’s no more basis for them to offer senior high school.)
He noted that SUCs should only offer degree courses. De Vera said that SUCs that have “laboratory schools” can still offer the senior high school program since they have been doing this even prior to K to 12. Laboratory schools are those under SUCs that are being used by those pursuing an education degree.
Meanwhile, there are some 2,030,451 grade 12 students currently enrolled in SUCs and LUCs. De Vera said that universities and colleges “should let them finish the academic year.”
“The Department of Education has already issued a notice, through Private Education Assistance Committee, that beginning SY 2023-2024, there should be no more Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education and Teachers in Private Education beneficiaries from SUCs/LUCs, except those who will be entering Grade 12 in SY 2023-2024 to finish their basic education and that SUCS and LUCs with laboratory school can accept enrolled but will no longer receive vouchers,” the CHED memorandum read.
DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said that those who might be displaced have two options next school year: enroll in public schools or enroll in private schools and avail of the voucher program.
– Rappler.com
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Enchanted River in Surigao del Sur reopens to visitors
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Ysa Abad
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02/01/2024 10:57
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ENCHANTED RIVER. Tourists take photos from the observation deck at Enchanted River, Hinatuan town in Surigao del Sur.
Ivy Marie Mangadlao/RAPPLER
BUTUAN, Philippines – The popular Enchanted River of Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur has finally reopened.
The local tourist attraction was temporarily closed to the public for nearly two weeks, following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the province in early December, and the impacts of Tropical Storm Kabayan.
It reopened on December 30.
The Enchanted River closed twice in December, accounting for 20 days in total.
The first closure was for over a week, from December 4 to 11. It reopened on December 12, but had to be closed to the public again from December 18 to 29 to give way to clearing operations due to Tropical Storm Kabayan.
The Hinatuan municipal government said the closure also allowed authorities to conduct a safety assessment of the area prior to reopening the site.
Hinatuan tourism officer Gemma Millan said the temporary closure of the tourist site cost about P1.5 million to P2 million in lost revenues for the local economy.
“This is a significant blow to the local economy, especially since we consider December as one of our peak seasons,” said Millan.
Entrance fees at Enchanted River are P100 for non-residents and P30 pesos for locals.
The Enchanted River, one of the most popular destinations in Caraga, is a key inclusion in Surigao del Sur tour packages. It is often featured alongside other renowned attractions such as Tinuy-an Falls in Bislig City and the Britania Group of Islands in San Agustin.
In December 2022, the local tourism office recorded a total of 19,018 tourist arrivals. – Rappler.com
Ivy Marie Mangadlao is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow.
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‘From two embryos, to one, then to none’: Empress Schuck suffers miscarriage
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Ysa Abad
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03/01/2024 10:28
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EMPRESS SCHUCK. The actress shares photos from an oath-taking ceremony in June 2022.
Empress Schuck's Instagram
MANILA, Philippines – Actress Empress Schuck disclosed that she had suffered a miscarriage in late 2023.
In an Instagram post on Monday, January 1, Schuck shared that they were supposed to welcome a new addition to their family in 2024.
“This year, we would’ve been a family of four or even five. From two embryos, to one, then to none,” she wrote, alongside a photo of a sonogram with two embryos and positive pregnancy kits.
The celebrity vlogger added that she’s still “not sure how to talk about” the loss. “I just know that sometimes our plans for ourselves don’t align with God’s plans for us.”
Schuck then went to express her gratitude towards husband Vino Guingona, saying that he was “God’s blessing” during this “puzzling experience.”
“We may not exactly understand how we feel about this but having each other is enough to say that everything will be okay,” she added.
Fellow celebrities including Melissa Ricks, Iya Villania, Jason Abalos, Ryza Cenon, Chito Miranda, and Sue Ramirez sent messages of support and comfort towards the couple in the comments section.
Schuck and Guingona, who have been dating since 2014, tied the knot in 2021. They welcomed their first child, a daughter named Athalia, in 2015. – Rappler.com
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Sara Duterte is ‘my president,’ says retired soldier. His Matikas ‘mistahs’ are annoyed.
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Glenda Gloria
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05/01/2024 11:27
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MANILA, Philippines – So it’s come to this. Saying this was his holiday “gift” to Filipinos, a long-retired, little-known military officer went on YouTube during the break to announce two things: that there’s a move to withdraw support from the current administration, and that the purveyors want Vice President Sara Duterte to “save the boat, save the country.”
“You are the president now, as far as I’m concerned,” declared retired Army captain Clemente Enrique, referring to Vice President Duterte. Enrique graduated in 1983 at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) as the baron of the Matikas class – which meant he was the most ranking cadet of the corps at the time. But he left the service early, so that those who were fed his video in various chat groups had to Google his name and check whether the face wearing a beret looked familiar. It didn’t. This is Enrique’s first front act in military politics – and we don’t know where he’s coming from. (Editor’s note: We misspelled Enrique’s family name in an earlier version of this story. We regret the error.)
His incendiary spiel was interrupted by another graying soldier who, before talking about the “anger” of many retired soldiers towards the Marcos government, sipped hot chocolate and – for real! – displayed a phone number where one can order.
It would have been comical if not tragic. These are, after all, men who were trained by taxpayers’ money to serve the public, not strut around with pathetic antics and market their choco business.
The irony is, some of Enrique’s PMA classmates (or mistahs in military parlance) are in the echelons of power. To name a few, there’s National Security Adviser Eduardo Año and retired police general Roman “Popong” Felix, the presidential adviser on police and military affairs.
Class officers sent Rappler a brief statement disowning Enrique’s claims. “Mr. Clemente Enrique is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1983. Mr. Enrique’s statements in his VLOG of Pinoy Survivor, in the exercise of his right to freedom of expression, are his own personal views and opinions alone and do not in any way reflect that of PMA Class 1983 or of the individual members.”
The uploading of the video followed the release of a “Manifesto ng Taong Bayan Para Sagipin ang Inang Bayan (Manifesto of the People to Save the Mother Land)” which essentially described President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. as incompetent, greedy, indolent, cruel; declared withdrawal of support from him; and recognized “VP Inday Sara Zimmerman Duterte as the President of the Republic of the Philippines by way of succession.”
On Thursday, January 4, Armed Forces chief General Romeo Brawner, Jr. issued a statement titled, “On the emerging challenges of 2024.” Feel free to read between the lines: “The Armed Forces of the Philippines stands firm in its unwavering loyalty to the Constitution and its solemn commitment to fulfill its mandate. The men and women of the AFP remain steadfast in their role as the guardians of our nation’s sovereignty and defender of democratic principles.”
In November, Brawner admitted that he had spoken with disgruntled retired officers and warned them against recruiting active-duty soldiers to their destabilization efforts. “Some of them [are] former officers of the AFP, and nakausap ko ‘yung iba sa kanila (I’ve spoken with some of them),” Brawner said at the turnover of command of the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City. His public information officer had to do damage control later, saying his boss had been “misquoted.”
What’s the context? The breakup of the Marcos-Duterte coalition and the cascade of that quarrel down to the loyalists of both factions in the armed services.
The issues compounding that are the Marcos government’s decision to reform the generous military pension system; its recent announcement resuming the stalled peace negotiations with the communist guerrillas; and the President’s distance from military generals – which is very much in contrast to Rodrigo Duterte’s feudal, personal ties with them.
Power, pension, communism – potent ingredients for agitation even to amateurs in military rebellion. But Filipinos had seen smarter days of past mutinies and actual withdrawal of institutional support from the commander-in-chief. Those days appear to be gone – gauging from the performance of these sloppy copycats.
Will these theatrical acts turn into something more serious? Depends on whether the Marcos government has the ability to separate noise from real threat – and the skills to handle them differently. – Rappler.com
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Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
I agree with Ms. Glenda Gloria: “Power, pension, communism – potent ingredients for agitation even to amateurs in military rebellion.” And also: “Will these theatrical acts turn into something more serious?” Perhaps, more likely not. Why? By way of how these “copycats” act, they indeed act in a “sloppy” manner. The mastermind behind them is, most likely, former President Digong Duterte, who is noted for his brave and death-threatening words but “sloppy” moves.
How does this make you feel?
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Rappler
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1
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Sara Duterte is ‘my president,’ says retired soldier. His Matikas ‘mistahs’ are annoyed.
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Glenda Gloria
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05/01/2024 11:27
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MANILA, Philippines – So it’s come to this. Saying this was his holiday “gift” to Filipinos, a long-retired, little-known military officer went on YouTube during the break to announce two things: that there’s a move to withdraw support from the current administration, and that the purveyors want Vice President Sara Duterte to “save the boat, save the country.”
“You are the president now, as far as I’m concerned,” declared retired Army captain Clemente Enrique, referring to Vice President Duterte. Enrique graduated in 1983 at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) as the baron of the Matikas class – which meant he was the most ranking cadet of the corps at the time. But he left the service early, so that those who were fed his video in various chat groups had to Google his name and check whether the face wearing a beret looked familiar. It didn’t. This is Enrique’s first front act in military politics – and we don’t know where he’s coming from. (Editor’s note: We misspelled Enrique’s family name in an earlier version of this story. We regret the error.)
His incendiary spiel was interrupted by another graying soldier who, before talking about the “anger” of many retired soldiers towards the Marcos government, sipped hot chocolate and – for real! – displayed a phone number where one can order.
It would have been comical if not tragic. These are, after all, men who were trained by taxpayers’ money to serve the public, not strut around with pathetic antics and market their choco business.
The irony is, some of Enrique’s PMA classmates (or mistahs in military parlance) are in the echelons of power. To name a few, there’s National Security Adviser Eduardo Año and retired police general Roman “Popong” Felix, the presidential adviser on police and military affairs.
Class officers sent Rappler a brief statement disowning Enrique’s claims. “Mr. Clemente Enrique is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1983. Mr. Enrique’s statements in his VLOG of Pinoy Survivor, in the exercise of his right to freedom of expression, are his own personal views and opinions alone and do not in any way reflect that of PMA Class 1983 or of the individual members.”
The uploading of the video followed the release of a “Manifesto ng Taong Bayan Para Sagipin ang Inang Bayan (Manifesto of the People to Save the Mother Land)” which essentially described President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. as incompetent, greedy, indolent, cruel; declared withdrawal of support from him; and recognized “VP Inday Sara Zimmerman Duterte as the President of the Republic of the Philippines by way of succession.”
On Thursday, January 4, Armed Forces chief General Romeo Brawner, Jr. issued a statement titled, “On the emerging challenges of 2024.” Feel free to read between the lines: “The Armed Forces of the Philippines stands firm in its unwavering loyalty to the Constitution and its solemn commitment to fulfill its mandate. The men and women of the AFP remain steadfast in their role as the guardians of our nation’s sovereignty and defender of democratic principles.”
In November, Brawner admitted that he had spoken with disgruntled retired officers and warned them against recruiting active-duty soldiers to their destabilization efforts. “Some of them [are] former officers of the AFP, and nakausap ko ‘yung iba sa kanila (I’ve spoken with some of them),” Brawner said at the turnover of command of the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City. His public information officer had to do damage control later, saying his boss had been “misquoted.”
What’s the context? The breakup of the Marcos-Duterte coalition and the cascade of that quarrel down to the loyalists of both factions in the armed services.
The issues compounding that are the Marcos government’s decision to reform the generous military pension system; its recent announcement resuming the stalled peace negotiations with the communist guerrillas; and the President’s distance from military generals – which is very much in contrast to Rodrigo Duterte’s feudal, personal ties with them.
Power, pension, communism – potent ingredients for agitation even to amateurs in military rebellion. But Filipinos had seen smarter days of past mutinies and actual withdrawal of institutional support from the commander-in-chief. Those days appear to be gone – gauging from the performance of these sloppy copycats.
Will these theatrical acts turn into something more serious? Depends on whether the Marcos government has the ability to separate noise from real threat – and the skills to handle them differently. – Rappler.com
Error.
Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines.
I agree with Ms. Glenda Gloria: “Power, pension, communism – potent ingredients for agitation even to amateurs in military rebellion.” And also: “Will these theatrical acts turn into something more serious?” Perhaps, more likely not. Why? By way of how these “copycats” act, they indeed act in a “sloppy” manner. The mastermind behind them is, most likely, former President Digong Duterte, who is noted for his brave and death-threatening words but “sloppy” moves.
How does this make you feel?
|
Rappler
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https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/inside-track/sara-duterte-my-president-says-retired-soldier-matikas-mistahs-military-annoyed/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0ZepPs_4wWQ262qmvSXJA3bruSwTXJCPHMs4z76C4e4mffEnQy4YN8ZWI_aem_2g8d7nl7NHYHDqwPujmzdQhttps://www.rappler.com/entertainment/pageants/miss-universe-philippines-announces-2024-coronation-dates-local-pageants/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3BqzmcQtluFYVauwv5ljg0DqigxVSftjN8USbHU0pHPIBUjP_sPLXqLFI_aem_8t65sp0JcDS7SLYWFaBOdw
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LOOK: Miss Universe PH announces 2024 coronation dates for local pageants
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Ysa Abad
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07/01/2024 11:51
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Miss Universe Philippines 2023 coronation night. May 13, 2023.
ROBREYES
MANILA, Philippines – The search for the next Miss Universe Philippines title holder is on!
On their official social media accounts, the Miss Universe Philippines (MUPH) organization has announced the dates of coronation nights for select local pageants around the country.
To recall, the MUPH organization first announced in April 2023 that they would be holding a new Accredited Partners Program for their succeeding editions, starting in 2024. These accredited partners will select the candidates from their respective localities through local pageants. Only the winners of these local pageants will be able to participate in the national edition of Miss Universe Philippines.
According to the organization, the new program aims to help expand their reach “by promoting the pageant, organizing local events, and selecting candidates in their respective areas.”
Since late 2023, several local accredited partners have crowned their delegates, including Baguio, Tuguegarao, Leyte, Bukidnon, Palawan, and Occidental Mindoro, among others.
This 2024, more localities are set to stage their respective pageants. Here’s the schedule posted by the MUPH organization:
“And 2024 is off to a roaring start,” the MUPH organization captioned the post. “Who will represent these provinces and cities in the 2024 Miss Universe Philippines Competition?”
Meanwhile, the organization has yet to announce the coronation date for the national pageant.
Makati’s Michelle Dee, who finished in the Top 20 of the international edition, is the reigning Miss Universe Philippines.
The Miss Universe 2024 pageant will also be the first edition without age restrictions for the candidates. This comes after mothers and wives were welcomed into the competition starting 2023. – Rappler.com
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LOOK: SB19’s Justin joins cast of ABS-CBN’s ‘Senior High’
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Ysa Abad
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07/01/2024 11:54
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ABS-CBN's YouTube
MANILA, Philippines – Justin de Dios of P-pop powerhouse SB19 is set to make his acting debut in the ABS-CBN series Senior High.
Justin’s participation in the series was revealed on Friday, January 5, in the show’s teaser for the Monday, January 8 episode. His character was seen attending the school’s prom with Gela Atayde’s Tanya.
Further details about Justin’s character have yet to be disclosed. Additionally, SB19’s “Bazinga,” a track from the group’s 2021 EP Pagsibol, is the official soundtrack of Senior High.
On his Facebook account, Justin shared a photo from the show’s filming.
“Nice meeting you,” he wrote.
The SB19 member also shared the teaser on his Instagram story, writing, “Lah, andito pala ako (Oops, turns out I’m here).”
[ #SB19_JUSTIN IG STORY UPDATE ] "lah andito pala ako" Lah may pogi! Nice to meet you po! 🙈ACTOR JUSTIN #JustinDeDios#JustinInSeniorHigh pic.twitter.com/ww9aU99Euh
Following the release of the teaser, the phrase “ACTOR JUSTIN” and hashtags #JustinInSeniorHigh, #JustinDeDios were aong the top trending topics in the Philippines on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Senior High stars Andrea Brillantes, Kyle Echarri, Daniela Stranner, JK Labajo, Xyriel Manabat, Zaijian Jaranilla, and Elijah Canlas. The ABS-CBN series is down to its last two weeks. – Rappler.com
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FACT CHECK: PH Coast Guard recruitment for 2024 not yet open
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Ailla Dela Cruz
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07/01/2024 11:54
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Claim: The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is now accepting applications as part of its 2024 nationwide personnel recruitment. A Facebook post includes a link to the application site.
Why we fact-checked this: The December 20 Facebook post containing the claim has 95 shares, 143 reactions, and 31 comments as of writing.
The caption of the post says: “PCG Hiring 2024. Application now opened!” It also contains shortened links that supposedly redirect to the application site.
The photo attached to the post bears the PCG logo, lists applicant requirements, and specifies a monthly salary of P43,000.
The facts: In a December 27 post, the PCG said there is no official schedule yet for its nationwide recruitment in 2024. As of January 5, the coast guard has yet to announce this year’s recruitment process and schedule.
“Para sa impormasyon ng lahat, tapos na po ang NATIONWIDE RECRUITMENT ngayong 2023. Next year na po ulit! Kailan? Hintayin po natin ang susunod na update. Sa ngayon, wala pa po tayong official schedule,” PCG said in the post.(For everyone’s information, the nationwide recruitment for 2023 has concluded. There will be another one next year! When? Let us wait for the next update. There is no official schedule yet, as of now.)
PCG also redirected interested applicants to its previous posts for frequently asked questions such as the qualifications, requirements, and other application details.
No online application: There is no online application for any PCG job vacancy. Only the application form is available for download online from the PCG website, but the completed form must be submitted to specified PCG Human Resource Management Unit regional offices.
A closer look at the link in the misleading post also shows that it does not redirect to the official PCG website but to an unaffiliated page.
Official sources: In a separate post on December 27, the PCG warned against false information circulating online regarding supposed job vacancies. The coast guard reminded the public to check only its official Facebook page and the Coast Guard Human Resource Management Command page for updates on recruitment. – Ailla dela Cruz/Rappler.com
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. You may also report dubious claims to #FactsFirstPH tipline by messaging Rappler on Facebook or Newsbreak via Twitter direct message. You may also report through our Viber fact check chatbot. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/philippine-coast-guard-recruitment-2024-not-yet-open-january-5-2024/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2JLM0drL2mmw5lKrqXiUj_Non46JuuRT-9xV0FK5ykMlYLOT79qlp9jns_aem_2ZQL4lWJ__H2oALbEWMmyA
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1
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FACT CHECK: PH Coast Guard recruitment for 2024 not yet open
|
Ailla Dela Cruz
|
07/01/2024 11:54
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Claim: The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is now accepting applications as part of its 2024 nationwide personnel recruitment. A Facebook post includes a link to the application site.
Why we fact-checked this: The December 20 Facebook post containing the claim has 95 shares, 143 reactions, and 31 comments as of writing.
The caption of the post says: “PCG Hiring 2024. Application now opened!” It also contains shortened links that supposedly redirect to the application site.
The photo attached to the post bears the PCG logo, lists applicant requirements, and specifies a monthly salary of P43,000.
The facts: In a December 27 post, the PCG said there is no official schedule yet for its nationwide recruitment in 2024. As of January 5, the coast guard has yet to announce this year’s recruitment process and schedule.
“Para sa impormasyon ng lahat, tapos na po ang NATIONWIDE RECRUITMENT ngayong 2023. Next year na po ulit! Kailan? Hintayin po natin ang susunod na update. Sa ngayon, wala pa po tayong official schedule,” PCG said in the post.(For everyone’s information, the nationwide recruitment for 2023 has concluded. There will be another one next year! When? Let us wait for the next update. There is no official schedule yet, as of now.)
PCG also redirected interested applicants to its previous posts for frequently asked questions such as the qualifications, requirements, and other application details.
No online application: There is no online application for any PCG job vacancy. Only the application form is available for download online from the PCG website, but the completed form must be submitted to specified PCG Human Resource Management Unit regional offices.
A closer look at the link in the misleading post also shows that it does not redirect to the official PCG website but to an unaffiliated page.
Official sources: In a separate post on December 27, the PCG warned against false information circulating online regarding supposed job vacancies. The coast guard reminded the public to check only its official Facebook page and the Coast Guard Human Resource Management Command page for updates on recruitment. – Ailla dela Cruz/Rappler.com
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. You may also report dubious claims to #FactsFirstPH tipline by messaging Rappler on Facebook or Newsbreak via Twitter direct message. You may also report through our Viber fact check chatbot. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/philippine-coast-guard-recruitment-2024-not-yet-open-january-5-2024/?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2JLM0drL2mmw5lKrqXiUj_Non46JuuRT-9xV0FK5ykMlYLOT79qlp9jns_aem_2ZQL4lWJ__H2oALbEWMmyAhttps://www.rappler.com/sports/japan-b-league-results-thirdy-ravena-kai-sotto-san-en-yokohama-january-6-2024/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3Iu8XLoNHAH70-SY8ItExBUTkuPirSIR-LIWdqr_1am20jyBSKxWoUAFg_aem_goSqAcLgQkn2uVqZpm7Cyg
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Thirdy Ravena stars as San-En blasts Ray Parks, Nagoya; Kai Sotto efficient in Yokohama win
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delfin.dioquino editor
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06/01/2024 22:32
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KAIJU. Kai Sotto in action for the Yokohama B-Corsairs in the Japan B. League.
Yokohama B-Corsairs' Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – Thirdy Ravena put on a show for the San-En NeoPhoenix as they torched Ray Parks and the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins, 92-79, in the Japan B. League on Saturday, January 6.
Ravena, the fourth-year San-En forward, went off for a game-high 25 points on an 11-of-14 field goal clip, including a sensational highlight play late in the 2nd quarter.
After intercepting a careless pass by his Filipino counterpart Parks, Ravena went coast-to-coast and soared high for a thunderous one-handed poster jam over Nagoya’s Seiga Sakamoto, plus the foul.
「これは凄い…😱」実況も言葉を失うスーパーダンク！！！@ThirdyRavenaaa @NEO_PHOENIX#Bリーグ pic.twitter.com/JwD2kNgU6P
Ravena, who also racked up 1 rebound, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, continued to dominate in the third period, scoring 8 quick points in the first five minutes of the period to help San-En break the game wide open after leading by only 2 points at halftime, 50-48.
The NeoPhoenix then cruised the rest of the way, even extending their lead to as many as 20 points with four minutes to go in the final frame, 86-66.
Robert Franks paced Nagoya in the losing effort with a double-double of 22 points and 14 rebounds as Parks was held to only 6 points and 1 rebound.
San-En picked up its fifth straight win and remained tied with the Alvark Tokyo at the top of the Division 1 standings with a 23-4 record.
Nagoya, meanwhile, fell to its third consecutive loss and dropped to a 16-11 card.
Over in Toyama, Kai Sotto had a perfect outing for the Yokohama B-Corsairs in their 100-95 win over the Grouses.
With his fellow Gilas Pilipinas big man AJ Edu out for Toyama due to a torn meniscus injury, Sotto imposed his will against the Grouses’ frontline and connected on all of his four attempts from the field.
The 7-foot-3 Sotto finished with 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, and a plus-minus of +20 in just 18 minutes and 12 seconds of play.
Sotto’s 9-point output is his season-high so far after putting up just 4 and 6 points, respectively, in his first two games as a member of the B-Corsairs following a loan from the Hiroshima Dragonflies.
Yuki Kawamura led Yokohama with an impressive 20-20 stat line of 25 points and 20 assists, while Yusei Sugiura added 23 markers.
On the other side, Ivan Buva carried the fight for Toyama with 27 points and 15 rebounds.
Yokohama returned to the win column and improved its record to 12-15, while Toyama slipped further to 3-24.
Like Ravena and Sotto, Matthew Wright and RJ Abarrientos also made an impact for their respective teams on Saturday.
Wright came up with a team-best 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 1 rebound, 7 assists, and 1 steal, but those numbers went for naught as the Kyoto Hannaryz suffered a 99-83 loss to the Chiba Jets.
Abarrientos, for his part, produced 13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal in Shinshu’s 79-73 victory against the Nagasaki Velca.
Kyoto fell to 8-19, while Shinshu rose to a 5-22 record.
Sunrockers Shibuya def. Levanga Hokkaido, 74-73 (Dwight Ramos – 8 points, 3-of-14 field goal, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 24:37 minutes)
Fighting Eagles Nagoya def. Ryukyu Golden Kings, 68-57 (Carl Tamayo – 1 rebound, 2:06 minutes)
– Rappler.com
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ABS-CBN win in contempt case prompts new standards in free speech
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Jairo Bolledo
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06/01/2024 21:45
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MEDIA GIANT. In this file photo, media groups mark the first anniversary of ABS-CBN's shutdown on May 5, 2021.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) has ruled in favor of ABS-CBN in a contempt case filed in relation to the gruesome Maguindanao massacre.
In a decision dated April 25, 2023, but was made public only this week, the High Court granted ABS-CBN’s petition for certiorari – a remedy used to review grave abuse of discretion – in relation to the contempt case filed by Andal Ampatuan in 2010.
The case was filed by Ampatuan when ABS-CBN, through then-reporter Jorge Cariño, interviewed a person that provided information about the Ampatuans’ involvement in the massacre.
“ACCORDINGLY, the Petition for Review on Certiorari is GRANTED. The March 24, 2015 Decision and September 7, 2016 Resolution of the Court of Appeals (CA) in CA-G.R. SP No. 126985 affirming the challenged June 8, 2012 and August 14, 2012 Orders in SP. PROC. Case No. Q-10-67543 are REVERSED and SET ASIDE,” the ruling penned by Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen said.
“Likewise, the Petition for Indirect Contempt is DISMISSED for failure to state a cause of action.”
The rest of the magistrates, including Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, concurred in the ruling.
The case involves an alleged violation of the sub judice rule, which restricts “comments and disclosures pertaining to judicial proceedings.” The SC said this rule prohibits the discussion on the merits of a pending case, which includes contents of the actual pleadings, comments, assessment of the evidence, and relevance of the evidence, among others.
In the decision, Leonen explained that the court had tried to define sub judice before, and now the concept requires “further clarification given the context of public speech.” The senior magistrate said that the SC’s indirect contempt powers are “broad” and “traverse” all kinds of speech.
“The lack of clear-cut rules on the limits of the exercise of speech with clear and present danger to our administration of justice and well-defined boundaries as to when a speech can be punishable and when it is privileged leads to confusion among the litigants, their counsels, members of the bench and bar, the media, and the public,” the senior associate justice further explained.
On the ABS-CBN case, Leonen said the media had the right to provide “legitimate publicity” on matters that were of public interest without prior restraint or punishment. But, he added, the media’s responsibility to inform the public must be balanced alongside the court’s administration, particularly in the sub judice rule.
In the ruling, Leonen said there were facts required for the alleged violation of sub judice:
The senior magistrate said the second and third allegations were not sufficiently alleged and became “fatal” to the petition against ABS-CBN and Cariño.
In the case, mental element pertains to the “reckless disregard of the truth or falsity of the story” since the ones facing the case are members of the media. Leonen, however, said the mental element was not sufficiently alleged in the case. It was not mentioned in the petition for indirect contempt that ABS-CBN and Cariño recklessly regarded the falsity of the statements of Lakmodin Saliao, a witness who was interviewed by Cariño after the Maguindanao massacre.
“More importantly, there was no sufficient allegation of the clear and present danger of the interview and its broadcast,” the decision said.
Leonen said the petition was able to show the “serious evil” that was sought to be prevented by the sub judice rule but failed to allege its effect on the court’s administration of justice. “Considering that the Petition for Indirect Contempt failed to state all the required allegations for violating the sub judice rule, this Court is constrained to dismiss the Petition.”
Although, Leonen noted that ABS-CBN and Cariño should not have presented Saliao as a witness on national television. He explained that the term “tetestigo (will testify)” removed the distinction between media interviews and the presentation of a witness in a court, adding that Cariño “ended the interview in a manner that bolstered the truth of Saliao’s statements.”
“As Associate Justice Lazaro-Javier points out, the public interest character of Saliao’s statement is not an excuse to disregard the sub judice rule,” the ruling read.
The media, while exercising its mandate to provide news, has the duty to ensure that they are not infringing upon the rights of a person to a fair trial, said the ruling. It added that freedom of speech, of expression, and of the press have always been considered primordial and fundamental – but they were never absolute.
The ruling noted that these rights should not be invoked at the expense of the fundamental rights of others, to further injustice, undermine the dignity of other people, and undermine the ability of the judiciary to administer justice.
“The power to punish for contempt is not a weapon to stifle freedom of expression and the right to information on matters of public interest. Without sufficiently stating a cause of action for contempt, this Court is constrained to dismiss the Petition for Indirect Contempt.”
On November 23, 2009, dozens of armed individuals blocked the convoy of then-Maguindanao gubernatorial candidate Esmael Mangudadatu on their way to file candidacy. The incident resulted in a massacre – later known as the Maguindanao massacre – that claimed the lives of 57 people, 32 of which were journalists.
Months later, on June 23, 2010, Cariño interviewed Saliao for TV Patrol World. In the interview, Saliao said he was present when the Ampatuan planned the massacre. He even named the members of the Ampatuans who were present in the said meetings.
On July 16 of the same year, Andal Ampatuan filed a petition for indirect contempt against ABS-CBN, Cariño, and Saliao, claiming the interview was “calculated to interfere with court proceedings to serve Saliao’s own interest without passing through the scrutiny of the police of the National Prosecution Service if it indeed is to form part of or used as evidence in the murder cases aforesaid.”
Two years later, the Regional Trial Court (RTC) denied the affirmative defenses by ABS-CBN and Cariño, according to the ruling. The case reached the Court of Appeals (CA), which also denied ABS-CBN and Cariño’s petition for certiorari and affirmed the RTC’s ruling.
ABS-CBN and Cariño sought the SC’s help by filing a petition for certiorari to assail the CA’s decision.
In the context of courts and the judiciary, the sub judice rule ensures that there will be fairness in the administration of justice by seeing to it that there will be no influences during a court trial. This is the principle the courts have been reiterating.
In essence, this latest decision gave another reminder on the limitations of the freedom of speech, expression, and of the press.
The latest ruling set the standards on how sub judice should be interpreted in terms of media and its reportage on courts. The decision penned by Leonen further clarified the line between the public’s need to information and a person’s right to fair and objective trial.
Aside from providing a deeper understanding of what sub judice is, the decision will now guide the media, especially reporters, when dealing with witnesses or people involved in an ongoing case. – Rappler.com
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LOOK: Robi Domingo, Maiqui Pineda tie the knot
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jreyes0314
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06/01/2024 21:17
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MR. AND MRS. DOMINGO. Robi Domingo and Maiqui Pineda tie the knot over a year after their engagement in November 2022.
Robi Domingo's Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – Robi Domingo and Maiqui Pineda are now married!
According to a report by ABS-CBN News, the couple tied the knot at the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of San Isidro Labrador in Pulilan, Bulacan, on Saturday, January 6.
Fellow celebrity attendees shared snaps from Robi and Maiqui’s wedding on Instagram.
“Nakahabol din ako (I made it) Robsy Wabsy…. Super happy to witness this moment, Robs. We [love you] Rob and Maiqui,” Melai Cantiveros captioned her Instagram Story taken at the parish.
JC Intal, the husband of Robi’s longtime Pinoy Big Brother co-host Bianca Gonzalez, also shared a photo of the bride and groom under a fireworks display at the reception.
Meanwhile, singer Erik Santos shared a video of Robi and Maiqui sharing their first kiss as newlyweds at the altar.
“Congratulations and best wishes Mr. and Mrs. Robi Domingo!” Santos wrote.
Other celebrities in attendance included Enchong Dee, Bianca Gonzalez, Gab Valenciano, Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla, Joshua Garcia, and Ogie Alcasid, to name a few.
Robi and Maiqui got engaged in November 2022 after almost four years of dating.
In August 2023, Maiqui revealed that she was diagnosed with Dermatomyositis, an autoimmune disease. Domingo said in an interview with ABS-CBN News in the same month that their wedding would still happen as planned.
“We talked about it. And honestly, because of her condition, I was the one who told her [na] baka dapat i-delay natin nang konti, kasi medyo iniisip ko na ‘yung health niya e. And then, siya ‘yung nagsabi na, ‘Don’t. Give me something to hope for.’ And upon hearing that, siyempre, umiyak ako,” he said.
(We talked about it. And honestly, because of her condition, I was the one who told her that maybe we should delay our wedding a bit, because I was thinking about her health. And then, she said, “Don’t. Give me something to hope for.” And upon hearing that, of course, I cried.)
Robi and Maiqui met during their college days at Ateneo de Manila University. However, they only began to get to know each other at the ABS-CBN Christmas party in 2017.
Robi is a VJ, actor, and host best known for hosting the hit reality television series Pinoy Big Brother. – Rappler.com
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Archbishop Fernando Capalla, scourge of Duterte in Davao, dies at 89
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Paterno Esmaquel II
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06/01/2024 11:10
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CBCP News
MANILA, Philippines – Davao Archbishop Emeritus Fernando Capalla, one of the first churchmen to condemn Davao Death Squad (DDS) killings under then-mayor Rodrigo Duterte, died at the age of 89 on Saturday, January 6.
The president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, confirmed Capalla’s death in a Facebook post. CBCP News said Capalla died at 1:38 am on Saturday in Davao City.
Capalla, archbishop of Davao for 15 years, was CBCP president from 2003 to 2005.
He was the second Filipino Catholic bishop who died in the first week of 2024, following the death of Pagadian Bishop Ronald Lunas also in Davao City on January 2.
Born on November 1, 1934 in Leon, Iloilo, Capalla was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Jaro in 1961. Capalla led the Archdiocese of Davao from 1996 to 2012, a fraction of the time Duterte was Davao City mayor for more than two decades.
Even before the likes of David and Archbishop Socrates Villegas condemned killings when Duterte was Philippine president, Capalla was one of the few voices that cried out against DDS slays in Davao two decades ago. His was a powerful though lonely voice, as Duterte was and still is popular in Davao to this day.
The DDS was the shadowy vigilante group associated with Duterte when he was Davao City mayor, which is now the subject of an investigation by the International Criminal Court. The DDS mode of killing drug suspects through extrajudicial means was said to have been Duterte’s template when he was president from 2016 to 2022.
“Killing, murder, salvaging, or the taking of life in whatever manner, is an affront against the Creator and against humanity,” Capalla wrote in a pastoral letter titled “Thou Shall Not Kill,” read in all Catholic churches in the Archdiocese of Davao on November 21, 2001.
Capalla added that “no one takes the law into one’s hands simply because no one is above the law and a law unto oneself” and that rehabilitating prisoners “is an easy possibility” for the government.
“It is therefore erroneous and wrong for any government to have recourse to the principle of self-defense when it inflicts capital punishment on prisoners. Or, when it seems to tolerate criminal groups like the Davao Death Squad to kill. It is an admission of failure in the fulfillment of its obligation to prevent crime and its recurrence,” Capalla said.
“The so-called death squads are violating both civil and moral laws and therefore are criminals themselves. We call on our government and its law enforcement agencies to stop them from making Davao City a ‘wild, wild, West’ where the only law is the law of the gun,” he continued.
In an interview with MindaNews when Duterte was already president, Capalla said the former Davao City mayor should “listen” more. “Listen. Listen. Listen. I will tell him, ‘Digong, ang Ginoo naghatag kanatog duha ka dalunggan, usa ra baba (Digong, God gave us two ears and only one mouth). Which means that we have to listen twice as much as we speak,” he said.
Capalla said he was “worried about him as a friend,” according to this article published on October 8, 2016.
He remembered Soledad Duterte having approached him after he was installed as archbishop in 1996, with the Duterte matriarch asking him, “Monsignor, can I ask a favor? Can you help my son become a religious leader?”
Capalla told MindaNews that if he had the chance to see Duterte, “I would say to him that what you are doing now, your mother may not like it. I’ll say also that this is not the Digong I knew.”
Capalla’s interview with MindaNews incensed Duterte, prompting him to lash out at Capalla in a speech two days after the article was published.
Capalla, whom Pope John Paul II named the first bishop of Iligan in 1982, and was caretaker of the Catholic Church in Marawi from 1987 to 1991, was also an advocate of peace in Mindanao.
He was a founding father of the Bishops-Ulama Conference, the interfaith organization seeking to build understanding between Christians and Muslims in Mindanao, according to CBCP News. At the CBCP, he also once led its commissions on interreligious dialogue and ecumenical affairs.
In 2017, Capalla condemned attempts by Christian groups to “proselytize” Muslims in Marawi by giving them Bibles alongside relief goods after terrorists ravaged the city.
“If they do it deliberately, it’s either an insult or ignorance of the needs of Muslims,” Capalla said, according to a UCAN report. “We should be more sensitive.”
In an interview with ABC Radio International’s Dr. Rachel Kohn in 2006, Capalla pushed for interfaith dialogue to promote peace in the Philippines.
“For me, in the last analysis, dialogue is to be human, although it’s very risky and it’s disastrous for some people. But there’s no other way to solve conflicts except through respectful and human dialogue,” Capalla said.
He said dialogue does not necessarily mean “setting aside one’s doctrinal beliefs.” He said, “No, I think we have to be very clear about ourselves and about the truth that we stand for and not be afraid of telling the truth. And respect each other’s stand on faith matters. That’s to be human.”
He then called on “interfaith people” to push for “reconciliation through repentance and forgiveness.”
“Otherwise there’s no future for our country if the hatred will still be there in the hearts of people,” Capalla said. – Rappler.com
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New NAIA at last? Decision day for rehab deal winner set on February 15
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lkyu0285
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06/01/2024 16:55
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David Castuciano
MANILA, Philippines – By February 15, the government will select a new private operator for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) among four mega-consortiums battling for the lucrative contract to rehabilitate the ailing international gateway.
Four groups, made up of some of the biggest local conglomerates and international operators, are officially bidding for the P170.6-billion airport project. These include:
This comes after the government stuck to its December 27, 2023, bid submission date despite some potential bidders requesting for an extension.
Now, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista is confident that the government can pick a winning bidder among the four by next month despite NAIA’s history of delayed and derailed rehabilitation plans.
“Tayo, talagang pinag-aralan nang mabuti natin. Ayaw natin ng delay. Gusto natin mabilis (We really studied this well. We don’t want delays. We want things fast),” Bautista told reporters on Friday, January 5.
The DOTr targets to open the bidders’ technical proposals by January 15 and complete the evaluation of these proposals by February 4. This will then be followed by the opening of their financial proposals, the details of which will determine who wins the project.
Bautista said that the “most important” factor for the basis of the award would be how much of NAIA’s revenue an operator is willing to share with the government. In other words, once bidders make it to the last stage of the bidding process, the one that proposes the best gross revenue-sharing terms will win.
By February 14, the DOTr will announce the result of the financial evaluation, with the notice of award to be issued on February 15. The winning bidder will sign the contract between the government and private sector on March 15.
By rejecting a previous unsolicited proposal and opting for this bidding process, the DOTr hopes to maximize “competitive tension” to earn the most favorable terms for the government, according to Transportation Undersecretary for Planning and Project Development TJ Batan.
Under the concession agreement, the Philippines’ ailing main airport will be handed over to the private operator for up to 25 years. The operator will be required to “rehabilitate, operate, optimize, and maintain” the airport, which includes improvements to its runways, four terminals, and other facilities. (READ: Bidding for NAIA rehab, privatization begins. Here’s what it covers.)
While making a return on their investment, the private operator must also abide by the revenue-sharing scheme agreed to with the government, on top of an upfront payment of P30 billion and a fixed annual payment of P2 billion to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).
The government originally planned for the winning bidder to begin operations by September 11, although Bautista said that the turnover could happen even earlier, depending on how quickly they can complete the financial closing. This process includes the transfer of current airport employees and assets to the new private operator.
“We’re looking at, siguro, mga (around) 3 to 6 months. Kung magagawa natin ng three months, gagawin natin ng three months (If we can do it in three months, we’ll do it in three months). Ang target ko (My target is), I want it done not later than 6 months after the award,” Bautista said.
The transportation secretary also promised no immediate job losses would happen once the private operator takes over the airport.
“Either you stay with the MIAA as a regulator or you stay with the private sector as an operator. So, mamimili (they’ll have to choose). Depende sa trabaho, pero lahat (It depends on their job, but everyone) will be given an offer,” he said.
However, these job offers will not necessarily be for permanent positions right away as it would depend on whether or not “they can keep up with the requirements of the private sector,” Bautista said. – Rappler.com
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Rights group: Don’t be proud of return to pre-pandemic OFW deployment
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Michelle Abad
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06/01/2024 12:24
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OVERSEAS JOB FAIR. Jobseekers try their luck as over 4,000 overseas job were offered by various recruitment agencies during the 2023 Overseas Job Fair hosted by the Department of Migrant Workers in Central Visayas, at a mall in Cebu City on December 8, 2023.
Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The return of overseas Filipino worker deployment to pre-pandemic levels is “not something that the Philippine government should be proud of,” an OFW rights group said on Saturday, January 6.
Progressive group Migrante International was responding to an update from Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) officer-in-Charge Hans Cacdac in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing on Thursday, January 4, that the department issued 2.5 million overseas employment certificates (OECs) and OFW Passes in 2023, and overseas employment had returned to pre-pandemic levels.
“It is yet another proof that after four years since COVID-19 hit the world, the Philippines continues to fail in creating decent jobs at home,” said Migrante, pointing out that 2.5 million issued OECs and OFW Passes translated to more than 6,800 Filipinos leaving the country each day.
Cacdac also noted that under the late DMW Secretary Susan Ople, who died in August 2023, the department was able to hasten the process for deployment.
He said that an OEC could now be issued within a day, and the time needed to accredit foreign employers went down from 20-30 days to 7-15 days.
But Migrante raised concern, saying, “We certainly hope that this does not mean reducing or letting go of standards for legitimate employers. Failure to properly weed out unscrupulous and abusive employers will directly have a negative effect on OFWs’ living and working conditions, rights and even lives.”
Cacdac also hailed the department’s increased anti-trafficking efforts, including several closure operations of alleged illegal recruitment firms, and the takedown of around 7,000 illegal recruitment pages on Facebook.
As of Friday, January 5, the DMW has closed 14 firms accused of illegal recruitment since 2022.
But Migrante still noted how many Filipinos fell victim to illegal recruitment in 2023.
“Many OFWs have filed cases against illegal recruiters and scammers like former Cebu City councilor Prisca Nina Mabatid, CEO of PCVC Opportunities Abroad, Pinoy Care Visa Center, and PCVC-Opportunities Abroad. These figures also do not paint a rosy picture of the jobs situation in the Philippines,” said Migrante.
Cacdac said that the DMW aimed to further fight illegal recruitment and human trafficking in 2024.
“We wish to crack down on more illegal recruitment activities. There are still many establishments that need to be shut down,” said Cacdac in a mix of English and Filipino.
Migrante said that the DMW and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should “seriously reconsider their uncritical celebration of the Philippine government’s labor export program.”
It was only in 2023 that the DMW went fully operational since its creation in December 2021. In January 2023, Ople said in a Malacañang press briefing that she had hoped to deploy more OFWs throughout the year. – Rappler.com
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LOOK: Katya Santos is engaged to non-showbiz boyfriend
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jreyes0314
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06/01/2024 14:36
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Paolo Pilar's Instagram
MANILA, Philippines – Katya Santos is set to tie the knot with her non-showbiz boyfriend, she announced in an Instagram post on Friday, January 5.
Santos shared a series of photos of her now-fiancé Paolo Pilar proposing to her in Japan.
A post shared by Katya Santos (@simplykatya)
“It all started in 2004. They say it was love at first sight, but I truly believed it was destiny! Now I understand what happened in the past needed to happen,” Santos wrote.
“The universe has its own way of bringing us back together. We [are] still headed in the same direction. I loved you once, I love you still, I always have, I always will,” she added.
Numerous celebrities like Maui Taylor, Diana Zubiri, Janno Gibbs, and Aiko Melendez left congratulatory comments under Santos’ post.
Pilar also shared his own photos from his proposal to Santos. He said that they met 20 years ago in Boracay.
A post shared by Paolo Pilar (@paopilar)
“Today in 2024, I finally asked her to be my wife with our families, friends, and the majestic Fuji-San as witnesses,” Pilar shared.
Santos is an actress known for her roles in the films Wala Na Bang Pag-ibig?, Radyo, and Aringkingking: Ang Bodyguard Kong Sexy, among others. She recently starred as Eva in the Filipino adaptation of Keys to the Heart alongside Dolly de Leon, Zanjoe Marudo, and Elijah Canlas.
The 41-year-old actress currently stars in the hit television series Can’t Buy Me Love.
She has a 10-year-old daughter named Tala from a previous relationship. – Rappler.com
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Six cafes to visit in Cebu City
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Herbie G
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06/01/2024 17:16
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Drinks at HueMann Coffee in Barangay Zapatera, Cebu City.
CEBU, Philippines – Whether you’re in the mood for a quick coffee fix, or brunch, or in search of Instagrammable spots, these cafes in Cebu City could just be the destinations for you.
From Korean-inspired to Japanese-themed cafes, Cebu City boasts a thriving cafe culture that caters to various tastes and preferences. Here are some recommendations listed in alphabetical order:
Location: Advent Business Center, Acacia Street, Barangay Kamputhaw, Cebu City
First on the list is Capu Coffee, which had its soft opening in December 2023. With an edgy and clean ambiance, Capu Coffee features corners perfect for selfies and quick mobile photoshoots.
One of the cafe’s best sellers is its matcha drink, but it also offers a variety of drinks and pastries, such as Spanish latte and ube creme cake.
Open from 8 am to 6 pm daily, this cafe is perfect for those seeking a less busy ambiance, as it is tucked away in a serene location–yet remains easily accessible to the Cebu Business Park.
Location: G/F Queensland Manor Condominium, Rahmann Street, Barangay Zapatera, Cebu City
This coffee shop labels itself as the first German coffee brand in Cebu. So, don’t be surprised if it’s the first time you’ll hear the names of their drinks as they are also in German.
HueMann’s best sellers are its Sea Salt Latte and the Meersalz Latte. It also offers other varieties, such as those called “Spanisched Latte,” “Dunkel Mocha,” and “Weisser Mocha.”
With a minimalist design, the cafe offers a clean aesthetic, which resembles the Because Coffee by Harlan + Holden in Bonifacio Global Center.
You can even order drinks from HueMann while getting your hair done in a studio just across the coffee shop!
Location: 368 Tojong Street, Cebu City
Aside from their drink offerings, customers of Misfits Coffee can dig in on its cute laptop stickers and other artworks for sale.
This pleasantly old-fashioned, uptown coffee shop offers espresso, cold brew, pour-over, and tea.
Location: Ginza Compound, J. Panis Street, Banilad, Cebu City
If you want to try a modern Japanese Cafe, Mono is a pick for you. This cafe offers indoor and outdoor dining and maintains a cozy and aesthetic ambiance.
This cafe sells souffle pancakes (in two flavors: mono classic and purple taro), donburi (protein + dashi egg rice bowl set with a side of vegetable pickles, miso soup, and a slice of fruit), and shokupan (the cafe’s rendition of the open-face toast using fluffy Japanese milk bread, served with a side of slaw), among others.
Mono is open daily from 9 am to 8 pm.
Location: Alice’s House, Prissan Road, Cebu City (front of Abaca Commissary)
I would recommend visiting this cafe on a sunny afternoon, where the rays of the sun perfectly bounce off the cafe’s large, modern windows–ideal for capturing the golden hour and taking photos.
Don’t be surprised to discover that the cafe is located in an actual house. This cafe also caters to pop-up events of local brands. It had its grand opening in November 2023.
Location: 7K, 2nd Street, San Antonio Village, Apas, Cebu City
This coffee shop prides itself as Cebu’s best croissant spot, and true to its claim, it offers delicious croissants and other pastries. Their matcha drink is also worth trying!
Located in the quiet neighborhood of San Antonio Village, just a few blocks away from Cebu IT Park, 5G Coffee sells signature specialty coffee and accepts pre-orders for its wide array of croissant flavors.
Seeing the coffee shop industry thriving is a welcome development. It not only reflects a shift towards coffee consumption but also indicates a positive economic activity, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
As someone who has recently developed the habit of exploring newly opened cafes, this trend definitely means enhancing the social experience of Cebu City! – Rappler.com
Wenilyn Sabalo is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow.
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I’m amused because Abaca Baking Company is a renowned coffee shop for Cebu residents, beginning with the Abaca in Ayala Center.
I can only Rappler is merely Manila-Centric, with little regard for subscribers from Cebu, like myself.
This needs to change, try not to be so isolated, there is enough of that here in Cebu.
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https://www.rappler.com/philippines/visayas/cafes-visit-cebu-city-january-6-2024/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2-67jFn81XhpFCdV2gYXa2Jhi99smjOEzX0q4p0_3-iajjIi5tEAaeM1o_aem_YXA8NV14q1n_WZWZKvT5wA
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1
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Kylie Padilla shares new realizations since split with Aljur Abrenica
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jreyes0314
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06/01/2024 22:15
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REFLECTIONS. Kylie Padilla shares on her Instagram broadcast channel her realizations on navigating life.
Kylie Padilla's Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – Kylie Padilla shared on her Instagram broadcast channel on Friday, January 5, some of her realizations since her split with Aljur Abrenica.
“Since this Tokyo trip, I have [realized] so much. Ever since my separation with my ex, I have been so afraid of life. Afraid of relaxing and letting go of my grip on control,” Padilla wrote.
The actress said that she had not noticed how much single parenthood scared her, adding that it was a lot of pressure having two young kids rely on her while she was “falling apart.”
“I was bursting at the seams, but looking back, I’m so proud of how far I’ve come. 2024 is here, and I think I can afford to calm down. Since abundance is my [mantra] this year, maybe the lesson is the more you let go, then the more you can accept into your life. More help, more calmness, and more smiles rather than overthinking,” she continued.
Padilla also shared a video montage of moments from her recent trip to Japan.
A post shared by k y l i e ☽◯☾ (@kylienicolepadilla)
Padilla and Abrenica tied the knot in 2018 and welcomed their second son in 2019. The two officially split up in 2021.
Abrenica later admitted in an interview with Toni Gonzaga in April 2023 that he had cheated on Padilla when they were together. While both Padilla and Abrenica denied actress AJ Raval’s being a third party in their marriage, Raval and Abrenica confirmed their relationship in February 2023.
Padilla is an actress known for her roles in the films and teleseryes Dilim, Encantadia, The Good Daughter, and Adarna, among others. She currently stars in the GMA Network teleserye Black Rider and is set to play Sanggre in the upcoming teleserye Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre. She is the daughter of actor-turned-senator Robin Padilla. – Rappler.com
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https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/celebrities/kylie-padilla-shares-new-realizations-since-split-aljur-abrenica/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0JIN6aneLorVVg3W9p7cR6WWdaHAw9rZq8XuLtdLDeTtaeJI0x1JXYOpE_aem_3HnkYp1w7UdKGljSFfxKhghttps://www.rappler.com/business/tape-drops-eat-bulaga-tito-vic-joey-start-using-noon-show/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2Z7qbOxjYiWjzUEZ3mwV2dbryMAk4sDxIcFbJ1fs_ki29U1IbSc21Ed2I_aem_dwTkd1tCGqcZM9rlsge42w
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Kylie Padilla shares new realizations since split with Aljur Abrenica
|
jreyes0314
|
06/01/2024 22:15
|
REFLECTIONS. Kylie Padilla shares on her Instagram broadcast channel her realizations on navigating life.
Kylie Padilla's Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – Kylie Padilla shared on her Instagram broadcast channel on Friday, January 5, some of her realizations since her split with Aljur Abrenica.
“Since this Tokyo trip, I have [realized] so much. Ever since my separation with my ex, I have been so afraid of life. Afraid of relaxing and letting go of my grip on control,” Padilla wrote.
The actress said that she had not noticed how much single parenthood scared her, adding that it was a lot of pressure having two young kids rely on her while she was “falling apart.”
“I was bursting at the seams, but looking back, I’m so proud of how far I’ve come. 2024 is here, and I think I can afford to calm down. Since abundance is my [mantra] this year, maybe the lesson is the more you let go, then the more you can accept into your life. More help, more calmness, and more smiles rather than overthinking,” she continued.
Padilla also shared a video montage of moments from her recent trip to Japan.
A post shared by k y l i e ☽◯☾ (@kylienicolepadilla)
Padilla and Abrenica tied the knot in 2018 and welcomed their second son in 2019. The two officially split up in 2021.
Abrenica later admitted in an interview with Toni Gonzaga in April 2023 that he had cheated on Padilla when they were together. While both Padilla and Abrenica denied actress AJ Raval’s being a third party in their marriage, Raval and Abrenica confirmed their relationship in February 2023.
Padilla is an actress known for her roles in the films and teleseryes Dilim, Encantadia, The Good Daughter, and Adarna, among others. She currently stars in the GMA Network teleserye Black Rider and is set to play Sanggre in the upcoming teleserye Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre. She is the daughter of actor-turned-senator Robin Padilla. – Rappler.com
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