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FEU reinforces UAAP boys’ football dynasty, topples UST for 12th straight crown
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jisaga0269
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29/02/2024 23:19
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DYNASTY. The FEU Baby Tamaraws celebrate after winning the UAAP Season 86 boys' football championship
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – No matter the struggles, champions in sports always know when to turn up the fire when it matters most.
Such was the case for the FEU-Diliman Baby Tamaraws as they ruled the UAAP Season 86 high school boys’ football tournament for the 12th straight time, toppling first-time finalist UST Junior Golden Booters with a 3-0 romp on Thursday, February 29.
Even after UST led the standings for much of the season, FEU snuck right back on top after a stellar elimination round wrap-up, followed by a masterpiece finale that saw the Baby Tamaraws hold a 1-0 lead just 18 minutes in.
Eventual Golden Boot winner Theo Libarnes, who pushed FEU further away with his seventh season goal 8 minutes after intermission, echoed the struggles his team went through and was just glad that when the lights were brightest, they shone brightly right back.
“I was shocked to get the Golden Boot award because I didn’t score in the first round,” he said in Filipino. “I did bounce back in the second round, but still, our struggles to get to the final were evident.”
“But now, we’re in the FEU history books. I gave it all I got for my teammates,” added the graduating forward.
Fellow senior Gian Carlo Lucha, the Baby Tamaraws’ ace defender, likewise bowed out of high school competition in style by winning tournament MVP.
UST’s Edsel James Lauron and Kent Laurenz dela Peña nabbed Best Goalkeeper and the Best Midfielder honors, respectively. Bacchus Ekberg, a vital piece in La Salle-Zobel’s third-place finish, bagged the Best Defender award. Ateneo, meanwhile, secured the Fair Play Award.
“It feels unreal because I never thought this award would be mine,” Lucha said in Filipino. “We struggled a lot, lost twice in the eliminations, but I just said to my teammates to steel their hearts and trust God.”
“Thankfully, our sacrifices paid off.” – Rappler.com
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Spring came early: February likely warmest on record amid climate change
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Chito de la Vega
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29/02/2024 21:20
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Graciela Perez blows a hand fan amid a heat wave with temperatures rising towards 35 degrees Celsius (95°F), in Buenos Aires, Argentina February 7, 2024.
REUTERS/Mariana Nedelcu
The world likely notched its warmest February on record, as spring-like conditions caused flowers to bloom early from Japan to Mexico, left ski slopes bald of snow in Europe and pushed temperatures to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 C) in Texas.
While data has not been finalized, three scientists told Reuters that February is on track to have the highest global average temperature ever recorded for that month, thanks to climate change and the warming in the Eastern Pacific Ocean known as El Nino.
If confirmed, that would be the ninth consecutive monthly temperature record to be broken, according to data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA will publish final figures for February around March 14, according to its press office.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the record temperatures mean that “springtime comes earlier,” according to Karin Gleason, an atmospheric scientist at NOAA said last week.
“I was just in the eastern part of North Carolina yesterday and saw some trees in full bloom with blossoms all over the trees and I’m thinking – It’s February. This just seems really odd.”
People in Tokyo similarly snapped photos of pink cherry blossoms that bloomed about a month earlier than usual, while jacaranda trees that normally blossom in late March have filled Mexico City with purple buds since January.
As snow melted in Europe this month, ski runs turned to mud and sat idle in Bosnia and Italy, while one French resort rebranded its slopes as a hiking and biking destination.
In the United States, temperatures were up to 40 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius) above normal this week, with the town of Killeen, Texas setting a record of 100F (38 C).
The added heat from global warming wreaks havoc on global systems, helping melt glaciers in the poles and mountains, raising sea levels, and driving extreme weather, said Anders Levermann, a physicist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
Record high temperatures in the summer – now underway in Southern Hemisphere – generally leads to a spike in heat-related deaths, said Jane Baldwin, an atmospheric scientist at University of California Irvine.
“Heat is a substantial silent killer,” she said.
Heat waves hit Argentina, Peru, Brazil, and Chile this month, with the hot and dry conditions also contributing to wildfires near Santiago killing at least 133 people.
Gleason said that the El Nino is expected to dissipate by mid-2024 and could quickly shift to La Nina – a cooling in the Eastern Pacific – which might help to break the hot streak toward the end of the year.
Still, NOAA predicts there is a 22% chance that 2024 will break 2023’s record as the hottest year, and there is a 99% it will be in the top 5, Gleason said. – Rappler.com
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Eagles fly again: Lazaro, De Leon relish Ateneo reconnection with Valdez in Creamline debut
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jisaga0269
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29/02/2024 22:27
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TOGETHER AGAIN. The Creamline Cool Smashers huddle after a point in the 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference
PVL Images
MANILA, Philippines – In perhaps one of the most unusual sights so far in the new 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference, former Choco Mucho leaders Bea de Leon and Denden Lazaro-Revilla finally donned their Cool Smashers kits on the court after five years of heated sister team clashes with the Flying Titans.
Although it was only their first game together after sitting out the conference opener, both De Leon and Revilla immediately meshed well with their new teammates, excelling in their defensive assignments despite limited playing time against Akari on Thursday, February 29.
Of course, it certainly helps that Creamline is not completely unfamiliar territory, as for the first time in nearly a decade, De Leon and Revilla linked up with their former Ateneo champion teammate Alyssa Valdez, while fellow ex-Lady Eagle Ella de Jesus watched on as a reserve.
Only playing in important stretches of the match against Akari, Valdez finished with 8 points, while De Leon added 5. Revilla, meanwhile, went in and out of the rotation as liberos often do, and finished with 11 excellent receptions on just 23 attempts.
Three-time PVL MVP Tots Carlos, meanwhile, exploded for a new career-high 31 points on 55% attack efficiency to set the tone from start to finish.
Once a heated rival of the PVL’s undisputed top dynasty, Revilla exuded nothing but gratitude for her new team in an emotional postgame press conference.
“I never thought I would once again play with them, so I’m really grateful to be a part of this team,” said the UAAP Season 77 champion. “They welcomed me and I was given an opportunity. It’s just so easy to integrate myself because they know me so well, and that’s why it translated to my game on the floor.”
De Leon – Choco Mucho’s captain as recently as its finals war last conference against none other than Creamline – likewise had nothing but kind words as she continues to integrate herself in a new system.
“Same with Ate Den, I didn’t think I’d still be playing with them. I feel reassured knowing that no matter what happens, someone will have my back,” said the 5-foot-11 net anchor, who was a rookie in the masterful Season 77 run that yielded a rare 16-0 sweep on the way to the title.
“On the court, there’s Ate Ly, Ate Els, who always have your back. It’s really a light feeling on the court knowing they’re around, all my former seniors.”
With only two games down so far in a new PVL title defense, De Leon and Revilla will certainly be vital pieces as the weeks move along and multiple other contenders try to break the Cool Smashers’ seemingly impenetrable ranks.
The road will be tough as always, but champions like Creamline’s new stars are practically hardwired to adjust along the way. – Rappler.com
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‘He can be a diplomat’: Charismatic Naga priest is new bishop of Virac
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Paterno Esmaquel II
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29/02/2024 21:04
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NAGA PRIEST. Father Louie Occiano is currently rector of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint Joseph in San Jose, Camarines Sur.
Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint Joseph
MANILA, Philippines – Pope Francis named Father Luisito Occiano, a longtime Naga priest who is described as warm and charismatic, as the new bishop of the Diocese of Virac in Catanduanes.
Occiano replaces Bishop Manolo delos Santos, 76, who has gone beyond the retirement age of 75. Delos Santos was bishop of Virac since 1994, according to the news service of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
The Vatican announced Occiano’s appointment on Thursday evening, February 29.
The 52-year-old Occiano is currently rector and parish priest of the Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of Saint Joseph in San Jose, Camarines Sur. He also leads the Caceres Commission on Communication.
When he was installed as shrine rector in 2021, then-Caceres archbishop Rolando Tria Tirona described Occiano as a priest with a warm personality. “He relates well with people and works well with them,” Tirona said.
Once, Tirona even thought of sending Occiano for further studies in Rome to become a diplomat of the Holy See.
“He can be a diplomat. He shows charisma in discussions,” Tirona said.
The Diocese of Virac is a nearly 50-year-old Catholic territory that covers the province of Catanduanes. It is made up of more than 257,000 Catholics. – Rappler.com
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Is the proposed wage hike good or bad for SM?
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Ralf Rivas
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29/02/2024 21:05
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LEADER. SM Investments Corporation president and CEO Frederic DyBuncio.
Rappler
Will a legislated wage hike hurt the Philippines’ business climate?
That was one of the questions asked of SM Investments Corporation (SMIC) president and CEO Frederic DyBuncio in a recent press briefing, amid business groups sounding the alarm that it would hurt both businesses and consumers.
DyBuncio did not give a categorical answer but noted that SMIC, the Philippines’ largest conglomerate in terms of market value at over P1 trillion, is keeping an eye on the issue as “it will obviously increase operating costs” and have an impact on economic growth.
SMIC is the holding company of the SM Group. The company is engaged in businesses through its subsidiaries, namely The SM Store, SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, SaveMore, Walter Mart, Alfamart, SM Prime Holdings, BDO Unibank, and China Banking Corporation.
The Senate on Monday, February 19, unanimously approved on third and final reading the bill that seeks to give a P100-daily increase to minimum wage earners in the country. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has also started deliberating on various bills but with differing amounts, ranging from P150 to P750.
DyBuncio could not give the number of minimum wage earners in the SM group, but noted that most of their employees earn higher than minimum wage.
“That will affect the minimum wage workers. I think the bulk of our employees are actually higher than minimum wage. Again, it will obviously increase the operating cost, so the question is how much of that increase will be passed on to customers,” Dy Buncio said.
“We still don’t know what the final number would be but we had wage increases in the past and we will be able to adjust our businesses,” DyBuncio said.
The last legislated national wage hike in the Philippines was in 1989, when the Wage Rationalization Act ordered a P25 wage hike from the national P64 minimum wage. At present, Metro Manila’s minimum wage is P610 a day.
Proponents of the wage hikes, however, note that workers with higher wages spend more, thus stimulating the economy.
This point was echoed by SMIC consultant for investor relations and sustainability Tim Daniels.
“If you increase the spending power of the average Filipino consumers…when you look at the GDP of the Philippines, a very high percentage of GDP growth, over 70%, comes from consumer spending…that is something that you would probably see – retail activity in our malls,” Daniels said.
So, are wage hikes good or bad for business?
“It depends on who you ask,” Daniels said.
SMIC reported a net income of P77 billion, a 25% jump from P61.7 billion in 2022. Revenues reached P616.3 billion last year, up 11% from P553 billion.
“A key success driver was the healthy spending patterns of Filipino consumers in both essential and discretionary purchases, particularly in fashion, dining and entertainment,” DyBuncio said. – Rappler.com
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Australian senator who protested during Marcos’ speech censured by colleagues
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Dwight de Leon
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29/02/2024 17:41
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PROTEST. Senator Janet Rice holds up a protest sign while Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers an address before the Australian parliament in Canberra on February 29, 2024.
The Australian Greens Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – Australian Senator Janet Rice was censured by the Australian Senate because of her protest stunt while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was delivering a speech before the parliament in Canberra.
In a speech before the sanction was handed down on Thursday, February 29, Rice stood by her decision to raise a placard bearing the words “Stop human rights abuses” while Marcos was addressing the plenary.
“The action I took in the House today was deliberate and it is powerful. And I did it on behalf of every Filipino person whose human rights have been abused by the government of President Marcos and the government of [former] president Duterte before him,” Rice said.
“I learned and I heard first hand about what is going on in the Philippines, where I learned about extrajudicial killing, where people on trumped up charges are red tagged, and then they are hunted down, and they are killed,” she added.
Rice belongs to the Australian Greens, one of the minor parties in the Senate. There are 11 of them in the 76-member upper chamber.
Her party mate, senator Jordon Steele-John, decried the sanction issued on Rice.
“The only unparliamentary thing to happen today was that the Albanese government supported by the Coalition allowed the son of a dictator, a human rights abuser and man living off stolen wealth from the Filipino people to use our parliament as a platform of legitimacy,” Steele-John said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Rice said she mounted that small protest to decry the high number of political prisoners in the Philippines, as well as the enforcement of the anti-terror law.
In 2022, the Philippine Supreme Court upheld most provisions of the anti-terror law, a measure passed during the administration of Marcos’ predecessor Rodrigo Duterte. Critics have feared that the legislation would be weaponized to target the opposition.
According to rights groups, there are over 800 political prisoners in the Philippines – 90 of them arrested during the Marcos administration.
There was no specific mention of human rights during Marcos’ 17-minute speech.
A few dozen Filipino protesters also mounted protests outside the parliament building on Thursday morning. They were joined by other senators from Australian Greens, including Steele-John, David Shoebridge, and Barbara Pocock.
Marcos is the son of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, whose Martial Law regime was considered among the darkest chapters of Philippine history.
The Marcos patriarch was kicked out of office after the 1986 People Power Revolution, but the Marcos family has since rehabilitated its image through what critics describe as a systematic disinformation campaign. – Rappler.com
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Q&A: SB19’s Justin talks solo debut with ‘surreal’
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jreyes0314
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29/02/2024 19:13
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MANILA, Philippines – SB19 member Justin marked his solo debut at midnight on Thursday, February 29, with the release of his debut song “surreal.” With Justin now being the fourth member of the famed P-pop group to pursue a career as a solo artist after Pablo, Josh Cullen, and Ken, he sat down with Rappler to answer a few questions about the song, its music video, as well as the work that went into its completion.
What’s one word you can use to describe Justin as a solo artist?
Imagination. Siguro kasi I’ll be using ‘yung kung ano lang ‘yung nasa imagination ko for my solo career. Medyo maglalaro-laro lang ako with my solo.
(Imagination. Probably because I’ll just be using whatever is in my imagination for my solo career. I’ll just be playing around with my solo.)
Your first single is titled “surreal.” Bakit “surreal?” Bakit ‘yun ‘yung naisip mo na unang ipakilala? (Why “surreal?” Why did you think of introducing that song first?)
Mayroon akong number of songs na nasulat. Tapos ‘yung [“surreal”], itong kantang ‘to ‘yung parang medyo buo na talaga siya. Noong nasulat ko pa lang siya, sabi ko, “Parang ito ‘yung pinaka-rank one among the others noong sa demo pa lang.” Kaya nadecide ko na ito [ang unang ipakilala]. Tapos noong ni-conceptualize na namin siya, [sabi ko], “Ah, pasok talaga siya for my debut song.”
(I had alread written a number of songs. “surreal” was the song that was kind of complete already. When I wrote it, I said, “I think this ranks first among the other songs in my demo.” That’s why I decided to introduce that song first. Then when we conceptualized it, I said, “Ah, this really fits well for my debut song.”)
In this song, you also worked with Pablo and Josue. How was it like working with them?
Actually, mabilis lang. So, ‘di ba nasulat ko na ‘yung kanta, tapos may demo ako. Pumunta ako kanila Pablo, tapos pinarinig ko ‘yung kanta. Sabi niya, “Ah, okay, ano ‘yung gusto mong tunong? Ano ‘yung naiimagine mo?” So kinuwento ko lang sa kanila tapos after a few days, nagpasa na sa akin ng demo. Sabi ko, “Hala, ang ganda! Shocks!” Natuwa ako kasi parang bukod sa ineexpect ko or sa interpretation ko sa kanta ko, mayroon din silang sariling interpretation. Parang, based doon sa mga kwento ko, dinagdagan nila ng element. Ayun, very happy and madali lang kasi araw-araw na rin kayo magkasama e.
(Actually, it was quick. So, I already wrote the song and had a demo, right? I went over to Pablo’s then I had him listen to the song. He said, “Ah, okay, what sound do you want? What are you imagining?” So I told them about it and after a few days, they already gave me a demo. I said, “Wow, this is nice! Shocks!” I was so happy because other than what I expected or what my interpretation was of my own song, [Pablo and Josue] also had their own interpretation. Based on what I told them, they added their own element. It was very happy [working with them] and it was easy because you’re with them every day anyway.)
YARA’s Gelou is also singing a few lines. Why her and how was it?
Actually, sinuggest lang ni Pablo na parang maganda sa part na ‘to may babae na mataas ‘yung boses. Syempre, may tiwala naman ako kay Pablo, so nag-isip kami. Friend na namin before pa si Gelou from YARA, and kasama namin siya sa training before, sabi ko, “Sige magtanong tayo ng mga kung sinong kakilala.” Tapos sabi ko, “Si Gelou, baka willing siya.” And sabi, “Okay, pasok naman.” And sa schedule, swak din. Nakarecord na kami. And ‘yun, nagmatch naman. So [I’m] very happy and thankful din kay Gelou for accepting.
(Actually, Pablo just suggested that it would be nice for this part to be sung by a woman with a high-pitched voice. Of course, I trust Pablo, so we got to thinking. Gelou from YARA was already our friend before, and we trained together, so I said, “Okay, let’s ask around.” Then I said, “Maybe Gelou is willing.” And she agreed. Our schedules lined up, too. We got to record already, and it was a match. So I’m very happy and thankful to Gelou for accepting.)
Let’s talk about your music video. Can you tell us how you conceptualized the music video?
Medyo madali for us noong nagstart na kami mag-execute kasi mayroon na kaming nakastock na ideas from before pa. Like, mga random thoughts lang tapos sinesafe namin ‘yun. So noong binalikan namin, medyo mas madali ‘yung process and then naghanap kami ng theme. Sabi ko, “Smaller theme lang. Ito lang kasi ‘yung gusto kong gawin.” Gusto ko lang magshoot sa magagandang lugar. Parang run and done shoot lang. And then nakabuo kami ng theme. Tapos ‘yung team namin, nagprepare din sila for the days na maraming shot list, kumpleto, mapabilis lang ‘yung mga ginagawa. So I think very chill lang ‘yung pagshoot namin ng music video. Masaya naman kasi nakapunta pa kami sa magagandang lugar.
(It was kind of easy for us when we were starting the execution because we already had ideas from before. Like, random thoughts that we keep for later on. So when we went back to it, it was easier and then we looked for a theme. I said, “Let’s go with a smaller theme. This is all I want to do.” I just want to shoot in a nice place. Like a run and done shoot. And then we formed a theme. Then our team also prepared for the days with a lot of shot lists to speed up the process. I think shooting for the music video was very chill. It was fun because we got to go to a lot of beautiful places.)
Can you tell us the story behind the music video and how you thought of it?
‘Yung mga shots, it’s very surreal. It’s from a reality pero parang, wow, gusto ko rin puntahan yun. Ganun yung vibe. Hindi ko alam kung paano ko siya naisip, pero mahilig kasi ako manood ng mga movies, mga films like Narnia, mga Bridge to Terabithia, so from there siguro ko talagang naabsorb na gusto kong gumawa ng ganitong theme. So siguro makakafeel ka ng parang Narnia vibe, parang Bridge to Terabithia. Alam mo ‘yung parang sa atin, yung kabataan natin, parang ganon ‘yung nafefeel. ‘Yung saya na parang, “Ay ang cute! Gusto ko rin mangyari yan sa totoong buhay, pero hindi.” So ganon ‘yung gusto kong iachieve.
(The shots, it’s very surreal. It’s from a reality that’s like, “Wow, I want to go there too.” That’s the vibe. I don’t know how I thought of it, but I love watching movies like Narnia [and] Bridge to Terabithia, so I absorbed the theme I want to achieve from there. I guess you’ll be able to feel a Narnia or Bridge to Terabithia vibe from it. Similar to our childhood where we feel a happiness that’s like, “Oh that’s so cute! I wish this were real, but it isn’t.” So, that’s what I wanted to achieve.)
Is “surreal” a love song?
Yes.
Is it a happy love song or a broken love song?
Happy love song.
What was your most favorite and least favorite part of doing this project?
‘Yung favorite part ko is ‘yung mga tao is very supportive sa ginagawa ko, Nafeel ko talaga ‘yung mga taong nakapalibot sa akin. Even ‘yung SB19, the team, and even ‘yung mga kakilala ko lang na hindi ko naman talaga friends pa or kaclose pa, super supportive nila and very excited sila for me. ‘Yun ‘yung pinaka-favorite ko kasi bukod sa nagagawa ko ‘yung gusto ko, nararamdaman ko ‘yung suporta ng tao sa paligid.
(My favorite part is people being very supportive of what I do. I really felt the people around me. Even SB19, the team, and even my acquaintances, they’re all super supportive and very excited for me. That’s my favorite part because other than getting to do what I love, I feel the support of the people around me.)
Siguro ‘yung least [favorite part] is kailangan kong pagdaanan ‘yung pressure alone. Kasi, syempre, imagine dati, ‘pag tutuntong ng stage, lima kami, tinututukan na kami. Ngayon, ako lang mag-isa, shocks. Pero kakayanin.
(My least favorite part is having to go through the pressure alone. Because, of course, imagine before, when we set foot on stage, we’re five, and people focus on us. Now, it’s just me, shocks. But I can do this.)
– Rappler.com
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Pura Luka Vega arrested again by Manila Police District
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jreyes0314
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29/02/2024 17:47
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Pura Luka Vega's Instagram
MANILA, Philippines – Drag artist Pura Luka Vega was arrested again by the Manila Police District on Thursday, February 29, DZME News reported.
According to Drag Den showrunner Rod Singh, a Quezon City court issued a warrant of arrest for Pura Luka Vega’s three counts of alleged violation of Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code, which includes immoral doctrines, obscene publications and exhibitions, and indecent shows.
“This stemmed from a complaint filed against them by three churches affiliated with the Philippines for Jesus Movement (PJM). The recommended bail is P360,000,” Singh wrote in a statement posted on X.
Regarding the arrest of Pura Luka Vega today. To those who would like to help Luka for their bail and legal fees, NAIA @brianblack_ will handle the donation drive. #DragIsArt #DragIsNotACrime pic.twitter.com/OirKIGl1G7
Pura Luka Vega is currently detained at the Sta. Cruz Police Station.
This comes just three days after Pura Luka Vega posted bail in Pasay City for six counts of violation of Article 201 “in relation to Section 6 of R.A. 10175” following the Kapisanan ng Social Media Broadcasters ng Pilipinas’ complaint.
Weeks after their video lip syncing to an “Ama Namin” remix while dressed as Jesus Christ went viral, the embattled drag artist was sued by Christian leaders from the PJM on July 31, 2023 for alleged violation of Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code.
“Luka got arrested again today. Let’s not panic [because] we know that we can do something about it. For now antabay muna tayo sa (let’s wait) donation drive details for her bail,” drag queen NAIA Black – who organized the embattled drag artist’s fundraising event in October 2023 – later also posted on X.
okay luka got arrested again today. lets not panic bec we know that we can do something about it. for now antabay muna tayo sa donation drive details for her bail #dragisnotacrime
Pura Luka Vega was earlier arrested on October 4, 2023, after their alleged absence from the preliminary investigations of their criminal case in Manila. They later posted bail amounting to P72,000 on October 7, 2023. – Rappler.com
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Taylor Swift mania hits Philippine classrooms
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Marguerite de Leon
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29/02/2024 19:01
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MANILA, Philippines – The Taylor Swift craze has arrived in classrooms in the Philippine capital, with a premier university rolling out a celebrity studies course examining the singer and her impact on global pop culture.
As the performer visits Asia this week, more than 300 students signed up for the elective course at the University of the Philippines, filling limited slots within minutes and prompting the administration to launch an extra class.
“We’re going to treat Taylor Swift as a celebrity, which means we’re going to look at her from the lens of various ways of thinking such as the intersection of sex, gender, and class,” Cherish Brillon, a professor in the broadcast communications department, said after her first lecture.
Herself a “Swiftie,” as fans of the singer are popularly known, Brillon said the course would also study media portrayals of Swift, and how she is viewed in Philippines as a “transnational” figure.
Some of the two dozen students wore Swift merchandise and adorned their notebooks and laptops with stickers featuring the 14-time Grammy Award winner.
“I would love to delve deeper into the societal issues that we face in connection to Taylor Swift,” said student Shyne Cañezal, a “Swiftie” since grade school.
US universities such as Harvard, Stanford, and Berklee College of Music have offered courses on Swift, tackling her song-writing and literary takes on her discography, among other topics.
Swift is set to perform six sold-out “Eras Tour” shows in Singapore – her only stop in Southeast Asia – on March 2 to 9. More than 300,000 tickets were sold to fans who queued overnight in the blistering tropical heat. – Rappler.com
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Cebu City Mayor Rama cries foul over province’s move to stop BRT construction
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jsitchon0312
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29/02/2024 20:55
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CIVIL WORKS. Materials and scaffolding remain in front of the Cebu Provincial Capitol at the Osmena Boulevard on Thursday, February 29.
John Sitchon/Rappler
CEBU, Philippines – A fight could be in the offing between Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama and Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia, with the former asking: are you friend or foe?
What triggered Rama was a cease-and-desist order by the governor stopping the civil works for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT).
Rama vented on Cebu City’s teleradio channel on Thursday, February 29, his frustrations over Garcia’s latest actions.
“The governor is supposed to make friends or make it clear that they’re making enemies. (Are you) friend or foe,” the mayor said in Cebuano.
Up until this latest turn of events, Rama and Garcia were formidable allies under the banner of One Cebu, which delivered big for the Uniteam partnership of then candidates Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte.
Garcia’s cease-and-desist memorandum dated Tuesday, February 27 claimed that the ongoing civil works for the CBRT along Osmeña Boulevard did not have prior authorization from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
To recall, civil works for the first phase of the CBRT were awarded to Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co., Ltd and were expected to finish in the fourth quarter of 2023.
The project has been hampered by delays due to complications ranging from unfinished feasibility studies and design issues.
In a press conference on Thursday afternoon, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) National Advisory Board member Jose Bersales and Cebu Provincial Legal Officer Donato Villa said that the construction company violated the National Heritage Act of 2009.
Bersales said that the bus stations being built along Osmeña Boulevard blocked the view of the Cebu Provincial Capitol building from the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda, consequently “desecrating” the cultural significance and integrity of the historical structure.
In 2008, the NHCP declared the building a National Historical Landmark. After Republic Act No. 11961 was signed in August 2023, the building was then classified as a Grade 1 Heritage Structure.
Under the law, a heritage structure receives priority protection, and government projects that affect the integrity of the structure should consult first with the NCCA before implementation.
“The Cebu City Historical Commission was not consulted,” Bersales said.
Villa said that if the construction work would continue, there would be a “high probability” that the provincial government would file a case against the project implementers of the CBRT.
Under the National Heritage Act, violators can be fined P200,000 and/or imprisonment for a term of not less than 10 years, upon the discretion of the court
Rappler has reached out to Norvin Imbong, the project manager of the CBRT, for a statement on the matter but has yet to receive any reply.
Upon learning that Cebu City Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia and fellow councilors met with the governor to discuss what to do with the CBRT issue, Rama described the situation as “treachery.”
“Wala ko’y kalibutan nga gatigum sila (I had no idea that they were meeting),” the mayor said on Thursday morning.
The vice mayor is a nephew of Governor Garcia.
On Wednesday, February 28, the Cebu City Council, which is headed by the vice mayor, passed a resolution ordering the Office of the Building Official to issue a cease-and-desist order against the civil works for the CBRT, supporting the governor’s move.
While Rama clarified that he was not against halting construction of the CBRT, he said that he resented how the councilors “blindsided” him on the issue.
Rama recalled that in the past he kept silent when the governor went against his plans during the previous Sinulog festival celebration in the city.
“Karon, wala na utongay. Wala na…Kung naa mo buhaton, klaro lang mo (This time, no more holding back. No more…if you want to do something, make it clear),” Rama said.
Rappler asked the governor for a comment on Rama’s statements but refused to give any. – Rappler.com
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Is the proposed wage hike good or bad for SM?
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Ralf Rivas
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29/02/2024 21:05
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LEADER. SM Investments Corporation president and CEO Frederic DyBuncio.
Rappler
Will a legislated wage hike hurt the Philippines’ business climate?
That was one of the questions asked of SM Investments Corporation (SMIC) president and CEO Frederic DyBuncio in a recent press briefing, amid business groups sounding the alarm that it would hurt both businesses and consumers.
DyBuncio did not give a categorical answer but noted that SMIC, the Philippines’ largest conglomerate in terms of market value at over P1 trillion, is keeping an eye on the issue as “it will obviously increase operating costs” and have an impact on economic growth.
SMIC is the holding company of the SM Group. The company is engaged in businesses through its subsidiaries, namely The SM Store, SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, SaveMore, Walter Mart, Alfamart, SM Prime Holdings, BDO Unibank, and China Banking Corporation.
The Senate on Monday, February 19, unanimously approved on third and final reading the bill that seeks to give a P100-daily increase to minimum wage earners in the country. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has also started deliberating on various bills but with differing amounts, ranging from P150 to P750.
DyBuncio could not give the number of minimum wage earners in the SM group, but noted that most of their employees earn higher than minimum wage.
“That will affect the minimum wage workers. I think the bulk of our employees are actually higher than minimum wage. Again, it will obviously increase the operating cost, so the question is how much of that increase will be passed on to customers,” Dy Buncio said.
“We still don’t know what the final number would be but we had wage increases in the past and we will be able to adjust our businesses,” DyBuncio said.
The last legislated national wage hike in the Philippines was in 1989, when the Wage Rationalization Act ordered a P25 wage hike from the national P64 minimum wage. At present, Metro Manila’s minimum wage is P610 a day.
Proponents of the wage hikes, however, note that workers with higher wages spend more, thus stimulating the economy.
This point was echoed by SMIC consultant for investor relations and sustainability Tim Daniels.
“If you increase the spending power of the average Filipino consumers…when you look at the GDP of the Philippines, a very high percentage of GDP growth, over 70%, comes from consumer spending…that is something that you would probably see – retail activity in our malls,” Daniels said.
So, are wage hikes good or bad for business?
“It depends on who you ask,” Daniels said.
SMIC reported a net income of P77 billion, a 25% jump from P61.7 billion in 2022. Revenues reached P616.3 billion last year, up 11% from P553 billion.
“A key success driver was the healthy spending patterns of Filipino consumers in both essential and discretionary purchases, particularly in fashion, dining and entertainment,” DyBuncio said. – Rappler.com
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At least 100 hectares hit by forest fires in Negros Occidental
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Mia Gonzalez
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29/02/2024 16:58
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BURNED. Hundreds of trees were engulfed by a seven-hour long forest fire in Sitio Tigmaya, Barangay Gatuslao, Candoni town in Negros Occidental on Wednesday, February 28.
courtesy of Eduardo Florendo
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – At least 100 hectares of forest land were hit by fire in Candoni town, Negros Occidental, on Wednesday, February 28.
Candoni town acting fire marshal Marlon Estimar told Rappler in an interview on Thursday, February 29, that they received the report around 9 am on Wednesday, after a group of individuals working for a company near the area reported the incident.
Estimar said the fire that burned thousands of fruit and non-fruit bearing trees and spread to at least 100 hectares of the town’s forestal area was due to the extreme heat brought on by the El Nino phenomenon in the province.
To help contain the fire from spreading further, two Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) firetrucks from the neighboring town of Ilog and Sipalay City were called to augment the local firefighters, Estimar said.
The forest fire was declared fire out at around 4:48 pm on Wednesday, after nearly seven hours, Estimar said.
Estimar said that there the area affected by the forest fire was uninhabited.
Eduardo Florendo, the town’s municipal environment and natural resources officer, said that the fire burned down hundreds of flower species and that it would take more than 10 years for them to recover.
Florendo called for a movement of community action in which all interested parties might take part to strengthen their program for mitigating climate change, which includes reforestation.
“The town now has a local conservation project spanning 654 hectares in partnership with the provincial environment and management office (PEMO) and an ongoing urban reforestation project,” he said.
Investigation into the total amount of damage that the fire brought to the town is still ongoing. – Rappler.com
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Joshua Pacio believes confidence is everything ahead of rematch with Jarred Brooks
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Jasmine Payo
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29/02/2024 19:13
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ALL SET. Filipino fighter Joshua Pacio believes heu2019s ready and confident heading into the match.
ONE CHAMPIONSHIP
MANILA, Phiippines – Former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio believes that a lot of things are bound to change the moment he enters his rematch against reigning division king Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks.
The two best strawweights in the world tangle for the ultimate prize in their division in one of the three World Title bouts scheduled for ONE 166: Qatar on Friday, March 1, at Lusail Sports Arena.
“After that bout, I realized that we went the whole five rounds. We reached the decision, and I wasn’t able to show my strengths in that fight,” Pacio said.
“This time it will be different. I’ll definitely be showing up. Eduard [Folayang] and coach Don don [Colas] have been in my ears since then, telling me my errors and things that I could’ve done in that first fight.”
Pacio still believes his previous loss against the American Brooks could’ve been avoided, and now he’s doing everything to make sure he doesn’t suffer the same setback in the rematch.
That all starts with the energy that his new team, Lions Nation MMA, brings to training.
Pacio now has a team that’s ready to go to war with him – as not only is he getting emotional support, all his physical needs are being addressed as well.
“As an athlete, it’s so helpful to be able to come to the gym and feel at home. You come in confident, you come in happy with the environment. It’s a big help,” he said.
“That’s one of my advantages now. I truly feel all the support from my team. We added kuya Vince [Loman] (Stephen’s brother) as our strength and conditioning coach. He’s helping me out with explosiveness and speed.
“We’re doing fight simulations. Coach Gibran Langbayan added Godwin [Langbayan] to help me out in this fight. He’s one of the best BJJ athletes in the Philippines and also a member of Sambo Philippines.”
With that in mind, Pacio is confident that he’s done enough in his camp, so now it’s all about executing the right game plan come fight night against Brooks.
“The things that we trained for, our combinations, it has to come out in that fight. That’s one thing I truly changed entering this fight, my mindset,” he said.
“I know I have to be confident. I have to realize that I’m already one of the best in the world, and there’s no better stage to show it than this fight,” he added.
“Sure, I’m fighting the best fighter in the world in my division, but I have to remember that I’m also one of the best, and I have to come in without any hesitation.” – Rappler.com
Read more from ONE Championship:
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[OPINION] Just transition for energy minerals is critical for the Philippines
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Marguerite de Leon
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29/02/2024 12:42
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Alejandro Edoria/Rappler
The climate crisis and mining have been two of the biggest priority issues under the green agenda of the current administration. In the middle of these is the issue of energy transition minerals (ETMs), or those needed for producing cleaner energy technologies.
The Philippines hosts the fifth largest mineral reserves globally, with potentially $1 trillion in untapped reserves. These include deposits of nickel (fifth in the world), which is needed for batteries of electric vehicles, and copper (fourth) that can be applied from electric transmission in power grids to operating solar panels.
Scaling up renewable energy (RE) technologies, especially wind and solar, and reduced conversion of forests remain the most effective way of mitigating the climate crisis. While exporting ETMs to countries with the highest greenhouse gas emissions is needed to prevent further increase in global temperatures, this has to be balanced with such minerals also being used to accelerate the development of RE facilities in the Philippines.
A comprehensive critical minerals strategy, currently being developed by the government, must cover how to approach this balancing act. It should also include other key issues, such as protecting critical biodiversity and ecosystems, the well-being of local communities and indigenous peoples (IPs), and upholding corporate transparency and accountability.
The issue on transparency and accountability is especially important, considering the recent incidences involving mining companies. In recent years, nickel mining companies have been ordered to halt their operations in Sibuyan Island, Romblon and Brooke’s Point, Palawan due to their failure to secure the necessary permits and potential damages to the local environment.
The landslide in a mining village in a supposed no-build zone in Davao de Oro also raises more concerns about the safety of workers and the accountability of the mining company and other stakeholders; such details must also be considered in a critical minerals strategy.
It is no secret that the mining industry is among the main proponents for the current administration pushing for the growth of the sector. This policy direction has been branded under many advocacies, from economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic to a response to the climate crisis.
Yet based on the history of mining incidents leaving local stakeholders and ecosystems reeling from damages and how most of the domestic mineral production goes to foreign industries, it is fair to say that there is a risk of the well-being of many Filipinos and our environment not being given enough attention in this planned expansion of the mining industry.
While the President has publicly stated that being environmentally-conscious and safe working conditions for mining workers must be accounted for by government agencies, recent incidents alone have shown that there are significant gaps in both existing policies and their implementation that need to be remedied.
Any Philippine-based critical minerals strategy must be part of a just transition, especially in the energy context, that is beyond the current notions of “sustainable mining” or “responsible mining.” It should focus not on maximizing extraction mainly to generate the most profits that has no guarantee to benefit local communities. Instead, it must be anchored on producing only ETMs that are necessary for vital economic sectors in the Philippines, such as RE technologies and other local industries.
How the production of ETMs benefits and protects local communities and IPs must also be included in this strategy. The government’s policy regarding the mining sector benefiting the Filipino nation cannot only be reflected in financial terms. For instance, no mining operations should take place in areas designated as either of critical importance for biodiversity or agricultural production, or prone to climate change impacts or other disasters caused by natural hazards.
Local stakeholders, especially IPs, must also be given the proper spaces to actively participate in decision-making processes. The exploration, development, and usage of mineral resources and products must always benefit the Filipino people first, and should be included in the development of a national industrialization plan. The State must also respect and protect the rights of these stakeholders, especially during disputes against foreign corporations.
Currently, 60% of mineral deposits in the country are within ancestral domains. If conflicts arise between businesses and IPs arise about ETMs because the latter exercises their right to not have their lands disturbed, how unfair is it for the IPs to be potentially portrayed as the ones preventing progress?
It is fair to pose this question, considering that again, players in the mining industry are the ones with the most to benefit from a growth in their sector, and the history of IPs in cases of destructive mining.
Some state officials may see these potential elements of said strategy as too restrictive. Yet these so-called restrictions are also necessary to uphold multiple components of sustainability, especially the environmental and social aspects. To minimize their importance, if not outright ignore them not only goes against the supposed policy direction, but also disregards the well-being of the very people who are supposed to be benefitting the most from it.
How a national strategy would be developed in these next few months would decide for whose benefit the production of ETMs and other minerals truly are. If anyone thinks this issue is irrelevant, they are wrong. It does matter. – Rappler.com
John Leo Algo is the National Coordinator of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas and the Deputy Executive Director for Programs and Campaigns of Living Laudato Si’ Philippines. He is also a member of the Youth Advisory Group for Environmental and Climate Justice under the UNDP in Asia and the Pacific.
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Spreading the culture of alaga: Jodi Sta. Maria wants us to #SayItWithIngat
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gbarrientos0280
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28/02/2024 18:13
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We all know this age-old phrase: Words have power. It only takes a second to say them, but their impact can spark strong emotions and even change perspectives for the rest of someone’s life. And in the age of social media, words are thrown out so much in posts, comments, or videos that strangers have lost care in wielding its power.
With the masks of online crowds and anonymity, negativity has been too easy to spread. Take it from actress Jodi Sta. Maria, who has her fair share of online bashers and haters. “Hindi ka magaling umarte, overrated ka. It’s really about my work,” said Jodi when asked what these people say. Yet, she still finds a way to give it a kinder spin. “Tawag ko nga sa kanila is confused fans.”
Her line of work as a public figure requires her to stay connected with her fans online through social media, for better or for worse. But in her many years of dabbling with these platforms, she’s found that the best way to respond with online hate is to use something even stronger – the Filipino culture of alaga and ingat.
Jodi wants to remind us that at the end of the day, social media is just a tool. “‘Yung social media platform, wala naman talaga siyang power to begin with. It’s just a platform, it’s just an app,” she said.
“Pero tayong mga tao ang may kapasidad kung ano ang magiging purpose ng social media [platform] mo. Are you going to use it para mag spread ng hate? Are you going to use it para mag spread ng encouragement or comfort? It’s really up to you.”
So, what’s a litmus test you can use to check if you’re saying things with ingat? Jodi recommends asking these questions first: “Is it something na kaya mong sabihin without hiding behind the egg icon? Are these the words na sasabihin mo sa sarili mo mismo?”
Jodi also recognizes that you can’t really control what others do. But what you can control is what you can do for yourself. She started doing regular social media detoxing years ago, because she feels it pulls focus from the parts of life that are truly important – like the present, and her loved ones around her.
She also uses this time to be more introspective about what haters say to her. “What I do when I get triggered by a comment is I acknowledge that a particular comment hurt me, or didn’t sit well with me. Then I read the comment again, and ask myself: What is it about this comment that pushed a button? Sometimes it becomes a window to the unhealed parts of me. So I [will] try to work on that.”
Jodi believes that hate is something cyclical, and we can begin breaking it by saying and doing things with ingat. As a recent psychology graduate, she shares about a research paper she wrote in 2019 on bullies’ motivations to be hateful. “I refused to believe na may mga tao na ipinanganak lang talaga sila para gumising every single day at intensyon nila gumising araw-araw ay para sabihing ibu-bully ko si [ganito], pahihirapan ko siya today.”
According to her research, she found that bullies are likely to be recipients of emotional, mental, or even physical abuse in their private lives, like in their home. They then find a target outside of that environment to project onto. “Life is hard and people have emotions – I guess ‘yan ang masasabi [ko] when it comes to being mindful of what we say,” said Jodi.
Now, Jodi’s a strong example and advocate for answering hate with alaga. She uses her platform and partnerships, like the #SayItWithIngat campaign with Paracetamol (Biogesic), to spread this message.
“I am really happy with this partnership with Paracetamol (Biogesic) on our advocacy [against] hate comments,” she said. “‘Yung alaga kasi, hindi lang pang sakit ng ulo at lagnat, but we also care for the emotional and mental well-being of others [through the #SayItWithIngat Campaign].”
To those who carry hurt from online hate, Jodi has this to say. “Just because a person has an opinion about you, it does not make it true. May you find the wisdom to know whether to engage or let go. And I hope that you heal from what hurt you. But always remember to those who know you and truly love you, you are enough.”
Even though it’s painful to receive hate online, we must remember that responding with kindness can be more powerful and impactful over time. Before you hit send on your posts, remember to take a deep breath, think about your words, and #SayItWithIngat.
To learn more about the movement, follow Paracetamol (Biogesic) on Facebook and listen to Jodi’s Paano Ba ‘To: The Podcast episode. – Rappler.com
If symptoms persist, consult your doctor.
ASC U0050P022624B
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TAYO Awards Foundation opens 21st search for accomplished Filipino youth groups
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pfkahanap0307
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29/02/2024 12:16
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The following is a press release from TAYO Awards Foundation.
The Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations or TAYO Awards Foundation will open the 21st Search for accomplished and proactive youth groups in the Philippines. The application period will run from February 19 to March 17, and is open to all interested youth organizations nationwide.
The theme for this year’s TAYO Awards will center on makabayani, a play on the words makabayan (love for one’s country) and bayani (hero). Through this theme, the foundation envisions another decade of recognizing and celebrating the efforts of our makabayani in creating a positive impact in their communities.
The search also hopes to help the youth further appreciate the value of volunteerism and cultural diversity towards nation-building.
TAYO Awards is open to formal and non-formal youth organizations nationwide consisting of at least five members, with the majority of its members under 30 years old. It accepts any project launched between September 2022 to January 2024.
Application is free and organizations may submit multiple entries so long as they are of different projects or programs.
“For two decades, the Search for TAYO Awards has witnessed thousands of inspiring stories of the Filipino youth and what they have done for their communities. But year after year, we still get surprised by the innovative and impactful work the youth presents to the Search,” said TAYO executive director Rhyn Anthony Esolana.
The Search is divided into 6 different categories:
According to Esolana, for TAYO’s 21st year, the foundation hopes to highlight youth work as modern-day heroism.
“For TAYO 21, we hope to revolutionize how we view heroes. Today’s heroes are young Filipinos rising up across the nation, establishing safe spaces, promoting progressive work on HIV destigmatization, and even doing values and livelihood development programs for children in conflict with the law, among others. These everyday acts of courage and compassion redefine what it means to be a hero as not only people with swords running towards combat but also as young leaders leading societal revolutions,” he said.
In 2023, the Ffundation awarded TAYO 20, which celebrated 20 years of recognizing accomplished Filipino youth groups. TAYO 20 was anchored on the theme “Siklab,” which refers to the undying flare among youth groups to make a difference, inspire hope and unity, and positively influence future generations.
TAYO Awards is the Philippines’ premiere award-giving body that recognizes and supports the excellent contributions of youth organizations in the country. It is co-presented by Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines Inc. and San Miguel Corporation. Both partners have special awards to be given out: the Coke Barkada Award is given to a youth organization with outstanding projects aligned with Coca-Cola Foundation’s advocacies on circular economy, water stewardship, or recycling, while San Miguel Corporation’s San Miguel Better World Award is given to an organization that aligns with their mission of doing better.
Since 2002, it has been the biggest platform to showcase young Filipinos’ dynamism and contribution to community development.
Interested youth orgs who wish to apply may visit tayoawards.net/tayo21. Deadline for applications is on March 17, at 11:59 pm. – Rappler.com
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TIMELINE: What the Marcos administration says about the International Criminal Court
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Jodesz Gavilan
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17/01/2024 20:00
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MANILA, Philippines – Times are changing, at least with how the Philippine government is handling the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s investigation into the killings under Rodrigo Duterte’s violent war on drugs.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his administration for so long echoed the sentiments and rhetoric of Duterte and his allies – that the international court is encroaching on the country’s sovereignty, among others.
But now, Marcos officials are seemingly being more considerate or at least open to the idea. As these developments unravel, families of drug war victims are wary of how everything stands on thin ice, especially as the turning of the tide is dependent on the tension between the Marcos and Duterte factions.
Rappler tracks the Marcos administration’s statements and actions related to the ICC. This story will be updated as more information comes in.
Then-presidential candidate Marcos says he will not help ICC investigators. In an interview with CNN Philippines, he says that he will only allow them to enter the country as visitors, but nothing more.
“They want us to help them bring accusations against our Filipino workers in government? Pambihira naman siguro ‘yun (that’s too much), I don’t think that’s right,” he says.
Marcos officially convenes a legal team to discuss how his administration will handle ICC proceedings. Aside from Cabinet officials, the meeting is also attended by Duterte’s former spokesperson Harry Roque.
Marcos tells reporters that “the Philippines has no intention of rejoining the ICC.” The country officially ceased to be an ICC member-state in 2019 after the Duterte administration started the withdrawal process in 2018.
“Sinasabi naman namin eh may imbestigasyon naman dito at patuloy rin naman ang imbestigasyon, bakit magkakaroon ng ganoon?” he tells reporters.
(We’re saying we already have investigations here and those are ongoing, so why should they have to investigate?)
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla says the ICC and its Prosecutor Karim Khan “cannot run roughshod over our system and say you’re a lousy country and you cannot do what we want you to do.”
He says Khan is doing the country a “disservice” for challenging the Philippines’ justice system.
“Are they dictating on us, on what we should do as a country?” he tells reporters.
Marcos’ chief legal counsel Juan Ponce Enrile insists that the ICC has “no sovereign power” over the Philippines, and that the administration “will not allow any of our officials to be investigated or tried” by the court.
The Philippine government, as represented by Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, files a notice of appeal, asking the ICC to suspend its decision to resume its probe into the drug war killings.
This comes as the ICC pre-trial chamber allows the resumption of Prosecutor Khan’s investigation after it found that it is “not satisfied that the Philippines is undertaking relevant investigations that would warrant a deferral of the Court’s investigations on the basis of the complementarity principle.”
At least 18 legislators file a resolution urging the House of Representatives to declare an “unequivocal defense” of Duterte in the face of intensified scrutiny of his drug war.
The move was led by former president and now representative Gloria Arroyo. In the resolution, the lawmakers say that the Duterte administration ushered in “remarkable achievements brought about by his relentless campaign against illegal drugs, insurgency, separatism and terrorism, corruption in government, and criminality.”
Marcos continues to echo the Duterte administration’s rhetoric. He tells reporters that he still “cannot see” the jurisdiction of the ICC, and that the country sees the court “as an intrusion into our internal matters and they are a threat to our sovereignty.”
“I feel that we have in our police and our judiciary a good system. We do not need assistance from any outside entity. The Philippines is a sovereign nation and we are not colonies anymore of these former imperialists,” he says.
The Philippine government submits its appeal brief to the ICC, reiterating that Prosecutor Khan’s continued investigation into the drug war killings lacks legal foundation and “would encroach on the sovereignty” of the country.
Marcos says the Philippines is “disengaging from any contract, from any communication I guess with the ICC,” after the court junks his administration’s bid to suspend the ongoing probe during appeals proceedings.
He says that “in our view, there is nothing more that we can do in the government.”
“We have no longer any recourse when it comes to the ICC. We have not been involved with the actual action. Merely as a comment, we would comment, and the appeal is part of a comment. But we have not appeared as a party in the ICC because we do not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC,” Marcos says.
The Marcos administration rejects democratic leaders’ acknowledgment of the “important” role of the International Criminal Court. While the Philippines endorses the Summit for Democracy Declaration, which was signed by at least 73 countries, it “disassociates” itself from parts that referenced the ICC.
“The PH government does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction and affirms that the PH has the jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes, including those allegedly committed in the context of the country’s anti-illegal drugs campaign,” the Department of Foreign Affairs says in a statement.
Marcos says that a “focus on enforcement” of Duterte’s drug war resulted in “abuses by certain elements in the government.”
“In my view, what had happened in the previous administration is that we focused very much on enforcement. And because of that, it could be said there and that has caused some concern…in many quarters about the human rights situation in the Philippines,” Marcos says during a forum by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
In its reply to an appeal, the Philippine government again claims that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the killings under Duterte’s drug war.
The Office of the Solicitor General expresses disappointment over the ICC chamber’s decision to reject the Philippine government’s appeal. It claims that the chamber “in effect, refused to recognize the Philippine Government’s primary and sovereign right to investigate serious crimes, in derogation of the complementarity principle so fundamental to the working of the international criminal justice system of which the ICC forms part.”
Justice Secretary Remulla advises drug war architect Senator Ronald dela Rosa not to go to countries where “the ICC will be able to influence the judicial system.”
“‘Wag kayo pupunta sa lugar na maaring makialam ang ICC. Dito, hindi sila puwedeng makialam talaga rito…They are citizens of the republic who also need our protection so we need to tell them,” he says.
(Don’t go to countries where the ICC can intervene. Here in the Philippines, they cannot really do any interventions. They are citizens of the republic who also need our protection so we need to tell them.)
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says all dealings with the ICC are done and over.
“We will not cooperate with them in any way, or form. So, we continue to defend the sovereignty of the Philippines and continue to question the jurisdiction of the ICC in their investigations here in the Philippines,” Marcos tells the media.
Non-opposition lawmakers file a resolution calling on government agencies to assist the ICC’s investigation into the killings.
The resolution, filed by Manila 6th District Representative Bienvenido Abante and 1-Rider Representative Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez, urges the government “to extend their full cooperation to the ICC Prosecutor with respect to its investigation of any alleged crime within the jurisdiction of the ICC.”
Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla says there is a need to further study the lawmakers’ call to cooperate with the iCC.
“[It] needs a serious study on our part, at the DOJ, considering we are no longer members,” Remulla says.
He also says that the DOJ is open to dialogue if ICC Prosecutor Khan reaches out, adding that “it’s diplomacy [that] we have to practice.”
Justice Secretary Remulla says the Marcos administration is set to discuss issues related to the Philippines and the ICC to ensure that they are on “the same page,” especially in the face of the House resolution.
“Siyempre, ika-clarify lang kung may balak ba tayong maging miyembro muli ng ICC dahil sa ginagawa ng Kongreso (Of course, we will clarify if we have plans to be a member of the ICC anew amid Congress’ push). How it affects the whole universe of the ICC and the Philippine government as it is right now,” he says.
Solicitor General Guevarra, however, downplays the House resolution, stating that it “runs counter to the position of the republic…that the Philippines has no legal duty to cooperate with the ICC on jurisdictional grounds, and that any such unwanted interference in our affairs by the ICC will encroach upon the sovereignty of our country.”
Marcos says his administration is studying the possible return of the Philippines as a member-state of the International Criminal Court.
“There is also a question, should we return under the fold of the ICC? So that’s again under study. So we’ll just keep looking at it and see what our options are,” he tells reporters, adding that “there are still problems in terms of jurisdiction and sovereignty.”
Solicitor General Guevarra says ICC investigators can enter the Philippines, but there would be “a wide latitude of discretion” on the country’s immigration authorities.
“For my point of view for as long as there will be no illegal activities to be conducted here, that they have the proper travel documents, I do not see any reason why they should be prevented from coming in because they’re going to interview certain persons, gather certain documents, so forth and so on,” he tells CNN Philippines.
President Marcos insisted that the Philippines is not cooperating with the ICC.
Days before that statement, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV claimed that ICC investigators entered the Philippines in December and already obtained evidence against former president Duterte. Senator Dela Rosa also urged the President to be transparent about the “real score” of the Philippines’ participation in the probe.
“The Philippine government will not lift a finger to help any investigation that the ICC conducts. However, as ordinary people, they can come and visit the Philippines, but we will not help them. In fact, we are monitoring them, making sure they do not come into contact with any agency of the government. And if they are contacting agencies of the government – police force or local government units, we advise them not to answer,” Marcos said.
Remulla “firmly asserts” that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines, and that the “nation, as a sovereign entity, possesses the inherent right to determine our own legal framework and address internal matters without any interference from external bodies.”
“I would like to emphasize that any presence of international bodies within the Philippines must adhere to our Constitution and relevant laws,” he says, referring to unconfirmed reports that the ICC already went to the Philippines.
Marcos says that the ICC probe “opens a Pandora’s box,” following growing public support for an investigation into the killings in Duterte’s war on drugs. He insists that there are still questions about “jurisdiction and sovereignty,” and that he has not “seen a sufficient answer for it.”
“Until then, I do not recognize their jurisdiction in the Philippines,” Marcos says. “I cannot, that seems to be the only logical conclusion that could come from that situation.”
He says, however, that he cannot stop the ICC if it tries to enter the country.
“I don’t approve or deny it but you know, they haven’t done anything illegal,” he says. “Once they do, of course, we will do something about it. But we are an open country, we are not a closed country”
– with reports from Dwight de Leon/Rappler.com
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Pura Luka Vega arrested again by Manila Police District
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jreyes0314
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29/02/2024 17:47
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Pura Luka Vega's Instagram
MANILA, Philippines – Drag artist Pura Luka Vega was arrested again by the Manila Police District on Thursday, February 29, DZME News reported.
According to Drag Den showrunner Rod Singh, a Quezon City court issued a warrant of arrest for Pura Luka Vega’s three counts of alleged violation of Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code, which includes immoral doctrines, obscene publications and exhibitions, and indecent shows.
“This stemmed from a complaint filed against them by three churches affiliated with the Philippines for Jesus Movement (PJM). The recommended bail is P360,000,” Singh wrote in a statement posted on X.
Regarding the arrest of Pura Luka Vega today. To those who would like to help Luka for their bail and legal fees, NAIA @brianblack_ will handle the donation drive. #DragIsArt #DragIsNotACrime pic.twitter.com/OirKIGl1G7
Pura Luka Vega is currently detained at the Sta. Cruz Police Station.
This comes just three days after Pura Luka Vega posted bail in Pasay City for six counts of violation of Article 201 “in relation to Section 6 of R.A. 10175” following the Kapisanan ng Social Media Broadcasters ng Pilipinas’ complaint.
Weeks after their video lip syncing to an “Ama Namin” remix while dressed as Jesus Christ went viral, the embattled drag artist was sued by Christian leaders from the PJM on July 31, 2023 for alleged violation of Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code.
“Luka got arrested again today. Let’s not panic [because] we know that we can do something about it. For now antabay muna tayo sa (let’s wait) donation drive details for her bail,” drag queen NAIA Black – who organized the embattled drag artist’s fundraising event in October 2023 – later also posted on X.
okay luka got arrested again today. lets not panic bec we know that we can do something about it. for now antabay muna tayo sa donation drive details for her bail #dragisnotacrime
Pura Luka Vega was earlier arrested on October 4, 2023, after their alleged absence from the preliminary investigations of their criminal case in Manila. They later posted bail amounting to P72,000 on October 7, 2023. – Rappler.com
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FACT CHECK: Doc Willie Ong video promoting varicose veins cream is fake
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Lorenz Pasion
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29/02/2024 17:28
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Claim: Cardiologist and online health personality Dr. Willie Ong, popularly known as Doc Willie, endorses Varicose Veins Cream, a product that claims to treat varicose veins.
Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook video bearing the claim has 220,000 views, 1,700 reactions, and 847 comments as of writing.
The video uses a clip of Ong talking about varicose veins, spliced with visuals of the product being used as a treatment.
It was posted by a Facebook page posing as the official account of Ong and his wife, Liza Ong, with 77 followers and 34 likes as of writing.
The post includes a link to a website for interested buyers to purchase the product. The website includes photos of the Ong couple to make it look like they endorse the product.
The facts: Ong does not endorse the product. The misleading ad splices a video clip from Ong’s official Facebook page together with audio taken from another video uploaded on Ong’s YouTube channel to make it appear like he is discussing varicose veins and promoting the cream as a supposed treatment.
The video insert of Ong seen in the misleading ad was taken from a video posted on May 7, 2023. The original video is unrelated to varicose veins and how to treat them. Instead, it shows Ong telling doctors, his colleagues, and patients not to believe fake ads that use his videos and photos.
A closer look at the ad shows Ong’s mouth movements do not match the audio. The original audio came from his video on varicose veins uploaded to YouTube on August 29, 2022.
Not FDA registered: Varicose Veins Cream is not on the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s list of approved drug products.
The sale and distribution of unauthorized health products is strictly prohibited under Republic Act No. 9711, also known as the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009. Before making a purchase, the FDA suggests using its verification portal to check product registration status.
Treatment for varicose veins: Varicose veins are swollen, twisted veins that can cause pain and discomfort, often appearing on the legs and feet. They are caused by weak or damaged vein valves, causing blood to pool and the veins to become enlarged.
According to medical professionals, creams and topical products are not an effective treatment for varicose veins. Medical treatment options include sclerotherapy (injecting a saline or chemical solution), endovenous laser therapy, and the surgical procedure microphlebectomy.
Previous false claims: Ong’s name and videos have been used in countless advertisements for health products without his knowledge or permission. Ong has repeatedly denounced the bogus ads, reiterating in an email to Rappler and in an April 2023 video that he and his wife do not endorse any product other than Birch Tree Advance, a nutritional milk for seniors.
Rappler has fact-checked similar fake ads about the Ong couple:
– Chinie Ann Jocel R. Mendoza/Rappler.comChinie Ann Jocel R. Mendoza is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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Third time’s the charm: Alex Eala overcomes toughest rival
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Jasmine Payo
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29/02/2024 12:08
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BATTLE. Alex Eala in action in the international tennis circuit.
ALEX EALA FACEBOOK PAGE
MANILA, Philippines – Payback came two years later, but Alex Eala hardly minds as she did it in a merciless, thorough beatdown.
The 18-year-old Eala faced former world No. 50 Anna Bondar of Hungary for the third time, and the Philippine tennis phenom finally emerged victorious, pulling off a dominant 6-3, 6-1 decision in the women’s singles opening round of the ITF W50 1st Empire Women’s Indoor 2024 in Trnava, Slovakia.
Eala’s revenge win came on Wednesday, February 28, two years after Bondar dealt the Filipina the worst loss of her pro career, 6-0, 6-0, in the 2022 WTA Madrid qualifiers.
Just last week, Eala faded in the deciding set and fell to the 26-year-old Bondar, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1, in the quarterfinals of the ITF W75 Porto in Portugal.
Bondar went on to win the titles of both the singles and doubles events of the Portugal tournament.
In their third encounter, Eala showed how much she had learned from their two previous matches.
Eala sent a strong message from the get-go as she broke the second-seeded Bondar in the second game of the opening set to go up 2-0.
Bondar put herself on the scoreboard at 2-1, but Eala would not allow her to get any closer and proceeded to erect a 5-2 lead.
The first set was all over after just nine games.
If Bondar harbored hopes of winning back-to-back ITF titles, she would soon find out Eala would have none of it.
The 2022 US Open girls singles champion from the Philippines was even more unforgiving in the second set, allowing Bondar just one scoring opportunity in the third game.
After that, Eala pocketed the next three games to end the second set and close out the match in one hour and 26 minutes.
Eala will have an opportunity to seek a quarterfinal spot when she goes up in the second round against 29-year-old Lina Gjorcheska of Macedonia.
Gjorcheska prevailed over former world No. 29 Urszula Radwańska of Poland in the opening round.
Eala also has a chance to make a deep run in the doubles competition after she and Turkish partner Zeynep Sonmez defeated fourth seeds Liang En Shuo of Chinese Taipei and Tang Qianhui of China in the first round.
They will next face Ilona Georgiana Ghioroaie of Romania and Aneta Kucmova of the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. – Rappler.com
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James Yap not demanding long minutes in Blackwater: ‘Just let me play’
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delfin.dioquino editor
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29/02/2024 13:22
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VETERAN. James Yap in action for the Blackwater Bossing in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
PBA Images
RIZAL, Philippines – Gone are the days when James Yap used to have access to heavy minutes, but that is no longer a concern for the two-time MVP as long as he gets to play.
That is a chance Yap is enjoying in Blackwater as he helped his new team open the PBA Philippine Cup on a winning note after a hard-earned 96-93 victory over Meralco at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Wednesday, February 28.
Fielded for nearly 13 minutes by head coach Jeff Cariaso, Yap finished with 5 points and 1 rebound in his debut for the Bossing.
“I told coach that I’ll always be ready. He assured me that he’ll use me. It’s not like I’m demanding long minutes, like 40 minutes. I’m not. Just let me play,” said Yap in a mix of Filipino and English.
Yap signed with Blackwater after securing his release from Rain or Shine at the end of the season-opening Commissioner’s Cup, drawing the curtains on a seven-season run with the Elasto Painters.
His exit from Rain or Shine came at a time when Yap saw a major decline in his playing time as he suited up in just three games last conference.
“It’s hard when you keep on practicing but you’re not able to show the things that you’ve been practicing in games,” said Yap.
Yap added he got approached by his supporters – some even from the provinces – who came to watch him play only to witness him ride the bench.
“Every time I play, it’s for the fans. I want to make the fans happy. That’s always my mindset,” said Yap.
As Yap plays for a historically struggling franchise which finished at the bottom in two of the last three conferences, he aims to influence the team with his winning pedigree, being a seven-time champion and a Grand Slam winner.
For the four-time Finals MVP, the first goal is to reach the semifinals – a feat that the Bossing have yet to accomplish.
“If you want to make a name in the PBA, if you want to create a good reputation in the PBA, you have to make the semis and the finals. The other teams will respect us if we reach the finals and the semifinals,” said Yap.
“Teams only become popular and gain respect if they make the semis and the finals,” Yap added. “The fans will remember if you win a championship, if you reach the semis.”
A promising start for Yap and Blackwater, but obviously, a long way to go. – Rappler.com
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National Museum cautions vs labeling heritage church panels as ‘stolen’ property
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Herbie G
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29/02/2024 15:13
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DONATION. National Museum of the Philippines Director General Jeremy Barns (far left) and NMP Chairperson Andoni Aboitiz (far right) pose with private collectors Edwin Bautista and Aileen Bautista as they present the panels from Boljoon town donated to the museum.
National Museum of the Philippines
CEBU, Philippines – National Museum of the Philippines Chairman Andoni Aboitiz on Tuesday, February 27, said an investigation into how old pulpit panels from a heritage church in Cebu province was underway even as he cautioned against those referring to them as stolen.
“Please stop calling the pulpit panels stolen…. Nothing has been decided yet,” Aboitiz, who met with Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia, told Rappler.
The pulpit panels being referred to are the ones from the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Patrocinio de Maria Santisima in Boljoon town, which were thought to have been lost for decades but resurfaced as a donation to the National Museum.
Local Catholic church authorities and the provincial government have separately referred to them as stolen pulpit panels.
Boljoon residents and Cebuanos, especially those in heritage circles, have been up in arms at how the panels were allegedly stolen and ended up in the hands of private collectors Edwin and Aileen Bautista before these were donated. Edwin is the president and chief executive officer of the UnionBank of the Philippines, a bank belonging to the Aboitiz group.
Aboitiz reached out to the governor, whom he called his “old friend,” so that she would hear directly from him, and for a “constructive dialogue.”
Garcia, however, was firm that the panels should be returned to the heritage church.
“The owner already said it never allowed the panels to be removed and sold. That’s controlling. Unless they have documents that show that the [owner] sold it,” said heritage lawyer Kay Malilong, responding to Aboitiz’s pronouncements.
Malilong, a native of Boljoon, said she remembered that the panels were still attached to the pulpit when she was writing her thesis in the late 1980s.
In a statement, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said the removal of the panels was never authorized and constituted sacrilege.
Fr. Brian Brigoli, who heads the church’s commission on heritage, said the panels were considered stolen, whether thieves carted them away or a parish priest sold them.
Aboitiz said they would meet other stakeholders, including other local government officials. He asked Cebuanos to “give some space,” assuring that they were working to resolve the issue.
Garcia sent a letter to National Museum Director-General Jeremy Barns on Monday, with the heading: “Urgent request for return of stolen Patrocinio de Maria Parish Church pulpits.”
In the letter, she said the panels were “unlawfully removed” from a declared national historical landmark, an act that violated “the trust of the community and the anti-fencing law.”
She attached to her letter the resolutions of the Boljoon Municipal Council and the Cebu Provincial Board asking for their return.
“I respectfully urge you to initiate the prompt and rightful return of these panels to the Patrocinio de Maria Parish Church in Boljoon. Doing so would uphold the law, demonstrate the National Museum’s commitment to ethical practices, and deeply restore the trust and goodwill between the museum and our community,” read part of Garcia’s letter.
Cebu 2nd district Representative Edsel Galeos has also filed a resolution at the House of Representatives urging the NMP and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts to return the four panels to Boljoon.
Elsewhere in Cebu, support continued to snowball for the return to Boljoon of the four wooden relief panels.
The Augustinian friars of the Province of Santo Niño de Cebu-Philippines issued a statement on Tuesday expressing their support for the Archdiocese of Cebu’s demand that the panels be returned.
“We express our full support to the Archdiocese of Cebu on its declaration of ownership of the four pulpit panels and the demand for their immediate return to the rightful owner and sanctuary, the Boljoon Parish Church and Shrine,” the Augustinians said in their statement.
The Boljoon church used to be under the Augustinians since it became a parish in 1690 until it was turned over to the diocese in 1948. – Rappler.com
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Panagbenga feels at SM: Blooms and cultural spectacles take center stage at SM City Baguio
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Marj Casal
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27/02/2024 14:34
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PANAGBENGA FEELS. SM City Baguio Sky Terrace transforms at night with colorful light installations in the month-long celebration of Panagbenga.
This year’s Panagbenga celebration has been truly remarkable, offering a diverse range of experiences and activities, reflecting a continued commitment to supporting culture and the arts in the city.
The local MSMEs join the month-long Cordillera Food and Crafts Fair that showcases local products from souvenirs to artisanal coffee, and more.
Offering of culinary delights from the Food Truck Fest at The Drive satisfied the Panagbenga gastronomic cravings of both tourists and locals.
ANYA NGAY AMIANAN showcased an art exhibit that holds deep meaning stemming from Cordilleran culture. It displayed artworks by prominent Pasakalye artists, spearheaded by Roland Bay-an with over 20 Panagbenga-themed pieces.
The Bucket Hat Creative Design Competition tells a story, capturing the essence of Panagbenga in its own unique way. The Bucket Hat Design Competition not only adds a new dimension to the Panagbenga celebration but also provided a platform for local artists and designers to showcase their talents on a larger stage. It served as a reminder that creativity knows no bounds and that the Panagbenga festival is a time for the community to come together and celebrate the beauty of art and culture.
Among its highlights was the BANG-ED ID AGIW (Garden in Baguio) Flower Design Competition, a captivating showcase demonstrating their expertise in floral arrangement, emphasizing sustainability, urban gardening and community involvement.
With a dedication to supporting the creative community, the events sought to elevate and celebrate Filipino artistry.
The buzz of Panagbenga carried on as MANG WHAWHATTO OF THE CORDILLERA prominently featured indigenous art. Visitors had the chance to engage in a traditional tattooing led by Ammin Acha-ur from the Butbut tribe of Kalinga. It focused on preserving timeless designs and educating attendees about the cultural significance of tattoos, fostering a deeper appreciation for heritage.
Throughout the month, visitors enjoyed the spirit of Panagbenga at the mall which was bustling with festivities, including music highlighting performances by the Dagem of Benguet State University, Baguio City National High School, Saeng ya Kasay Cultural Ensemble from the University of the Cordilleras and University of Baguio Bibak Ubbun Kaafuan (UBBUK).
Paving the way for rising OPM acts with special Live performances from The Edralins, David La Sol, Pastel Sky and Goodluck Mito in the Wish 107.5 Bus.
Adding to the Panagbenga celebrations were lively fireworks, floral displays and light installations throughout the mall. Atop the Sky Terrace is a distinctive attraction, the inflatable coffee guy. This playful addition mirrored the festival’s relaxed yet culturally vibrant atmosphere, offering mall-goers a memorable keepsake of their Panagbenga experience at SM City Baguio.
Fur-tastic fun unleashed at SM City Baguio Paw Park as Super Pets club steals the spotlight. Fur-parents and their beloved companions showcased their super style in a thrilling costume contest. A paw-some day of bonding and laughter marked the start of unforgettable memories for both pets and their loving owners!
Residents and visitors eagerly gathered to witness the highly anticipated Grand Float Parade on February 25, where 34 stunningly decorated floats delighted the crowds. SM City Baguio, a hall-of-famer, showcased a non-competing entry, capturing this year’s festival theme of “Celebrating Traditions, Embracing Innovation” with an amusement park-inspired design. – Rappler.com
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BARMM creates 32 parliamentary districts across region
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Herbie G
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29/02/2024 13:51
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VOTE. Members of the Bangsamoro parliament vote for a measure following deliberations.
BTA-BARMM
COTABATO, Philippines – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Ahod Balawag “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim signed a new regional law on Wednesday, February 28, creating 32 parliamentary districts across the Muslim-majority region.
Each district will be represented by an official who will form part of the 40% composition of the 80-member BARMM parliament.
Following its approval by the regional parliament on Wednesday night, Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 58 was signed by Ebrahim and BARMM Speaker Pangalian Balindong.
The law completes the 80-member parliament, whose members will be elected during the region’s inaugural regional elections in 2025.
The BARMM is currently governed by an 80-member interim body, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA). All BTA members are presidential appointees, and their terms are set to end next year.
The new BARMM law created three parliamentary districts in Basilan, seven in Sulu, three in Tawi-Tawi, four each in Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur, eight in Lanao del Sur, two in Cotabato City, and one in the Bangsamoro special geographic area in Cotabato province.
The enactment of the law follows the 2023 approval of the Bangsamoro Electoral Code, which provides 40 seats in the BARMM parliament to the region’s political parties, eight to various sectoral representatives, and 32 to the parliamentary districts. Members of parliament will be elected every three years starting next year.
The creation of the parliamentary districts is based on population and geographical criteria set by the BARMM. Based on the regional law, each district must be compact, contiguous, and adjacent, with a minimum population of 100,000.
Forty-seven BTA members voted in favor of BAA No. 58, with one objection and three abstentions.
Parliament Member Jaafar Apollo Mikhail Matalam objected, saying that the “configuration is very impractical.”
Matalam, from Maguindanao del Sur, had pushed for the creation of more than four parliamentary districts in his province.
The three BTA members who abstained were Hatimil Hassan, Khalid Hadji Abdullah, and Baintan Ampatuan.
However, the majority of BARMM officials asserted that the newly approved law ensures “fair representation” and establishes “the foundational framework for the delineation of the parliamentary districts.”
“This is a bold step toward addressing our constituents’ concerns with precision and fairness,” said Balindong.
With the law approved and the 32 parliamentary districts created, BTA member and BARMM Interior Minister Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba said the region is prepared to hold its first regional parliamentary elections in 2025.
The predominantly Muslim region comprises six provinces, three cities, 116 towns, and 2,590 barangays, and is home to more than four million people. – Rappler.com
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Cotabato starts crackdown on deadly motorcycle racing
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Herbie G
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29/02/2024 12:25
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ROADBLOCK. Authorities use old tires as they begin to set up a roadblock on a section of a highway ias a measure against motorcycle racing n Cotabato province.
courtesy of Alfred Ian Soriano Abellada II
COTABATO, Philippines – Authorities in Cotabato province started a crackdown this week on illegal motorcycle racing in the province after an accident that killed two people and seriously hurt another on a highway in Libungan town on Sunday, February 25.
Shirlyn “Neneng” Macasarte, a member of the provincial government’s advisory council, police, and Land Transportation Office (LTO) officials met with Libungan Mayor Angel Rose Cuan and other town officials, and agreed to impose stricter measures and sanctions meant to stop the use of the highway for illegal motorcycle racing, referred to by locals as “waswas.”
Officials sounded alarm bells after a waswas participant crashed a 150cc Suzuki Raider motorcycle into a tricycle. The tricycle was heading to Midsayap town from Libungan around noon on Sunday.
The accident killed the motorcycle driver, 17-year-old John Lloyd Malawian, and tricycle passenger Genevive Villela. The passenger’s companion, Florante Villela, is currently struggling for life in a hospital in Davao City.
“Every Saturday and Sunday, they race, not thinking about other people. It’s okay if they don’t get other people hurt, but that’s not the case here,” said Jihada Maisalat, a town resident.
The officials agreed to offer rewards for tipsters who report to the authorities any group that organizes and participates in motorcycle racing, which usually involves huge bets.
They also set up anti-waswas roadblocks from Barangay Ulamian to Barangay Batiocan, Libungan, monitoring modified motorcycles, stepping up the inspection of motorcycle registrations, and strictly enforcing speed limit rules.
Cuan said she has asked the town council to amend local ordinances that can be enforced against those participating in illegal motorcycle races and institutionalize the giving of incentives to tipsters.
“We are deeply alarmed by this rampant drag racing, and stiff sanctions should be imposed immediately to have this stopped,” said Macasarte. – Rappler.com
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[WATCH] Bayanihan and mateship: Marcos addresses Australian parliament
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Bea Cupin
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29/02/2024 14:15
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MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday, February 29, spoke before a joint session of Australia’s parliament – a rare honor accorded to only a select list of world leaders.
After being welcomed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Petter Dutton, Marcos delivered a speech that focused on the importance of Philippine and Australian ties, as regional stability faces an ever-growing threat.
In his address, Marcos touched on the rich history of Philippine and Australian ties – from the “ManilaMen” pearl divers who ventured out to Australia, mutual help during World War II, to the strategic cooperation signed by Marcos and Albanese in late 2023.
“The security of Australia is bound with the security of the Philippines,” Marcos told Australian lawmakers.
Watch Marcos’ full address here. – Rappler.com
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Supreme Court punishes Badoy for threatening Manila judge
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Jairo Bolledo
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29/02/2024 12:27
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Former spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict Lorraine Badoy.
Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) has moved to punish former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Lorraine Badoy for threatening a Manila judge.
In an August 15, 2023 decision that was only published this week, the High Court found Badoy guilty of indirect contempt for her “vitriolic and outright threats” against Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malagar. She was also ordered to pay a P30,000 fine and “WARNED that a repetition of the same or similar acts in the future shall merit a more severe sanction.”
Senior Associate Justice Leonen wrote the ruling dated August 15, 2023, but was only published by the High Court this week. This is the latest decision punishing Badoy. In 2023, the OMB also reprimanded her for red-tagging lawyers. pic.twitter.com/e1Y1XLhCkZ
Under Philippine laws, indirect contempt is committed out of the court’s presence. Badoy was found guilty for her action that falls under Section 3(d), Rule 71 of the Rules of Court that categorizes indirect contempt as “any improper conduct tending, directly or indirectly, to impede, obstruct, or degrade the administration of justice.”
In September 2022, Malagar, who presides over Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 19, dismissed the years-old petition of the Philippine government seeking to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army as terrorists. In her decision, Malagar noted the difference between terrorism and rebellion, and that the atrocities in question did not fall under the elements of terrorism as defined by law.
Shortly after the decision was released, Badoy red-tagged the judge and called Malagar a “friend and defender” of the communist rebels.
The SC came to Malagar’s rescue and issued a statement, warning that inciting violence against judges may be punishable through contempt. It said that its en banc tackled motu proprio (acted on its own) possible actions against Badoy for issuing threats against Malagar. Judges and law schools also broke their silence and rallied behind Malagar.
In October 2022, the High Court issued a show cause against Badoy and ordered her to explain her threats.
Badoy’s red-tagging spree started during her stint at the NTF-ELCAC. Several legal actions were filed seeking to make her accountable for her attacks.
The Office of the Ombudsman, in September last year, reprimanded Badoy and her former fellow NTF-ELCAC official Antonio Parlade Jr. for red-tagging lawyers from the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers. The two were found guilty in an administrative case and also received a stern warning. – Rappler.com
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I greatly appreciate the Supreme Court’s decision, which finds Badoy guilty of indirect contempt for her ‘vitriolic and outright threats’ against Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malagar. Badoy’s red-tagging of the judge and calling her a “friend and defender” of the communist rebels has been punished through such a decision. Thanks to the Supreme Court.
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James Yap not demanding long minutes in Blackwater: ‘Just let me play’
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delfin.dioquino editor
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29/02/2024 13:22
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VETERAN. James Yap in action for the Blackwater Bossing in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
PBA Images
RIZAL, Philippines – Gone are the days when James Yap used to have access to heavy minutes, but that is no longer a concern for the two-time MVP as long as he gets to play.
That is a chance Yap is enjoying in Blackwater as he helped his new team open the PBA Philippine Cup on a winning note after a hard-earned 96-93 victory over Meralco at the Ynares Center in Antipolo on Wednesday, February 28.
Fielded for nearly 13 minutes by head coach Jeff Cariaso, Yap finished with 5 points and 1 rebound in his debut for the Bossing.
“I told coach that I’ll always be ready. He assured me that he’ll use me. It’s not like I’m demanding long minutes, like 40 minutes. I’m not. Just let me play,” said Yap in a mix of Filipino and English.
Yap signed with Blackwater after securing his release from Rain or Shine at the end of the season-opening Commissioner’s Cup, drawing the curtains on a seven-season run with the Elasto Painters.
His exit from Rain or Shine came at a time when Yap saw a major decline in his playing time as he suited up in just three games last conference.
“It’s hard when you keep on practicing but you’re not able to show the things that you’ve been practicing in games,” said Yap.
Yap added he got approached by his supporters – some even from the provinces – who came to watch him play only to witness him ride the bench.
“Every time I play, it’s for the fans. I want to make the fans happy. That’s always my mindset,” said Yap.
As Yap plays for a historically struggling franchise which finished at the bottom in two of the last three conferences, he aims to influence the team with his winning pedigree, being a seven-time champion and a Grand Slam winner.
For the four-time Finals MVP, the first goal is to reach the semifinals – a feat that the Bossing have yet to accomplish.
“If you want to make a name in the PBA, if you want to create a good reputation in the PBA, you have to make the semis and the finals. The other teams will respect us if we reach the finals and the semifinals,” said Yap.
“Teams only become popular and gain respect if they make the semis and the finals,” Yap added. “The fans will remember if you win a championship, if you reach the semis.”
A promising start for Yap and Blackwater, but obviously, a long way to go. – Rappler.com
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People Power through eyes of faith: ‘EDSA was an act of God’
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Paterno Esmaquel II
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23/02/2024 21:10
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MANILA, Philippines – Politicians through the years have framed the People Power Revolution of 1986 as mere political power play between the Marcos and Aquino families.
But is this all that there is?
In this video report, Rappler senior multimedia reporter Paterno Esmaquel II visits EDSA Shrine – now the spiritual center of the 1986 revolt – to listen to Filipinos who view EDSA through the eyes of faith.
Sister Cho Borromeo, an 80-year-old member of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, recounts her experience facing imminent death while facing soldiers at EDSA exactly 38 years ago. To this day, she is firm in her conviction that “EDSA was an act of God.”
Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, whose father battled the Marcos dictatorship, emphasizes the role of the Catholic Church as “conscience” of the Filipino people.
To watch the vlog, click the YouTube link at the topmost part of this page. – Rappler.com
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Officials warn of heightened dry spell risks as fire ravages Quezon grassland
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Herbie G
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26/02/2024 15:09
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FIRE. A grass fire lights up mountainous terrain of Cangmatang on Sunday night, February 25, as viewed from Barangay F. Nandiego in Mulanay, Quezon province.
Darcie de Galicia/Rappler
QUEZON, Philippines – Disaster risk reduction and management officials in Quezon province cautioned on Monday, February 26, about an increased risk of grass and forest fires due to dry weather conditions exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon.
The warning followed a fire that quickly spread and destroyed a grassland used for animal pasture on the eastern slope of Sitio Cangmatang in the village of F. Nandiego, located 30 kilometers away from the Mulanay town center on Sunday night, February 25.
Oliver Olivo, the community environment and natural resources officer, said approximately 30 hectares of cogon grass were burned atop Cangmatang.
Local officials were assessing the impact of the grassfire on plant and tree species in the town.
Mulanay town information officer Gelo Amisola said the grassland served as a grazing area for local livestock and where farmers raise animals like goats, cows, and carabaos.
The fire came as the town government intensified a public awareness campaign on fire safety to assist village officials and farmers in preparing for and adapting to the impacts of the El Niño-induced dry spell.
Firefighters encountered difficulties battling the Sunday night fire due to the rugged terrain, according to Senior Fire Officer 1 Ewin Riego of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
“The fire broke out on a mountain slope, nearly 10 kilometers away from the barangay road, making it inaccessible for our fire trucks,” Riego told Rappler.
Fire Inspector Ariel Guerrero of the Mulanay Fire Department said the fire originated on the eastern slope of Mount Cancalao in Mulanay town, Quezon province, and continued to spread for four hours before being extinguished around 11:30 pm.
The BFP said an investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the grass fire.
Mulanay’s Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO) said there were no injuries and no animals were harmed or missing. Local officials also said houses were unaffected by the bushfire.
Amisola stressed that while a reforestation program was started by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the local government, grass fires have become an annual occurrence in the area, particularly towards the end of the northeast monsoon season. – Rappler.com
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Bishop criticizes military airstrike in Negros Occidental as ‘disproportionate’
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Herbie G
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26/02/2024 12:57
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KILLED. Soldiers carry a body found at an encounter site in Escalante City in Negros Occidental on Saturday, February 24, 2024.
303rd Infantry Brigade
BACOLOD, Philippines – San Carlos City Catholic Bishop Gerardo Alminaza criticized the military on Sunday night, February 25, for launching an airstrike against a small band of rebels in Escalante City, calling it a “disproportionate act.”
The bishop’s critique came even as the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) announced that it would initiate an investigation into the military offensive against the New People’s Army (NPA), which led to the displacement of numerous families in the Negros Occidental city.
Alminaza condemned the military’s decision to resort to an airstrike on Thursday, February 22, marking it as the first such incident on Negros Island. He said the military action resulted in panic, fear, anxiety, and damage to livelihoods among the residents of Sitio Mansulao, Barangay Pinapugasan in Escalante City, comparing the situation to a scene from a war movie.
CHR-Negros Director Vincent Parra told local broadcaster Bombo Radyo-Bacolod that they would investigate the matter, citing international humanitarian law, which protects civilians or non-combatants during hostilities.
Richard Jaojoco, a former mayor and now councilor of Toboso town, recounted how many residents were affected as they witnessed military helicopters releasing bullets and rockets, likening it to watching a fireworks display during a fiesta.
Alminaza said the Catholic Diocese of San Carlos would facilitate psycho-social interventions, including debriefing sessions for affected residents of the sporadic encounters and airstrikes in Escalante City and Toboso town, Negros Occidental, both within the diocese’s jurisdiction.
On Saturday, February 24, Alminaza visited Sitio Mansulao, Pinapugasan, assuring affected residents of church aid and emphasizing the need to achieve peace through dialogue rather than armed conflict.
The two-day clashes, coupled with the military airstrike, resulted in the killing of three suspected NPA rebels, and four wounded soldiers, and the displacement of thousands of residents from their homes in six sitios in Barangay San Isidro, Toboso town, and eight villages in Escalante City.
Lieutenant Colonel J-Jay Javinez, spokesman of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, said the military resorted to the airstrike as a strategic approach of neutralizing the rebels even at nighttime.
The controversial military airstrike followed sporadic encounters between the Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion and rebels from the NPA’s North Negros Front (NNF) starting on February 21.
Major General Marion Sison, 3rd ID commander, said the military was determined to confront and neutralize the NPA rebels that they dispatched Augusta Westland-109 “Night Hawk” attack helicopters against them.
Javinez said a thorough evaluation, including risk assessment to mitigate collateral damage, preceded the airstrike executed by the 18th Attack Squadron of the Philippine Air Force, asserting that the military strictly adhered to guidelines. – Rappler.com
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Jamie Malonzo admits involvement in viral fight video
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delfin.dioquino editor
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26/02/2024 15:10
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ATTACK. Jamie Malonzo in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas and Barangay Ginebra forward Jamie Malonzo admitted being the man seen getting beaten up in a video that has made the rounds on social media.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial on Monday, February 26, said Malonzo apologized to the league and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) after he got caught on video being pummeled by an unidentified man in a restaurant.
“We talked and he said, it was a miscommunication and he did not do well. ‘[I] apologize to you, to the PBA, to the Ginebra fans, to Gilas, and SBP,'” said Marcial in a mix of Filipino and English.
The video surfaced after Malonzo sat out the Philippines’ 106-53 romp of visiting Chinese Taipei at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City on Sunday, February 25, that allowed the Filipinos to sweep the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
In the video, Malonzo – who appeared disoriented – absorbed a barrage of punches from a shorter man before he got floored with a head shot.
Gilas head coach Tim Cone on Sunday said Malonzo missed action after falling ill following their away game in Hong Kong last Thursday, February 22.
Malonzo finished with 11 points in their 94-64 demolition of Hong Kong. – Rappler.com
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FACT CHECK: PH not a military superpower in Asia
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Lorenz Pasion
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26/02/2024 15:39
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Claim: The Philippines has become a military superpower in Asia, thanks to the weapons it acquired from other countries.
Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube video bearing the claim was posted on February 7 by a channel notorious for dubious claims involving the Philippine government and military. As of writing, it has gained 42,426 views, 1,500 likes, and 155 comments.
The video bears the title, “Bakbakan na! Ramdam ng buong mundo ang paglakas ng Pilipinas, ang pag-usbong ng bagong superpower”(Time to fight! The whole world feels the strength of the Philippines, the rise of a new superpower.)
To back up its claim, the video cites the Philippines’ rise in rankings in the Global Firepower Index and its recent acquisition of Brahmos missiles from India, which, it said, were equivalent to the mythological Brahmastra weapon.
The bottom line: The Philippines still lags behind other countries in terms of military strength. Actually, the Global Firepower Index, which the false claim cites, is not even considered credible among experts, according to a 2023 article by Business Insider. The website’s disclaimer page also says that the rankings are not “endorsed by any of its listed sources, any governing world body or military-related organization.”
But even assuming it were credible enough, the 2024 Global Firepower Index already says that the Philippines is ranked 34th out of 145 countries, placing it behind China (3rd) and neighboring Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia (13th), Vietnam (22nd), Thailand (25th), and Singapore (30th). An overview of the Philippines’ military strength shows that it lacks land, air, and water capabilities.
Contrary to the video’s claim, the Philippines actually slipped in the rankings, as it was at 32nd place in the 2023 index. (READ: FACT CHECK: ‘Military power ranking’ didn’t show PH higher than China)
Not a military superpower: Lowy Institute’s 2023 Asia Power Index (API) describes the Philippines as a “middle power in Asia,” ranking 17th in military capability. Meanwhile, China is described as a “superpower in Asia,” ranking 2nd in military capability.
The API evaluates power through 133 indicators across eight thematic measures: military capability and defense networks, economic capability and relationships, diplomatic and cultural influence, as well as resilience and future resources. Comparing the two countries, the Philippines is outclassed by China in all eight measures.
BrahMos missiles: The Philippines is expecting the delivery of the BrahMos cruise missile system from India within the first quarter of 2024, two years after the two countries signed a $370-million contract for the Philippines’ first shore-based anti-ship missile system. (EXPLAINER: Philippines to finally get India-made BrahMos missiles – what does it mean?)
The BrahMos missiles have a flight range of 290 kilometers and a top speed of around Mach 2.8 (approximately 3,400 kilometers per hour) and are capable of carrying warheads weighing 200 to 300 kilograms.
Rappler has published fact checks on military-related false claims with dubious sources:
– Kyle Marcelino/Rappler.com
Kyle Marcelino is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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There’s gold in Sagada, but miners barely get by. Now they want more support.
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Iya Gozum
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24/02/2024 8:00
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HAND OF GOLD. A woman's hand sluicing gold ore at midday inside a processing plant in Sagada's Minahang Bayan in February 2024.
Iya Gozum/Rappler
In a small-scale mine here in Sagada, fool’s gold shimmers along an inclined sluice, where women like Viernesa Lingwa, 50, use running water to wash down ore.
Going through the usual motions of sluicing and panning inside the 24-hour processing plant, they will soon recover gold.
The ball mill makes an incessant noise while churning ore. Men haul sacks of ore and put them inside the mill, then shovel the crushed ore onto huge plastic tubs.
When not sluicing ore, Lingwa, along with the two other middle-aged women in the plant, take turns cooking for the other miners in the plant. Work in the Minahang Bayan (people’s small-scale mining area) is seasonal. They have work now because there’s gold to recover.
Over the years since mining activities started around 1986, Sagada miners have been working to make the most out of the gold mined in their area, without the use of harmful chemicals like mercury.
Outside, it’s dry and cold. Even at high noon, the mountain breeze is cool. The earth is loose going down the mining site. Some workers lie on sacks or on the earth to sleep under the shade of trees.
High in the mountains surrounding the small-mining area are houses, paddies, and cemented stairs. A few miles away is Bomod-ok Falls; sometimes the sound of waterfalls can be heard from a distance.
Her father’s generation used mercury when they mined in the area once before, said Lingwa. Mercury is commonly used in small gold mines because it separates gold from other sediments and forms an amalgam. The amalgam is heated and mercury is released into the environment.
However, exposure to mercury puts people’s health at risk. It could enter water sources and contaminate food.
The use of the chemical didn’t take off in Sagada. Miners said mercury is not compatible with the refined texture of Sagada’s gold.
While safer and more environment-friendly, the work remains physically taxing. Without mercury, miners have to sluice and pan for hours. But this paved the way to the employment of more women like Lingwa. It has helped increase household income.
“Noong nagkaroon na ng gilingan, nagkaroon ng mga babae. Mas matiyaga ang mga babae,” Lingwa told Rappler.
(When we had processing plants, women came. Women persevere more.)
Miners would use a pan to swirl ore with water until gold, because of its density, remains at the bottom of the pan free from other sediments.
Sluicing, meanwhile, makes use of an angled platform with carpets. Miners wash down ore through these platforms with running water. Gold particles are captured on the carpets.
Lingwa said that unlike in farming, they have the benefit of having a roof over their heads. They also have protective gear like boots and gloves. For every shift, they earn P300. It’s not much, Lingwa said, but it helps them get by.
Work inside the plant goes for 24 hours. There are three shifts. Miners are not restricted to one particular job per shift. Lingwa said she likes going at her own pace at work. The women, who often come in threes per shift, take turns cooking in the kitchen located at the corner of the plant.
Etag, or smoked pork, hang on a strip of wood. Pots, covered in black soot, contain rice, fish, and corn cooked with condensed milk and buko pandan. Black coffee simmers in a kettle beside the rice. Boxes of vegetables and stacks of wood fuel lie beside sacks of ore.
The two other women during Lingwa’s shift were Fabiola Lay-os and Pacita Banluyan. Lay-os was manning the kitchen during lunch hour, while Banluyan was sluicing for gold.
The problem with these manual methods is that the miners do not recover as much gold as they should.
Most of the gold they mine remain in the residues or tailings. Because of the traditional methods they use, Sagada miners can only extract free gold, or those that are not chemically bound. They sell the tailings to other parties who have access to processing equipment which can recover lingering gold.
In other parts of Cordillera, large-scale mines like Lepanto in Benguet profit from deposits of gold because they have the advantage of having the technical know-how and equipment. In general, the Philippines ranks 25th out of 123 countries with gold reserves around the world.
Meanwhile, the odds are stacked against small-scale miners working with what little they have.
That’s why there’s a pressing need to give more attention to small-scale miners. Geologist professor Jill Gabo-Ratio said further research and knowledge-sharing would be beneficial to the community.
“If we can help them by studying gold textures, grain size, and refractoriness, we can avoid the trial-and-error system that only adds to pollutants and miners’ expenses,” she told Rappler.
Gabo-Ratio is the officer-in-charge deputy director for academic affairs at the National Institute of Geological Sciences in University of the Philippines Diliman.
She said it’s also important to determine how much gold remains in the tailings – and then eventually find more efficient ways to extract the gold.
“Yaman din lamang na kinuha na nila from the ground, mas maganda na masulit ‘yung efficiency of extraction,” she said.
(Since they already extracted it from the ground, it’s better to get the most out of the extraction and make it efficient.)
More than 30 provinces across the country are engaged in small-scale gold mining, employing 300,000 to 500,000 people, according to a report of the Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. It gives livelihood to around two million people.
The gross production value of small-scale gold mining reached P21.86 billion in 2022. But the sector remains largely informal.
Most of them, like Lingwa, Lay-os, and Banluyan, mine to support themselves and their families with little discretionary income.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has said that they are undertaking a review of laws to modernize the industry and protect small-scale miners.
“A properly regulated small-scale mining industry will benefit the community in terms of job creation and livelihood, and the country in terms of mining assets and taxes,” said Environment Undersecretary Carlos Primo David in a statement last October 2023.
“More importantly, it will address the violation of environmental laws and mining regulations, and minimize environmental risks and promote mine safety.”
Mining in Sagada goes back decades, but it was only in 2021 that the Minahang Bayan was formally recognized by the Philippine government through a provisional contract.
Mathew Malicdan, the president of the small miners association known as the Northern Sagada Small-scale Miners Association Incorporated, started working in the mines when he was still a high school student. In the ’80s, Malicdan’s father worked in the mines when it was not yet allowed by the elders.
At 53, Malicdan is now a tunnel owner in the Minahang Bayan after working in a gold mine in the Middle East and a diamond mine in Africa.
But his problem now is making sure Sagada miners do not endanger the legality of their operations by selling gold in the black market.
The black market, according to locals, consists of both Filipino and Chinese gold traders. In other small-scale mines, some traders give away mercury for free to expedite gold recovery.
Other miners find these transactions in the black market simpler: no documents and permits are required.
“Dahil nga ligal na tayo, lumugar tayo sa ligal,” he told Rappler. (Because we’re already legal, let’s do things legally.)
Malicdan recalls the long process of finally getting their operations legalized, when they started collecting funds back in 2018 to process documents needed for their application.
During the pandemic in 2020, their application for a 10-hectare Minahang Bayan zone was approved. In 2023, their contract was regularized. It was the first Minahang Bayan to be approved in the Mountain Province.
Under Republic Act 7076, also known as the People’s Small-Scale Mining Act of 1991, gold from small-scale mining can only be sold to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
Abigail Ocate, project manager of planetGOLD Philippines, said there are many reasons why some miners prefer the old way of selling gold in the black market rather than to BSP.
There’s a minimum processing fee of P1,600. The nearest gold buying station of BSP is in Baguio City, which is six hours away from Sagada.
This is a pain point that BSP has acknowledged, said Ocate, which is why they are exploring partnerships with financial institution Cebuana Lhuillier which can be accredited to buy gold.
The law has prescribed that the BSP should establish as many gold buying stations to “fully service” small-scale mines across the Philippines.
The planetGOLD Philippines is a project assisting artisanal and small-scale gold miners by non-profit organization Artisanal Gold Council, funded by the Global Environment Facility.
Their program helps mining towns like Sagada legally operate, such as in applying for a small-scale mining contract. They also aid miners organize into an effective association that can teach them how to improve gold production and recovery.
But this requires a lot of money, and small-scale miners subsist on low wages. Because of poverty, some miners get stuck in a vicious cycle, abetted by traders from the black market.
Ocate said some traders give loans to miners. “That’s what they use as incentives in the black market: ‘I’ll loan you money, then sell me your gold.'”
Funds are necessary to get permits and the equipment to mine gold, as well as comply with all the regulations.
In communities they’ve been engaged with, Ocate and her team found that some had pooled and spent millions to hire consultants to help them petition for a declaration of a Minahang Bayan.
“All the things we want to happen in the sector – to formalize them, to make them follow environmental and safety standards – for that to happen, they need capital,” said Ocate.
Sagada is a mountain town steeped in tradition. They hold their elders’ judgment with utmost respect.
Previously, PlanetGOLD had proposed constructing a leaching facility within the Minahang Bayan, but the elders wouldn’t hear any of it because it would make use of cyanide. Any mention of chemical use and the elders shake their heads.
The use of cyanide in a leaching facility helps extract gold more efficiently by turning gold into liquid. Through adsorption, gold is made to stick to coal. The coal undergoes a cold wash to remove impurities, then a hot wash. The solution from the hot wash goes through electrolysis leading to recovery of pure gold.
Out of respect for the elders, the mining association is trying workarounds to improve gold recovery.
The association is exploring a possible partnership with a leaching facility in Itogon, Benguet, used by the Loacan Itogon Pocket Miners’ Association (LIPMA).
During a February 13 meeting in an inn along Sagada-Besao Road, Malicdan and Emy Dongail talked about identifying the people who still prefer the black market so they can have discussions with them.
Dongail is one of several women in the mining association where she serves as secretary-general.
Even among miners, there is apprehension about using the leaching facility in Itogon. Dongail said that according to miners, the design of the facility may not be appropriate for their tailings which are of a different nature compared to those in Benguet.
Ocate explained that the design of the facility does not matter; it’s the length of processing time and the amount of cyanide to be used that matter. These are factors that can be adjusted when they use the leaching facility.
The night ended with two important resolutions: talk to hesitant miners prior to a bigger association meeting; quell people’s concerns over the leaching facility by telling them that they are to transport and process the tailings themselves because they own the wealth.
One of the most fulfilling parts of the job for Ocate is seeing communities identify with the work they do.
Their program started just when the mining town decided to have their mine declared as a Minahang Bayan. There is so much to do and many things to think about.
But they’ve come a long way now.
Mining started without the elders’ approval and without permits from bureaucratic government institutions.
Now they’re talking about how best to extract all the wealth from the sediments they mined, sluiced, and panned with their hands. – Rappler.com
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[EDITORIAL] Pikon ang NTF-ELCAC matapos mabuking ang fake surrender
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Lilibeth Frondoso
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26/02/2024 14:17
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Nico Villarete
Ano’ng tawag sa tao o grupong nagsampa ng kaso matapos itong mabigong palabasin na sumurender ang dalawang aktibista? ‘Di ba, pikon?
Backgrounder: Inireport na missing sina Jhed Tamano at Jonila Castro noong Setyembre 2, 2023. Ang dalawa ay aktibo sa kampanya laban sa reclamation projects sa Bataan at naghahanda para sa isang relief operation nang sila’y damputin ng isang van. Tsinelas at sandals na lang ang naiwang bakas ng mga aktibista. Makalipas ang 13 araw, naglabas ng pahayag ang militar na “sumuko” raw ang dalawang aktibista at sila’y “safe and sound.”
Sabi ni National Security Council Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya, “Hindi sila in-abduct. Umalis sila sa kilusan.”
Pero mabuti na lang at buo ang loob ng dalawang aktibista. Sa presscon na ipinatawag ng militar, matapang na idineklara ng mga dating estudyante ng Bulacan State University ang ginawa sa kanila: una, dinukot sila, at pangalawa, ipinapalabas na sumuko sila. (Salamat nga pala sa pag-o-organize ng presscon, mga ginoo!)
Sabi ni Lian Buan sa kanyang report, may lumilitaw na pattern ng “fake surrender” kung saan ang dinukot ay pinapag-execute ng affidavit na nagsasaad ng kanyang pagtatakwil sa kilusang kaliwa. Pagkatapos nito’y ginagamit siyang asset, o di kaya’y patatahimikin na lang nang malayo sa mga dating kasama sa pakikibaka. (BASAHIN: In pattern of ‘fake surrenders,’ 1 case links abduction to military intel service)
Sabi ni Tamano, “Hindi lang kami ‘yung mga nawawala.” Maraming dokumentadong kaso ng forced surrenders. Sina Armand Dayoha at Dyan Gumanao ay dinukot sa Cebu noong Enero 2023. Ang kaso nina Dayoha at Gumano, at Tamano at Castro ang ika-labintatlo at ika-labing-apat na forced surrenders sa bansa. Maituturing na “masuwerte” sila dahil nakabalik pa sila sa mundo nang buhay. Mula 1986, halos 2,000 aktibista na ang desaparecidos.
Last time we checked, ang abduction ay may karampatang parusang reclusion perpetua to death kapag tumagal ito nang higit sa limang araw. Hindi bababa sa 13 araw – at maaari pa ngang ituring na umabot nang 17 days – ang itinagal ng kidnapping ng dalawang kabataan.
Bakit patuloy ang impunity ng National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) na magsagawa ng mga abduction? Bakit nagpapatuloy ang isang grupong binuo ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na maghasik ng lagim at magsagawa ng criminal acts – kahit nangako ang kasalukuyang Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na tatalima ang kanyang administrasyon sa rule of law?
Napapanahon nang i-abolish ang NTF-ELCAC, at isang United Nations rapporteur na mismo ang nagrekomenda nito.
Sabi ni UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Opinion Irene Khan, ang NTF-ELCAC daw ay “no longer applicable in the current context.”
Sa madaling salita, obsolete. Sa totoo lang, marami pang mas compelling na argumento kaysa diyan. Walang puwang sa gobyerno ang isang sangay na lantarang sumusuway sa batas. Walang puwang sa lipunan ang task force na ito maliban sa fentanyl-driven delusions ni Duterte. Walang puwang ang isang NTF-ELCAC sa panahon ni Marcos na nais ibalik ang Pilipinas sa mapa ng mga sibilisadong bansang walang dugong umaagos sa lansangan.
Bigyan ng katarungan ang mga dinukot at desaparecidos – pero ang unang hakbang ay buwagin ang makinaryang patuloy na dumudukot sa mga aktibista. Itigil na ang kahibangan.
Itigil na rin ang harassment lawsuits laban sa mga aktibista dahil ito’y napahiya at naglagay sa military “in a bad light” – ayon na rin sa sarili nitong pag-amin. Kudos na lang sa Commission on Human Rights na nag-iimbestiga sa kaso at nagbuo ng quick response operations sa kasagsagan ng pagkawala ng dalawa. Kudos sa Korte Suprema na mabilis na natantong nasa panganib ang mga laya nang aktibista at ginawaran sila ng dalawang writ para sa kanilang proteksiyon.
Ang kaso, narito naman ang Office of the Solicitor General na pinamumunuan ng dating Duterte justice secretary na si Menardo Guevarra. HIndi pa raw tapos ang laban at pinare-recall niya sa Korte Suprema ang temporary protection sa dalawa. Haaay, malakas talaga ang kapit ng Duterte network sa gobyerno!
Itigil na ang tirang pikon. Lalo lang nahuhubaran ang kainutilan at jurassic na pag-iisip ng NTF-ELCAC. Lalo lang lumilinaw na invested ang military sa pananatili ng imahe nito, pero hindi sa pagtatanggol ng karapatang-pantao. I-abolish na ang NTF-ELCAC. – Rappler
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[OPINION] ‘Edsa-Pwera’ and the waning of a Constitution
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Mia Gonzalez
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24/02/2024 13:00
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Alyssa Arizabal
“Panahon na para itama and hindi patas na Konstitusyon.” That’s the battle cry of the commercial that heralded the latest version of charter change. Yes, it tells the public that there’s inequality because the Constitution is itself unequal. And yes, it completely ignores that the Constitution has an “equal protection” clause. But those behind the ad don’t care. They just need to inflame the public. Social media scans show there’s a slew of accounts running the same narrative against the Constitution, and of course EDSA.
It’s a potent strategy. The error of past Cha-Chas was that they were too cerebral. This one doesn’t make the same mistake. Of course, it incorporates economic thinking like, “We need to change it (the Constitution) because it has failed.” The reason? Because “35 years after the 1987 Constitution, nearly 80% consider themselves poor or near poor,” “our economy has fallen behind”, and “education has deteriorated”. Yes, it’s all non-sequitur but, what matters is that it triggers outrage. Troll farms need fuel.
So far, public reaction is muted. This favors the proponents and should alarm those against. It indicates that the combo of disinformation, economic punditry, and a huge war chest can’t be stopped by the same strategies that defeated Cha-Chas of the past. Calls to defend EDSA, the status quo, and the sanctity of the Constitution lack the power they once had. Worse, some approaches tend to “educate” the public, telling it to “do the right thing” but, are silent on what the public needs to hear.
Trolls farms exploited this during the 2022 campaign. We know how that ended. Whether it’s here, the US, Indonesia, or Argentina, disinformation operators draw from the same winning playbook: use nuggets of truth to prey on desperation. This works so well largely because the other (or “good”) side is often unwilling or unable to put the public first. Troll farms know that “good” political or financial leaders are often paralyzed by the fear of being called “populist” (or any other “ist” for that matter).
That’s where “Edsa-pwera” draws its power. For 37 years, despite what the 1987 Constitution commanded, we’ve asked the farmer, the worker, the middle-class, and the MSMEs to “wait.” “Wait” because we needed to chase the numbers. “Wait” because the economy is not yet ready. “Wait” because in truth, we quietly judged that their pleas made little “economic sense.”
There’s a limit to the public’s patience. After 37 years, they have a right to resist calls for empty veneration. The Cha-Cha ad promises to uplift the ordinary Filipino. Who can say no to that? To say “stick with the Constitution” sounds like we are fine with how things are. “Ginagawa naman namin ang tama, pero walang nagbabago,” so said an old lady I met during the 2022 campaign.
To win the public back requires honesty and, more difficultly, humility. We need to accept that as a nation, we did get some things wrong. Post-EDSA economic policy did tend to favor the ultra-rich, while the tricycle driver remained a tricycle driver. We deemed it proper (or “efficient”) to keep taxing entrepreneurs and income earners, robbing public school teachers of the right to strike, and to deny farmers what they were promised. We prioritized “development” that turned public parks and open spaces into malls and condos that ordinary Filipinos could barely afford. Is a city really “global” if the people who make it run can’t afford to live in it?
These are the “wedges” that disinformation operators are exploiting. They did it to win elections. Now they’re using it to fuel “Edsa-pwera.” Surviving this firehose of disinformation also requires keeping things digestible. Changing the Constitution is a national conversation, not a lecture. Arguments will be more effective if they leverage shared experience, or suffering. Fortunately, as to the latter, the middle-class and MSMEs have more in common with the masa than dynasties. We commute for hours and can’t afford to live near our workplaces because of high property prices. Now we’re told opening land ownership to foreigners will help?
Most important of all, against disinformation, we must realign with the people we claim to fight for. This means reconsidering devotion to theories that have alienated the commuter, the worker, and the farmer. Concepts like “trickle-down economics” or beliefs that say concentration of wealth at the top is healthy must be revisited. The public has seen enough of the bias that views incentives and bonuses to the top 1% as “economically sound” whereas wage hikes are dismissed as recipes for “catastrophe.” Democracies will remain vulnerable to disinformation with their continuing failure (or is it refusal?) to address huge wealth gaps.
This constitutional moment is a reckoning. But it doesn’t have to be one-sided. With humility and a genuine commitment to put the common Filipino first, manufactured hate can be shifted towards the proper targets. If this Constitution is to be changed, then so be it. But, not by tactics fueled by disinformation and manufactured hate. Still, the Resistance, if it is to be effective, must be willing to give the public what it has been denied since 1987. If the public is to “fight to preserve” the Constitution, give them something to fight for first. – Rappler.com
John Molo practices commercial law and teaches Constitutional Law in several schools. He chairs the Political Law Cluster of UP Law and has argued several cases before the Philippine Supreme Court. He is a Trustee of the Philippine Bar Association and is a past president of the Harvard Law School Alumni Association. He has lectured across the region on topics involving Disinformation.
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I agree: “… the Resistance, if it is to be effective, must be willing to give the public what it has been denied since 1987.” But first, we must undo how the triumvirate of Corruption, Repression, and Disinformation has poisoned the People’s minds. It is such a triumvirate that misled the People to believe what it has been denied since 1987, and worse, that it has to fight to preserve the ruling Marcos-Romualdez Political Dynasty. Secondly and lastly, later on, we need to look into “systemic weaknesses,” which may eventually lead to another social catastrophe.
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Mariel Rodriguez apologizes over controversial ‘gluta’ photo in Senate, says it’s vitamin C
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Ysa Abad
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26/02/2024 11:34
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APPOINTMENT. In this now-deleted Instagram post, Filipino actress and host Mariel Rodriguez Padilla does an IV glutathione drip session inside the office of Senator Robin Padilla
Mariel Rodriguez's Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – After drawing flak for getting IV therapy inside the office of her husband, Senator Robin Padilla, actress-host Mariel Rodriguez issued an apology to the public on Sunday, February 25, clarifying that she had received a vitamin C drip and not a glutathione drip, as earlier reported.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Rodriguez shared photos of her receiving a drip session at the Senate with the caption: “I had an appointment…but I was going to be late. So I had it done in my husband’s office.”
The post quickly earned the ire of the public, with Filipino netizens saying that it was “disrespectful” of Rodriguez to have her drip session inside the Senate. Senator Nancy Binay also released a statement asking the Senate to look deeper into the issue as “it involves issues of conduct, integrity, and reputation of the institution; and matters that concern health and safety.”
Medical professionals also raised their concern over Rodriguez’s claims that the said treatment “helps in [so] many ways,” with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) even issuing advisories against the use of glutathione IV drips for skin whitening.
In her statement, Rodriguez clarified that she received her drip – of vitamin C, not glutathione – under the medical supervision of a professional nurse. She explained that “despite [her] busy schedule,” she went to the Senate to show support for her husband Padilla, who co-authored the Eddie Garcia bill.
“Having mentioned this, my intent was just to inspire others that even amidst various activities or whether they are, they can still prioritize their health by taking vitamins,” she said.
Rodriguez added that it was never her “intention to malign nor undermine the integrity and dignity of the Senate.”
“I want to extend my sincerest apologies to all concerned, including the members and staff of the Senate and the public. We uphold the Senate’s dignity and integrity,” she finished her post.
Prior to Rodriguez’ statement, Padilla already came to the defense of her wife, saying that she “loves to promote good looks and good health.”
On Monday, Padilla also apologized to the Senate over the incident in letters to Senate officials, Dr. Renato Sison of the medical and dental unit, and Sergeant-at-Arms Lt. Gen. Robreto Ancan, saying that it was never Mariel’s intention to disrespect the institution.
“Nais ko pong bigyan ng diin na wala pong intensyon ang aking maybahay na ipagwalang-bahala ang mga umiiral na patakaran ng Medical Bureau,” Padilla wrote in his letter.
(I want to emphasize that it was never my wife’s intention to disregard the policies of the medical bureau.)
Senator Robin Padilla apologizes to Senate officials over an incident involving his wife Mariel. "Nais ko pong bigyan ng diin na wala pong intensyon ang aking maybahay na ipagwalang-bahala ang mga umiiral na patakaran ng Medical Bureau." @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/oR47wuRjhm
Senator Nancy Binay, who chairs the upper chamber’s ethics and privileges committee, last week raised alarm over the incident. She said the showbiz personality and her clinic did not notify the Senate that she planned on conducting the IV drip session inside the government building.
Binay also noted that it was done “without the proper medical advice from a licensed health professional.”
Padilla then assured the public that this kind of incident won’t happen again.
In 2023, the actor turned politician also made headlines for combing his mustache while in Senate hearings, prompting former senator Franklin Drilon to criticize the “lack of decorum” in the upper chamber. – reports from Ysa Abad and Bonz Magsambol/Rappler.com
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Not so ‘Batang Gilas’ anymore: Kai Sotto relishes growth beside Quiambao, Tamayo, Edu
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jisaga0269
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26/02/2024 0:07
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BOX OUT. Gilas star Kai Sotto (center) battles for rebounding position against Chinese Taipei players.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – At one point, the Philippines had its greatest collection of basketball prospects playing for the Gilas Youth division.
Then called Batang Gilas in the late 2010s, the national team’s under-18 pool featured extremely promising stalwarts clearly holding the keys to the future and got fans and coaches salivating at the idea of what would come next.
Fast forward to the present, and the world has since seen glimpses of what highs Gilas’ next few years truly hold as talented big men Kai Sotto, Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, and AJ Edu continue to feature prominently in the national team’s seniors ranks.
Now that they’ve emerged as key figures in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, Sotto fondly looked back on how far their skills and chemistry have gone since their first forays into international competitions.
“I feel like we’ve already shared a really good bond ever since we were younger. It really helps us, when we get to the court, we no longer have a feeling-out process,” he said after Gilas destroyed Chinese Taipei, 106-53, on home turf at the PhilSports Arena on Sunday, February 25.
“We already have a lot of trust in one another. Carl, AJ, KQ, and I have been together from Batang Gilas until now, so I’m very happy that our progress has continued.”
True enough, the progress has been continuous, and to summarize in one word, stratospheric.
Sotto, coming off stops in the Australian National Basketball League and the NBA Summer League, is now honing his craft further in his second season in the Japan B. League alongside Edu, who unfortunately has been sidelined this Gilas window due to injury.
Tamayo, a UAAP champion with the UP Maroons, already has hardware to show in the pro league after winning a B. League title in just his rookie season with the Ryukyu Golden Kings before both sides mutually parted ways.
Quiambao, meanwhile, has evolved to history-making levels while still at the college level, catapulting himself to MVP status in the UAAP and leading the La Salle Green Archers to their first championship in seven years.
To top it all off, not a single person in that quartet has turned 25.
Fans continue to closely watch just how much farther this group will go in the near future, with imposing expectations matching their ever-growing structures.
Sotto, however, is just taking each day in stride. He always has and always will.
“I’m just so happy for everybody who contributed from the start until now,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to the things we will continue to do in the future.” – Rappler.com
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NAIA is 4th worst airport in Asia. Can its new operator turn things around?
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lkyu0285
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24/02/2024 9:33
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STRANDED. Hundreds of passengers crowd the NAIA Terminal 1 in Pasay City following the suspension of flights due to technical issues on January 1, 2023.
Jire Carreon/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) once again has the unwelcome distinction of being named among the worst airports in the world. But with the airport soon to be in the hands of San Miguel and the Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), can NAIA finally become a world-class gateway?
In a study by business finance and lending research and information provider BusinessFinancing.co.uk, NAIA ranked as the fourth worst airport in Asia for business travelers, with an average rating of 2.78 over 10. Only Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz International Airport (2.72/10), Kazakhstan’s Almaty International Airport (2.62/10), and Kuwait International Airport (1.69/10) ranked worse.
The study used passenger reviews from aviation customer review site Skytrax. Ratings from reviewers tagged as “business travelers” were then averaged to produce a ranked list of airports around the world and specific regions.
NAIA has garnered a long list of bad titles – from one of the “most stressful” airports in Asia to being downright the world’s worst airport. Despite being the country’s main international gateway, NAIA has suffered from underinvestment and mismanagement. The result: delayed flights, long lines, power outages, and even cash-gobbling security personnel.
But there is hope. The Philippine airport’s much-needed rehab is finally happening. Behind it is a consortium that includes San Miguel and IIAC, the state-owned operator of South Korea’s main airport. IIAC has only a 10% ownership stake in the consortium, but it serves as its operations and maintenance partner.
And as it happens, Incheon Airport ranks as the 20th best airport in the world for business travelers, according to the same study.
So what can one of the worst airports learn from one of the best?
To understand, let’s start with the South Korean airport’s beginnings.
Plans for a new international airport for Korea date back to the late 1980s, after the existing Gimpo International Airport had reached capacity. Like NAIA, the Gimpo International Airport was right in the country’s capital region, Seoul. But this convenient location in the city also left little room for expansion and created noise pollution for nearby residential areas.
When it became clear that South Korea needed another international airport, the government eventually settled on a site more than 50 kilometers away from Seoul’s center. Construction for Incheon International Airport began on November 1992 on reclaimed land.
The airport opened for business in March 2001 with a passenger capacity of about 30 million per year, similar to NAIA’s current annual capacity. Since then, the IIAC has turned it into one of the world’s busiest and biggest airports, turning a profit of more than 860 billion South Korean won in pre-pandemic 2019 and now boasting an annual passenger capacity of 77 million.
The key was continuous expansion and modernization. Since it opened in 2001, Incheon International Airport has undergone multiple construction phases, with each increasing the airport’s capacity. It’s currently wrapping up its fourth construction phase, which adds a fourth runway, expands the airport’s second terminal, and builds more car parking facilities.
Incheon Airport also leans heavily on technology. For instance, it’s expanding its baggage transport system to a whopping 184 kilometers in length and intends to use a camera-based automatic tag reader to recognize and sort baggage. The airport also has a “Smart Pass,” which allows passengers to use their phones to scan their passport, biometrics, and boarding pass in advance, speeding up the immigration process.
The Incheon International Airport Corporation is no stranger to foreign airport projects. The IIAC aided in the master plan of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport and served as a construction project management consultant for the Puerto Princesa Airport in Palawan. The IIAC is also the operator of the Kuwait International Airport’s Terminal 4 and the Hang Nadim International Airport in Indonesia.
In contrast to the Incheon International Airport, NAIA has invested pitifully little in upgrading its facilities over the years. From 2010 to 2023, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) allotted only a total capital outlay of P27.09 billion, or P2.08 billion per year. (READ: [Vantage Point] Underspending left NAIA to rot)
In fact, the failure to upgrade NAIA’s facilities was partly behind the continuous power outages that have plagued the airport. Since the latest outage on June 9, 2023, MIAA has sworn to improve passenger boarding bridges, air conditioning, electrical works, and taxiways, among others.
Now, how will San Miguel and IIAC go about the NAIA rehabilitation?
Although NAIA’s new operator will be responsible for upgrading the airport’s runways, four terminals, and other facilities, the government did not outline exactly what structures or improvements need to be made. Rather, the consortium is expected to meet certain benchmarks and performance indicators, such as raising airport capacity from 35 million passengers a year to 62 million, and speeding up air traffic movements per hour from 40 to 48.
“We have a performance indicator on availability of parking. So you should be able to find parking within X amount. When you enter the airport, you should line up within a certain amount. You go through immigration, you go through security; there’s also an amount of time that’s prescribed for that. When you’re arriving, there’s a prescribed amount of time when the first and last baggage from the plane to the conveyor should come up,” Transportation Undersecretary for Planning and Project Development TJ Batan explained in a press conference.
There are many ways to meet these targets. For instance, the Manila International Airport Consortium – which made an unsuccessful unsolicited proposal to rehabilitate NAIA – bared a three-phased plan that aims to make operations more efficient, rather than adding more runways to the already-cramped airport area.
The plan includes flexible self check-ins, automated boarding gates, dynamic wayfinding and flight info displays, upgrades to the airfield, cross-terminal transportation, renovations to the airport facade, the expansion of all four terminals, and the creation of more taxiways and waiting bays.
Meanwhile, we aren’t too sure yet what San Miguel and IIAC’s plans are. There have been no specifics shared publicly, and the consortium has yet to hold a press conference.
The question now is, can the Incheon International Airport Corporation bring the same technological and operational prowess that it showed in developing the South Korean airport to the Philippines’ ailing international gateway? – Rappler.com
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38 years after EDSA People Power Revolt: Marcos political dynasty is well-entrenched
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jpcruz0306
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25/02/2024 11:28
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FIRST FAMILY, AGAIN. Former first lady Imelda Marcos joins son, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s oath-taking ceremony, at the National Museum of Fine Arts on June 30, 2022.
Alecs Ongcal/Rappler
The Marcos dynasty isn’t just reclaiming the Palace. It is spreading its influence far beyond.
Thirty-eight years after the historic EDSA People Power Revolution, which ousted the dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, his son and namesake stands at the helm once more. But this return to the presidency is merely the tip of the iceberg insofar as Marcos supremacy is concerned.
Rappler’s research shows that at least 16 elected officials who are related to the Marcos family – through blood and marriage – are in the chambers of the Senate and House of Representatives down to the grassroots level of barangays.
A series of studies showed that the years of online propaganda and disinformation campaigns that sought to rehabilitate the family’s image catapulted Marcos Jr. to the presidency.
In the Senate, presidential sister Imee Marcos commands multiple committee chairmanships, boasting of the highest count alongside Senator Pia Cayetano.
Imee is the chairperson of the following committees:
The House mirrors this influence, with seven Marcos-related lawmakers, and the President’s first-degree cousin Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez at the helm.
Martin is the son of former Leyte governor Benjamin “Kokoy” Romualdez, younger brother of former first lady Imelda Marcos. (She has five other siblings besides Kokoy: Alita, Alfredo, Armando, and Concepcion.)
When Imelda was first lady, Kokoy was appointed ambassador to plum posts China, Saudi Arabia, and the US. The Presidential Commission on Good Government listed at least 61 corporations where Kokoy allegedly acquired shares of stock illegally.
Meanwhile, Martin’s wife Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt Romualdez, a former beauty queen and a registered nurse, sits as Tingog representative.
She heads the committee on accounts, which deals with the “internal budget of the House including budget preparation, submission and approval, disbursements; accounting, and financial operations.”
Yedda’s influence stretches further through her own relatives holding seats in the House: her uncle, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines Representative Raymond Democrito C. Mendoza; and cousin, North Cotabato 3rd District Representative Ma. Alana Samantha Santos.
The President’s eldest son, Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative Sandro Marcos, was elected senior deputy majority leader despite being a neophyte lawmaker.
A senior deputy speaker, the second highest-ranking official in the lower chamber, assumes the role of presider in plenary sessions in the absence of the House speaker. The official rules of the House, however, do not explicitly outline any additional duties that may be assigned to a senior deputy speaker, if such responsibilities exist.
Before Sandro’s election as a lawmaker, he was mentored by his uncle Martin, who, at the time, was House Majority Leader, and served as a member of his legislative staff. In early 2023, Sandro’s brother Vincent “Vinny” Marcos started his internship under Martin’s office.
Sandro is also serving as vice chair of the committee on rules, which sets the agenda and priorities of the House.
Another cousin of the President who is also in the lower chamber is Ilocos Norte 2nd District Representative Eugenio Angelo Marcos-Barba. He is the son of Fortuna Marcos-Barba, youngest sister of the late president Marcos.
Angelo is the chairman of the committee on the North Luzon Growth Quadrangle, which is responsible for “policies and programs concerning the development of municipalities, cities, provinces, and other local communities in the northwest Luzon area.”
Part of the committee’s role is also “to promote growth and expand avenues of economic cooperation” with nearby areas. He is also one of the vice chairpersons of the committee on accounts.
The Marcoses also have ties with the Tiangcos of Navotas. The country’s fishing capital is represented by Tobias “Toby” M. Tiangco in the House of Representatives.
Toby is married to Michelle Romualdez Yap, cousin of the President. Michelle is the daughter of Concepcion Romualdez Yap, the sister of Imelda.
Toby is the chairperson of the House committee on information and communications technology committee and vice chairperson of the committees on appropriations and aquaculture and fisheries resources.
Another Tiangco in Navotas is Mayor John Rey, Toby’s brother.
A post shared by Liza Marcos (@lizamarcos)
Beyond the national arena, alliances extend to key provinces and cities, too.
In Marcos’ bailiwick of Ilocos Norte, Matthew Manotoc, son of Senator Imee, governs alongside his aunt Cecile Araneta-Marcos as vice governor. Cecile Araneta-Marcos is the wife of Mariano “Nonong” V. Marcos II, the President’s cousin.
In Laoag City, Michael Keon, the President’s cousin, serves as the local chief executive. He is the son of Michael James Keon who is married to Marcos Sr.’s sister, Elizabeth. (Editor’s Note: In an earlier version of this story, we said Michael Keon is the President’s uncle. This has been corrected. He is the cousin of the President.)
A crack, however, seems to have developed in the relationship between the Marcoses and Michael Keon. During the 2022 elections, the local “Team Marcos” led by Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc endorsed Keon’s opponent, Vicentito “Tito” Lazo.
However, the Marcoses claimed that it was Michael who dropped them after filing his certificate of candidacy as an independent candidate, while the rest of the Marcos clan ran under the Nacionalista Party.
The Marcos influence persists in areas like Cotabato, where Yedda’s aunt Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza serves as governor. During the 2022 elections, Emmylou, a long-time politician, endorsed the Marcos-Duterte Uniteam.
The President also has a cousin in Tacloban serving as mayor, Alfred S. Romualdez, who is married to former actress and former mayor Cristina Gonzalez. Alfred is the son of Alfredo “Bejo” T. Romualdez, Imelda’s brother.
According to Ricardo Manapat’s book, Some are Smarter Than Others, Bejo, a former Navy official, took control of the Bataan Shipyard and Engineering Co. and Philippine Dockyard Corporation during the time of the elder Marcos.
Under Marcos Sr.’s policies favoring Bejo, the company dominated the shipbuilding and ship-repair industry. Bejo was implicated in strings of ill-gotten wealth cases which were later junked by the anti-graft court.
Down to the barangay (village) level, the incumbent president has a relative in power. His nephew and Alfred’s son, Raymund, is the chairman of Barangay 88 San Jose in Tacloban City. The 35-year-old politician is also the city’s Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) president or the Liga ng mga Barangay.
The ABC president serves as ex-officio municipal or city councilor, allowing him to vote when the town or city council passes ordinances and resolutions.
Raymund ran for a barangay position in 2023 after losing his bid in a tight vice-mayoral race in 2022.
The Marcoses’ web of influence is not confined to elected positions.
Phividec Industrial Authority Administrator and CEO Joseph Donato J. Bernedo is the President’s brother-in-law. Bernedo, a lawyer who used to work with SGV and Company, and the Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & De los Angeles Law Office, is the husband of presidential sister Aimee Marcos.
Phividec, a government-owned and government-controlled corporation created under the administration of Marcos Sr., is “mandated to identify and develop sites in the country as prospective industrial areas.”
The Philippine ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel “Babe” del Gallego Romualdez is also related to the Marcos family. Babe, who is the son of Alberto Z. Romualdez and Covadonga del Gallego Romualdez, is the President’s second cousin.
Alberto – first cousin of the former first lady – is the son of Miguel Lopez Romualdez, brother of Imelda’s father Vicente.
ALSO ON RAPPLER
After the Marcos dictatorship, the 1987 Constitution provided for a clause “prohibiting” political dynasties.
Article II, Section 26 of the Constitution says that “the state shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law. ”
The definition of dynasties, however, and how they are to be prohibited have yet to be defined by Congress, which has been dominated through the years by members of political dynasties.
After almost four decades, the presence of the Marcoses in Philippine politics, alongside other dynasties, continues to grow, with new generations assuming roles in government.
As the 2025 midterm elections near, will the Marcos dynasty continue to consolidate its power? – Rappler.com
Read the other stories in our Political Dynasties 2022 series:
Luzon
Visayas
Mindanao
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Jamie Malonzo out sick after Hong Kong trip, says Tim Cone
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delfin.dioquino editor
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26/02/2024 0:57
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SHOT. Jamie Malonzo in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2024 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas played with a depleted lineup in its 106-53 romp of Chinese Taipei in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers on Sunday, February 25, as it missed the services of Jamie Malonzo.
Head coach Tim Cone said Malonzo fell ill after the Filipinos’ 30-point road win against Hong Kong, leaving the team with only 10 players in their homestand against the visiting Taiwanese at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
Cone bared Justin Brownlee also felt under the weather following their four-day trip in Hong Kong.
“Actually, [Jamie] and Justin were both sick coming home. We got home from Hong Kong, they both got sick. We were really afraid that neither of them would play, but Justin kind of bounced back,” said Cone.
“Jamie, we contemplated bringing him to the hospital, he’s that down and out. Hopefully, he’ll bounce back and get better. We sent our doctors to him and put him on IV.”
Aside from Malonzo, the Nationals also played without injured big men June Mar Fajardo (calf) and AJ Edu (knee).
National team veteran Japeth Aguilar came in to help fill the gaping hole in the middle for the squad.
Even with a shorthanded roster, though, the Philippines dominated and defended its turf with conviction, cruising to a 53-point victory.
Brownlee showed the way for the Filipinos with 26 points on top of 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks.
Cone said he and his staff need to do a better job in making sure that the players are healthy as they play more road games in the future, with the Riga, Latvia leg of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament coming up in July.
“I think maybe some of the guys just got severely dehydrated on the trip and we didn’t hydrate well enough. I’ve got to be more cognizant of that and make sure that guys are doing that better,” said Cone.
“That’s really on us to make sure that doesn’t happen. Viruses are all over the place so you never know when someone’s going to pick something up.”
With the first window of the Asia Cup Qualifiers coming to a close, the players return to their mother teams in their respective leagues before they reunite for a chance to qualify for the Paris Games. – Rappler.com
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Isabela councilor killed, 2 village chiefs wounded in Zamboanga gun attack
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Herbie G
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26/02/2024 9:51
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GUN VIOLENCE. Isabela City Councilor Franklyn Galos Tan, president of the city's Association of Barangay Councils, sprawls outside a hotel in Zamboanga after motorcycle-riding gunmen carried out a surprise attack on Sunday night, February 25.
ZAMBOANGA, Philippines – A city councilor and president of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) in Isabela City, Basilan, was killed, while two other barangay chairmen were wounded in a gun attack outside a hotel in Zamboanga City, on Sunday night, February 25.
The Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) identified the fatality as Isabela Councilor Franklyn Galos Tan, and the wounded as barangay chairmen Jaider Jundam of Kaumpurnah-1 and Daryl Jalani of Kaumpurnah-2, also from Isabela City.
The incident occurred around 9:03 pm Sunday in front of Fort del Ciudad Hotel on Nuñez Extension, Zamboanga City.
Police said the victims were in Zamboanga to attend an event of the Eagles Club, a group of which they were members.
According to investigators, the victims were attacked by two persons, who remain unidentified, wearing helmets and riding a black motorcycle.
After the attack, the gunmen fled towards the village of Santa Maria.
The victims were rushed to the Ciudad Medical Zamboanga Hospital, where Tan was pronounced dead.
The Zamboanga police said they were still investigating the incident to determine the motive and identities of the suspects.
House Deputy Minority Leader and Basilan Representative Mujiv Hataman condemned the gun attack, saying it has no place in a democratic society and unjustified.
“The brutal murder of Kapitan Franklyn not only robbed his family and community of a beloved leader but also struck a blow to the foundations of peace and order that we strive very hard to uphold in Basilan,” he said.
Hataman said the gun violence underscored the need for authorities to intensify efforts in ensuring the safety and security of citizens.
Hataman called on authorities to investigate and bring the killers to justice. – Rappler.com
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Marcos signs ‘Tatak Pinoy’ bill into law
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Dwight de Leon
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26/02/2024 10:57
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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his trip to Hawaii in November 2023.
PCOO
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law on Monday, February 26, a bill formulating a comprehensive “Tatak Pinoy” (translated as “proudly Filipino”) strategy, in a bid to better support local industries and associate the Filipino brand with high-quality products.
“The Tatak Pinoy is more than a branding exercise as it is about incubating and incentivizing great products that deserve to carry the ‘made in the Philippines’ trademark. It’s not about simply slapping labels on goods and services but showing their provenance, proudly, that they are ‘Tatak Pinoy,'” Marcos said in a speech in Malacañang on Monday, February 26.
Republic Act 11981 seeks to encourage local industries to produce more sophisticated products, which would in turn elevate the country’s position in the global value chain, according to the Department of Trade and Industry.
The government is hoping that the law’s passage would improve the country’s position in the Atlas of Economic Complexity, which measures a nation’s capacity to make more complex products. The Philippines currently ranks 33rd out of 133 countries.
The newly passed law will assemble a Tatak Pinoy Council, which will be tasked with developing a multi-year strategy in areas of human resources, infrastructure, technology and innovation, investments, and sound financial management.
Senator Sonny Angara in 2019 filed a resolution calling on his colleagues to look into the formulation of a “Tatak Pinoy’ campaign, to “highlight the ingenuity, creativity and innovativeness of Philippine workers, craftsmen, laborers and professionals in order to create a global demand for Philippine products and services.”
He and Marikina 2nd District Representative Stella Quimbo were the main proponents of the measure under the present Congress.
The bill was listed as a priority measure of the Marcos administration. – Rappler.com
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Good luck to the Tatak Pinoy Council, which will be “developing a multi-year strategy in areas of human resources, infrastructure, technology and innovation, investments, and sound financial management.” Will their multi-year strategy consider the risks of government corruption, security, and unethical business practices?
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CA junks DOH plea on P8.1-billion barangay health stations project
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Dwight de Leon
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26/02/2024 8:00
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Department of Health facade.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) is still on the losing end of the legal battle on the controversial Aquino administration-era Barangay Health Stations (BHS) project worth P8.1 billion.
The Court of Appeals just dismissed the agency’s petition seeking to set aside an arbitral tribunal ruling that is compelling the agency to compensate a private contractor.
The appellate court said that decision made by the Construction Industry Arbitration Commission (CIAC) Arbitral Tribunal in January 2022 already attained finality.
The final award was favorable to the joint venture between JBros Construction Corporation and Fujian Zhongma Construction Engineering.
The CA said one option the DOH can take is filing a petition assailing the decision within 60 days.
In the tail-end of the Aquino administration in 2016, JBros secured a deal to build a functional barangay health station in every village, using public elementary school sites for the same.
The DOH was tasked to deliver the possession of all 2,500 sites to JBros, but the contractor claimed encountering roadblocks during the turnover.
The company said there was a lack of proper coordination between DOH and the Department of Education.
Suspensions hounded the project. In in 2019, JBros sent a notice of termination and demanded payment for the completed works.
In the January 2022 decision, CIAC awarded JBRos P516.87 million as actual damages; P87.83 million as cost of materials ordered; and P245.61 million as unrealized profit.
It, however, deducted the P551.23 million advance payment made by the DOH as mobilization fee, resulting in a net amount of P299.09 million. – Rappler.com
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From ‘drug addict’ to ‘dignified’: Duterte softens tone toward Marcos in Cebu rally
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jsitchon0312
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26/02/2024 10:58
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STRONGMAN. Rodrigo Duterte tells his supporters that he is willing to kill drug users to "save children" at the Cebu Duterte Prayer Rally on Sunday, February 25.
John Sitchon/Rappler
CEBU, Philippines – Following his sharp remarks regarding President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in late January, former president Rodrigo Duterte softened his confrontational tone during a “prayer rally” at the South Road Properties in Cebu City on Sunday, February 25.
At a protest rally in Davao City on January 28, Duterte cursed at Marcos and called the President a drug addict. He even insinuated then that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was well aware of it and that Marcos’ name was on the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s (PDEA) watchlist, a claim denied by the agency.
But during the Cebu rally, Duterte changed his tune, describing Marcos as a “dignified” man, a departure from his previous remarks.
“Kana si Bongbong (Marcos) maayong taw. Wala gyud koy problema tong na-president. Tinuod nang suportado nako kay buotan ug kung ikomparar sa ako, he is a very dignified, respectful, humble, basin niadto pa, dili pa na Presidente makumbaba,” Duterte said during his rally speech.
(Bongbong Marcos is a good man. I had no problems when he became President. It’s true that I support him because he is good and if compared to me, he is very dignified, respectful, and humble, even back then, before he became President he was courteous.)
Duterte, who claimed that there was nothing wrong with the Constitution, also appeared to have softened his stance, saying he had nothing against the Marcos administration’s charter change efforts, provided they didn’t serve to advantage the current President.
“Cha-cha? Okay. Basta si Marcos muingon ug mu-commit siya sa mga taw nga dili siya mudagan pag-usab (So long as Marcos says or commits to the people that he wouldn’t run again),” he said.
Duterte also advised Marcos not to push his luck or else end up like his father, the late strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos, who replaced the 1935 Constitution in 1973. Ironically, Duterte also pushed for charter change during his term.
“Ayaw og sunda ang iyang giagian kay mapandol gyud ta diha (Don’t follow your father’s footsteps because we’ll definitely trip on that),” the former president said.
Duterte did not miss the opportunity to bring back his threats against drug users. His speech revolved around how drug use destroys the lives of Filipino families, especially young children.
According to reports, investigators of the International Criminal Court (ICC) entered the country in December 2023. During the Davao rally, Duterte expressed his discontent over alleged cases that would be filed against him by the ICC.
“Kiha lang mo diha (Go on, file your lawsuits),” Duterte said about the ICC’s probe into his drug war campaign.
As of posting time, the Marcos administration remains undecided on cooperating with the ICC regarding “questions of jurisdiction and sovereignty,” even as signs indicate increasing support for the drug war investigation. – Rappler.com
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Finally, Former President Digong Duterte has realized his limitations. Good work, former President Digong, but DAMAGE has already been done. President Marcos Jr. has the image of a Mr. Good Vibes, but he can be more (but subtly) vindictive than the former President. (Note: Consider the influence of his wife: First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.)
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Marcos holds back, delays signing of Magna Carta for Seafarers into law
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Dwight de Leon
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26/02/2024 11:13
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UNDER FURTHER REVIEW. The bill seeks to assert seafarers' rights to just terms and conditions of work, standardize their employment contracts, and establish guidelines to ensure quality training for them.
Joachim Affeldt/Shutterstock
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was scheduled to sign into law a measure that codifies the rights of Filipino seafarers, but appeared to have backed out at the last minute.
Publicity materials that appeared on state broadcaster RTVM included the Magna Carta for Seafarers on the list of three bills that the President was supposed to approve on Monday, February 26, but he instead only signed the other two: the Tatak Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) Act, and amendments to the Centenarian Act.
The Department of Migrant Workers had already handed out press kits during the ceremonial signing on Monday, and DMW Officer-in-charge Hans Cacdac was already in the venue.
Sought for clarification, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil said the bill was “under further review.”
The bill seeks to assert seafarers’ rights to just terms and conditions of work, standardize their employment contracts, and establish guidelines to ensure quality training for them.
Marcos certified the bill as urgent in September 2023, saying the legislation would guarantee to the international community “that the Philippines will comply with its obligations of ensuring that Filipino seafarers’ training, facilities, and equipment are at par with the international standards and those set by relevant international conventions.”
It came on the heels of challenges faced by seafarers in their accreditation with the European market.
Some seafarer groups and militant organizations flagged the approved House version of the bill, calling it watered-down and an insult to seafarers, due to the exclusion of fisherfolk from the measure, and the lack of a security of tenure provision for employees who have provided at least one year of cumulative service.
They also opposed the proposal to put compensation won by seafarers against their employers on escrow, which means that the complainants won’t have access to the payment in full while the employer appeals the decision.
It is unclear if these contentious provisions were removed in the bicameral version of the measure.
Filipino seafarers are the backbone of the global maritime industry, with the Philippines sending 400,000 workers overseas every year from 2017 up until the COVID-19 pandemic.
House lawmakers on Monday afternoon adopted Concurrent Resolution 23, which withdraws Senate Bill 2221 and House Bill 7325 from being submitted to the Office of the President.
The resolution, however, failed to explain why both houses of Congress were withdrawing the bills that provide for the Magna Carta for Seafarers in the first place.
It took prodding from Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez before Iloilo 1st District Representative Janette Loreto Garin bared that the bicameral committee report submitted featured a provision that could lead to problems on jurisdiction.
“I think we have to be clear on why there is [a bill],” Rodriguez said. “I was informed that this particular enrolled bill, contrary to our bill in the House, would transfer jurisdiction on disputes on seafarers from the DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) to the International Labor Organization…a diminution of our rights to be able to decide on cases.”
Lawmakers did not elaborate on how a provision viewed as a “diminution of sovereignty” made it past the bicameral committee. Garin said lawmakers would again sit down to correct the error in the bill. – with Kaycee Valmonte/Rappler.com
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Marcos holds back, delays signing of Magna Carta for Seafarers into law
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Dwight de Leon
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26/02/2024 11:13
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UNDER FURTHER REVIEW. The bill seeks to assert seafarers' rights to just terms and conditions of work, standardize their employment contracts, and establish guidelines to ensure quality training for them.
Joachim Affeldt/Shutterstock
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was scheduled to sign into law a measure that codifies the rights of Filipino seafarers, but appeared to have backed out at the last minute.
Publicity materials that appeared on state broadcaster RTVM included the Magna Carta for Seafarers on the list of three bills that the President was supposed to approve on Monday, February 26, but he instead only signed the other two: the Tatak Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) Act, and amendments to the Centenarian Act.
The Department of Migrant Workers had already handed out press kits during the ceremonial signing on Monday, and DMW Officer-in-charge Hans Cacdac was already in the venue.
Sought for clarification, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil said the bill was “under further review.”
The bill seeks to assert seafarers’ rights to just terms and conditions of work, standardize their employment contracts, and establish guidelines to ensure quality training for them.
Marcos certified the bill as urgent in September 2023, saying the legislation would guarantee to the international community “that the Philippines will comply with its obligations of ensuring that Filipino seafarers’ training, facilities, and equipment are at par with the international standards and those set by relevant international conventions.”
It came on the heels of challenges faced by seafarers in their accreditation with the European market.
Some seafarer groups and militant organizations flagged the approved House version of the bill, calling it watered-down and an insult to seafarers, due to the exclusion of fisherfolk from the measure, and the lack of a security of tenure provision for employees who have provided at least one year of cumulative service.
They also opposed the proposal to put compensation won by seafarers against their employers on escrow, which means that the complainants won’t have access to the payment in full while the employer appeals the decision.
It is unclear if these contentious provisions were removed in the bicameral version of the measure.
Filipino seafarers are the backbone of the global maritime industry, with the Philippines sending 400,000 workers overseas every year from 2017 up until the COVID-19 pandemic.
House lawmakers on Monday afternoon adopted Concurrent Resolution 23, which withdraws Senate Bill 2221 and House Bill 7325 from being submitted to the Office of the President.
The resolution, however, failed to explain why both houses of Congress were withdrawing the bills that provide for the Magna Carta for Seafarers in the first place.
It took prodding from Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez before Iloilo 1st District Representative Janette Loreto Garin bared that the bicameral committee report submitted featured a provision that could lead to problems on jurisdiction.
“I think we have to be clear on why there is [a bill],” Rodriguez said. “I was informed that this particular enrolled bill, contrary to our bill in the House, would transfer jurisdiction on disputes on seafarers from the DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) to the International Labor Organization…a diminution of our rights to be able to decide on cases.”
Lawmakers did not elaborate on how a provision viewed as a “diminution of sovereignty” made it past the bicameral committee. Garin said lawmakers would again sit down to correct the error in the bill. – with Kaycee Valmonte/Rappler.com
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UST adds chapter to storied rivalry off shock thriller over La Salle
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Jasmine Payo
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26/02/2024 0:42
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STUNNER. UST's Jonna Perdido celebrates against La Salle in UAAP women's volleyball action.
UAAP
MANILA, Philippines — The latest chapter in the storied rivalry of the UST and La Salle’s women’s volleyball teams fit the billing of a UAAP blockbuster on Sunday, February 25, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Over 12,200 paid spectators watched the last two remaining undefeated teams, before the Golden Tigresses came out unscathed at 3-0 following a hard-fought thriller, 25-18, 25-23, 14-25, 16-25, 15-12, against the defending champions.
This early, UST flipped the script, owning the top tags – only unbeaten team, solo leader – that could have easily been attached to powerhouse La Salle early in the season.
“There are no easy wins this season, you have to work hard for everything, especially when you’re against the defending champions,” said UST head coach Emilio “Kungfu” Reyes.
And work hard they did as the Tigresses regained their poise in the fifth set after the Lady Spikers came close to completing a comeback from two sets down, 12-9, needing just 3 points to get their third win of the season.
At that point, Reyes calmed his wards by calling a time out.
“Whatever the result, especially in the fifth set, I was happy in a way since I saw my girls fight and kept it close in the end,” said Reyes.
UST’s neophyte core responded tremendously, with rookie Angge Poyos, who ended up with 22 points, sparking the late 6-0 run, which was punctuated by Mary Banagua’s dump at the net.
Third-year player Jonna Perdido, who finished with a team-high 24, was also instrumental in the win.
“[Our] immaturity showed during sets 3 and 4, but the beauty of it is that we recovered during the fifth set,” said Reyes of the Tigresses, who are playing their first season minus team star Eya Laure.
La Salle is a relatively more experienced team led by second-year star Angel Canino, who in her rookie campaign already secured the Most Valuable Player award in 2023.
But the UST players said they worked hard to be on equal footing.
Overall, La Salle still holds the upper hand over UST in 69 head-to-head matchups, 37-32, since the Taft squad’s entry to the UAAP in 1986.
“The UST team is very, very motivated,” said Reyes. “In the third and fourth sets, we went low batt (low energy). In the fifth set, I was just hoping that they won’t stop, that they would keep fighting.”
By the looks of it, that’s what the Tigresses will keep on doing. – Rappler.com
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Marcos signs ‘Tatak Pinoy’ bill into law
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Dwight de Leon
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26/02/2024 10:57
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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his trip to Hawaii in November 2023.
PCOO
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law on Monday, February 26, a bill formulating a comprehensive “Tatak Pinoy” (translated as “proudly Filipino”) strategy, in a bid to better support local industries and associate the Filipino brand with high-quality products.
“The Tatak Pinoy is more than a branding exercise as it is about incubating and incentivizing great products that deserve to carry the ‘made in the Philippines’ trademark. It’s not about simply slapping labels on goods and services but showing their provenance, proudly, that they are ‘Tatak Pinoy,'” Marcos said in a speech in Malacañang on Monday, February 26.
Republic Act 11981 seeks to encourage local industries to produce more sophisticated products, which would in turn elevate the country’s position in the global value chain, according to the Department of Trade and Industry.
The government is hoping that the law’s passage would improve the country’s position in the Atlas of Economic Complexity, which measures a nation’s capacity to make more complex products. The Philippines currently ranks 33rd out of 133 countries.
The newly passed law will assemble a Tatak Pinoy Council, which will be tasked with developing a multi-year strategy in areas of human resources, infrastructure, technology and innovation, investments, and sound financial management.
Senator Sonny Angara in 2019 filed a resolution calling on his colleagues to look into the formulation of a “Tatak Pinoy’ campaign, to “highlight the ingenuity, creativity and innovativeness of Philippine workers, craftsmen, laborers and professionals in order to create a global demand for Philippine products and services.”
He and Marikina 2nd District Representative Stella Quimbo were the main proponents of the measure under the present Congress.
The bill was listed as a priority measure of the Marcos administration. – Rappler.com
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Good luck to the Tatak Pinoy Council, which will be “developing a multi-year strategy in areas of human resources, infrastructure, technology and innovation, investments, and sound financial management.” Will their multi-year strategy consider the risks of government corruption, security, and unethical business practices?
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Mission accomplished as Brownlee thrills fans with rousing home performance
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delfin.dioquino editor
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25/02/2024 23:32
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SLAM. Justin Brownlee in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2024 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Justin Brownlee wanted nothing but to make the fans happy in his first game in the country in nearly a year.
And he showed that through his fine play as he steered Gilas Pilipinas to a 106-53 home rout of Chinese Taipei on Sunday, February 25, that allowed the Filipinos to sweep the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
The beloved naturalized player finished with team-highs of 26 points and 13 rebounds on top 5 assists and 2 blocks for a rousing homecoming performance at the jam-packed PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
“I missed it. I missed the fans more than anything. I just missed seeing their smiles and just being able to make them cheer and just seeing their passion for the game,” Brownlee said.
Brownlee last played in the Philippines in April when he and Barangay Ginebra bowed to TNT in the PBA Governors’ Cup finals last season.
The Gin Kings tapped Brownlee for what would have been his 11th straight import conference with the franchise, but he missed PBA action for the first time since 2016 after he failed a doping test in the Asian Games in October.
Brownlee opted to serve a voluntary suspension that started in November before FIBA gave the go signal for his return this February.
Eager to repay the fans’ love as they waited four months for his hardcourt comeback, Brownlee erupted for 11 points in the opening quarter to set the tone in the 53-point blowout.
“They definitely came in with some energy and it made me want to be more aggressive. Just to hear that crowd roar, just to put a smile on their face or make them cheer and be happy,” he said.
And it is not just on the court where fans invigorated Brownlee but also off it.
“I got to be honest, I was a little down coming here, but coming here and seeing these fans and stuff like that, showing great support, it definitely has cheered me up,” said Brownlee.
“I’m on that high again as far as being excited. It just feels great.” – Rappler.com
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‘It’s so good to be back!’: A fan recap of The Jonas Brothers 2024 Manila concert
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Ysa Abad
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25/02/2024 11:53
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The Jonas Brothers waving goodbye to their Filipino fans. Photo by Cheska Lingad/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The stage was burnin’ up at the Mall of Asia Arena as the Jonas Brothers treated fans to performances of their top hits from their five studio albums on Thursday, February 22.
For the first time since their last visit in 2012, Joe, Nick, and Kevin Jonas returned to the Philippines for their worldwide tour The Tour, which celebrates their five albums – self-titled debut record Jonas Brothers, sophomore album A Little Bit Longer, their last studio album Lines, Vines and Trying Times before the announcement of their hiatus in 2013, the comeback record Happiness Begins from 2019, and their latest release The Album.
Manila. pic.twitter.com/dnsuXTmkZ7
Organized by Ovation Productions, the concert in Manila opened the international tour for the band of brothers in 2024 as it was the first stop of the year.
It was 8:38 pm when the lights dimmed, the backing band settled into their spots with their instruments, and the show finally began. Alongside everyone else at the arena, making sure not to miss a moment, I held my phone up high to record as the Jonas Brothers took center stage and set off with a performance of “What a Man Gotta Do.”
WATCH: The crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena goes wild as the Jonas Brothers take the stage with a performance of “What a Man Gotta Do” during their concert on Thursday, February 22. #JonasBrothersInManila #TheTourInManilahttps://t.co/eNLZLhzgQW pic.twitter.com/xo0yGbo6Wd
Like any other concert, the show started later than the scheduled kick-off at 8 pm. Even if I have been a fan of theirs since the first Camp Rock movie came out in 2008, this was my first time watching the Jonas Brothers live. Admittedly, with all my excitement, I was getting a little impatient, but once I saw Joe, Nick, and Kevin enter the stage, the wait didn’t seem so long anymore.
They immediately followed their opening number with their 2007 hit single “S.O.S.” The crowd’s energy was nothing like anything I’ve experienced before. I could barely hear myself singing with everyone else extremely ecstatic over this performance, but who could blame them? It was a childhood anthem.
Before the JoBros played “Hold On” and “Goodnight and Goodbye,” Nick told us that they would try to perform as many songs from their discography as they could.
“It’s so good to be back!” he said. “We’re here to celebrate five albums!”
The brothers then took their places on the catwalk to sing “That’s Just the Way We Roll” with Joe hyping up the crowd.
“Sing it out!” he yelled the first time, and as if not satisfied enough with the volume of our screams (and trust me, we were belting our hearts out), he exclaimed once more, “I said ‘sing!’” and the crowd went wild.
They continued on to the next round of songs from their first album, starting out with “Still In Love With You,” followed by “Australia,” “Hollywood,” “Just Friends,” and “Games.”
Pausing the performances for a bit, the former Disney stars shared their experiences riding jeepneys and exploring Manila.
“[We] did some exploring, had some great food,” Joe shared.
“We have to come back sooner,” he continued, and I really hope they do! While the atmosphere was nothing short of crazy and loud, it felt so comforting to share this moment with my childhood idols.
They also fondly recalled hearing “When You Look Me in the Eyes” – one of their most well-loved songs – being played by a pianist in their hotel lobby earlier that day. Joe even pointed out to a fan in the crowd, asking if it had been them on the piano playing the tune, before launching into a soulful rendition of the song. A sea of yellow and blue lights also shone from the crowd during the performance as part of a fan project by Filipino Jonatics, elevating the intimate atmosphere the song naturally created.
WATCH: Filipino Jonatics shine their flashlights as part of a fan project while the Jonas Brothers perform "When You Look Me In The Eyes" during their Manila concert on Thursday, February 22. #JonasBrothersInManila #TheTourInManila https://t.co/UCYSte6a6Q pic.twitter.com/9jRsmLnp4e
Ushering in a new wave of excitement, the Jonas Brothers then proceeded to play “Year 3000.” I thought that the crowd couldn’t get any louder than when “S.O.S.” was performed, but I was so wrong. This song had everyone singing, screaming, dancing, and jumping! It may have just been the rush of energy I felt in that moment, but I think I felt the ground shaking a little.
They followed this up with charming performances of “Summer Baby” and “Vacation Eyes” that left me feeling all kinds of kilig, mostly because Joe took his sweet time singing on the catwalk, right in front of where I was standing.
My favorite part of the concert was when the soundtracks of the Disney film series Camp Rock were played. Joe started out with “Gotta Find You” from the first movie, followed by Nick with “Introducing Me” from the sequel. All three brothers then jammed out with the fans to “Play My Music.”
I grew up watching this film series so the nostalgia I felt was extreme. I also couldn’t believe I was hearing these songs live, and not to mention, singing along with Joe, Nick, and Kevin.
The Camp Rock setlist was cut short by a medley of electric tracks from their sophomore album, including “BB Good,” “Shelf,” “Got Me Going Crazy,” “Video Girl,” “One Man Show,” “Pushin’ Me Away,” and “Tonight.”
They also performed their romantic, pop ballad “Lovebug” and “Burnin’ Up,” the lead single from their third album. Both of which left fans – including myself – speechless, over the edge, and just breathless!
Back at the catwalk, the Jonas Brothers performed newest hits “Waffle House” and “Montana Sky” from their latest album. Personally, I think these two songs set the tone for their newer music: more mature yet still playful and fun!
Still with a lot of energy, Nick introduced the next part of the concert as an ode to their third studio album. “This is Lines, Vines and Trying Times,” he announced, and they launched into singing “Fly With Me,” “Hey Baby,” “Poison Ivy,” “World War III,” “Don’t Speak,” and “What Did I Do to Your Heart,” taking turns going to each corner of the stage.
When they performed “Much Better,” Joe switched up a few lyrics to “Everything I’d ever need is right here in Manila with me” which had everyone erupting in cheers.
Mr. Perfectly Fine especially seemed to be having a blast at the concert, even taking a fan’s camera to take pictures of Nick and Kevin while they were performing “Paranoid.”
Joe followed his younger brother’s suave solo performance of hit single “Jealous” by showing off his dance moves to a rendition of “Cake by the Ocean” originally sung by his former band, DNCE. What made the production even better was the fact that he was joined by DNCE bandmate JinJoo Lee, who plays the guitar for them on tour.
Giving the fans a chance to catch their breath with a more laid-back and mellow tune, the Jonas Brothers went back to their spots on the main stage and sang “Walls” before diving into tracks from their fourth album, Happiness Begins.
They rocked out to famous hits “Sucker,” and “Cool,” as well as “Come Back,” “Rollercoaster,” “Strangers,” and “I Believe.” They even prepared a short but cute choreography for the chorus of “Only Human,” and concluded their performances with a fun yet relaxed version of “Leave Before You Love Me.”
After waving goodbye to fans, and with “Remember This” being played by their backing band, the Jonas Brothers took their final bows together at the catwalk and wrapped up the night.
This is definitely a show that I’ll never forget, and I think the final song’s lyrics couldn’t have summed it up any better: “Baby, we’re gonna wanna remember this.”
Manila… You were LOUD last night!! What a way to kick-off the international leg of #THETOUR. Couldn’t have asked for a better first night back ❤️ Thank you for having us! pic.twitter.com/LVsz3PglKg
The Jonas Brothers first performed in the Philippines in 2012. They announced their hiatus in 2013 and confirmed their reunion six years later in 2019. – Rappler.com
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Record-setting UE rookie Dongallo hopes to turn big numbers to wins
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Jasmine Payo
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25/02/2024 18:37
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SUPER ROOKIE. UE's Casiey Dongallo continues to impress in her UAAP volleyball debut.
UAAP
MANILA, Philippines — Casiey Dongallo, UE’s star recruit, has been on a scoring tear to start her maiden UAAP volleyball campaign.
After dropping 27 points in the Lady Warriors’ opening-day victory against Ateneo last February 17, the wing spiker poured in 23 points in a loss against UST last February 21.
But there’s still no stopping Dongallo as the super rookie set a new league record, erupting for 30 points in the Lady Warriors’ 22-25, 25-17, 25-18, 25-27, 15-11 loss against the FEU Lady Tamaraws on Sunday, February 25, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Dongallo’ 30, the most for a rookie in modern league history, eclipsed the 28 points set by reigning Most Valuable Player Angel Canino in La Salle’s 25-17, 25-27, 23-25, 25-23, 15-9 victory against Adamson in April 2023.
The rising UE star’s longtime teammate, Kizzie Madriaga, provided some great playmaking with 16 excellent sets, setting up some timely hits for Dongallo.
“We all know that our partnership goes back to high school as Casiey served as my hitter, and we always went to her when we needed to score at a crucial time,” Madriaga, the team’s rookie team captain, said after the game.
Expectations are now growing by the day for Dongallo, who admits feeling the outside pressure, with the Lady Warriors falling to a 1-2 slate.
“Pressure has not wavered every game, I’m just thankful that my coaches are there to support me” said Dongallo. “Kizzie had been telling me to just play my game, and once I enjoy it, the pressure lessens.”
Dongallo has always been a heralded player even before playing her first collegiate game, leading California Precision Sports to the top of the PNVF Champions League and the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League.
When UE got the commitment of Dongallo, Madriaga, Jelai Gajero, and Shamel Fernandez in July 2023, they were seen as rookies who could quickly turn the fortunes of a volleyball program needing a massive revival.
Despite the early pressure and spotlight, Dongallo vows to stay even keeled and help UE secure more wins, and eventually, to its first Final Four appearance since UAAP Season 69 in 2007.
Dongallo understands the need to be patient. On Sunday, amid her scoring explosion, the Lady Warriors still bowed to the Lady Tamaraws, who had Gerzel Petallo and Faida Bakanke picking up the scoring cudgels in the deciding set, with the duo finishing with a combined 32 points.
Leading 23-21 late in the fourth set, FEU allowed the California Academy product to score 5 successive attack points to force the decider, 27-25.
In the fifth, with renewed vigor, the Lady Tamaraws quickly piled up points against the young Lady Warriors squad, going up 8-3 courtesy of some key attacks from Chenie Tagaod.
“Our composure didn’t hold [in the fourth set], we focused too much on emotions, and probably that’s why [UE] claimed [the set],” FEU head coach Manolo Refugia said.
Bakanke, the Congolese rookie, scored the game-winning cross-court attack, ending up with 14 points for the contest, with Petallo adding a game-high 18 markers.
“Going to the fifth set, we changed our mindset since we changed what was needed, so we got what we wanted,” added Refugia as FEU improved to 2-1.
For Dongallo, it’s another opportunity to learn. But while she’s getting ready for more scoring explosions, down the line, she aims to translate more of her big numbers to much-needed wins. — Rappler.com
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[The Slingshot] No, no, no, National Museum! The Boljoon artifacts do not belong to you!
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Marguerite de Leon
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25/02/2024 12:35
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Raffy de Guzman/Rappler
One of the very first things one reads on the website of the National Museum of the Philippines is this requisite line – that it is “A trust of the Government.” That signifies that it is charged with a position of responsibility to the public for whom it must act rightly and fairly; that it is entrusted with care and custody for the interest of the public. Because of that intrinsic nature of its job, it must listen to the people it represents and care for. It does not lord it over them.
A basic question arises: can the Filipino public rely on the National Museum with confidence? Like its destruction of the Relief Map of the Philippines by sculptor Jose Mendoza, a presumed heritage structure because it satisfied the legal criteria of 50 years of age, the National Museum of the Philippines is again treading on dangerous grounds inimical to the public interest it serves.
This time, it has acquired by donation some stolen artifacts. Announcing its exhibition of the artifacts on its Facebook page as “A Gift to the Nation,” it said the objects “trace its provenance from the pulpit of the Patrocinio de Maria Santisima Parish Church in Boljoon, Cebu.”
After it raised outcries that they return the objects to Boljoon, it published a carefully worded clarification that omitted mentioning the provenance of the object. This is where it created more questions than answers. Instead, it made a veiled reference to how the objects came from the Boljoon church in a very indirect way – “our donors procured these specific panels through legitimate means.” Was the previous procurement BEFORE the donors illegitimate? That is what it implies.
When the couple Edwin and Aileen Bautista donated the artifacts (Mr. Bautista is CEO of UnionBank), the first commitment the museum should have made was to return it to its original owner. As a “trust of government,” the first thing it should have done is to right a wrong. Why? Because that is the morally correct thing to do. It is a basic property law universal to all that what was stolen or looted or sold illegally should be returned to its original owner. The NMP failed its first due diligence.
The parameters of repatriation – the return of stolen or looted cultural materials – are easy to understand. As a state museum, we would have expected the NMP to be abreast with current worldwide trends of repatriation. It appears it does not.
The first principle of repatriation can thus be easily answered. Who is the rightful owner of the Boljoon artifacts? The NMP statement already answers that – it is the parish church of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima in Boljoon, Cebu which is part of the Archdiocese of Cebu. The legal personality who presides over that entity at the present time is Archbishop Jose Palma and he has already spoken that they want the objects back. The parish church is a decreed and consecrated Archdiocesan Shrine. There should be no doubt that the Archdiocese of Cebu has the first right of assertion over the return of the objects. The NMP does not enjoy that right. If it does, that is a usurpation of right.
Even if the Bautista couple acquired the objects through legitimate means, it was not so prior to the period it reached their hands. The objects were stolen, period. That is a fact that the people of Boljoon confirm. The NMP’s attitude towards collecting the cultural objects should reflect that. But it does not. A museum is expected to do the full history of any object in its collection accession catalogues. It failed its second due diligence.
The NMP must have, what German museologist Udo Göesswald (president, International Council on Museums [ICOM] Europe) says is an “active questing ethical consciousness to translate their consolidated possessions and bountiful representation into real conversations and proactive relationships with those who have vital interests, through undeniable historical association, with what they hold.”
Instead, the NMP’s second statement seems to suggest that the Boljoon parish church does not have the adequate capability to conserve the objects, and hence that these are safer in the hands of the NMP. But this is self-defeating. In fact, the parish church complex of Boljoon was declared by the NMP as a National Cultural Treasure in 2001. Prior to that, in 1999, the National Historical Institute declared it a National Historical Landmark.
It is thus the duty of the NMP to equip and empower parish or archdiocesan personnel in conservation work. Equipping local personnel will be a sustainable approach because it empowers them to protect their own heritage. The NMP has the training tools for such. Why can’t it do that instead?
The other parameter of repatriation is what is called source community. There is no scintilla of doubt that the source community of the objects is the town of Boljoon. The NMP has a new branch museum in Cebu city. But even if it exhibits it there, that would not be the source community. There is no other source community – it is the town of Boljoon. Cultural preservation is achieved when the objects are returned to Boljoon because the associated activities connected with the objects can only be found there, not within the four walls of any NMP museum.
Experts of museum repatriation know what associated activities mean when objects socialize the community: “their return to the place of origin where the intangible aspects of heritage provide meaning and where the objects themselves may stimulate renewed activities of the intangible aspects of culture.” That intangible heritage can take place only in Boljoon, not in a National Museum gallery or exhibition hall.
Another parameter is cultural context. It is in this respect that the statement of Archbishop Palma falls under. Palma said the objects are considered sacred because they are part of the Church’s missionary work. Moreover, and he expounds it very well, “these panels are considered in the ecclesial rite as tools of evangelization.” If the NMP exhibits them, they would only be mere artworks. Any exhibition in any museum of the NMP cannot achieve the sacral role of the objects. That would be very dishonest on their part.
Let us make it clear: the Bautista couple is not the looter of the artifacts. Their donation is noteworthy. But in donating the objects to the NMP, they were aware that these objects were once stolen from the Church of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima in Boljoon, Cebu. The NMP saying that the objects trace their provenance to Boljoon is an admission that they were once taken surreptitiously from there.
Only the return of the artifacts can put into effect the renewal of the cultural heritage of the people of Boljoon. That is why repatriation is restorative justice. Absent that, Moira Simpson of the University of South Australia warns us: “To ignore, dismiss, or reject requests from indigenous peoples who seek the return of cultural objects that they require to assist in the processes of cultural renewal would suggest that museum professionals are more concerned with preserving artefacts than supporting communities in their efforts to perpetuate the distinct cultures, beliefs, and practices that led to the creation of the artefacts.”
If the NMP insists on keeping the objects as part of its collection, they will act like the colonial looters of yore. That would make them a very bad museum that does not act like the “educational, scientific, and cultural institution” it claims to be. – Rappler.com
Antonio Montalvan II is an anthropologist who has worked as a museum professional curating museums. He was once the head of the National Committee of Museums of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts. He is currently part of a research group of the University of Barcelona aiming to repatriate Filipino objects in museums in Catalunia, Spain back to their source communities in the Philippines.
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What was once the property of the Church has now become the property of the State?
I strongly agree with Antonio Montalvan II: “If the NMP insists on keeping the objects as part of its collection, they will act like the colonial looters of yore. That would make them a very bad museum that does not act like the ‘educational, scientific, and cultural institution’ it claims to be.” And perhaps, if I am allowed to add, an evil neocolonial and elitist institution.
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[Episodes] Fairness to freelancers
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Marguerite de Leon
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25/02/2024 16:08
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Nico Villarete/Rappler
In December 2023, the Freelance Writers Guild of the Philippines released a rate guide for freelancers, which would ideally serve as a basis for writers and editors for costing their work.
In the accompanying letter, the FWGP said rates/fees are probably the most crucial issue facing Filipino freelancers – specifically, not knowing how much to charge clients. As a result, many writers, in the very real need to land a project and make a living, agree to low compensation and accept not-so-ideal arrangements. This automatically lowers the bar for freelance writers and is seen as damaging to the community and industry.
The release of the guidelines is at least a decade delayed, according to Aimee Morales, freelance writer and founder of the guild. Taking on freelance writing jobs since 1993, she experienced many heartaches including one with an international humanitarian organization that sent her to remote barangays in Mindanao during a tense period, without insurance and advance payment. She had no idea whether the trip was safe, and she needed to go twice to complete her interviews. She was paid so little and the payment came a full three months after she submitted her requirements.
At that time, Morales felt she had to push through with the project; she was a single mother and needed the gig.
“Sa napagdaanan ko, lahat titiisin at lulunukin mo kasi walang regulation, wala kang malapitan. So naisip ko, sana yung mga writers, magsama-sama.”
(I’d put up with so much because nothing was regulated and you couldn’t go to anyone. So I thought, I wish writers could form a group to support one another.)
Morales adds that even Philippine government agencies also contribute to the horror stories.
Her experience was in no way isolated. From conversations with friends, Morales knew that their stories ran on similar threads – pitiful rates for newspapers, magazines, and other projects, stagnant rates, and payments that arrive way too late.
Another guild member had a bad experience with an online platform that styled itself as a marketplace for creatives. At first, the platform paid well and on time, until it started making excuses for failing to deliver and became unresponsive to follow-ups. After exhausting all means to collect – sending demand letters and finding out they had vacated the address, or going to a small claims court – one just chalks it up to experience.
“I learned the hard way,” said Liezl Dunuan, another member of the guild. She had been working a steady job, employed by a nonprofit, but had to move to Baguio. While settling in her new environment, she decided to do freelance work writing SEO articles and feeling that she did not have a choice but to accept the lowball rates.
Katie Velez, for her part, experienced submitting a whole month’s worth of health-related articles for a Singapore-based firm, only to not hear back from it – ever. While she received her downpayment, she was never paid in full for her efforts. She also said that when one is affiliated with writing agencies, the rates are so low and the volume of work is overwhelming.
These common experiences have prompted the guild to finally come up with the rate guide, based on previous surveys, current average market rates, and input from some FWGP members. Those who responded to the surveys have been doing freelance writing for an average of 8.7 years.
There was also an attempt to formulate a database so that there could be transparency in the rates paid by print or online publications. However, only a few of those who were approached ever gave an answer. Finally, the guild also looked at international rates for the freelance community.
“Pinagsama-sama namin lahat ito (We put all of these together) to come up with a range,” Morales says.
The guide provides average rates and high rates for content/article/ blog posts, web copy, landing pages/ emails, press releases, print ads, sales letters/pages, ghostwriting, translations, speeches, and ideas and copy for infographics. There are separate rates for social media copy – for instance a Facebook post or caption or a Facebook ad – as well as a monthly rate for social media campaigns. Scriptwriting is also covered, for AVPs and TV as well as for events. For the more specialized or technical requirements, there are rates for awards and grant proposals, case studies, and annual and accomplishment reports. Finally, there are also rates for meeting and workshop documentation, interviews, as well as editing and proofreading. The rates, which don’t include revision fees, rush fees, and other fees, can be found here.
Morales says: “I want to be clear that we are not in favor of standardization. Napag-alaman namin na hindi sya (We found out that it’s not) beneficial for all because of the difference in background and experience. There is a big leeway and people could adjust depending on specifications. So we call them guidelines. If there is no other reference, they could use it.”
Reactions to the rate guide were varied. Some social media users – themselves freelance writers – said the rates were too low.
“It triggered me because their reaction was not thoughtful, just because they worked with foreign clients does not mean they can minimize the experience of others. For many, this is their reality, mababa talaga (it’s really low) – and it’s not just because we are accepting it,” said Dunuan.
“Do not invalidate our experience because yours is different,” she added.
Morales said that at the other end of the spectrum, there were those who said that the rates were too high – “mabuti pa sila nakakasingil ng ganyan (those who get to charge those rates are lucky).” The reality is that some could charge higher because they have been writing for a longer time, and some charge lower because their clients are local, are not too confident about their writing abilities, or are simply new in the business.
Yet others had the temerity to wonder whether publishing companies were consulted for the rate guide.
“Of course we didn’t. We consulted the freelancers,” they said.
Despite the comments, the group is not backing down and is standing by its rate guide.
At the root of it all lies the low regard for those who contract the services for freelance writers.
“Kaya binabarat. Akala nila, magtatype ka lang (That’s why they low-ball you. They think you’re just typing) to meet the word count. So they ask, ‘Why does it have to be expensive?’” says Morales.
How, then, to move forward? The group is pushing for the passage of House Bill 6718, which provides protection and incentives to freelance workers. They are advocating for several points, namely, that an official definition of “freelancer” be provided, that there be a downpayment at the start of the engagement period, and that late payments – more than 15 days after the agreed submission – be counted as a violation. The House of Representatives has passed the measure but there has been no similar movement in the Senate.
Dunuan advises freelancers to insist that the engagement be governed by an agreement before the start of a project. This agreement should include, she says, the scope of work, agreed cost, and terms of payment. Further requirements not included in the original agreement must be covered by a newer deal.
It is easy to admonish other freelance writers to not agree to accept low rates in order to raise the bar. But it could be difficult, because many feel it’s either this or lose an engagement altogether. Ultimately, it’s economics, and poverty, and unequal relations between those who are seen as coming a dime a dozen, and those who write the check and set the rules.
Morales, for her part, advises writers to hone their skills so that they can ensure the quality of their work. This will prevent publishers from looking down on writers and seeing them as mere stringers of words. Writers should also be aware of the worth of their work so that they are not trampled upon by those who do not appreciate or understand the value they provide.
Another member of the group says it should be in the best interest of companies to pay fair rates, because quality editors and writers would want to be engaged with them, providing good content and making the company’s editorial products rise in value.
The publication of the rate guide is just the first step. The greater and longer battle is to change mindsets and empower each other so that freelancers’ voices are heard and that better, fairer working conditions could be achieved. – Rappler.com
Adelle Chua is assistant professor of journalism at the University of the Philippines. She was opinion editor and columnist for Manila Standard for 15 years before joining the academe. Email: adellechua@gmail.com
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This is very good as a start. Thanks to the Freelance Writers Guild of the Philippines.
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World title bid crushed as Ancajas falls to Inoue in 9th round
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delfin.dioquino editor
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24/02/2024 21:32
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FIGHT. Jerwin Ancajas in action against Takuma Inoue in their bout for the WBA bantamweight title.
Wendell Alinea/MP Promotions
TOKYO, Japan – Hoping to regain his world championship status, Jerwin Ancajas instead got stopped for the first time in his career.
Ancajas saw his bid to wrest the World Boxing Association bantamweight title from Takuma Inoue crushed as he suffered a ninth-round knockout loss at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday, February 24.
Regarded as the lighter puncher of the two, Inoue landed a perfect body shot that floored the Filipino challenger.
“It (knockout) was a big surprise. I was ready to go the full route,” said Inoue, who regards Ancajas as the best fighter he has ever faced.
Engaging the Japanese champion to a slugfest, the Filipino fell on his knees with a minute left in the ninth round, unable to withstand a string of brutal body shots from Inoue.
The loss marked the third in four fights for Ancajas, who failed to regain lost glory after giving up the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight belt he owned for six years when he bowed to Fernando Martinez in 2022.
Ancajas fell to a 34-4-2 win-loss-draw card, while Inoue hiked his record to 19-1 as he picked up just his fifth knockout victory.
The younger brother of undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya, Inoue successfully defended his WBA title for the first time despite his own concerns.
“I knew coming in tonight that my opponent was going to be the best ever. I was really worried until today,” said Inoue. “I did not really know what to expect and I did not want to bore the audience going into full rounds.”
Inoue proved to be faster than the former IBF super flyweight champion and was ahead on all three scorecards when the fight was stopped with 44 seconds to go in the ninth round.
Ancajas said it was the first time, including sparring, that he got felled by a body shot.
“I couldn’t breathe. It was perfectly timed,” said Ancajas, who bared that he can still feel the pain at the dugout.
Earlier on Saturday, Filipino veteran Jonas Sultan also sustained a stoppage loss as he fell prey to Japanese Riku Masuda in a surprising first-round knockout. – with a report from Delfin Dioquino/Rappler.com
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Humble Beginnings: How this QC café formed a meaningful community
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jreyes0314
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25/02/2024 17:16
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MANILA, Philippines – When Humble Beginnings Café and Giftshop was first established in October 2022, it took nearly a year for it to start getting people through its doors. But Joel, one of its owners, had a habit of buying chairs for the place whenever he could, even though they didn’t actually have the customers to occupy the ever-growing number of seats yet.
“Bakit ka ba bili nang bili ng upuan? Ang gawin mo, hanapin mo ‘yung mga uupo (Why do you keep buying chairs? What you should do is find people to sit on them),” his wife and co-owner Lexine would tell him.
Joel, however, continued to buy more chairs, reassuring his wife that he was just preparing for the day they would witness their café filled with people. Close to a year later, this dream scenario had finally become a regular sight for the couple.
In the present, Humble Beginnings is now known on social media for its cozy and Instagrammable interiors. While this is what initially draws many of its new customers in, what truly makes Humble Beginnings special is its unique ability to make you feel like you’re at home. And, no, it isn’t just a cliché.
Humble Beginnings had really just started out as a personal project for Joel, who wanted to try running a café for at least a month. Little did he know, however, that one month would eventually turn into more than a year and counting. Now, the café has turned into an outlet for meaningful advocacies to be championed.
Humble Beginnings’ current location was a production site for Love Hope Faith Group, a watch business Joel established to help raise funds for a family member’s cancer treatment.
“One cancer patient lang siya before and then ngayon more than 2,000 cancer patients na ang natulungan namin. From a small idea, nag-grow na siya nang ganyan. And I think doon ko na rin nakuha ‘yung confidence na mag-open ng business kasi naging successful [‘yung Love Hope Faith Group],” Joel shared.
(It was just one cancer patient before and now the number of patients we’ve helped has grown to more than 2,000. From a small idea, it grew this big. And I think that’s where I got my confidence to open this business, because [Love Hope Faith Group] became successful.)
Love Hope Faith Group’s products are now displayed in the café’s gift shop area, along with the couple’s other businesses that were born out of partnerships with individuals who have causes they hold close to their hearts, like environmental conservation, mental health awareness, and financial freedom, among others.
Humble Beginnings’ people-centric ways are also evident in their menu. A quick browse through the café’s menu will show you that many of its dishes are attributed to real-life people. Take Lucille’s Homemade Pork Siomai, for example. It was one of the highlights of Lexine’s childhood, which she thought to share with the customers of Humble Beginnings. The steamed siomai comes with a pile of crunchy garlic on the side, perfectly complementing the saltiness of the dipping soy sauce.
Even the key ingredient in all of the café’s beverages was a staple from Lexine’s childhood: pamana sugar. Made from tubo, the sugar spans generations across Lexine’s family, so it only felt right to use it as the main sweetener in Humble Beginnings’ drinks – from the Pamana Latte to the Matcha Latte. The sweet yet almost earthy taste of the sugar does its job of balancing out the bitter taste of coffee.
Humble Beginnings also partners up with individuals who have a knack for whipping up delicious home-cooked meals to put on their menu. For instance, Bai – the person behind Bai’s Lumpiang Shanghai – is Joel’s uncle, who just needed a platform to start sharing his delicious recipes, and Humble Beginnings happened to be just that.
Now, Bai’s Lumpiang Shanghai is a mainstay in the café’s menu, proudly sitting alongside the dishes conceptualized by other passionate individuals to give Humble Beginnings’ customers a taste of home.
“Nag-iinvite kami ng people to start (We invite people to start). Kaya nga siya Humble Beginnings e (That’s why it’s called Humble Beginnings)…. Every product, may kaakibat na advocacy (Every product is attached to an advocacy),” Lexine explained.
Beyond the individuals Humble Beginnings partners with for its café menu and gift shop, the establishment’s owners also make sure that they can give back to their customers in any way they can – like letting them stay for long hours even if they just bought one drink.
While many cafés tend to frown upon customers who “overstay their welcome,” that isn’t the case at all for Joel and Lexine. The couple actually appreciates and even encourages people coming to Humble Beginnings to do their work. After all, there are more than enough chairs to accommodate the customers entering throughout the day.
“Kahit magstay sila diyan the whole day, kahit punong puno, nagwo-work, kahit isa lang kape, sobrang saya ko kasi alam kong kung mga studies nila yan o business nila yan, at least nakakapagbigay ako [in some way]. So parang ‘yun ‘yung giving back namin,” Joel told Rappler.
(Even if they stay the whole day and the café is full, but they’re working, even if they just have one cup of coffee, I get really happy because I know if they’re studying or working on their business, at least I get to give them something in some way. So that’s kind of like our way of giving back.)
Interestingly enough, several of the students who would regularly come to study at Humble Beginnings had actually passed the board exams they were studying for. These students would come to the café’s Study Room almost every day just to review for hours on end.
“Hala, nakapagtapos ulit tayo (Wow, we helped some students graduate again),” Lexine said, beaming with pride when she saw the “special mention” the café got when the students announced passing their board exams on social media.
For Joel and Lexine, having Humble Beginnings stand as a second home for these customers is the least they could do to repay the support they’ve been receiving ever since their café began going viral on social media in late 2023.
“‘Pag may nakita kaming customer, madalas sabihin na dapat maramdaman nila na grateful tayo sa kanila kasi hindi talaga namin akalain na magiging something big ‘yung café,” Joel shared.
(When we see a customer, we always say that they should feel how grateful we are to them because we really didn’t think our café would turn into something big.)
As the café-slash-gift shop continues to foster a vibrant community within its four walls, Joel and Lexine also hope to expand the Humble Beginnings experience to other places across the country. Kamias Road – where the café is situated – wasn’t as lively as other famed Quezon City streets like Maginhawa, so Joel and Lexine hope to bring a sense of community to more places in the future just as it did with its original location.
Because when people walk through the doors of the café, it isn’t really the aesthetics people will remember as they go along their way; it’s the experience.
“‘Yun ‘yung hindi ko makakalimutan. ‘Yung design ng café, makakalimutan ko ‘yun, pero ‘yung kindness [na pinakita sa’yo], madadala mo ‘yan sa ibang lugar,” Joel said, emphasizing the value they put into ensuring their customers know how grateful the café is to them.
(That’s what I won’t forget. The design of the café, I’ll forget that eventually, but the kindness you were shown, you can bring that with you to other places.)
Sure enough, people often come to Humble Beginnings for the beautifully designed interiors, but they end up staying because of the meaningful experience they get during their visit. – Rappler.com
Humble Beginnings Café and Giftshop is located on the Ground Level of Topaz Building along Kamias Road in Quezon City, Metro Manila. It is open daily from 10 am to 10 pm.
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Waiting for Ginebra return, Brownlee looking at overseas offers
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delfin.dioquino editor
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26/02/2024 7:47
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JUMPER. Justin Brownlee in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2024 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Expect Justin Brownlee to reunite with Barangay Ginebra, but as he still waits for his next tour of duty in the PBA, chances are he will play elsewhere for the meantime.
Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone said Brownlee has received offers from overseas teams as the beloved naturalized player ponders his next career move after he and the Nationals swept the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
It will take months before Brownlee sets foot in the PBA again, with the league staging the Philippine Cup next starting on February 28.
“There are offers to go play overseas since it is All-Filipino. We’re perfectly fine with that,” said Cone on Sunday, February 25, after the Philippines’ 106-53 rout of visiting Chinese Taipei.
“We’re all for him going out, staying in shape.”
Going overseas should be an ideal move for Brownlee as he looks to regain his old form after being away from competitive action for four months – a result of failing a doping test in the Asian Games in October.
Brownlee is no stranger to playing in other foreign leagues in between his Ginebra stints as he suited up for Lebanese club Al Riyadi in 2019 and UAE’s Al Sharjah in 2021.
Not only would Brownlee be in tiptop shape once the PBA holds another import-flavored conference, he would also be in deadlier form for the Riga, Latvia leg of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in July.
Fearsome foes await in the OQT, with Brownlee and world No. 38 Philippines set to battle No. 8 Latvia and No. 23 Georgia.
“He will definitely be back for us at Ginebra in the next conference, after the All-Filipino. He is already locked in for that. So we’ll see him here,” said Cone.
“But in the meantime, he is looking at offers and he’ll probably end up playing somewhere for a while.”
Despite seeing his career temporarily derailed for one-third of a year, Brownlee looked like he hardly lost a step as he steered the Philippines to a pair of blowout wins in the first window of the Asia Cup Qualifiers.
Brownlee delivered 26 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks against Chinese Taipei – an impressive follow-up performance to his 16-point, 7-rebound, 7-assists, 3-steal effort in a 94-64 romp of Hong Kong.
No wonder teams are calling. – Rappler.com
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Baddie Vanie: Cignal rising star Gandler wins 1st 2024 PVL Player of the Week
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jisaga0269
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25/02/2024 13:07
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ALL SMILES. Cignal spiker Vanie Gandler (5) reacts with teammate Ria Meneses in the 2023 PVL Second All-Filipino Conference
PVL Images
MANILA, Philippines – Vanie Gandler proved her stellar rookie season in the Premier Volleyball League was no mere fluke.
In Cignal’s first game of the 2024 All-Filipino Conference on Saturday, February 24, the former Ateneo star spiker picked up right where she left off, tallying a game-high 19 points on 17 attacks, an ace, and a block to help the HD Spikers edge the reloaded Akari Chargers in four sets.
In a team bannered by steely veterans like former PVL Most Valuable Player Ces Molina and top off-season recruit Dawn Macandili-Catindig, it was the young Gandler who quickly proved her worth from the get-go, despite being rested in the game’s waning moments.
“It feels good, of course, because our preparation time was very short, but I’m happy that the team was able to come together,” said the Cignal rising star after their 21-25, 25-18, 25-12, 25-18 victory over Akari at the Araneta Coliseum.
“After the first set, it’s normal first-game jitters. But I could see how much we all want it.”
For her standout performance, Gandler was awarded by the newly formed PVL Press Corps as the 2024 season’s first Player of the Week for the period of February 20 to 24.
She edged out Creamline’s Tots Carlos, PLDT’s Savie Davison, Chery Tiggo’s Mylene Paat, Petro Gazz’s Nicole Tiamzon, and Choco Mucho’s Mars Alba for the weekly award deliberated upon by reporters regularly covering the PVL beat.
Carrying a mindset rivaling seasoned veterans, the 23-year-old Gandler already knows that her rise to stardom won’t come as easily moving forward, and she is very much ready for bigger challenges in the path ahead.
“Personally for me, now that I’ve played two conferences, I know that the teams are going to really scout me more, so I really have to think outside the box and level up from here,” she continued.
“As a team, I’m sure teams are also gonna scout us. That’s a challenge, of course. We’re just 14 awesome, so, you know, [we need to] stay healthy. It’s everyone’s biggest obstacle.” – Rappler.com
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Brownlee shines in homecoming game as Gilas Pilipinas blasts Chinese Taipei by 53
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delfin.dioquino editor
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25/02/2024 21:18
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HOMECOMING. Justin Brownlee in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2024 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Tim Cone promised a better showing from Gilas Pilipinas after a tentative start to their FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers debut.
His charges did not disappoint as the Philippines claimed a wire-to-wire 106-53 win over the visiting Chinese Taipei to sweep the first window at the PhilSports Arena on Sunday, February 25.
Playing his first game in the country in 10 months, Justin Brownlee imposed his will early and finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal to propel the Filipinos to a 2-0 record in Group B.
Brownlee showed how much he missed playing at home, scattering 11 points in the first quarter as the Philippines opened the floodgates early en route to the 53-point blowout.
“I have not played in front of a Philippines home crowd in a while. It feels great,” said Brownlee. “Unbelievable energy they came in with. You see all the jerseys and [hear] the non-stop cheering. It just feels great.”
Unlike their 94-64 rout of Hong Kong where they led by just two possessions at halftime, the Filipinos built a double-digit lead at the end of the opening quarter and never looked back.
The home squad held a 13-11 edge before closing out the first period on a blazing 13-2 run highlighted by 4 points each from young stars Kai Sotto and Dwight Ramos.
Sotto churned out 18 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks to backstop Brownlee as the two combined for 27 first-half points to help the Philippines mount a commanding 52-27 lead at halftime.
His offense taking a backseat in the second quarter, Brownlee took over again in the third period and erupted for 11 points in a span of 5:30 minutes, much to the delight of the mammoth crowd at the 10,000-seater venue.
“It feels great hearing the cheers and the energy they always bring. Of course, the passion is just unbelievable,” said Brownlee.
Gilas Pilipinas’ lead breached the 40-point mark when Kevin Quiambao ran off 8 unanswered points late in the third frame for an 80-38 cushion.
Quiambao put up 10 points and 6 rebounds, Calvin Oftana tallied 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals, while Carl Tamayo chimed in 11 points and 6 rebounds.
Ramos added 12 points on top of 3 rebounds and 2 steals as six players scored in double figures for a balanced attack by the hosts.
“I really liked the way we worked tonight. We just really worked hard on both sides of the floor and did that for the whole game of 48 minutes,” said head coach Tim Cone.
Liu Cheng wound up as the only Taiwanese player in twin-digit scoring with 13 points as the Philippines contained Chinese Taipei to a measly 29.6% clip and forcing the visitors to commit more turnovers (16) than assists (11).
It was a lopsided win not even Cone expected, especially after Chinese Taipei gave world No. 21 New Zealand a challenge before absorbing an 89-69 loss in their Asia Cup Qualifiers opener.
“We played the same team and these guys just worked their tails off and made [Chinese Taipei] look bad. And they’re not that bad, they’re a really talented team,” said Cone.
Although tied with New Zealand with identical 2-0 cards, Gilas Pilipinas owns the top spot in Group B with an accumulated winning margin of a whopping 83 points.
Philippines 106 – Brownlee 26, Sotto 18, Oftana 13, Ramos 12, Tamayo 11, Quiambao 10, Aguilar 8, Perez 4, Newsome 2, Thompson 2.
Chinese Taipei 53 – Liu 13, S. Lin 8, Z. Hsieh 6, Wang 6, Chang 4, B. Lin 3, C. C. Lin 3, Chen 2, C. Lin 2, Gao 2, Yu 2, Y. Hsieh 2.
Quarters: 26-13, 52-27, 82-41, 106-53.
– Rappler.com
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Sultan suffers shock KO loss to Japanese prospect
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Jasmine Payo
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24/02/2024 18:40
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STUNNED. Filipino boxer Jonas Sultan writhes in pain after a shock loss to Japanese Riku Masuda.
WENDELL ALINEA/MP PROMOTIONS
TOKYO, Japan – Jonas Sultan got caught by a perfect body shot and suffered a shocking first-round knockout loss to Japanese prospect Riku Masuda on Saturday night, February 24, at the Kokugikan Arena here.
As Sultan threw a right, Masuda sneaked in a wicked left straight to the liver that sent the Filipino down for the first time in his career.
Although writhing in pain, Sultan tried to get up, but failed to beat the count and dropped to 19-7 with 11 knockouts.
“I tried to shake it off, but I really can’t breathe. Masakit talaga (It really hurts),” said Sultan, a two-time world title challenger who admitted that he got confident as he was in great shape.
Masuda only had four fights and a 3-1 record before their bantamweight 8-rounder in the undercard of the Takuma Inoue-Jerwin Ancajas battle for the World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight crown.
According to Sultan, he did not get jet-lagged despite arriving from the United States only late Thursday with Brendan Gibbons.
Junnie Navarro, Sultan’s manager who flew in from Manila to lend his support consoled his distraught ward.
“It was a lucky shot. It happened and it’s about bouncing back,” said Navarro, who promised to arrange a comeback fight for Sultan in Zamboanga in August. – Rappler.com
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Jamie Malonzo out sick after Hong Kong trip, says Tim Cone
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delfin.dioquino editor
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26/02/2024 0:57
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SHOT. Jamie Malonzo in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2024 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas played with a depleted lineup in its 106-53 romp of Chinese Taipei in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers on Sunday, February 25, as it missed the services of Jamie Malonzo.
Head coach Tim Cone said Malonzo fell ill after the Filipinos’ 30-point road win against Hong Kong, leaving the team with only 10 players in their homestand against the visiting Taiwanese at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
Cone bared Justin Brownlee also felt under the weather following their four-day trip in Hong Kong.
“Actually, [Jamie] and Justin were both sick coming home. We got home from Hong Kong, they both got sick. We were really afraid that neither of them would play, but Justin kind of bounced back,” said Cone.
“Jamie, we contemplated bringing him to the hospital, he’s that down and out. Hopefully, he’ll bounce back and get better. We sent our doctors to him and put him on IV.”
Aside from Malonzo, the Nationals also played without injured big men June Mar Fajardo (calf) and AJ Edu (knee).
National team veteran Japeth Aguilar came in to help fill the gaping hole in the middle for the squad.
Even with a shorthanded roster, though, the Philippines dominated and defended its turf with conviction, cruising to a 53-point victory.
Brownlee showed the way for the Filipinos with 26 points on top of 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks.
Cone said he and his staff need to do a better job in making sure that the players are healthy as they play more road games in the future, with the Riga, Latvia leg of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament coming up in July.
“I think maybe some of the guys just got severely dehydrated on the trip and we didn’t hydrate well enough. I’ve got to be more cognizant of that and make sure that guys are doing that better,” said Cone.
“That’s really on us to make sure that doesn’t happen. Viruses are all over the place so you never know when someone’s going to pick something up.”
With the first window of the Asia Cup Qualifiers coming to a close, the players return to their mother teams in their respective leagues before they reunite for a chance to qualify for the Paris Games. – Rappler.com
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UST adds chapter to storied rivalry off shock thriller over La Salle
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Jasmine Payo
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26/02/2024 0:42
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STUNNER. UST's Jonna Perdido celebrates against La Salle in UAAP women's volleyball action.
UAAP
MANILA, Philippines — The latest chapter in the storied rivalry of the UST and La Salle’s women’s volleyball teams fit the billing of a UAAP blockbuster on Sunday, February 25, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Over 12,200 paid spectators watched the last two remaining undefeated teams, before the Golden Tigresses came out unscathed at 3-0 following a hard-fought thriller, 25-18, 25-23, 14-25, 16-25, 15-12, against the defending champions.
This early, UST flipped the script, owning the top tags – only unbeaten team, solo leader – that could have easily been attached to powerhouse La Salle early in the season.
“There are no easy wins this season, you have to work hard for everything, especially when you’re against the defending champions,” said UST head coach Emilio “Kungfu” Reyes.
And work hard they did as the Tigresses regained their poise in the fifth set after the Lady Spikers came close to completing a comeback from two sets down, 12-9, needing just 3 points to get their third win of the season.
At that point, Reyes calmed his wards by calling a time out.
“Whatever the result, especially in the fifth set, I was happy in a way since I saw my girls fight and kept it close in the end,” said Reyes.
UST’s neophyte core responded tremendously, with rookie Angge Poyos, who ended up with 22 points, sparking the late 6-0 run, which was punctuated by Mary Banagua’s dump at the net.
Third-year player Jonna Perdido, who finished with a team-high 24, was also instrumental in the win.
“[Our] immaturity showed during sets 3 and 4, but the beauty of it is that we recovered during the fifth set,” said Reyes of the Tigresses, who are playing their first season minus team star Eya Laure.
La Salle is a relatively more experienced team led by second-year star Angel Canino, who in her rookie campaign already secured the Most Valuable Player award in 2023.
But the UST players said they worked hard to be on equal footing.
Overall, La Salle still holds the upper hand over UST in 69 head-to-head matchups, 37-32, since the Taft squad’s entry to the UAAP in 1986.
“The UST team is very, very motivated,” said Reyes. “In the third and fourth sets, we went low batt (low energy). In the fifth set, I was just hoping that they won’t stop, that they would keep fighting.”
By the looks of it, that’s what the Tigresses will keep on doing. – Rappler.com
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Not so ‘Batang Gilas’ anymore: Kai Sotto relishes growth beside Quiambao, Tamayo, Edu
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jisaga0269
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26/02/2024 0:07
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BOX OUT. Gilas star Kai Sotto (center) battles for rebounding position against Chinese Taipei players.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – At one point, the Philippines had its greatest collection of basketball prospects playing for the Gilas Youth division.
Then called Batang Gilas in the late 2010s, the national team’s under-18 pool featured extremely promising stalwarts clearly holding the keys to the future and got fans and coaches salivating at the idea of what would come next.
Fast forward to the present, and the world has since seen glimpses of what highs Gilas’ next few years truly hold as talented big men Kai Sotto, Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, and AJ Edu continue to feature prominently in the national team’s seniors ranks.
Now that they’ve emerged as key figures in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, Sotto fondly looked back on how far their skills and chemistry have gone since their first forays into international competitions.
“I feel like we’ve already shared a really good bond ever since we were younger. It really helps us, when we get to the court, we no longer have a feeling-out process,” he said after Gilas destroyed Chinese Taipei, 106-53, on home turf at the PhilSports Arena on Sunday, February 25.
“We already have a lot of trust in one another. Carl, AJ, KQ, and I have been together from Batang Gilas until now, so I’m very happy that our progress has continued.”
True enough, the progress has been continuous, and to summarize in one word, stratospheric.
Sotto, coming off stops in the Australian National Basketball League and the NBA Summer League, is now honing his craft further in his second season in the Japan B. League alongside Edu, who unfortunately has been sidelined this Gilas window due to injury.
Tamayo, a UAAP champion with the UP Maroons, already has hardware to show in the pro league after winning a B. League title in just his rookie season with the Ryukyu Golden Kings before both sides mutually parted ways.
Quiambao, meanwhile, has evolved to history-making levels while still at the college level, catapulting himself to MVP status in the UAAP and leading the La Salle Green Archers to their first championship in seven years.
To top it all off, not a single person in that quartet has turned 25.
Fans continue to closely watch just how much farther this group will go in the near future, with imposing expectations matching their ever-growing structures.
Sotto, however, is just taking each day in stride. He always has and always will.
“I’m just so happy for everybody who contributed from the start until now,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to the things we will continue to do in the future.” – Rappler.com
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Mission accomplished as Brownlee thrills fans with rousing home performance
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delfin.dioquino editor
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25/02/2024 23:32
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SLAM. Justin Brownlee in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2024 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Justin Brownlee wanted nothing but to make the fans happy in his first game in the country in nearly a year.
And he showed that through his fine play as he steered Gilas Pilipinas to a 106-53 home rout of Chinese Taipei on Sunday, February 25, that allowed the Filipinos to sweep the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
The beloved naturalized player finished with team-highs of 26 points and 13 rebounds on top 5 assists and 2 blocks for a rousing homecoming performance at the jam-packed PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
“I missed it. I missed the fans more than anything. I just missed seeing their smiles and just being able to make them cheer and just seeing their passion for the game,” Brownlee said.
Brownlee last played in the Philippines in April when he and Barangay Ginebra bowed to TNT in the PBA Governors’ Cup finals last season.
The Gin Kings tapped Brownlee for what would have been his 11th straight import conference with the franchise, but he missed PBA action for the first time since 2016 after he failed a doping test in the Asian Games in October.
Brownlee opted to serve a voluntary suspension that started in November before FIBA gave the go signal for his return this February.
Eager to repay the fans’ love as they waited four months for his hardcourt comeback, Brownlee erupted for 11 points in the opening quarter to set the tone in the 53-point blowout.
“They definitely came in with some energy and it made me want to be more aggressive. Just to hear that crowd roar, just to put a smile on their face or make them cheer and be happy,” he said.
And it is not just on the court where fans invigorated Brownlee but also off it.
“I got to be honest, I was a little down coming here, but coming here and seeing these fans and stuff like that, showing great support, it definitely has cheered me up,” said Brownlee.
“I’m on that high again as far as being excited. It just feels great.” – Rappler.com
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Jamie Malonzo out sick after Hong Kong trip, says Tim Cone
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delfin.dioquino editor
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26/02/2024 0:57
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SHOT. Jamie Malonzo in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2024 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas played with a depleted lineup in its 106-53 romp of Chinese Taipei in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers on Sunday, February 25, as it missed the services of Jamie Malonzo.
Head coach Tim Cone said Malonzo fell ill after the Filipinos’ 30-point road win against Hong Kong, leaving the team with only 10 players in their homestand against the visiting Taiwanese at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
Cone bared Justin Brownlee also felt under the weather following their four-day trip in Hong Kong.
“Actually, [Jamie] and Justin were both sick coming home. We got home from Hong Kong, they both got sick. We were really afraid that neither of them would play, but Justin kind of bounced back,” said Cone.
“Jamie, we contemplated bringing him to the hospital, he’s that down and out. Hopefully, he’ll bounce back and get better. We sent our doctors to him and put him on IV.”
Aside from Malonzo, the Nationals also played without injured big men June Mar Fajardo (calf) and AJ Edu (knee).
National team veteran Japeth Aguilar came in to help fill the gaping hole in the middle for the squad.
Even with a shorthanded roster, though, the Philippines dominated and defended its turf with conviction, cruising to a 53-point victory.
Brownlee showed the way for the Filipinos with 26 points on top of 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks.
Cone said he and his staff need to do a better job in making sure that the players are healthy as they play more road games in the future, with the Riga, Latvia leg of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament coming up in July.
“I think maybe some of the guys just got severely dehydrated on the trip and we didn’t hydrate well enough. I’ve got to be more cognizant of that and make sure that guys are doing that better,” said Cone.
“That’s really on us to make sure that doesn’t happen. Viruses are all over the place so you never know when someone’s going to pick something up.”
With the first window of the Asia Cup Qualifiers coming to a close, the players return to their mother teams in their respective leagues before they reunite for a chance to qualify for the Paris Games. – Rappler.com
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UST adds chapter to storied rivalry off shock thriller over La Salle
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Jasmine Payo
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26/02/2024 0:42
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STUNNER. UST's Jonna Perdido celebrates against La Salle in UAAP women's volleyball action.
UAAP
MANILA, Philippines — The latest chapter in the storied rivalry of the UST and La Salle’s women’s volleyball teams fit the billing of a UAAP blockbuster on Sunday, February 25, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Over 12,200 paid spectators watched the last two remaining undefeated teams, before the Golden Tigresses came out unscathed at 3-0 following a hard-fought thriller, 25-18, 25-23, 14-25, 16-25, 15-12, against the defending champions.
This early, UST flipped the script, owning the top tags – only unbeaten team, solo leader – that could have easily been attached to powerhouse La Salle early in the season.
“There are no easy wins this season, you have to work hard for everything, especially when you’re against the defending champions,” said UST head coach Emilio “Kungfu” Reyes.
And work hard they did as the Tigresses regained their poise in the fifth set after the Lady Spikers came close to completing a comeback from two sets down, 12-9, needing just 3 points to get their third win of the season.
At that point, Reyes calmed his wards by calling a time out.
“Whatever the result, especially in the fifth set, I was happy in a way since I saw my girls fight and kept it close in the end,” said Reyes.
UST’s neophyte core responded tremendously, with rookie Angge Poyos, who ended up with 22 points, sparking the late 6-0 run, which was punctuated by Mary Banagua’s dump at the net.
Third-year player Jonna Perdido, who finished with a team-high 24, was also instrumental in the win.
“[Our] immaturity showed during sets 3 and 4, but the beauty of it is that we recovered during the fifth set,” said Reyes of the Tigresses, who are playing their first season minus team star Eya Laure.
La Salle is a relatively more experienced team led by second-year star Angel Canino, who in her rookie campaign already secured the Most Valuable Player award in 2023.
But the UST players said they worked hard to be on equal footing.
Overall, La Salle still holds the upper hand over UST in 69 head-to-head matchups, 37-32, since the Taft squad’s entry to the UAAP in 1986.
“The UST team is very, very motivated,” said Reyes. “In the third and fourth sets, we went low batt (low energy). In the fifth set, I was just hoping that they won’t stop, that they would keep fighting.”
By the looks of it, that’s what the Tigresses will keep on doing. – Rappler.com
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Not so ‘Batang Gilas’ anymore: Kai Sotto relishes growth beside Quiambao, Tamayo, Edu
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jisaga0269
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26/02/2024 0:07
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BOX OUT. Gilas star Kai Sotto (center) battles for rebounding position against Chinese Taipei players.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – At one point, the Philippines had its greatest collection of basketball prospects playing for the Gilas Youth division.
Then called Batang Gilas in the late 2010s, the national team’s under-18 pool featured extremely promising stalwarts clearly holding the keys to the future and got fans and coaches salivating at the idea of what would come next.
Fast forward to the present, and the world has since seen glimpses of what highs Gilas’ next few years truly hold as talented big men Kai Sotto, Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, and AJ Edu continue to feature prominently in the national team’s seniors ranks.
Now that they’ve emerged as key figures in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, Sotto fondly looked back on how far their skills and chemistry have gone since their first forays into international competitions.
“I feel like we’ve already shared a really good bond ever since we were younger. It really helps us, when we get to the court, we no longer have a feeling-out process,” he said after Gilas destroyed Chinese Taipei, 106-53, on home turf at the PhilSports Arena on Sunday, February 25.
“We already have a lot of trust in one another. Carl, AJ, KQ, and I have been together from Batang Gilas until now, so I’m very happy that our progress has continued.”
True enough, the progress has been continuous, and to summarize in one word, stratospheric.
Sotto, coming off stops in the Australian National Basketball League and the NBA Summer League, is now honing his craft further in his second season in the Japan B. League alongside Edu, who unfortunately has been sidelined this Gilas window due to injury.
Tamayo, a UAAP champion with the UP Maroons, already has hardware to show in the pro league after winning a B. League title in just his rookie season with the Ryukyu Golden Kings before both sides mutually parted ways.
Quiambao, meanwhile, has evolved to history-making levels while still at the college level, catapulting himself to MVP status in the UAAP and leading the La Salle Green Archers to their first championship in seven years.
To top it all off, not a single person in that quartet has turned 25.
Fans continue to closely watch just how much farther this group will go in the near future, with imposing expectations matching their ever-growing structures.
Sotto, however, is just taking each day in stride. He always has and always will.
“I’m just so happy for everybody who contributed from the start until now,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to the things we will continue to do in the future.” – Rappler.com
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‘It’s so good to be back!’: A fan recap of The Jonas Brothers 2024 Manila concert
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Ysa Abad
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25/02/2024 11:53
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The Jonas Brothers waving goodbye to their Filipino fans. Photo by Cheska Lingad/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The stage was burnin’ up at the Mall of Asia Arena as the Jonas Brothers treated fans to performances of their top hits from their five studio albums on Thursday, February 22.
For the first time since their last visit in 2012, Joe, Nick, and Kevin Jonas returned to the Philippines for their worldwide tour The Tour, which celebrates their five albums – self-titled debut record Jonas Brothers, sophomore album A Little Bit Longer, their last studio album Lines, Vines and Trying Times before the announcement of their hiatus in 2013, the comeback record Happiness Begins from 2019, and their latest release The Album.
Manila. pic.twitter.com/dnsuXTmkZ7
Organized by Ovation Productions, the concert in Manila opened the international tour for the band of brothers in 2024 as it was the first stop of the year.
It was 8:38 pm when the lights dimmed, the backing band settled into their spots with their instruments, and the show finally began. Alongside everyone else at the arena, making sure not to miss a moment, I held my phone up high to record as the Jonas Brothers took center stage and set off with a performance of “What a Man Gotta Do.”
WATCH: The crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena goes wild as the Jonas Brothers take the stage with a performance of “What a Man Gotta Do” during their concert on Thursday, February 22. #JonasBrothersInManila #TheTourInManilahttps://t.co/eNLZLhzgQW pic.twitter.com/xo0yGbo6Wd
Like any other concert, the show started later than the scheduled kick-off at 8 pm. Even if I have been a fan of theirs since the first Camp Rock movie came out in 2008, this was my first time watching the Jonas Brothers live. Admittedly, with all my excitement, I was getting a little impatient, but once I saw Joe, Nick, and Kevin enter the stage, the wait didn’t seem so long anymore.
They immediately followed their opening number with their 2007 hit single “S.O.S.” The crowd’s energy was nothing like anything I’ve experienced before. I could barely hear myself singing with everyone else extremely ecstatic over this performance, but who could blame them? It was a childhood anthem.
Before the JoBros played “Hold On” and “Goodnight and Goodbye,” Nick told us that they would try to perform as many songs from their discography as they could.
“It’s so good to be back!” he said. “We’re here to celebrate five albums!”
The brothers then took their places on the catwalk to sing “That’s Just the Way We Roll” with Joe hyping up the crowd.
“Sing it out!” he yelled the first time, and as if not satisfied enough with the volume of our screams (and trust me, we were belting our hearts out), he exclaimed once more, “I said ‘sing!’” and the crowd went wild.
They continued on to the next round of songs from their first album, starting out with “Still In Love With You,” followed by “Australia,” “Hollywood,” “Just Friends,” and “Games.”
Pausing the performances for a bit, the former Disney stars shared their experiences riding jeepneys and exploring Manila.
“[We] did some exploring, had some great food,” Joe shared.
“We have to come back sooner,” he continued, and I really hope they do! While the atmosphere was nothing short of crazy and loud, it felt so comforting to share this moment with my childhood idols.
They also fondly recalled hearing “When You Look Me in the Eyes” – one of their most well-loved songs – being played by a pianist in their hotel lobby earlier that day. Joe even pointed out to a fan in the crowd, asking if it had been them on the piano playing the tune, before launching into a soulful rendition of the song. A sea of yellow and blue lights also shone from the crowd during the performance as part of a fan project by Filipino Jonatics, elevating the intimate atmosphere the song naturally created.
WATCH: Filipino Jonatics shine their flashlights as part of a fan project while the Jonas Brothers perform "When You Look Me In The Eyes" during their Manila concert on Thursday, February 22. #JonasBrothersInManila #TheTourInManila https://t.co/UCYSte6a6Q pic.twitter.com/9jRsmLnp4e
Ushering in a new wave of excitement, the Jonas Brothers then proceeded to play “Year 3000.” I thought that the crowd couldn’t get any louder than when “S.O.S.” was performed, but I was so wrong. This song had everyone singing, screaming, dancing, and jumping! It may have just been the rush of energy I felt in that moment, but I think I felt the ground shaking a little.
They followed this up with charming performances of “Summer Baby” and “Vacation Eyes” that left me feeling all kinds of kilig, mostly because Joe took his sweet time singing on the catwalk, right in front of where I was standing.
My favorite part of the concert was when the soundtracks of the Disney film series Camp Rock were played. Joe started out with “Gotta Find You” from the first movie, followed by Nick with “Introducing Me” from the sequel. All three brothers then jammed out with the fans to “Play My Music.”
I grew up watching this film series so the nostalgia I felt was extreme. I also couldn’t believe I was hearing these songs live, and not to mention, singing along with Joe, Nick, and Kevin.
The Camp Rock setlist was cut short by a medley of electric tracks from their sophomore album, including “BB Good,” “Shelf,” “Got Me Going Crazy,” “Video Girl,” “One Man Show,” “Pushin’ Me Away,” and “Tonight.”
They also performed their romantic, pop ballad “Lovebug” and “Burnin’ Up,” the lead single from their third album. Both of which left fans – including myself – speechless, over the edge, and just breathless!
Back at the catwalk, the Jonas Brothers performed newest hits “Waffle House” and “Montana Sky” from their latest album. Personally, I think these two songs set the tone for their newer music: more mature yet still playful and fun!
Still with a lot of energy, Nick introduced the next part of the concert as an ode to their third studio album. “This is Lines, Vines and Trying Times,” he announced, and they launched into singing “Fly With Me,” “Hey Baby,” “Poison Ivy,” “World War III,” “Don’t Speak,” and “What Did I Do to Your Heart,” taking turns going to each corner of the stage.
When they performed “Much Better,” Joe switched up a few lyrics to “Everything I’d ever need is right here in Manila with me” which had everyone erupting in cheers.
Mr. Perfectly Fine especially seemed to be having a blast at the concert, even taking a fan’s camera to take pictures of Nick and Kevin while they were performing “Paranoid.”
Joe followed his younger brother’s suave solo performance of hit single “Jealous” by showing off his dance moves to a rendition of “Cake by the Ocean” originally sung by his former band, DNCE. What made the production even better was the fact that he was joined by DNCE bandmate JinJoo Lee, who plays the guitar for them on tour.
Giving the fans a chance to catch their breath with a more laid-back and mellow tune, the Jonas Brothers went back to their spots on the main stage and sang “Walls” before diving into tracks from their fourth album, Happiness Begins.
They rocked out to famous hits “Sucker,” and “Cool,” as well as “Come Back,” “Rollercoaster,” “Strangers,” and “I Believe.” They even prepared a short but cute choreography for the chorus of “Only Human,” and concluded their performances with a fun yet relaxed version of “Leave Before You Love Me.”
After waving goodbye to fans, and with “Remember This” being played by their backing band, the Jonas Brothers took their final bows together at the catwalk and wrapped up the night.
This is definitely a show that I’ll never forget, and I think the final song’s lyrics couldn’t have summed it up any better: “Baby, we’re gonna wanna remember this.”
Manila… You were LOUD last night!! What a way to kick-off the international leg of #THETOUR. Couldn’t have asked for a better first night back ❤️ Thank you for having us! pic.twitter.com/LVsz3PglKg
The Jonas Brothers first performed in the Philippines in 2012. They announced their hiatus in 2013 and confirmed their reunion six years later in 2019. – Rappler.com
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Mission accomplished as Brownlee thrills fans with rousing home performance
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delfin.dioquino editor
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25/02/2024 23:32
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SLAM. Justin Brownlee in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2024 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Justin Brownlee wanted nothing but to make the fans happy in his first game in the country in nearly a year.
And he showed that through his fine play as he steered Gilas Pilipinas to a 106-53 home rout of Chinese Taipei on Sunday, February 25, that allowed the Filipinos to sweep the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
The beloved naturalized player finished with team-highs of 26 points and 13 rebounds on top 5 assists and 2 blocks for a rousing homecoming performance at the jam-packed PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
“I missed it. I missed the fans more than anything. I just missed seeing their smiles and just being able to make them cheer and just seeing their passion for the game,” Brownlee said.
Brownlee last played in the Philippines in April when he and Barangay Ginebra bowed to TNT in the PBA Governors’ Cup finals last season.
The Gin Kings tapped Brownlee for what would have been his 11th straight import conference with the franchise, but he missed PBA action for the first time since 2016 after he failed a doping test in the Asian Games in October.
Brownlee opted to serve a voluntary suspension that started in November before FIBA gave the go signal for his return this February.
Eager to repay the fans’ love as they waited four months for his hardcourt comeback, Brownlee erupted for 11 points in the opening quarter to set the tone in the 53-point blowout.
“They definitely came in with some energy and it made me want to be more aggressive. Just to hear that crowd roar, just to put a smile on their face or make them cheer and be happy,” he said.
And it is not just on the court where fans invigorated Brownlee but also off it.
“I got to be honest, I was a little down coming here, but coming here and seeing these fans and stuff like that, showing great support, it definitely has cheered me up,” said Brownlee.
“I’m on that high again as far as being excited. It just feels great.” – Rappler.com
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RESULTS: February 2024 Technical Evaluation for Upgrading as Professional Mechanical Engineers
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pfkahanap0307
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27/02/2024 23:20
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This is a press release from the Professional Regulation Commission.
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 55 passed the Technical Evaluation for the Upgrading as Professional Mechanical Engineers given by the Board of Mechanical Engineering in NCR this February 2024.
The members of the Board of Mechanical Engineering who conducted the Technical Evaluation are Engr. Leandro A. Conti, chairman; Engr. Jerico T. Borja and Engr. Lorenzo P. Larion, members.
Registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card (ID) and Certificate of Registration will start on April 5, 2024.
Here is the full list of passers:
– Rappler.com
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RESULTS: February 2024 Mechanical Engineers and Certified Plant Mechanics Licensure Examination
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pfkahanap0307
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27/02/2024 22:44
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This is a press release from the Professional Regulation Commission.
The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 4,458 out of 6,770 passed the Mechanical Engineers Licensure Examination and 65 out of 108 passed the Certified Plant Mechanics Licensure Examination given by the Board of Mechanical Engineering in NCR, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pampanga, Rosales, Tacloban and Zamboanga this February 2024.
The results of examination with respect to seventeen (17) examinees were withheld pending final determination of their liabilities under the rules and regulations governing licensure examinations.
The members of the Board of Mechanical Engineering who gave the licensure examinations are Engr. Leandro A. Conti, chairman; Engr. Jerico T. Borja and Engr. Lorenzo P. Larion, members.
The results were released in three (3) working days after the last day of examinations. Starting April 5, 2024, registration for the issuance of Professional Identification Card (ID) and Certificate of Registration will be done online. Please go to www.prc.gov.ph and follow instructions for initial registration.
Those who will register are required to bring the following: downloaded duly accomplished Oath Form or Panunumpa ng Propesyonal, notice of admission (for identification only), 2 pieces passport sized pictures (colored with white background and complete name tag), 2 sets of documentary stamps and 1 piece short brown envelope. Successful examinees should personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals.
The date and venue for the oathtaking ceremony of the new successful examinees in the said examinations will be announced later.
The top performing schools in the February 2024 Mechanical Engineers Licensure Examination as per Commission Resolution No. 2017-1058(C) series of 2017:
The top performing school in the February 2024 Certified Plant Mechanics Licensure Examination as per Commission Resolution No. 2017-1058(C) series of 2017:
The successful examinees who garnered the ten (10) highest places in the February 2024 Mechanical Engineers Licensure Examination are the following:
The successful examinees who garnered the ten (10) highest places in the February 2024 Certified Plant Mechanics Licensure Examination are the following:
Here’s the full list of passers:
– Rappler.com
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Rappler Talk: Was it justice for Jemboy Baltazar’s parents?
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Jairo Bolledo
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27/02/2024 21:17
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MANILA, Philippines – The case of 17-year-old Jerhode Jemboy Baltazar, the teen killed during a police operation in August 2023, concluded with lighter penalties against cops tagged in the incident.
On Tuesday, February 27, Navotas City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 286 Judge Pedro Dabu only convicted one cop – Police Staff Sergeant Gerry Sabate Maliban – of homicide. He was sentenced to four to six years imprisonment. He was convicted of homicide, but the charge was originally a murder case.
Four other police officers received a slap on the wrist. Staff Sergeant Niko Pines Esquilon, Executive Master Sergeant Roberto Balais Jr., Corporal Edmard Jake Blanco, and Patrolman Benedict Mangada were all convicted of illegal discharge of firearms and were sentenced to four months imprisonment.
Meanwhile, the court absolved Staff Sergeant Antonio Bugayong Jr.
What does this ruling mean for Baltazar’s parents?
Catch this episode of Rappler Talk as justice and police reporter Jairo Bolledo sits down with the teen’s parents to talk about their reaction to the court’s verdict. – Rappler.com
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SC finds PAO chief Acosta guilty of indirect contempt, orders her to pay fine
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Jairo Bolledo
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27/02/2024 21:29
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PAO CHIEF. Public Attorney's Office chief Persida Acosta sits down with Rappler in an interview.
Jairo Bolledo/ Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Supreme Court (SC) justices unanimously found Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta guilty of indirect contempt, the High Court announced on Tuesday, February 27.
The SC said the magistrates found Acosta guilty of indirect contempt for violating section 3(d), rule 71, of the Rules of Court, and of grossly undignified conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice under section 33, canon VI of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA) – the new code of conduct for lawyers.
Acosta was ordered to pay P30,000 for the indirect contempt, and P150,000 for grossly undignified conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice “with a stern warning that a repetition of the same or similar offenses shall be dealt with more severely.”
Under the Philippine laws, indirect contempt is a type of contempt committed out of the court’s presence. Acosta was found guilty for her action that fell under “any improper conduct tending, directly or indirectly, to impede, obstruct, or degrade the administration of justice.”
“It was determined that Atty. Acosta’s statements and innuendos on her Facebook page, which was accessible to the public, attributed ill intent and malice to the Court,” the SC said.
“The Court also found that by launching a public campaign against the new conflict of interest rule for the PAO using public attorneys and the PAO’s staff and clients and publicizing the contents of the PAO’s letters to Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo requesting the deletion of the same rule, Atty. Acosta tried to sway the public opinion in order to pressure the Court into yielding to her position,” it added.
The SC’s punishment against the PAO chief stemmed from the latter’s opposition against the conflict of interest rule in the new lawyers’ code of conduct, which eventually became section 22, canon III of the CPRA. In a letter addressed to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, Persida’s office claimed that the CPRA’s new provision allows two PAO lawyers to represent opposing parties in court cases.
The PAO also noted that it also “puts at risk the life and limb of the handling public attorneys” because clients could suspect that their counsels “double-crossed them.”
Before the resolution on Acosta’s case, the SC, in two different instances last year, ordered the PAO chief to explain her tirades and actions against the new CPRA. Acosta later apologized to the High Court in a video posted on her Facebook page.
Aside from indirect contempt, Acosta also violated some provisions of the new CPRA. Acosta’s acts also violated sections 2 and 14, canon II of the CPRA, which requires lawyers to respect the tribunals and submit grievances through appropriate remedy. The court also found that the PAO chief violated the CPRA rules on the responsible use of social media.
For issuing Office Order No. 96, series of 2023, Acosta also violated section 2, canon II, and section 2, canon III, which state that lawyers have the duty to observe and respect the court and legal processes. The said order issued by Acosta stated that public attorneys must reconcile the CPRA provision with the provisions of article 209 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by Section 36 of Republic Act No. 10951.
RA 10951 discusses betrayal of trust by an attorney or a solicitor. This meant Acosta wanted PAO lawyers to adhere to the new CPRA, while minding the law punishing betrayal of trust by a lawyer.
“Instead of enjoining public attorneys to strictly comply with the new conflict of interest rule for the PAO, the Office Order instigated disobedience to the rule and implied that the Court, by adopting the new conflict of interest rule for PAO, unduly exposed the PAO lawyers not only to criminal and administrative liability, but also to physical danger,” the SC explained.
Acosta was not the only PAO official punished by the High Court. On Tuesday, the SC said its en banc also found PAO forensics unit director Erwin Erfe guilty of indirect contempt for accusing the SC of judicial tyranny.
Erfe, a lawyer, made the accusation after the SC issued its resolution denying the PAO’s request to delete the conflict of interest provision in the new CPRA, and asking Acosta why she should not be held for indirect contempt.
The SC ordered Erfe to pay P10,000 fine for indirect contempt, and reprimanded him “with a stern warning that a repetition of the same or similar offense will be dealt with more severely.” The High Court took into consideration’s Erfe’s expression of remorse after the latter apologized and explained his side.
In explaining the decision against Erfe, the SC said the lawyer’s remark has no basis in fact or law, so it fell outside of fair criticism. The High Court added that Erfe’s claim was calculated to affect the public confidence in SC and degrade the administration of justice.
“The Court likewise held that Atty. Erfe’s conduct fell short of the proper respect due to the Court. By baselessly accusing it of judicial tyranny, he exposed the Court to public ridicule and mockery. Furthermore, his conduct was violative of the sub judice rule, because it not only attempted to sway the public perception against the Court, it likewise imputed improper motives against its Members,” the SC added. – Rappler.com
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SC finds PAO chief Acosta guilty of indirect contempt, orders her to pay fine
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Jairo Bolledo
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27/02/2024 21:29
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PAO CHIEF. Public Attorney's Office chief Persida Acosta sits down with Rappler in an interview.
Jairo Bolledo/ Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Supreme Court (SC) justices unanimously found Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta guilty of indirect contempt, the High Court announced on Tuesday, February 27.
The SC said the magistrates found Acosta guilty of indirect contempt for violating section 3(d), rule 71, of the Rules of Court, and of grossly undignified conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice under section 33, canon VI of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA) – the new code of conduct for lawyers.
Acosta was ordered to pay P30,000 for the indirect contempt, and P150,000 for grossly undignified conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice “with a stern warning that a repetition of the same or similar offenses shall be dealt with more severely.”
Under the Philippine laws, indirect contempt is a type of contempt committed out of the court’s presence. Acosta was found guilty for her action that fell under “any improper conduct tending, directly or indirectly, to impede, obstruct, or degrade the administration of justice.”
“It was determined that Atty. Acosta’s statements and innuendos on her Facebook page, which was accessible to the public, attributed ill intent and malice to the Court,” the SC said.
“The Court also found that by launching a public campaign against the new conflict of interest rule for the PAO using public attorneys and the PAO’s staff and clients and publicizing the contents of the PAO’s letters to Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo requesting the deletion of the same rule, Atty. Acosta tried to sway the public opinion in order to pressure the Court into yielding to her position,” it added.
The SC’s punishment against the PAO chief stemmed from the latter’s opposition against the conflict of interest rule in the new lawyers’ code of conduct, which eventually became section 22, canon III of the CPRA. In a letter addressed to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, Persida’s office claimed that the CPRA’s new provision allows two PAO lawyers to represent opposing parties in court cases.
The PAO also noted that it also “puts at risk the life and limb of the handling public attorneys” because clients could suspect that their counsels “double-crossed them.”
Before the resolution on Acosta’s case, the SC, in two different instances last year, ordered the PAO chief to explain her tirades and actions against the new CPRA. Acosta later apologized to the High Court in a video posted on her Facebook page.
Aside from indirect contempt, Acosta also violated some provisions of the new CPRA. Acosta’s acts also violated sections 2 and 14, canon II of the CPRA, which requires lawyers to respect the tribunals and submit grievances through appropriate remedy. The court also found that the PAO chief violated the CPRA rules on the responsible use of social media.
For issuing Office Order No. 96, series of 2023, Acosta also violated section 2, canon II, and section 2, canon III, which state that lawyers have the duty to observe and respect the court and legal processes. The said order issued by Acosta stated that public attorneys must reconcile the CPRA provision with the provisions of article 209 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by Section 36 of Republic Act No. 10951.
RA 10951 discusses betrayal of trust by an attorney or a solicitor. This meant Acosta wanted PAO lawyers to adhere to the new CPRA, while minding the law punishing betrayal of trust by a lawyer.
“Instead of enjoining public attorneys to strictly comply with the new conflict of interest rule for the PAO, the Office Order instigated disobedience to the rule and implied that the Court, by adopting the new conflict of interest rule for PAO, unduly exposed the PAO lawyers not only to criminal and administrative liability, but also to physical danger,” the SC explained.
Acosta was not the only PAO official punished by the High Court. On Tuesday, the SC said its en banc also found PAO forensics unit director Erwin Erfe guilty of indirect contempt for accusing the SC of judicial tyranny.
Erfe, a lawyer, made the accusation after the SC issued its resolution denying the PAO’s request to delete the conflict of interest provision in the new CPRA, and asking Acosta why she should not be held for indirect contempt.
The SC ordered Erfe to pay P10,000 fine for indirect contempt, and reprimanded him “with a stern warning that a repetition of the same or similar offense will be dealt with more severely.” The High Court took into consideration’s Erfe’s expression of remorse after the latter apologized and explained his side.
In explaining the decision against Erfe, the SC said the lawyer’s remark has no basis in fact or law, so it fell outside of fair criticism. The High Court added that Erfe’s claim was calculated to affect the public confidence in SC and degrade the administration of justice.
“The Court likewise held that Atty. Erfe’s conduct fell short of the proper respect due to the Court. By baselessly accusing it of judicial tyranny, he exposed the Court to public ridicule and mockery. Furthermore, his conduct was violative of the sub judice rule, because it not only attempted to sway the public perception against the Court, it likewise imputed improper motives against its Members,” the SC added. – Rappler.com
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[OPINION] Hearing the Bangsamoro perspective on Cha-Cha
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Marguerite de Leon
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27/02/2024 13:51
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Marian Hukom/Rappler
“As Bangsamoros, we are as equally invested as our fellow Filipinos in actively participating in the discussion of constitutional reforms.” Thus said Bangsamoro Parliament (BP) Deputy Speaker Omar Yasser Sema, a second-generation member of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), who earlier lamented that the current discussions about charter change (Cha-Cha) by national leaders had never factored in the perspective of the Bangsamoro people.
Sema’s remarks are in the context of the recent, significant BP Resolution No. 521, issued on February 20 “expressing the sense of the Parliament supporting charter change to resolve constitutional issues in the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement of the Bangsamoro (CAB) that necessitate amendment of the 1987 Constitution.” The resolution stated that “while the proponents for charter change intend to amend only limited economic provisions in the Constitution, the Bangsamoro Parliament suggests that including certain peace provisions for amendment, to accommodate the asymmetrical relationship between the national government and the Bangsamoro, is also as equally important.”
The resolution was introduced in the current transition parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) by MP Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, MP Mohagher Iqbal, and MP Pangalian Balindong. The first two are top leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) currently at the helm of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA). Ebrahim has been better known as MILF Chairman Al-Haj Murad, while Iqbal was/is the MILF chief peace negotiator.
The resolution significantly provides as its context and rationale a certain understanding of the peace process as “having three tracks: the political track, the normalization track, and the constitutional track. To recall, the previous Bangsamoro Transition Commission [BTC]’s mandate was “to craft the Bangsamoro Organic Law [BOL] and propose constitutional amendments for contentious provisions that cannot be served by the present constitutional regime.” The resolution states that “there are remaining provisions in the peace accord that are not yet implemented due to constitutional issues that cannot be accommodated in the current 1987 Constitution. These issues had been there since the start of the peace negotiations but the parties were confined to operate within [the] legal framework of the present Constitution.”
The MILF recalls that when a peace deal was still being negotiated back in 2011, the government’s chief negotiator then, now Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, assured them that its political demands could be accommodated “within the flexibilities of the Constitution.” However, in the early BARMM practice so far since 2019, Sema laments the constant constitutionality challenges against legislative acts of the Bangsamoro Parliament such as the Bangsamoro Electoral Code and the Bangsamoro Local Governance Code, not to mention the BOL itself.
The resolution goes on to say that “the current move for charter change offers a golden opportunity for the Bangsamoro people to again put forward the issues in the peace agreement that need constitutional amendment. These include among others, 1. The power-sharing agreement that defines what is reserved to the national government, what is exclusive to the Bangsamoro government, and what [are] concurrent powers to both; 2. The Sharia Justice System; 3. Policing in the Bangsamoro; 4. Supervision and control of the regional government over its local government units; 5. Delineation of powers of the constitutional bodies vis-à-vis [the] regional government; 6. Qualification of the Chief Minister.”
And so, the resolution affirms that “it is for the Bangsamoro people to join the conversation on charter change in order to provide a categorical policy that will afford the highest form of autonomy for the Bangsamoro embedded in the constitutional framework.” But the question is: is there room in the current cha-cha conversation for this Bangsamoro voice?
Can Filipino political leaders and mainstream society understand and give what is due the Bangsamoro perspective on Cha-Cha? If not now, when? – Rappler.com
Soliman M. Santos Jr. is a retired Judge of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Naga City, Camarines Sur. He is a long-time human rights and humanitarian lawyer, and peace advocate, researcher, and writer on both the Moro and Communist fronts of war and peace. He is the author of several books on the Mindanao peace process, most notably The Moro Islamic Challenge: Constitutional Rethinking for the Mindanao Peace Process (UP Press, 2001, 2009).
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PRIMER: Investigations, cases against Apollo Quiboloy
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Herbie G
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27/02/2024 18:35
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CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday, February 27, once again called on doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy to face his accusers and address the serious allegations raised against him in an ongoing investigation.
Hontiveros made the call just one week before the fourth hearing set by her committee regarding the alleged abuses committed by the Davao-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) against its former workers and members.
The senator earlier warned that she would cite Quiboloy in contempt and have him arrested unless he showed up at the March 5 hearing of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Hontiveros said the committee, as it investigates matters in aid of legislation, “has the power to compel the attendance of witnesses, no matter how well-connected they are.”
She said Quiboloy, who styles himself as the “appointed son of God,” is not above the law and the country’s institutions.
“In the past, Cabinet officials, lawmakers, an incumbent Senate president, and even a former president have submitted to Senate subpoenas and appeared as witnesses. His (Quiboloy’s) constitutional rights, like all witnesses, are respected. Pero hindi siya mataas pa sa presidente, sa Senado, at sa batas (But he is not higher than the President, the Senate, and the law),” she said in a statement recorded on video.
Quiboloy has wielded much influence as a religious figure in the country. He has maintained a close friendship and unwavering support for former president Rodrigo Duterte, with their ties dating back to Duterte’s time as mayor of Davao City. Throughout Duterte’s presidency, Quiboloy served as his “spiritual adviser,” cementing their long-standing relationship.
Hontiveros also noted that Quiboloy and his followers called the witnesses who appeared before the Senate committee as cowards for not showing their faces in public, yet the KOJC leader himself declared his intention to disregard the Senate subpoena.
She pointed out that Quiboloy’s accusers have executed affidavits against the preacher and his church associates.
Addressing Quiboloy, Hontiveros said, “Bukas po ang Senado para sa panig ‘nyo. Hinihintay namin kayo (The Senate is open to your side. We are waiting for you).”
The Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Office served the subpoena to Quiboloy, through his lawyer Marie Dinah Tolentino-Fuentes, on February 22, after the preacher ignored invitations to attend three previous hearings at the Senate.
Hontiveros’ committee has been tasked by the Senate to look into allegations of human trafficking, sexual abuse, violence, and other misconduct involving the preacher and his organization.
She can, according to Section 17 of the Senate rules governing the conduct of committee investigations. The authority of Senate committees includes the “power to summon witnesses and take their testimony and to issue subpoena and subpoena duces tecum, signed by its Chairman, or in his absence by the Acting Chairman, and approved by the President.”
“Within Metro Manila, such process shall be served by the Sergeant-at-Arms or his assistant. Outside of Metro Manila, service may be made by the police of a municipality or city, upon request of the Secretary,” reads a clause in the Senate rules.
Section 18 of the Senate rules on panel investigations provides that a “contempt of the Committee shall be deemed a contempt of the Senate.”
The rules also provide that “such witness may be ordered by the Committee to be detained in such place as it may designate under the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms until he/she agrees to produce the required documents, or to be sworn or to testify, or otherwise purge himself/herself of that contempt.”
Former KOJC members have testified on the alleged abuses of Quiboloy and his church associates before Hontiveros’ committee since the panel started the hearings on January 23.
Their narratives – including that of two Ukrainian women who alleged that Quiboloy sexually abused them in the name of religion – have been consistent with and corroborated by the allegations made also by former KOJC members in the United States against the Davao-based preacher.
Quiboloy and eight of his associates were indicted by a federal grand jury in a US District Court in Santa Ana, California, in 2021.
The 74-page indictment document shows that the preacher and the other accused have been charged with the following crimes:
The indictment papers enumerate 94 overt acts of the preacher and his associates.
The US court ordered Quiboloy and his associates arrested on November 10, 2021. Except for Quiboloy and two others, Teresita Dandan and Helen Panilag, the others either surrendered or were arrested by US authorities, and subsequently bailed out.
The others who have been indicted along with Quiboloy are the following:
At least one of those accused has subsequently agreed to turn state witness against Quiboloy’s group.
On January 31, 2022, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) included Quiboloy, Dandan, and Panilag, among several other fugitives from Mexico and China, in its most wanted list, and published their separate wanted posters on its website.
The FBI’s “most wanted” poster on the KOJC leader reads, “Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, the founder of a Philippines-based church, is wanted for his alleged participation in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the United States, via fraudulently obtained visas, and forced the members to solicit donations for a bogus charity, donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders.”
On November 3, 2022, Judge Terry Hatter Jr. of the US District Court-Central District of California reset the trial of Quiboloy and his co-accused in Los Angeles from March 21, 2023, to March 19, 2024. Subsequently, in late 2023, the trial was again moved to November 2024.
In the 2022 order, Hatter granted the request of five of the defendants – Salinas, Cabactulan, Duenas, Estopare, and Roces – to be given more time to prepare their defense, based on the US Speedy Trial Act.
Based on the US-Philippines extradition treaty, an extradition request must be made through diplomatic channels.
But nearly three years after the indictment of Quiboloy and his associates, the US has yet to submit a formal extradition request for the preacher, Dandan, and Panilag, according to the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ).
In late 2022, the US announced sanctions against the KOJC leader through its treasury and state departments, a move that coincided with International Anti-Corruption Day and on the eve of International Human Rights Day.
The sanctions include the following:
– Rappler.com
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It’s a book sail! Floating book fair Doulos Hope is sailing around the PH
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Steph Arnaldo
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27/02/2024 15:31
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Doulos Hope Philippines' Facebook
MANILA, Philippines – Sailing to our shores again is international floating book fair Doulos Hope, set for disembarkation at three Philippine ports from March to April 2024 after more than a decade.
The non-profit organization’s Doulos Hope vessel is currently docked at Subic Bay’s Rivera North Wharf Port since February 13 until March 3. Afterwards, it will be docking at the San Fernando International Seaport in San Fernando, La Union from March 7 to 24, followed by Manila on March 28 to April 23, and lastly, at Batangas City from April 16 to 28.
Based on its Subic leg, the floating book fair is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 2 to 9 pm, with last entry at 8 pm. There is a P50 entrance fee per head, with free entry for kids under 12 and seniors over 60.
“Priority is given to online booking. You are welcome to queue up but we do not guarantee that everyone can walk in especially on weekends,” Doulos Hope Philippines said on Facebook. As of writing, only Subic Bay’s slots are open for registration; registration for the upcoming three ports are to follow.
Doulos Hope Philippines encourages only small groups for visits and clarifies that the vessel is not PWD-friendly.
My Doulos Hope is one of two vessels owned by GBA Ships, the non-profit organization based in Germany. The fifth vessel was just recently commissioned for service in May 2023 in Singapore. The other vessel, Logos Hope, is currently at Gqeberha, South Africa.
The “largest floating library in the world” visits different global ports of call for several weeks at a time and open the gangways to thousands of visitors every day. The book fair offers diverse titles and genres of quality literature at affordable costs.
The “ship of hope” was last in the Philippines in February 2012, carrying more than 5,000 titles at a fraction of the cost. The crew of the ship then comprised about 56 nationalities.
Good Books for All (GBA Ships e.V.) is a non-profit organization based in Germany. Since 1970, the organization’s vessels have made over 1,600 port visits in over 160 countries and territories, donating hundreds of tons of books and enjoyed by over 50 million visitors.
GBA Ships aims to share knowledge through the books they carry and the international crews working on board, highlighting “international goodwill and understanding.” They also provide aid and care to the countries they visit by participating in local community projects and promoting literacy and education, cross-cultural co-operation, and social awareness. – Steph Arnaldo/Rappler.com
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This San Juan bakery’s chocolatey Matilda Cake will make you feel like Bruce Bogtrotter
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Steph Arnaldo
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27/02/2024 18:03
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MANILA, Philippines – Remember Brucie from Matilda? You can now pay tribute to the messy cake-eating hero of our childhood and defy Miss Trunchbull yourself with The Matilda Cake, a ooey gooey chocolate cake made by local San Juan City bakery Megamax.
It’s a nostalgic blast from the past, in the form of a classic chocolate cake that resembles the deliciously chocolatey mess that Bruce Bogtrotter of the 1996 film had to finish onstage in one sitting. Megamax designed it in a way so customers could lift up the delivery packaging and watch the chocolate ganache drip down all over the cake, just like in the movie.
And it tastes just as good as I probably imagined it would as a kid – Megamax’s Matilda Cake features three massive pieces of chocolate sponge cake with a smooth chocolate ganache in between each layer. The sponge cake itself is moist, soft, and loaded with chocolate flavor, without it being too overpowering or rich.
In true Bruce Bogtrotter style, the cake is drowned in a silky deluge of warm chocolate fudge from the top, spilling over to all sides, topped with crumbled chocolate bars. It’s chocolate on chocolate on chocolate, and it may sound overwhelmingly sweet, but surprisingly, it isn’t!
All the chocolatey components come together in balanced fashion – no umay factor here – to make a saktong sweet chocolate cake that’s indulgent enough but not too much that I could easily and gladly finish a slice (or two) of this in one go. I enjoyed it slightly chilled from the refrigerator, but the experience is exceptionally different when the cake and fudge are heated for a few seconds in the microwave beforehand.
The Matilda Cake was brought to life by Megamax owners and sisters Maxine and Maegan Lim, inspired by one of their favorite childhood classics and that “simple and worry-free feeling of childhood happiness” that comes from indulging in a chocolate cake.
“Matilda played a huge role in reawakening the child within us, most especially the scene where the principal forces Bruce Bogtrotter to eat an entire chocolate cake. We wished we could taste the cake. So we thought, ‘Why wish when we can create?'” Megamax told Rappler.
It’s a simple and good chocolate cake, just turned into the “Matilda experience,” Megamax said. Nothing too modern; just a traditional and indulgent chocolate cake highlighting the best quality pure chocolate, with the bonus of interactive theatrics.
From just selling tiramisu, Megamax decided to expand its dessert line after seeing the viral Matilda Cake all over Instagram for a while.
“We really wanted to try it. By chance, we ended up in Dubai for a six-hour layover. We knew exactly what we wanted to do when we landed and it was to try Parker’s Matilda Cake,” Megamax said. They swore it was “one of the best chocolate cakes [they’ve] ever tasted” and wanted people in Manila to taste it.
“As big fans of the film, we felt such utter indulgence and nostalgia when we were having it. We were so inspired when they served it to us, so we constructed it from memory,” they said. It took many failed trials and a lot of chocolate consumption before they perfected the recipe after five months.
One thing I noticed was the cute, triangular size of The Matilda Cake. I found myself looking for a bigger serving, since it’s not a typical round chocolate cake good for a big group – it was almost nakakabitin.
“We specifically chose that size and shape. We could’ve done round or square, and honestly it would’ve been a lot easier! But we chose to make it in triangles because of that one scene in Matilda where Bruce Bogtrotter picked up a triangular piece with his hands,” Megamax said, wanting to bring that scene to life.
“Experience is important for us, so we went the extra mile. It’s very loaded with pure chocolate so we chose this size to feed 2-4 people. Only Bruce Bogtrotter could ever finish it alone,” they said – but I’m not so sure about that!
A larger size is in Megamax’s thoughts, especially since people have been asking. It’s just a matter of adjusting to the long process that’s needed to create and assemble the many different parts of The Matilda Cake.
The family-owned, home-based bakery started in the pandemic selling classic tiramisu – something the Lim sisters had been doing for their father since they were 15 years old.
“It was our dad’s favorite dessert. This idea led us to launch our business on Father’s Day, to help others gift their dads a tiramisu. We moved on to developing new flavors like uji matcha, Lotus biscoff, and Kahlua to gift more than dads, but everyone in the family,” they said. Megamax then began selling traditional chocolate chip cookies using their grandmother’s recipe, since she was not able to make her famous crunchy, freshly-baked cookies anymore.
Megamax’s Matilda Cake costs P1,050, with extra Bruce Fudge at P250 per 200ml bottle. Because the size isn’t of a whole cake, it is a bit costly for a chocolate cake, but if you don’t mind spending for quality, taste, and novelty, why not?
Megamax is based in Greenhills, San Juan. You can place orders online. A one-day lead time is required per order. – Rappler.com
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Coca-Cola investing $1 billion in Philippine market after Aboitiz deal
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Ralf Rivas
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27/02/2024 16:30
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Coca-Cola Philippines' Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – The Coca-Cola Company is bullish on the Philippine market as it announced a $1-billion investment, just days after it finalized the sale of its local bottling unit to Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) and the latter’s business partner, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP).
The amount, which will be spent in the next five years, would be used to fuel its expansion to serve the country’s “growing and young consumer base.”
The commitment was announced in a courtesy call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at Malacañang on Monday, February 26.
“We generate 100,000-plus [employees] throughout the distribution, through our supplies…. And we’re very enthusiastic and we see, we need to invest in the Philippines, invest to grow the business. And in the next five years, we’re planning for [a] $1-billion investment, and in fact, we’re even doing a new plant, which we are building in Tarlac,” CCEP chairperson Sol Daurella Comadrán was quoted as telling Marcos.
The Coca‑Cola Company and its bottling partners are collectively known as the Coca‑Cola system. The Coca‑Cola Company does not own, manage, or control most local bottling companies. Instead, it earns by selling concentrates and syrups to authorized bottling partners. Its bottling partners combine the concentrates with still or sparkling water and sweeteners.
Last Friday, February 23, AEV and CCEP completed the acquisition of Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Incorporated (CCBPI), the bottling arm of Coca-Cola in the country.
The acquisition was valued at $1.8 billion and will have a 60-40 sharing arrangement between CCEP and AEV, respectively.
CCBPI manufactures both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, with 17 brands including Coke, Royal, Sprite, Wilkins, Viva, and Nutri Boost. These brands are now under AEV’s consumer goods portfolio.
“This significant investment from The Coca-Cola Company highlights our shared commitment to the Philippines’ growth and development. We are confident that this partnership will create lasting value for our stakeholders and contribute positively to the Philippine economy,” said Aboitiz Group president and chief executive officer Sabin Aboitiz. – Rappler.com
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Bigger men and better rom-coms: Enrique Gil, ‘I Am Not Big Bird,’ and a new age for love teams
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Marguerite de Leon
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27/02/2024 15:44
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I just saw Victor Villanueva’s I Am Not Big Bird with my mom and younger brother. This experience in itself was, at best, awkward, but somehow this says more about what the Filipino moviegoing public typically expects of Pinoy comedy: as fun and family-friendly or squeaky-clean fare. Needless to say, even if my brother and I were well above the R-16 age restriction, I Am Not Big Bird is probably best enjoyed without your parents.
The action begins when Carps (short for Luis Carpio, played by heartthrob Enrique Gil), is dumped by his girlfriend. He seeks solace in the company of his best buds July and Macky who, unbeknownst to Carps, are already beginning to resent him for his absence and perceived selfishness. To make up for it, Carps offers his friends an all-expenses paid trip to Thailand, where he is enticed to “Cum, be the bigger man!” Little does the trio know that Carps, the best-looking of the bunch, also bears an uncanny resemblance to a well-endowed porn star named Big Bird.
With brief forays into the rudiments of the underground economy, sex tourism, and even extended subtitles about how we all lose to beauty standards that are set under patriarchy, the film packs campy acting, physical comedy, and bits of truly heartfelt bromance that almost allow you to forgive I Am Not Big Bird for its occasional resemblance to a Thai tourism ad.
Beneath the film’s silly surface however are the curious creative and artistic decisions that made such quirky career pivots for stars like Enrique Gil possible. While Big Bird was marketed as his comeback, the film also signals a hopeful sea change in the constricting roles, tropes, and toxic narratives that have been propagated for far too long in Philippine showbiz.
Enrique Gil, by all definitions in the Philippine entertainment industry, is leading man material. It is however not hard to see that these are narrow definitions: wherein most leading men are granted the title by becoming romantic leads.
In Gil’s case, every starring role he held prior to Big Bird was opposite to actress Liza Soberano. Individually, they risk dissolving into an industrial goop of mestiza features, blow-dried hair, and wholesome pastels. To their fans however, Gil and Soberano are known as “LizQuen.” When seen together, audiences (and producers) get to project softly-lit fairy tale endings onto them, that can be packaged as easily digestible fantasy. LizQuen are just one example of the many, many love teams, produced under the rhetoric that it is one thing to be a cute individual, but to be two cute individuals who are in love? Imagine swooning at the wedding? Imagine the cute babies they could make!
Without their partners in their industry-made love teams, men like Gil are virtually unrecognizable. In a lineup with fellow Star Cinema powerhouses, James Reid and Daniel Padilla, he is yet another skinny mestizo with boyish features and a really effective scowl. Should they choose to fly solo, stars like Gil are equally cursed and blessed: cursed to be just another pretty boy, but also blessed to do whatever they want with name recognition gained as half of a love team.
So what does a project like Big Bird tell us about what’s next for stars like Gil?
Aside from attempts to sell Soberano as an ugly duckling or awkward frog, LizQuen’s earlier films also tried to convince audiences that Gil could act. Big Bird comes in as a refreshing spin by assuring us of the opposite, capitalizing instead on his total of three facial expressions. With that, the funniest thing about Big Bird is that, in what might be Gil’s most compelling role, he must do what he does best. He must act very badly, but this time, on purpose!
By casting Gil both as a Thai porn star and as his trademark lovelorn leading man, director Victor Villanueva shows how someone with particular assets – whether it’s a big bird or a face like Gil’s – not only has no need for acting chops, but is given few avenues when it comes to developing them. Villanueva, known for Patay Na Si Hesus (2016), uses his grasp of the absurd to show how actors are merely bodies to be milked for all their worth, whether they are cast in romantic comedies or in porn. This brilliantly touches on how certain capitalist industries – whether sex tourism, porn, or as mentioned earlier, love teams – exploit youth and beauty for profit.
Through the story of washed-up porn star Big Bird, Villanueva shows how fantasy is not only fleeting. It invests little while taking even more, while providing those who labor for its production with little room for agency. In other words, there is career growth without personal growth; hard work without necessarily sharpening skills. With Gil’s star at the forefront, Big Bird shines a light on the disposability of the pretty faces that have so long served as cash cows for showbiz.
Beyond exposing broader systemic issues of the entertainment industry, Gil’s departure from the love team industrial complex through I Am not Big Bird allows us to revisit pressing problems within the well-loved rom-com genre.
Judging from Gil’s/LizQuen’s filmography, we see how to play a male lead in a Filipino rom-com is to enact a Filipino female fantasy. However, isolating Gil’s/LizQuen’s filmography to make this point also shows how female fantasies, under our deeply patriarchal, deeply Catholic cultural conditioning are, to put it gently, all kinds of f**ked-up, with Gil/LizQuen having been coopted into the production of narratives that are deeply problematic.
In their films, much of what passes for courtship between LizQuen consists of a full-range of abusive behavior, predictably at Soberano’s expense. The most recognizable trope is that of what we’ll call the “Changed Man,” or the jerk who comes around after meeting “the (chosen) one.” In Just the Way You Are (2015), a spin on the teen classic She’s All That (1999), Soberano plays a “homely transfer student.” Gil is introduced in a scene cribbed almost entirely from Magic Mike, so the rest of the film is spent assuring us that he is not a stripper, until the two meet when he accidentally exposes his junk to her in a shared bathroom.
Even after this incident, Soberano remains a stranger to him. Because he barely talks to her, choosing instead to win favor among her friends, he is easily pranked into publicly declaring his love for her while in full costume – which she understandably rejects. He then responds by baiting her into a date with him, by leaving a trail of rose petals towards towards a candlelit dinner under a tent in some unnamed grassy location. Eventually and inexplicably, they trade I love yous and get together, cue theme song, the end.
In Everyday I Love You (2015), Gil plays a city-dwelling production assistant banished to Bacolod, where he must prove himself worthy of a promotion in the cutthroat world of lifestyle TV. There, he sees Soberano, minding her own business while filming a video diary for her comatose boyfriend (played by Gerald Anderson). When she pans left, accidentally getting a shot of Gil ogling her, he takes it as a cue to film her back on his phone. Much of the conflict consists of Soberano trying to convince Gil to delete the videos of her that he shot without her consent, and Gil giving Soberano new conditions under which he will delete the videos…which were shot without her consent. Eventually, she falls for him (because of course she does).
The films are full of “love bombing,” or unwelcome grand gestures. While such acts are now collectively recognized as forms of manipulation, they are still shown in local productions as classic examples of kilig or romantic fare. Why talk to a fellow human being and acknowledge their agency when you can simply arrange a massive production for public viewing of your love? After all, what good is love and romance when not performed for an audience?
There’s also stalking, which only exposes the anorexic line between romance and horror in the Filipino entertainment landscape, but on a more serious note exposes the shoddy definition rom-com audiences have of consent. For so many of the male leads in these films, “no” often means “yes.” However, granted that the rom-com and rom-drama audience is overwhelmingly female, the disturbing conclusion is that for the female consumer, the word “no” is not meant to be respected. Romance is marked by a relentless violation of boundaries, portaying women as conquests and defining love as a game.
While the exception to this could have been Antoinette Jadaone’s Alone/Together (2019), it serves as the exception rather than the rule, coming off as too-little-too-late amidst the relentless toxicity of the earlier examples of Gil’s work.
And yet, even if these examples are enough to prove that the love team industrial complex is by and large a disservice to women (by showing them as obsessive and codependent) these are failures that can be forgiven for their systemic nature. For the most part, these really are just caricatures of cultural and political-economic conditions in which women need men (or rather, women need heterosexual relationships) to prove their worth. Their survival under capitalist patriarchy depends on it.
Men in Filipino romantic comedies, on the other hand, are often portrayed offensively for no real reason. My Ex and Whys (2017), or the source of Soberano’s “Pangit ba ako? (Am I ugly?)” meme, brushes off the abhorrent behavior of all its male characters (in this case, Gil’s family of lying, cheating womanizers) with the explanation that “boys will be boys.” In his (and his screenwriters’) attempts to package himself as the exception to this, Gil ends up coming off as the very embodiment of the #notallmen hashtag.
With the removal of the tired love team trope from the plot, Big Bird allows its viewers to ponder the more challenging proposition of the male romantic conquest, showing richer relationships among real men (for this, Gil’s co-stars Red Ollero, Nikko Natividad, and Pepe Herrera deserve much credit). That Big Bird is also a film about porn stars, thugs, and all kinds of unsavory workers in the underground economy only further exposes the shortcomings of how Filipino men are portrayed in romantic comedies. By looking at love among its male leads, it portrays men in ways that are far more nuanced and far more human than any of the men in Gil’s earlier films. It shows men not as partners in crime or wingmen tag-teaming on the manipulation of a romantic conquest – it centers friendship, and that in itself can be seen as romance. While I Am Not Big Bird falters across some departments, the film does deliver on its promise to make Gil “the bigger man.” – Rappler.com
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Daughter of farmer killed in Negros Occidental clashes says her father was not a rebel
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Chito de la Vega
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27/02/2024 18:35
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File Photo. The Caramihan family during the pinning ceremony of their daughter Charlene Caramihan. The daughter is about to graduate in college this 2024.
Courtesy of Charlene Caramihan
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – The daughter of a farmer killed during the recent clashes between government forces and insurgents denied the allegation of the military that her father was a member or a supporter of the rebel New People’s Army’s Northern Negros Front (NPA-NNF) in northern Negros Occidental.
Charlene Caramihan, daughter of the slain Jose Caramihan, said it was not true as claimed by the military that her father was an NPA member working with the rebels. According to reports by the military, the insurgents in northern Negros were trying to recover the rebel front, which the state forces had previously declared dismantled.
“Sa mga nag ingon nga NPA Akong papa, dili intawon na sya ingon ana. Kami gin padako me ni papa nga puno sang pagpalangga og may respeto sa isig katawo, aron mag subay me sa sakto nga dalan ug mangin maayo ang among kaugmaon,” she said.
(My father was not an NPA, as some people had claimed. We were reared by our father with a lot of love and respect for other people and made sure that we would take the right path for us to have a better future.)
Charlene said her father worked hard on their farm just to send them to school, especially since she is about to graduate this year with a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education majoring in Filipino.
“Naninguha ang akong amahan para ma edukar og tarong ang iyang mga anak biskan sa kalisod,” she told Rappler.
(Amidst hardships, my father put a lot of effort into ensuring that his children would get a good education)
Charlene insisted that her father was a farmer who worked as a woodcutter, and was also responsible for tending to their small farm in Sitio Manlusao, which was their main source of family income.
Her parents were members of the United Sagay, Escalante, Toboso Planters Association, Inc. (USETPAI), Charlene said.
She was filled with anguish when she discovered that her father was one of the three suspected rebels killed Wednesday, February 21, in the area where their farm was located, she told Rappler.
“Amo na untang gusto ko e-clear ang pangalan ni papa Kay yanong mangunguma ra gid intawon na Akong amahan. Ang among diginidad mao ra na among pinanghahawakan Kay biskan pigado me, napangkamot akong amahan para kanamo nga iyang pamilya. Dili na sya intawon rebelde,” Charlene said.
(I wanted to clear my father’s name that he was just a farmer. My father worked very hard for his family and us, and we maintained our dignity despite our dire circumstances. He was not a rebel)
According to Charlene, her father went to the their farm every day, but would always return home before dusk. There was never a day when he failed to arrive home.
Following the death of her father, she called for help from various groups to conduct an independent probe into the killing of her father, whose dream was just to see his children finish schooling.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel J-Jay Javines affirmed the military report that Jose Caramihan, along with two other slain individuals were communist rebels in the northern Negros city.
Javines said maybe the family of Jose was not aware of his affiliation with the rebels in their area.
Charlene, however, said she was certain that her father became collateral damage in the conflict between the NPAs and the state forces.
The fighting resulted in sporadic clashes, with airstrikes by the military using Augusta Westland-109 “Night Hawk” attack helicopters launched against rebels.
Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos recently criticized the attack, calling it a “disproportionate act” that not only caused property and livelihood disruption but also sparked dread and fear among people.
The bishop would also facilitate psycho-social interventions for all the affected residents of the fierce encounters in Escalante City and Toboso town, Negros Occidental.
On the other hand, the Commission on Human Rights in Negros announced its plan to conduct an independent probe on the attack of the military against the NPAs, which pushed residents to flee their homes and livelihood. – Rappler.com
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PRIMER: Investigations, cases against Apollo Quiboloy
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Herbie G
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27/02/2024 18:35
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CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday, February 27, once again called on doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy to face his accusers and address the serious allegations raised against him in an ongoing investigation.
Hontiveros made the call just one week before the fourth hearing set by her committee regarding the alleged abuses committed by the Davao-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) against its former workers and members.
The senator earlier warned that she would cite Quiboloy in contempt and have him arrested unless he showed up at the March 5 hearing of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Hontiveros said the committee, as it investigates matters in aid of legislation, “has the power to compel the attendance of witnesses, no matter how well-connected they are.”
She said Quiboloy, who styles himself as the “appointed son of God,” is not above the law and the country’s institutions.
“In the past, Cabinet officials, lawmakers, an incumbent Senate president, and even a former president have submitted to Senate subpoenas and appeared as witnesses. His (Quiboloy’s) constitutional rights, like all witnesses, are respected. Pero hindi siya mataas pa sa presidente, sa Senado, at sa batas (But he is not higher than the President, the Senate, and the law),” she said in a statement recorded on video.
Quiboloy has wielded much influence as a religious figure in the country. He has maintained a close friendship and unwavering support for former president Rodrigo Duterte, with their ties dating back to Duterte’s time as mayor of Davao City. Throughout Duterte’s presidency, Quiboloy served as his “spiritual adviser,” cementing their long-standing relationship.
Hontiveros also noted that Quiboloy and his followers called the witnesses who appeared before the Senate committee as cowards for not showing their faces in public, yet the KOJC leader himself declared his intention to disregard the Senate subpoena.
She pointed out that Quiboloy’s accusers have executed affidavits against the preacher and his church associates.
Addressing Quiboloy, Hontiveros said, “Bukas po ang Senado para sa panig ‘nyo. Hinihintay namin kayo (The Senate is open to your side. We are waiting for you).”
The Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Office served the subpoena to Quiboloy, through his lawyer Marie Dinah Tolentino-Fuentes, on February 22, after the preacher ignored invitations to attend three previous hearings at the Senate.
Hontiveros’ committee has been tasked by the Senate to look into allegations of human trafficking, sexual abuse, violence, and other misconduct involving the preacher and his organization.
She can, according to Section 17 of the Senate rules governing the conduct of committee investigations. The authority of Senate committees includes the “power to summon witnesses and take their testimony and to issue subpoena and subpoena duces tecum, signed by its Chairman, or in his absence by the Acting Chairman, and approved by the President.”
“Within Metro Manila, such process shall be served by the Sergeant-at-Arms or his assistant. Outside of Metro Manila, service may be made by the police of a municipality or city, upon request of the Secretary,” reads a clause in the Senate rules.
Section 18 of the Senate rules on panel investigations provides that a “contempt of the Committee shall be deemed a contempt of the Senate.”
The rules also provide that “such witness may be ordered by the Committee to be detained in such place as it may designate under the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms until he/she agrees to produce the required documents, or to be sworn or to testify, or otherwise purge himself/herself of that contempt.”
Former KOJC members have testified on the alleged abuses of Quiboloy and his church associates before Hontiveros’ committee since the panel started the hearings on January 23.
Their narratives – including that of two Ukrainian women who alleged that Quiboloy sexually abused them in the name of religion – have been consistent with and corroborated by the allegations made also by former KOJC members in the United States against the Davao-based preacher.
Quiboloy and eight of his associates were indicted by a federal grand jury in a US District Court in Santa Ana, California, in 2021.
The 74-page indictment document shows that the preacher and the other accused have been charged with the following crimes:
The indictment papers enumerate 94 overt acts of the preacher and his associates.
The US court ordered Quiboloy and his associates arrested on November 10, 2021. Except for Quiboloy and two others, Teresita Dandan and Helen Panilag, the others either surrendered or were arrested by US authorities, and subsequently bailed out.
The others who have been indicted along with Quiboloy are the following:
At least one of those accused has subsequently agreed to turn state witness against Quiboloy’s group.
On January 31, 2022, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) included Quiboloy, Dandan, and Panilag, among several other fugitives from Mexico and China, in its most wanted list, and published their separate wanted posters on its website.
The FBI’s “most wanted” poster on the KOJC leader reads, “Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, the founder of a Philippines-based church, is wanted for his alleged participation in a labor trafficking scheme that brought church members to the United States, via fraudulently obtained visas, and forced the members to solicit donations for a bogus charity, donations that actually were used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders.”
On November 3, 2022, Judge Terry Hatter Jr. of the US District Court-Central District of California reset the trial of Quiboloy and his co-accused in Los Angeles from March 21, 2023, to March 19, 2024. Subsequently, in late 2023, the trial was again moved to November 2024.
In the 2022 order, Hatter granted the request of five of the defendants – Salinas, Cabactulan, Duenas, Estopare, and Roces – to be given more time to prepare their defense, based on the US Speedy Trial Act.
Based on the US-Philippines extradition treaty, an extradition request must be made through diplomatic channels.
But nearly three years after the indictment of Quiboloy and his associates, the US has yet to submit a formal extradition request for the preacher, Dandan, and Panilag, according to the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ).
In late 2022, the US announced sanctions against the KOJC leader through its treasury and state departments, a move that coincided with International Anti-Corruption Day and on the eve of International Human Rights Day.
The sanctions include the following:
– Rappler.com
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This San Juan bakery’s chocolatey Matilda Cake will make you feel like Bruce Bogtrotter
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Steph Arnaldo
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27/02/2024 18:03
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MANILA, Philippines – Remember Brucie from Matilda? You can now pay tribute to the messy cake-eating hero of our childhood and defy Miss Trunchbull yourself with The Matilda Cake, a ooey gooey chocolate cake made by local San Juan City bakery Megamax.
It’s a nostalgic blast from the past, in the form of a classic chocolate cake that resembles the deliciously chocolatey mess that Bruce Bogtrotter of the 1996 film had to finish onstage in one sitting. Megamax designed it in a way so customers could lift up the delivery packaging and watch the chocolate ganache drip down all over the cake, just like in the movie.
And it tastes just as good as I probably imagined it would as a kid – Megamax’s Matilda Cake features three massive pieces of chocolate sponge cake with a smooth chocolate ganache in between each layer. The sponge cake itself is moist, soft, and loaded with chocolate flavor, without it being too overpowering or rich.
In true Bruce Bogtrotter style, the cake is drowned in a silky deluge of warm chocolate fudge from the top, spilling over to all sides, topped with crumbled chocolate bars. It’s chocolate on chocolate on chocolate, and it may sound overwhelmingly sweet, but surprisingly, it isn’t!
All the chocolatey components come together in balanced fashion – no umay factor here – to make a saktong sweet chocolate cake that’s indulgent enough but not too much that I could easily and gladly finish a slice (or two) of this in one go. I enjoyed it slightly chilled from the refrigerator, but the experience is exceptionally different when the cake and fudge are heated for a few seconds in the microwave beforehand.
The Matilda Cake was brought to life by Megamax owners and sisters Maxine and Maegan Lim, inspired by one of their favorite childhood classics and that “simple and worry-free feeling of childhood happiness” that comes from indulging in a chocolate cake.
“Matilda played a huge role in reawakening the child within us, most especially the scene where the principal forces Bruce Bogtrotter to eat an entire chocolate cake. We wished we could taste the cake. So we thought, ‘Why wish when we can create?'” Megamax told Rappler.
It’s a simple and good chocolate cake, just turned into the “Matilda experience,” Megamax said. Nothing too modern; just a traditional and indulgent chocolate cake highlighting the best quality pure chocolate, with the bonus of interactive theatrics.
From just selling tiramisu, Megamax decided to expand its dessert line after seeing the viral Matilda Cake all over Instagram for a while.
“We really wanted to try it. By chance, we ended up in Dubai for a six-hour layover. We knew exactly what we wanted to do when we landed and it was to try Parker’s Matilda Cake,” Megamax said. They swore it was “one of the best chocolate cakes [they’ve] ever tasted” and wanted people in Manila to taste it.
“As big fans of the film, we felt such utter indulgence and nostalgia when we were having it. We were so inspired when they served it to us, so we constructed it from memory,” they said. It took many failed trials and a lot of chocolate consumption before they perfected the recipe after five months.
One thing I noticed was the cute, triangular size of The Matilda Cake. I found myself looking for a bigger serving, since it’s not a typical round chocolate cake good for a big group – it was almost nakakabitin.
“We specifically chose that size and shape. We could’ve done round or square, and honestly it would’ve been a lot easier! But we chose to make it in triangles because of that one scene in Matilda where Bruce Bogtrotter picked up a triangular piece with his hands,” Megamax said, wanting to bring that scene to life.
“Experience is important for us, so we went the extra mile. It’s very loaded with pure chocolate so we chose this size to feed 2-4 people. Only Bruce Bogtrotter could ever finish it alone,” they said – but I’m not so sure about that!
A larger size is in Megamax’s thoughts, especially since people have been asking. It’s just a matter of adjusting to the long process that’s needed to create and assemble the many different parts of The Matilda Cake.
The family-owned, home-based bakery started in the pandemic selling classic tiramisu – something the Lim sisters had been doing for their father since they were 15 years old.
“It was our dad’s favorite dessert. This idea led us to launch our business on Father’s Day, to help others gift their dads a tiramisu. We moved on to developing new flavors like uji matcha, Lotus biscoff, and Kahlua to gift more than dads, but everyone in the family,” they said. Megamax then began selling traditional chocolate chip cookies using their grandmother’s recipe, since she was not able to make her famous crunchy, freshly-baked cookies anymore.
Megamax’s Matilda Cake costs P1,050, with extra Bruce Fudge at P250 per 200ml bottle. Because the size isn’t of a whole cake, it is a bit costly for a chocolate cake, but if you don’t mind spending for quality, taste, and novelty, why not?
Megamax is based in Greenhills, San Juan. You can place orders online. A one-day lead time is required per order. – Rappler.com
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PRIMER: Marcos’ agenda in his trips to Australia in February, March 2024
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Dwight de Leon
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27/02/2024 17:05
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DEPARTURE. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos leave the Philippines for a state visit to Vietnam on January 28, 2024.
Presidential Communications Office
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will visit Australia not once but twice within a seven-day period from the last week of February to the first week of March.
The first trip will be a state visit, while the second one will be for his participation in a special summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Here’s what you need to know.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson Teresita Daza said on Tuesday, February 27, that Marcos will be in Canberra from Wednesday to Thursday, February 28 to 29, as a guest of the Australian government, upon the invitation of Australian Governor-General David Hurley.
He will deliver a speech before the Australian Parliament during his time there, joining other heads of state who have addressed the country’s legislative body in the past – the United States’ Barack Obama and George W. Bush, China’s Xi Jinping, Britain’s Tony Blair, Japan’s Shinzo Abe, and Indonesia’s Joko Widodo.
“He is expected to convey a shared vision and future with Australia under the ambit of the strategic partnership and informed by common history, long-standing people-to-people ties, and mutual adherence to the rules-based order and international law,” Daza said.
Marcos will also sit down with senior Australian officials to discuss defense and security, trade and investments, multilateral cooperation, and regional issues, according to a press release of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Saturday, February 24.
“Similarly, the visit will witness the signing of new agreements in areas of common interest to complement the already robust cooperation with Australia and expand engagements for mutual capacity-building,” the PCO release also read.
Marcos will fly home to the Philippines after his two-day state visit.
Four days later, Marcos will again be back in Australia, but in a different city.
Marcos will mingle with other Southeast Asian leaders in Melbourne for the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, an event that will commemorate 50 years since the regional bloc established formal relations with its oldest dialogue partner.
His schedule is as follows:
The South China Sea dispute is also expected to be raised during the summit. According to the DFA, the President himself may thank the Australian government for continuously recognizing the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral award that ruled in favor of the Philippines and against China’s all-encompassing claim over the vast waterway.
The DFA said documents that are expected to be produced from the summit include:
The Philippines will also hold bilateral talks with Cambodia and New Zealand.
Manila will take part in these organized working-level events as well:
There are 408,000 Filipinos in Australia as of 2022, making the migrant community the fifth largest in the Land Down Under.
– Rappler.com
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Cha-cha debate: Can Congress amend Constitution by mere legislation?
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Kaycee
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27/02/2024 15:24
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LOWER HOUSE. The House of Representatives opens its second regular session on Monday morning, July 24, 2023.
Dwight de Leon/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Former chief justice Reynato Puno reminded the House of Representatives that amending the Constitution by treating proposals as regular bills may pose challenges as it is not an official mode for charter change.
Congressmen call the legislative route for charter change the “Bernas proposal,” after lawyer and priest Joaquin Bernas, one of the framers of the 1987 Constitution, who expressed this personal interpretation after the Constitution was already approved in a plebiscite.
Congressmen last week said they would be following the formula so the lower chamber wouldn’t have to wait for the Senate to finish its own deliberations. It’s a move to expedite the process, as House lawmakers want to finish discussions before the Holy Week break.
“We follow the Bernas proposal on having legislation to amend the Constitution because the Senate does not even want to meet with us,” said Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez, who also chairs the House constitutional amendments committee, on Monday, February 26.
Puno, however, told the committee during the Monday hearing that “personal views do not carry much weight, precisely because they are personal views and do not reflect the consensus arrived at by the framers of the Constitution,” referring to Bernas’ interpretation.
Congressmen recently filed a charter change resolution that is almost an exact copy of what was filed at the Senate. The lower chamber’s version does not explicitly state that the houses of Congress will be voting separately – another point of contention between the two chambers:
One of the modes of amending or revising the 1987 Constitution is to convene Congress into a constituent assembly. However, Puno explained, the authors of the Constitution were operating on the assumption that there would be a unicameral Congress.
When the final draft provided for two chambers, “in the rush of things, they forgot to adjust their recommendation on how to amend the Constitution in the case where Congress is bicameral and meeting as a constitutional assembly,” the former chief justice said.
Puno pointed out that the two houses of Congress can follow the “traditional way” of meeting stated in the 1935 Constitution. This means that while senators and congressmen can hold a session together, they would vote on matters separately.
The former chief justice told lawmakers that if they are trying to interpret the Constitution, they must understand “the intent of the framers.”
“[We may violate this] if we disregard the reality that Article 17, Section 1.1 of the Constitution is there by inadvertence, is there by accident, is there as a clear error for it is intended for a unicameral and not for a bicameral Congress,” Puno said.
1-RIDER Partylist Representative Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez on Tuesday, February 27, said congressmen would rather risk it than completely drop efforts to amend the Constitution.
“This is the job, why we invite resource persons…we are being informed of the possible pitfalls of our endeavors…. Although we may be challenged constitutionally, [it] doesn’t mean we shouldn’t push forward,” Gutierrez said in a press conference.
“There is no other way to do constitutional change but to go through a constitutional challenge.”
Puno pointed out two ways to fix the issue on voting.
One path is to bring the case to the Supreme Court. In doing so, the former chief justice said, proponents should prove how it is not going to be susceptible to “grave abuse of power.”
“If all these requirements can be complied with, I am confident that the Supreme Court will settle the issue in the exercise of its power to interpret the Constitution,” Puno said.
The political path, he said, is to let the public vote and choose through a referendum if senators and congressmen should vote together.
In this case, the Supreme Court would not have the jurisdiction to review the result of the referendum.
While they did not pursue a referendum, proponents of the fresh push for charter change had a people’s initiative rolling in January to have lawmakers from both houses of Congress vote jointly on proposed amendments.
The Senate rejected the movement as it “eliminates the Senate from the equation,” noting that the members of the House would easily outnumber the votes of the senators. – Rappler.com
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I am sorry for former Chief Justice Reynato Puno about his reminder to our lawmakers: “… if they are trying to interpret the Constitution, they must understand ‘the intent of the framers.’” It is because our lawmakers, especially that of the HOR, are already interpreting our Constitution according to their intent (or rather, preferred intent). And about the path? They prefer the “political path” in a kind that favors them. Former Chief Justice Puno deserves my sincere appreciation for such a reminder, even if the HOR will not follow it.
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Puerto Princesa urban dwellers struggle with rising temperatures
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Herbie G
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27/02/2024 13:44
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Alejandro Edoria
PALAWAN, Philippines – Ritchel Caabay, a 38-year-old mother of four, lives in a rented house at Employees Village in the urban barangay of Santa Monica, nine kilometers from Puerto Princesa’s central business district.
Her house is just a few hundred meters from the city hall of Puerto Princesa and existing green spaces, but during the daytime, she finds it difficult to overcome the extreme heat inside her home.
She hails from an upland rural barangay in Roxas, Palawan, 176 kilometers from Puerto Princesa. But a few years ago, they relocated to Puerto Princesa where she and her husband found work.
Since they are renting a poorly designed semi-concrete house with GI sheet roofing without ceilings, and a lack of ventilations, she said they feel that they are inside an oven.
This is also the same situation with 50-year-old widow Mary Jane Olatan who lives with her children in a small space provided by her employer. She said they need at least four to five electric fans to get relieved from extreme heat inside their living space.
In April 2023, Puerto Princesa recorded a scorching 43 degrees Celsius heat index that caused an alarm to local authorities and citizens.
Weather extremes affect low-income communities the most. The reasons include poor housing and the lack of access to safe and comfortable green public spaces. This makes climate readiness a pressing concern for governments, local planners, and health authorities not only in this city, but also in other urbanized towns and cities in the country.
Weather conditions and immoderations driven by climate change have compelled the Puerto Princesa City government to re-design its greening efforts and shift its focus to addressing the diminishing green spaces in the city’s urban area to mitigate rising temperatures and urban heat island (UHI) effects.
The city government emphasized the need to deal with the diminishing green spaces in urban areas by planting more trees within the center.
Scientists associate rising temperatures with UHI which occurs when cities replace natural land cover with dense concentrations of pavement and buildings that retain heat.
Unregulated conversion of green spaces like forests, grasslands, and parks to residential subdivisions causes increasingly high temperatures in the cities.
Puerto Princesa officials reiterated their commitment to aggressively pursue an Urban Forestry Program with a specific emphasis on the re-greening of schools and open spaces within urban centers.
City Environment and Natural Resources Officer Carlo Gomez said planting more trees in the city sets a good example that citizens can emulate and demonstrates a new way of addressing climate change.
He said the students suffer from heat since many classrooms are not air-conditioned. Planting trees and providing shade helps bring down the temperature on their campuses.
He said they have included schools in the city’s greening efforts to help counter the UHI effect and mitigate climate change.
Based on his observations, most areas within the city that register high temperatures are housing subdivisions with limited trees or vegetation.
Since 1991, Puerto Princesa City holds its biggest annual tree planting event every last Saturday of June each year during the Feast of the Forest, also known as Pista Y Ang Cagueban (PYAC).
The is actively participated by various sectors, including the government, civil society, academe, religious, youth and students, and barangays, among others, and traditionally held in watershed and upland areas. Since 2023, they shifted their focus to the urban areas.
Based on official records of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, groups participating in the PYAC have so far planted 2.6 million trees from 1991 to 2022 in 16 sites within the city’s upland barangays. Of the total trees planted, roughly 70% to 80% is estimated to have grown.
Gomez, a lawyer, said one of the crucial local policies that help in greening the city’s urban areas is the proposed landscape ordinance that will require builders, contractors, or developers to plant trees in their open spaces.
“This will provide mandate and compulsory compliance to land developers like Camella, Santa Lucia or Robinsons. As of now, there is no local ordinance that requires them to plant trees,” he said.
He said they are also pushing for the creation of a city housing council to address urban heat issues to improve the housing designs for city socialized housing beneficiaries. He said they want to require each lot owner to plant at least one tree within every 150-square meter of property.
“Isa sa mga e address sa Urban Forestry Program titingnan yung environmental health ng ating mga (city housing) recipients kasi kung papansinin mo sa liit ng area nila, sila ang nag register ng matataas na urban heat. Kawawa,” Gomez said.
(One of the areas that the Urban Forestry Program aims to address is the environmental health of the city housing recipients because as we have observed them, with their limited area, they register the hottest. Pitiful.)
He said a council that would look into urban heat issues would help improve the conditions of the beneficiaries and ensure that each housing unit has at least one tree that would benefit them and the people in the community.
Mike Escote, a barangay councilor in the urban village of Sicsican, and who is also an official of the city’s homeowners association federation, welcomed the proposal. – Rappler.com
Gerardo C. Reyes Jr. is a community journalist of Palawan Daily News and is an Aries Rufo journalism fellow of Rappler for 2023-2024.
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Church without Sin: A weaker Catholic Church faces a second Marcos
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Paterno Esmaquel II
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27/02/2024 14:30
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NO TO CHA-CHA. Members of Siklab, a newly formed alliance between Church and civil society, stage a protest against charter change at the Manila Cathedral, February 22, 2024.
Rappler
“I confess to Almighty God, and to you my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned….”
The words of the Confiteor, a prayer at the beginning of Mass to seek the forgiveness of sins, rang out as from a chorus of angels, at the intersection of EDSA and White Plains in Quezon City.
Sister Cho Borromeo, now 80 years old, remembered uttering this penitential prayer – while kneeling and crying along with other protesters, among them nuns, priests, and seminarians – on one of those evenings between February 22 and 25, 1986.
They had been staking out along Metro Manila’s main highway, EDSA, sleeping on the road with only newspapers and malongs (traditional and colorful handwoven cloths) as their sheets.
Like millions of Filipinos, Borromeo and other church workers heeded the call of Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin to flock to EDSA to protect rebel soldiers against dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos. The four-day gathering at EDSA would turn out to be the People Power Revolution, a bloodless uprising whose 38th anniversary was celebrated on Sunday, February 25.
In their tensest moment during the EDSA revolt, Borromeo remembered seeing military choppers hovering above them, even as they offered food and flowers to soldiers.
Borromeo believed Marcos knew “he was losing the revolution on the ground,” and “must have directed the soldiers to attack us from above.”
“Mga kababayan, katapusan na natin! Eto na (My countrymen, this is now our end! Here we go),” the protest’s youth leaders declared, as they saw the choppers coming.
The protesters knelt and prayed the Confiteor while a number of priests offered to hear confessions of sin. A general absolution, which takes the place of individual confession “when there is imminent danger of death,” was also given.
When the helicopters appeared to come much closer, the protesters started singing the Philippine National Anthem, “Lupang Hinirang,” which normally lasts around a minute. But even this they had to rush.
“Sabi nila, ‘Ayan na, ang lapit-lapit na, hindi natin matatapos! Ang kakantahin na lang natin, ‘Ang mamatay nang dahil sa ‘yo,’” Borromeo recalled. (They said, “There they are, they are so near, we can no longer finish it! We can only sing, “Ang mamatay nang dahil sa ‘yo.”)
“Aming ligaya na ‘pag may mang-aapi / ang mamatay nang dahil sa ‘yo” is the last line of the Philippine National Anthem. In the English translation by Camilo Osias and M.A.L. Lane, it is translated as: “But it is glory ever, when thou art wronged, For us, thy sons, to suffer and die.”
Filipinos, in other words, were ready to die as martyrs.
“We were crying because the end is near. So we all knelt and waited to be bombed,” Borromeo told Rappler. “And to our surprise, the helicopter just passed over.”
In what she describes now as a “funny scenario,” Borromeo said the protesters ended up turning about. They ran after the helicopters that they initially thought were angels of death. “We were wondering, where are they going?”
“Then we saw the helicopters going down, down, down, until they landed in Camp Aguinaldo. And when they landed in Camp Aguinaldo, the soldiers in the helicopter came out with rifles – and with yellow ribbons at the end of the rifles. So we knew, they had defected to the side of the people,” Borromeo said.
There was a flood of tears, Borromeo recounted. “We hugged the soldiers. And the soldiers were crying like little boys.”
“And typical of Filipinos,” she added, “siyempre may picture-taking (of course there was picture-taking).”
Borromeo said she turns emotional whenever she recalls those days, which “will forever be seared in my consciousness.”
That is why, Borromeo said, she is “agitated” at efforts “to minimize or to revise the value of EDSA.” She said in a mix of English and Filipino, “Those who do the revising, they were not even alive at that time. How dare they? What are their facts?”
EDSA, she added, was nothing short of a miracle.
“EDSA was an act of God,” Borromeo said, citing Jesuit priest Father Manoling Francisco, who said Mass at the EDSA Shrine on Friday, February 23, to mark the 38th anniversary of People Power.
“I dare say that. EDSA was an act of God,” she repeated for emphasis. “EDSA showed the Filipinos at their finest. It is a defining moment.”
“And anyone who dishonors EDSA, dishonors God,” said the nun. “As simple as that.”
For church workers like Borromeo, EDSA was the perfect example of how faith can change the course of a nation’s politics.
People Power, for sure, was the culmination of more than a decade of activism by Filipinos from all walks of life – not only the Catholic Church but also other religious groups, opposition leaders, activist students, and the Left.
The literal voice that called Filipinos to EDSA, however, was Cardinal Sin appealing to Filipinos on church-run Radio Veritas to protect soldiers who had defected from Marcos.
Filipinos praying the rosary, singing church hymns, bearing the crucifix, and carrying images of the Blessed Virgin Mary – such as the iconic image of Our Lady of Fatima, which is now housed and canonically crowned in a Valenzuela shrine – are constant images of this peaceful revolt that reverberated across the globe.
For at least a decade-and-a-half after EDSA, the use of prayer as protest remained a powerful weapon against sitting presidents: in 1997, when Cardinal Sin and former president Corazon Aquino led a Luneta prayer rally against charter change under Fidel V. Ramos, and in 2001, when Sin and Aquino were also at the forefront of the so-called People Power II that ousted Joseph Estrada.
But the political landscape, 38 years after EDSA, is now more complicated. The biggest change since then: the dictator’s son and namesake, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is now president – and, according to Rappler’s latest research, at least 16 officials related to the once-exiled Marcos family are deeply entrenched in government.
The Philippine Catholic Church itself has vastly changed. Since Cardinal Sin stepped down in 2003 and died of renal failure in 2005, the Catholic Church is still searching for ways to engage in the political scene in the absence of a single, powerful leader who could confront the powers that be.
While many in the church have consistently issued reminders to stop looking for another Cardinal Sin (he was a unique individual who played a unique role in history, they would say), the late Manila archbishop still lurks in the Filipino subconscious as a template of church involvement in politics.
As Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew, however, “People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined.”
And so it happened at key turning points over the past decade.
On December 21, 2012, the Catholic Church suffered a momentous defeat after President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III – son of the country’s first woman president, Corazon Aquino, whom the Catholic Church helped bring to power after toppling Marcos – signed the Reproductive Health (RH) law.
The RH law, which mandates wider access to contraceptives especially for poor families, was staunchly opposed by the Catholic Church. Bishops even campaigned against Aquino and his allies on their pro-life issue – with the Diocese of Bacolod putting up tarpaulins in support of “Team Buhay” (Team Life) and in opposition to “Team Patay” (Team Death) candidates.
That Mrs. Aquino herself was a devout Catholic was not lost on Mr. Aquino’s critics, but despite his ties to Catholic leaders like Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, there was no stopping Noynoy Aquino who was enjoying high approval ratings at that time.
Father Eric Marcelo Genilo, a Jesuit professor of moral theology, pointed out the defeat of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in the RH debate, in his paper, “Illusions of Influence: Clerical Partisan Engagement during the 2022 Elections.”
“Since the CBCP’s defeat in the battle over the Reproductive Health bill, politicians have learned to ignore negative clerical campaigns against their candidacy,” Genilo wrote.
“Using populist appeals and relying on the dissatisfaction of Filipinos against clerical interference in politics, politicians can now win elections even with opposition from church leaders. The hierarchy has effectively lost its prophetic voice in elections because of its misuse of political influence,” he added.
The latest “slap in the face” for the Catholic hierarchy, in the words of Boac Bishop Marcelino Maralit, was the defeat of former vice president Leni Robredo in the 2022 presidential election.
Not only did Marcos win this election, he also became the country’s first majority president since his father was ousted on February 25, 1986. Marcos won with over 31 million votes or 58.77% of the votes – a referendum not only on the EDSA forces, which largely supported Robredo, but also on the Catholic Church that campaigned for her in explicit or implicit ways.
Religious endorsement in the 2022 elections was the subject of intense debates within the Catholic Church – which, during the Duterte administration, was also divided over condemnation of the drug war killings. Many Catholic bishops and priests, after all, especially in Mindanao, were Duterte supporters.
Vincentian priest Father Daniel Franklin Pilario, a critic of drug war killings and a theologian whose field of research includes liberation theology, addressed the question of religious endorsements in his 2022 paper, “Can Priests and Religious Endorse Political Candidates?
Pilario, now president of Adamson University, explained that “the classical answer is ‘no’” as repeatedly stated in church documents. This is because a priest (and, by extension, a consecrated person) is supposed to serve as “the center of unity.” Based on this school of thought, a church leader needs to stay neutral to keep his or her “authority to pass moral judgment on the political realm.”
Pilario said Jesus, however, also took “a non-neutral and partisan position” at times, such as when he “unmasked the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders or whipped the money changers out of the temple.” It is also like Jesus “to fight for justice and work for the liberation of the poor.”
“The clergy and religious can take partisan position when the common good demands it, when justice is grossly violated, when the good of the Church requires it or when the Gospel values are at stake,” wrote Pilario.
The key, according to him, is for church leaders to clearly state their criteria for discernment based on Christian values.
“At this historical juncture, for instance – graft and corruption during Martial Law (‘Thou shall not steal’), the promotion of extrajudicial killings (‘Thou shall not kill’), and complicity with and/or silence about them – are nonnegotiable criteria for such a decision,” the Vincentian priest said in this paper published before the 2022 elections.
Pilario stressed that “no Christian can remain neutral in front of victimization and abuse of power” and that “as prophet, the Christian shall always take the side of the victim.”
One of those who supported Robredo was Borromeo.
When asked how she feels that Marcos won the 2022 presidential race, Borromeo responded by describing their support for Robredo.
“Of course, we went all out for Leni,” Borromeo told Rappler.
In a paper published after the presidential elections, however, Genilo argued that “public partisan political activity of some priests and bishops” in 2022 “was contrary to the proper role of clergy in politics and undermined the Church‘s moral credibility and pastoral mission.”
The Jesuit moral theologian explained: “If an endorsed candidate loses, the Church’s moral credibility and voice in politics is diminished. The election loss of the endorsed candidate can be interpreted as a repudiation of the church leadership’s inappropriate partisan political interventions, and it is like a slap on the face of the Church.”
“If an endorsed candidate wins, the Church’s pastoral and religious mission can also be compromised. The clergy will be encouraged to continue their partisan activity in future elections. This will foster political clericalism that gives priests and bishops the illusion of being political power players in the country,” he said.
In particular, Genilo said that “candidates who win because of the Church’s support may feel indebted to church leaders and grant Catholics special favors not given to other groups.” Eventually, prelates “may start pressuring the government to pass laws that enshrine Catholic moral teachings to create a theocratic society.”
For Genilo, it was also “rash” to think that the clergy can participate in partisan politics “because of the urgency of preventing a Marcos presidency. This argument draws from the flawed principle that ‘the ends justify the means.’ This is a principle that the Church has constantly rejected,” the moral theologian said.
“The call of Vatican II for the Church to read the signs of the times should remind the clergy that the Spirit also speaks to God’s people and that the clergy do not have a monopoly of wisdom,” he said.
Whether it was right or wrong for the Catholic Church to endorse Robredo and oppose Marcos, the majority vote for Marcos showed that either people did not listen hard enough to Catholic leaders who campaigned against the dictator’s son, or the Church’s voice was drowned out by the sophisticated and well-oiled disinformation machinery of the Marcoses.
“What happened to our voice? Is it because we’re not that credible anymore?” asked Bishop Maralit in a Manila Times report.
One factor was how former president Rodrigo Duterte sought to demolish the credibility of the Catholic Church, one of the strongest critics of his war on drugs, along with the opposition and the media. Duterte, at one point, even threatened to kill Catholic bishops who are into drugs.
Another factor is Mass attendance: From 64% in 1991, the percentage of Filipinos who go to Mass weekly has gone down to 38% as of December 2022, according to polling firm Social Weather Stations.
Chel Diokno, who ran but lost under Robredo’s Senate slate, refused to make the same conclusions that Catholics no longer listen to their church, based on election results.
“I’m not sure that that can be a scientific measure of whether people are listening or not,” said Diokno, who identifies as Catholic, in an interview with Rappler on Friday.
Diokno said it is better to look at the kind of support and the “spirit of volunteerism” that the opposition received in 2022. “I think that really captured the spirit of EDSA,” he said.
Diokno is the son of the late nationalist Jose W. Diokno, who was imprisoned in the 1970s for opposing the Marcos regime. His father was known to have drawn much inspiration from his Christian faith.
“I think the Church still has a crucial role as being sort of the conscience of the country,” Diokno said, noting that this was also the role of the Catholic Church during the Marcos dictatorship.
When asked if the Philippines needs another Cardinal Sin, Diokno responded: “I think that each of us can be a Cardinal Sin. Each of us can stand up for what is right and be a beacon, really, of hope and of light for everyone else.”
Borromeo, the 80-year-old nun who “knelt and waited to be bombed” at EDSA, vowed to continue the fight despite the revisionism that made Marcos win.
She also addressed criticism of the Catholic Church’s constant involvement in politics.
“Who is the Church?” Borromeo asked in a mix of English and Filipino. “The members of the Church are Filipinos.”
“Every Filipino has every right to participate in the life of the country. To keep silent as fence-sitters or as bystandars, these are acts of complicity to crime,” she said.
“The Church cannot be allies of fake news. The Church cannot be allies of revision of history. The Church cannot be allies of those who dishonor God,” she said. “We are Filipinos. And we will always stand for the good of the Filipino people.”
When asked what she views as the way forward for the Philippines, Borromeo said that if she is to follow her human perspective, “there is no hope.”
“But if I were to look at what is happening with the lens of faith, I still believe in the light at the end of the tunnel,” Borromeo said. “Because if I will allow myself to be overcome by hopelessness, then I am invalidating the resurrection of Christ.”
What will work for the Catholic Church is that, while it may be weaker 38 years after EDSA, the second Marcos is not any stronger. In terms of political acumen, observers note he is nowhere near his father, the dictator. The President’s critics – led by his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte – have constantly derided him as a weak leader controlled by friends and family members behind the scenes.
His allies, said to be led by his cousin House Speaker Martin Romualdez, are now working to revise the 1987 Constitution that was a fruit of the 1986 revolt. But Marcos is facing a host of other problems, most especially his fractured alliance with Vice President Sara Duterte, whose father is himself opposing charter change.
The Catholic Church is now set for another pushback, a battle against charter change or Cha-Cha that Cardinal Sin and Corazon Aquino had won a decade after EDSA.
While the battle against charter change is not a definitive measure of the Church’s strength at this time – public clamor for Cha-Cha, after all, is weak – it will signal to its flock if it will take a new path.
It is a long, bumpy ride to a new kind of EDSA. – Rappler.com
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[Two Pronged] I haven’t had sex in 6 years – I’m scared the next time will hurt
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Marguerite de Leon
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27/02/2024 15:16
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Rappler’s Life and Style section runs an advice column by couple Jeremy Baer and clinical psychologist Dr. Margarita Holmes.
Jeremy has a master’s degree in law from Oxford University. A banker of 37 years who worked in three continents, he has been training with Dr. Holmes for the last 10 years as co-lecturer and, occasionally, as co-therapist, especially with clients whose financial concerns intrude into their daily lives.
Together, they have written two books: Love Triangles: Understanding the Macho-Mistress Mentality and Imported Love: Filipino-Foreign Liaisons.
Dear Dr. Holmes and Mr. Baer,
I haven’t had sex for six years. Thinking of doing so with a former lover. I’m just afraid it might hurt. What should I do so it won’t be that painful?
Thanks, B
Dear B,
Thank you for your message.
Women are often concerned that sexual intercourse will be painful if they are virgins, or anticipate a physical mismatch with their partner, or have had past painful experiences. The first of these is not applicable in your case; as for the others, we do not know.
Generally pain can be reduced, if not eliminated, via lubrication. This can be the result of foreplay, stimulation, anticipation, desire, imagination – and/or aided by products such as creams and gels which can be bought online, in pharmacies, or at sex shops; or even that old staple, saliva. Judicious preparation using devices such as dildos may also be effective.
As you are proposing to renew a previous relationship, you will already be aware of your prospective partner’s sexual prowess but however accomplished he may be, there is always room for improvement and this can best be achieved by the best possible communication between you and your partner.
All the best,JAF Baer
Dear B:
Thank you very much for your letter. I think you have two things going in your favor.
One is that you have already had sex, and thus intercourse will not be entirely new to you. I do not agree that it is “just like riding a bike” with the procedural memory kicking in as soon as you ride it. For one thing, you can bend a mechanical device to your will far more easily than you can a person.
Another is that you already know what sex with this particular person – whom you’ve had sex with before – will be like, UNLESS, of course, that is the problem.
If you have had sex with him before, as your letter implies, then I can’t help feeling that, generally speaking, you know the initial pain is worth the subsequent joy after — whether within the first sexual experience or after one, or several, experiences with the him.
However, if, despite having sex with him before, you want suggestions on how it might hurt less, then I cannot help feeling that maybe the first (and possibly subsequent) time(s) with him were not completely pain-free.
If that, indeed, is the case, then I agree with Mr. Baer that the best way to achieve your goal of no (or minimal) pain is by having the best possible communication between the two of you.
The communication may be as superficial and matter of fact as in:
“You know that dildo you used on me the last time we made love, well, do you think you could use a smaller one this time please?”; or
“Please lang, can we do the doggie style after several other positions? It takes me a while to get ready for it.”
It may be a tad deeper, but still not all that embarrassing, to bring up as in:
“I honestly do not know if your refractory period has become longer now that 6 years have passed.” (The refractory period is the time a man needs between the last ejaculation and the next erection); or
“You remember the old joke about the reason women fake orgasm…because men fake foreplay…well, I kinda feel like that sometimes.” Admittedly, it would take a reasonable assertive woman to say this, but why not, right?
If this is a “repeat relationship,” after six years, then surely one would hope for some improvement in both parties? Either from experiences with partners in between the first and second time with each other or from being more mature and thus more willing to accommodate one’s partner.
It is important to share what you like and don’t like, what you’re willing to try, and plans for safer sex, e.g., what birth control method you both think will be best.
After considering other approaches between those I have mentioned above and this one, you may want to share with him, either verbally or non-verbally, your desire to have him stay the night, to have more than a sexual relationship with him, and/or for him to take more time before penetration happens.
In addition to being able to tell him what you want, what you fear, what would make you feel more comfortable, there are many things you can do to make sex more comfortable.
Mr. Baer mentioned lubrication, and that helps many women feel more comfortable about having sex. Not only does the lubrication per se help, but taking even that wee bit of time to find it, and apply it, may give you some breathing space, and allow your anxiety levels to go down. Many times, sex can be painful because one is so tense.
Last but not least, be realistic about your expectations. It is easy to fantasize that this second time together will be more tender, more raunchy, more everything your first time was not. Some of your fantasies may happen, but a lot more may not. Being realistic is the only way to be fair both to yourself and your partner.
I hope these suggestions help, B, and let us know how it goes if the spirit moves you to.
All the best,MG Holmes
– Rappler.com
Please send any comments, questions, or requests for advice to twopronged@rappler.com.
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Plant a tree for free with every GCash transaction through GForest
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Saab Lariosa
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27/02/2024 12:11
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The Philippines is one of the most biodiverse archipelagos in the world and is home to over 50,000 described species of plants.
However, due to activities such as deforestation, habitat exploitation, waste disposal, and pollution, the Philippines is rapidly losing numerous plant species that contribute to its vibrant tropical habitat. To combat the negative effects of climate change, GCash is actively helping to plant trees in the Philippines through GForest.
With GForest, all GCash users can contribute to the preservation of the environment – and you can too. When you plant trees virtually on GForest, GCash transforms these into real trees to support the preservation of our forest reserves.
For every successful GCash transaction, you can earn a certain amount of Green Energy Points and collect it 24 hours later in GForest in the app. You can collect green energy points when you Buy Load, Send Money, Pay Bills, Cash-In, or even when you register up to 20,000 steps per day from walking. Every transaction is a real contribution, so it’s important to collect energy every day.
When you have enough Green Energy points, you can plant a virtual tree that will be planted by GCash and its local and international partners in key locations nationwide.
There are different types of trees to choose from, including the new Cannonball Mangrove, the Red Mangrove, and sometimes, there are even limited edition trees that can be planted at certain times of the year, such as a limited edition Pine Tree in December 2023. You can choose between the different types of trees GCash offers, depending on Green Energy Points you have and what different types of trees are worth. Usually, the more energy points required to plant a specific tree, the more effective the tree will be in helping sequester carbon from the environment.
GForest ensures that every virtual plant collected is converted into a real tree. To date, GCash has planted over 2.7 million actual trees in 14 key areas nationwide as of 2023). An estimated 346,000 trees have been planted in Luzon, 1.1 million in Visayas and 1.1 million in Mindanao.
An estimated 8,600 smallholder farming families have benefited from this initiative. GForest is not only helping the environment, it also helps improve the livelihood of farmers in climate change affected areas in the Philippines.
Using GForest and planting real trees from the comfort of your own home is as easy as following four simple steps:
Through GCash, you can be part of a bigger digital eco-movement to rebuild our country’s forests. Keep giving back to the environment with a gift that will surely benefit it for many years to come. Be a green hero and contribute to rebuilding our forests – one digital tree at a time when you use GCash. – Rappler.com
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SM to open 5 new malls in 2024 as PH retail rebounds big
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gdecastro0289
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27/02/2024 8:15
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MALLING. SM Prime will open 5 new malls in 2024, three in Luzon, one in Visayas, and one in Mindanao.
SM handouts/J Center Mall X/Rappler file
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ retail king SM Group is opening five new malls in the Philippines in 2024, two of them in Ilocos, the home region of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
SM Supermalls president Steven Tan said on Monday, February 26, that they would be opening the following:
“We will be opening in La Union [province], Laoag [City] as well. Zamboanga, we opened Zamboanga a couple of years ago [in December 2020]. It grew to be very, very successful, so we’re very bullish with the Zamboanga market. We’re opening a bigger one,” he told the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC).
A post shared by SM City Mindpro (@smcitymindpro)
SM broke ground for its second mall in the Zamboanga Peninsula in February 2023.
The malls in Laoag City and in La Union province will be the first SM malls in these areas. A change.org petition in 2016 asked that SM build a mall in La Union.
Some of these malls will “blend with the [local] community,” such as the SM in the Philippines’ surfing capital in northern Luzon, La Union, which will have more “timber” and “beige” in its design, he said.
“La Union would also be great because there will also be an area where you would create that same vibe as the surfing capital of the Philippines,” Tan said.
The new one that will be near Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna, will be a “premier mall with a one hectare, enclosed, airconditioned garden in the middle of the mall, where all the shops and restaurants will be looking into,” he said.
SM bought the J Center Mall in Mandaue City in 2023 and is currently renovating it. A J Tower residences is also being built at the back of the mall.
With a grateful heart, thank you so much! This is J Centre Mall. Your home, our home where we belong, forever. pic.twitter.com/ORL5HR6M69
The retail industry in the Philippines has rebounded big from the pandemic, with most retail businesses seeing high growth.
“Immediately after the pandemic, people went back to the mall, flocked to the mall. Last year was a testament of that – we’re very happy with the numbers because we weren’t expecting it to be that good. We were expecting growth, definitely, but the result is very humbling, it really blew me,” Tan said.
SM Prime Holdings had a net income of P40 billion in 2023, 33% higher than the P30 billion in 2022. Its mall business generated 56% of the company’s consolidated revenues. Mall rental income went up 24% to P61.3 billion in 2023 from P49.7 billion the year prior.
“The favorable result we achieved in 2023 reflects the strong support and trust from our tenants and customers despite the economic challenges encountered in 2023. We continue to see this growth momentum this year as we pursue our expansion plans in our key businesses, and explore new opportunities to expand our businesses,” SM Prime president Jeffrey Lim said on February 19.
As of October 2023, SM had 85 malls: 24 in Metro Manila, 47 in the rest of Luzon, 7 in the Visayas, and 7 in Mindanao. These malls had an average daily pedestrian count of 3.5 million.
SM has other retail outlets such as SM Hypermarket, Savemore, Waltermart, Alfamart, and MindPro.
SM’s mall expansion is now outside Metro Manila as regional growth in Luzon (excluding Metro Manila) and the Visayas in 2022 was faster than in the National Capital Region.
Other Philippine retail giants are Robinsons Retail Holdings Incorporated and Puregold Price Club Incorporated.
According to the newly released Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) 2023 report by Kearney, a global management consulting firm, “a growing middle class, increasing urbanization, a young demographic, strong consumer demand, an attractive labor market, and increasing remittances make the Philippines one of the most dynamic economies” in the Asia Pacific.
It noted that the Philippines’ poverty incidence declined from 23% in 2015 to 18% in 2021, and economic growth was at 7.6% in 2022.
The GRDI said the Philippines’ retail market was worth $203 billion in 2022, and was projected to grow by 5% from 2017 to 2022 and reach $286 billion in 2027.
The report said both the low-end retail enterprises, such as sari-sari (general merchandise) stores, as well as luxury brands are cashing in on the retail rebound.
“Traditional Philippine stores, known as sari-sari stores, located at every street corner and deeply rooted in the nation’s culture, continue to increase, providing access to smaller packs and essential goods in residential areas,” the GRDI 2023 said.
Both government and private business are using various ways to help small retailers. Government, for instance, provides low-interest loans to small enterprises.
“In November 2023, President Marcos asked TikTok to help mom-and-pop stores promote their products to millions of users, especially in rural areas,” the GRDI said.
Billionaire Lucio Co’s supermarket chain Puregold’s Tindahan ni Aling Puring was cited in the report as one of the ways by which big business is assisting small retailers with big discounts.
The GRDI said Philippine supermarkets have also “shown good growth and continue to be a leading retail channel.”
“Major players such as Puregold Price Clubs, Robinson Retail, and SM Retail are expanding their footprint. Supermarkets are also strengthening their offerings through innovation. AllDay Supermarkets, for example, introduced ‘smart carts,’ which are equipped with digital display ads,” the report said.
Philippine retailers have also adapted to the rise of ecommerce by offering “seamless shopping experience through a balance of physical and online sales.”
“Robinsons Department Store makes its items available on its GoCart online platform and engages Lazada and Shopee to increase its reach. Hypermarket operator SM Retail offers its omnichannel experience through its ShopSM online platform,” it said.
Many retailers have also adopted the Buy Now Pay Later or BNPL, and this is also “driving demand in retail.”
A post shared by Atome PH (@atome.ph)
“Atome, a BNPL vendor in the country, launched in 2022, provides three-month interest-free payment options without a credit card. Such vendors have popped up and are partnering with leading retail players such as SM Retail and Zalora,” the GRDI said.
The report noted that Malaysia’s home improvement retailer Mr. DIY has already opened multiple outlets throughout the country. Mr. DIY opened its 500th store in Panglao, Bohol, last February 16.
Mr. DIY offers a wide selection of low-priced goods in categories such as hardware, household and furnishing, electrical, stationary, sports, toys, etc. It’s motto is “Always Low Prices.”
The GRDI report said local retailers SM Retail, Puregold, and Robinsons Retail are also “planning to expand with multiple new outlets throughout the country.”
With the Philippines’ rising per capita income and increasing number of “affluent Filipino consumers,” the GRDI report said more luxury brands have opened “multi-concept stores and luxury flagships.”
“In December 2023, Prada announced a joint venture with Store Specialists Inc., which is involved in the retailing of leading luxury brands such as Hermes. Ayala, the Philippines’ premier mall chain, is enjoying a resurgence of luxury store openings, including Gucci, Tiffany & Co, and Cartier,” it said.
In addition, the GRDI report said “iconic global retailers such as Ikea, Bath & Body Works, Foot Locker, and Hugo Boss have entered the market and set up new stores,” while “other international retailers are on an expansion spree, with Levi’s opening its biggest store to date in July 2023.” – Rappler.com
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It’s a book sail! Floating book fair Doulos Hope is sailing around the PH
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Steph Arnaldo
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27/02/2024 15:31
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Doulos Hope Philippines' Facebook
MANILA, Philippines – Sailing to our shores again is international floating book fair Doulos Hope, set for disembarkation at three Philippine ports from March to April 2024 after more than a decade.
The non-profit organization’s Doulos Hope vessel is currently docked at Subic Bay’s Rivera North Wharf Port since February 13 until March 3. Afterwards, it will be docking at the San Fernando International Seaport in San Fernando, La Union from March 7 to 24, followed by Manila on March 28 to April 23, and lastly, at Batangas City from April 16 to 28.
Based on its Subic leg, the floating book fair is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 2 to 9 pm, with last entry at 8 pm. There is a P50 entrance fee per head, with free entry for kids under 12 and seniors over 60.
“Priority is given to online booking. You are welcome to queue up but we do not guarantee that everyone can walk in especially on weekends,” Doulos Hope Philippines said on Facebook. As of writing, only Subic Bay’s slots are open for registration; registration for the upcoming three ports are to follow.
Doulos Hope Philippines encourages only small groups for visits and clarifies that the vessel is not PWD-friendly.
My Doulos Hope is one of two vessels owned by GBA Ships, the non-profit organization based in Germany. The fifth vessel was just recently commissioned for service in May 2023 in Singapore. The other vessel, Logos Hope, is currently at Gqeberha, South Africa.
The “largest floating library in the world” visits different global ports of call for several weeks at a time and open the gangways to thousands of visitors every day. The book fair offers diverse titles and genres of quality literature at affordable costs.
The “ship of hope” was last in the Philippines in February 2012, carrying more than 5,000 titles at a fraction of the cost. The crew of the ship then comprised about 56 nationalities.
Good Books for All (GBA Ships e.V.) is a non-profit organization based in Germany. Since 1970, the organization’s vessels have made over 1,600 port visits in over 160 countries and territories, donating hundreds of tons of books and enjoyed by over 50 million visitors.
GBA Ships aims to share knowledge through the books they carry and the international crews working on board, highlighting “international goodwill and understanding.” They also provide aid and care to the countries they visit by participating in local community projects and promoting literacy and education, cross-cultural co-operation, and social awareness. – Steph Arnaldo/Rappler.com
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FACT CHECK: Unregistered detox foot soak does not treat arthritis, varicose veins
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Lorenz Pasion
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27/02/2024 14:45
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Claim: Japan Foot Soak claims to detoxify the body and treat arthritis, varicose veins, and other ailments.
Why we fact-checked this: Several posts advertising the product were made on the Facebook page “Japan Herbal Detox,” which has 2,500 followers. One video advertisement bearing the claim has gained 3.4 million views, 34,000 reactions, and 32,000 comments as of writing. It was posted on April 12, 2023, but continues to get comments and engagement from social media users, with interested buyers inquiring about the price and the page responding privately.
The facts: There is no credible evidence that a foot detox using foot pads or foot soaks works to clear the body of toxins, and no scientific studies support the claim, according to various medical experts cited in the Mayo Clinic, USA Today, and Business Insider.
In an article by Cleveland Clinic, Dr Irina Todorov, an integrative medicine specialist, explained that the discoloration of the water in foot soaks could be due to chemical reactions between impurities in the water and corroded metal rather than toxins leaving the body. Furthermore, the article highlighted the significance of lifestyle changes, such as food and exercise, for overall health and detoxification. It added that while foot baths are relaxing, they lack scientific basis for the claim that the products detoxify the body.
In a 2022 Rappler fact check, Francisco V. Navarro, a medical doctor and lecturer on traditional Chinese medicine, added that although traditional medicine uses “herbal poultices, plasters, and pads…these are meant to add or apply, rather than remove [toxins].”
No scientific basis: A 2008 report by National Public Radio testing whether foot pads work found no significant differences between used and unused pads, indicating that they did not perform as advertised. According to Dr. Jim Seward, an environmental health physician, pulling out toxins through the skin is not plausible because the body naturally eliminates these through various mechanisms, primarily through the kidneys and intestinal tracts.
Similarly, a 2018 study from the Journal of Heavy Metal Toxicity and Diseases found that detox foot pads “did not induce the elimination of studied metals through the feet.”
Not FDA registered: As of writing, Japan Foot Soak is not on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) list of medical devices. Moreover, the page “Japan Herbal Detox,” which sells the product, is not registered with the FDA as a medical device manufacturer, trader, distributor, or retailer.
The FDA has previously issued an advisory against the purchase and use of a similar foot detox product that had not gone through the agency’s evaluation process to assess its quality and safety.
Under Republic Act No. 9711 or the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009, the sale and use of unauthorized health products is strictly prohibited.
Previous false claims: Rappler has fact-checked similar supposed health treatments and cures that are not registered with the FDA:
– Chinie Ann Jocel R. Mendoza/Rappler.comChinie Ann Jocel R. Mendoza is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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Tim Cone confident Kai Sotto bound to dominate Asia
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delfin.dioquino editor
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26/02/2024 23:58
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SKY HIGH. Kai Sotto in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2024 FIBA Asian Cup Qualifiers.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – The way Kai Sotto performed in the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers has Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone convinced that his young ward is capable of dominating the continent.
Cone gave Sotto rave reviews after the 7-foot-3 big man turned in a pair of double-double performances to help the Filipinos sweep the first window with back-to-back blowout victories over Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei.
“He is going to absolutely dominate Asia. I’ve always felt that. If you get him in the right spots, he can absolutely dominate Asia,” said Cone.
Sotto, the youngest in the team at 21 years old, shone as he stepped up in the absence of injured big men June Mar Fajardo (calf) and AJ Edu (knee).
He finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks in an emphatic 106-53 home drubbing of visiting Chinese Taipei at the PhilSports Arena on Sunday, February 25.
It was an impressive follow-up to his 13-point, 15-rebound, 2-block outing in the Philippines’ 94-64 road rout of Hong Kong last February 22.
Cone said the goal is to aid Sotto – who plays professionally for the Yokohama B-Corsairs in the Japan B. League – in his bid to reach greater heights.
“For him, the next part is to get up to the European level and the NBA level. We’re hoping that we could help him get into that level,” said Cone.
“There may be a time where we might lose Kai, he may not be able to join windows because he might be in the NBA. And we’ll be very, very proud of that.”
A cornerstone of the program Cone has mapped out for the next four years, Sotto said his confidence is at “sky-high” knowing that the veteran mentor has huge plans for him.
That brimming confidence has translated into his fine play.
“Even if he does not tell me personally, I know that coach Tim has a lot of trust in me and I have a lot of trust in him as well,” said Sotto. – Rappler.com
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Why did Sara retract her EDSA message? Camp explains why, but it’s not for public dissemination
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Bonz Magsambol
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27/02/2024 15:08
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THE VP. File photo of Vice President Sara Duterte
Inday Sara Duterte Facebook page
For the first time since she assumed the vice presidency, Sara Duterte issued a statement on Sunday night, February 25, commemorating the anniversary of the EDSA People Power revolution that toppled the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, the father and namesake of her Uniteam tandem.
However, it was short-lived.
Shortly after the message was posted on her official Facebook page at around 9 pm, it was taken down. At that time, several fan pages of the Vice President had reposted it while Marcos supporters slammed her for paying tribute to the “brave souls” who risked their lives for a “better Philippines”
What was in the now-deleted post?
The Vice President called on Filipinos to “remember the lessons of EDSA – the power of unity, the strength of the Filipino spirit, and the importance of standing up for what is right.”
“On this day, we commemorate the brave souls who stood united on the streets of EDSA, fighting for democracy and freedom. Their courage and determination paved the way for a better Philippines, and their sacrifices will never be forgotten,” she said.
Duterte did not issue a new message. Throughout her father’s term, then-president Rodrigo Duterte issued EDSA messages that were similar to Sara’s retracted message, urging Filipinos to honor and learn from those who fought to restore democracy in the country.
Duterte: On this day, we commemorate the brave souls who stood united on the streets of Edsa, fighting for democracy and freedom. Their courage and determination paved the way for a better Philippines, and their sacrifices will never be forgotten @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/i2c8ACwjWU
“The post was removed because it was not approved by VP Sara Duterte. There was a system error in the social media team,” Duterte’s camp said. But the Viber message was later edited to include, “Please do not quote. Thank you.”
Reporters were dumbfounded as to why the OVP would release an explanation that was meant only for the media’s private consumption. Prior to the edited message, media had shared the original explanation, which drew criticism and sarcastic remarks, specifically on the “system error” reference.
Was it the Vice President’s way of showing that she was still on the same page as the President amid the repeated observation of political analysts that the Uniteam alliance has crumbled? Or was she, again, just being sensitive to public feedback? Remember her withdrawn request for confidential funds in 2024?
This year, Marcos did not declare the anniversary of the uprising as a holiday, upsetting democracy advocates who believe the move was meant to dismiss the legacy of the People Power revolution.
The Marcos dictatorship itself was considered among the darkest chapters in Philippine history. Human rights groups reported that some 70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000 people were tortured, and over 3,000 people were killed under the dictator’s rule.
The Filipino people will never forget the atrocities during the Marcos Sr. regime, even if Duterte took down her EDSA message due to a “system error.” – Rappler.com
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GAME SCHEDULE: 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference
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jisaga0269
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27/04/2024 22:53
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PVL Images
The Premier Volleyball League (PVL) heads to another title showdown between the league’s top sister teams!
Defending champion Creamline and sister squad Choco Mucho dispute the PVL All-Filipino championship for the second straight conference in a best-of-three series. Here’s the schedule:
It’s all even again for the top four teams.
The semifinalists of the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference battle in a single round-robin, where the top two teams will advance to the best-of-three finals. Here’s the schedule:
Near-daily volleyball is back to satisfy fans’ hunger for action as the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) releases its 2024 All-Filipino Conference schedule, starting on February 20.
The development comes after the UAAP also released its Season 86 men’s and women’s volleyball tournament schedules on a Wednesday-Saturday-Sunday rotation.
The PVL, meanwhile, stays in its usual Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday slate, kicking off Tuesday, February 20, at the PhilSports Arena with a double-header featuring newcomers Strong Group Athletics and Capital1 taking on contenders Petro Gazz and Chery Tiggo, respectively.
Capping off the conference’s first week is an appearance at the Araneta Coliseum, with reloaded Farm Fresh challenging the Creamline dynasty in the 6 pm triple-header main event.
Fans outside NCR, however, will have fewer chances to see their favorite PVL stars live unlike the past conference, as only the Ynares Center in Antipolo, Rizal and the Sta. Rosa Sports Complex in Laguna are the announced venues away from Metro Manila.
The season-starting All-Filipino Conference is scheduled to run for three months until May 14 at the maximum, unless plans change.
Other notable elimination round matches are Choco Mucho vs. Petro Gazz on February 27, Petro Gazz vs Creamline on April 6, PLDT vs Chery Tiggo featuring multiple former F2 Logistics veterans on April 16, and the Creamline-Choco Mucho finals rematch on April 18.
Here is the entire conference schedule, as of Wednesday, February 14:
– Rappler.com
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New-era Gilas Pilipinas: So far, so good, with much promise
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jisaga0269
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27/02/2024 14:05
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ALL SMILES. Gilas Pilipinas players Kai Sotto (11) and Justin Brownlee (32) react in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Such a huge difference a change in coach, system, and culture makes.
Standing faithfully by Gilas Pilipinas during a particularly frustrating two-year stretch that saw more losses than triumphs, Filipino fans have yearned for a national team they could rally behind in earnest.
They were given a taste of it when Gilas ended six decades of futility in the Asian Games by bringing home the gold last year. Fans were served more than their just desserts in the February FIBA Asia Cup qualifying window when Gilas won both their games by an average margin of 41.5 points.
The common denominator? The legendary coach Tim Cone.
Of course, there are still naysayers who point out that Hong Kong is not exactly an elite Asian team and Chinese Taipei was without a naturalized player, never mind that they kept the scoreline close against New Zealand in their previous game. All valid observations.
But these can be negated by the fact that this latest iteration of Gilas has had roughly a week to prepare and is still at the getting-to-know-you and the system stage. But the way they have adapted to the system that Cone has slowly instilled should give even the most stone-cold skeptics hope that the team just might turn out to be special.
There have also been those who have asserted that it is immaterial to compare the Cone-mentored squad to its World Cup predecessor, that it is high time to already move on and desist from bringing up the ghosts of Gilas past.
But the past serves as the baseline from which the present can be built on.
There are valuable lessons that can be learned and unwarranted drama that can be discarded if history is not relegated to irrelevance.
And so we look back at and take stock of how far the team has gone since the FIBA World Cup to help us understand how far the team can still go in its goal to make the Olympics, if not this year in Paris then in 2028 in Los Angeles.
One standout characteristic of Gilas Pilipinas under Cone is that there is a certain fluidity in the movement of the players that allows the game to flow more smoothly. The players know where they need to be and where the ball has to be. It was true in the Asian Games. It remains true in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.
During the FIBA World Cup, Jordan Clarkson was allowed by the coaching staff to dominate the ball, attempting at least 21 shots per game. There were instances when everyone else around him appeared to just wait to see what he would do and if his shots would go in.
Kai Sotto had less than four shot attempts per outing. Clarkson ended up with an impressive average of 26 points in five games. The only other player to average in double figures was Dwight Ramos with 13.2 points.
Justin Browlee led Gilas in scoring with 21 points in each of the two games in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers. But he got plenty of help. Four others also normed double figures.
Sotto was finally given his due touches and delivered with 15.5 points per game. Ramos contributed 10.5 points. Kevin Quiambao, despite being the only collegiate player in the roster, showed he could play with the big boys by pumping in 12.5 points per showing. Calvin Oftana almost joined the double digit club with nine points per game.
The wide distribution of wealth can be attributed to a number of factors.
Cone made it part of the design to allow Sotto the space to establish his presence in the low block, something that was missing from the World Cup where the bigs were not made integral components of the offense and none of them took more than five attempts per game.
Finally given the blessing of a coach who believed in him, the “Kaiju” was unleashed and produced the numbers – 12.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, and 3 assists.
Sotto asserting himself against the Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei frontliners led to good things – the floor opened up for incursions to the basket, with Sotto as the willing passer, and the outside was freed up for the Gilas gunners, resulting in a respectable 39% shooting clip from three.
The triangle became the framework from which ball movement emanated and became one of the main weapons of Gilas Pilipinas. Rarely was there any display of hero ball or one-on-one isolation where one player dribbled the shot clock away while the rest of the team remained frozen from action.
In its place were the wings driving to test the opposing team’s defense then kicking out to the open shooter or the high post getting the ball to move it around until the open man was found.
This was evidenced by the team dishing out an impressive 31.5 assists in the qualifiers. Scottie Thompson led the way for Gilas with nine assists per game. During the World Cup, Gilas only averaged 16 assists per game.
Cone clearly defined his expectation from each player. Chris Newsome, a prolific scorer with Meralco Bolts, accepted his task as the primary defensive stopper for Gilas.
Chinese Taipei star Cheng Liu sizzled in their previous game against New Zealand where he scored 20 points on 8/16 shooting. After sinking two early threes against Gilas, Liu ended up making a total of just five shots from 14 attempts, largely because of the relentless pressure from Newsome.
Carl Tamayo dropped 11 points and hauled down six boards against Chinese Taipei. Tamayo provides Gilas with a versatile big man, Cone’s own version of Ranidel de Ocampo, who is also the team’s tough guy and enforcer.
Tamayo and Quiambao were the “Bruise Brothers” of the NU Bullpups when the two were in high school. It is not far-fetched that they will relive this role in Gilas uniforms.
All these positives still beg the question: Can Gilas Pilipinas look just as good when they face bigger teams like New Zealand in the next window and world caliber squads in the Paris Olympic qualifiers?
Cone will be the first to admit that there is still so much work to be done. He has always been known to keep himself grounded even as his sights are always lasered towards the bigger target.
One thing going for Cone is that he is also fully aware that the team holds so much promise.
Brownlee has not fully shaken off the rust from his forced layoff. Sotto has had four straight double-doubles (two in the Japan B. League, two in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers) and is slowly beginning to understand what it takes to be a dominant big man.
AJ Edu and June Mar Fajardo have yet to join the team. The entire squad still has to learn to play together and for each other. Cone knows they eventually will.
Gilas Pilipinas can still get better. It will become better. – Rappler.com
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BDO nets P73.4 billion in 2023
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Ralf Rivas
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27/02/2024 10:38
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Shutterstock
MANILA, Philippines – The Sy family’s BDO Unibank posted a net income of P73.4 billion in 2023 – a 28.5% jump from last year’s P57.1 billion – on the back of growth from its core business.
BDO’s net interest income reached P186.4 billion as loans from customers increased by 9% to P28.5 trillion. Meanwhile, total deposits went up by 11% to P3.5 trillion.
Non-interest income reached P84 billion on the back of fee-based, treasury, and foreign exchange businesses.
The bank’s non-performing loan ratio, a measure of souring debt, continued to decline to 1.85%.
The latest earnings figures were above analyst estimates.
“This was above COL estimates at 106% of our full-year forecast, while in line with consensus estimates at 100.2%. On our part, the outperformance was due to higher-than-expected revenues,” COL Financial said in a research note to investors. – Rappler.com
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New-era Gilas Pilipinas: So far, so good, with much promise
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jisaga0269
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27/02/2024 14:05
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ALL SMILES. Gilas Pilipinas players Kai Sotto (11) and Justin Brownlee (32) react in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Such a huge difference a change in coach, system, and culture makes.
Standing faithfully by Gilas Pilipinas during a particularly frustrating two-year stretch that saw more losses than triumphs, Filipino fans have yearned for a national team they could rally behind in earnest.
They were given a taste of it when Gilas ended six decades of futility in the Asian Games by bringing home the gold last year. Fans were served more than their just desserts in the February FIBA Asia Cup qualifying window when Gilas won both their games by an average margin of 41.5 points.
The common denominator? The legendary coach Tim Cone.
Of course, there are still naysayers who point out that Hong Kong is not exactly an elite Asian team and Chinese Taipei was without a naturalized player, never mind that they kept the scoreline close against New Zealand in their previous game. All valid observations.
But these can be negated by the fact that this latest iteration of Gilas has had roughly a week to prepare and is still at the getting-to-know-you and the system stage. But the way they have adapted to the system that Cone has slowly instilled should give even the most stone-cold skeptics hope that the team just might turn out to be special.
There have also been those who have asserted that it is immaterial to compare the Cone-mentored squad to its World Cup predecessor, that it is high time to already move on and desist from bringing up the ghosts of Gilas past.
But the past serves as the baseline from which the present can be built on.
There are valuable lessons that can be learned and unwarranted drama that can be discarded if history is not relegated to irrelevance.
And so we look back at and take stock of how far the team has gone since the FIBA World Cup to help us understand how far the team can still go in its goal to make the Olympics, if not this year in Paris then in 2028 in Los Angeles.
One standout characteristic of Gilas Pilipinas under Cone is that there is a certain fluidity in the movement of the players that allows the game to flow more smoothly. The players know where they need to be and where the ball has to be. It was true in the Asian Games. It remains true in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.
During the FIBA World Cup, Jordan Clarkson was allowed by the coaching staff to dominate the ball, attempting at least 21 shots per game. There were instances when everyone else around him appeared to just wait to see what he would do and if his shots would go in.
Kai Sotto had less than four shot attempts per outing. Clarkson ended up with an impressive average of 26 points in five games. The only other player to average in double figures was Dwight Ramos with 13.2 points.
Justin Browlee led Gilas in scoring with 21 points in each of the two games in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers. But he got plenty of help. Four others also normed double figures.
Sotto was finally given his due touches and delivered with 15.5 points per game. Ramos contributed 10.5 points. Kevin Quiambao, despite being the only collegiate player in the roster, showed he could play with the big boys by pumping in 12.5 points per showing. Calvin Oftana almost joined the double digit club with nine points per game.
The wide distribution of wealth can be attributed to a number of factors.
Cone made it part of the design to allow Sotto the space to establish his presence in the low block, something that was missing from the World Cup where the bigs were not made integral components of the offense and none of them took more than five attempts per game.
Finally given the blessing of a coach who believed in him, the “Kaiju” was unleashed and produced the numbers – 12.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, and 3 assists.
Sotto asserting himself against the Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei frontliners led to good things – the floor opened up for incursions to the basket, with Sotto as the willing passer, and the outside was freed up for the Gilas gunners, resulting in a respectable 39% shooting clip from three.
The triangle became the framework from which ball movement emanated and became one of the main weapons of Gilas Pilipinas. Rarely was there any display of hero ball or one-on-one isolation where one player dribbled the shot clock away while the rest of the team remained frozen from action.
In its place were the wings driving to test the opposing team’s defense then kicking out to the open shooter or the high post getting the ball to move it around until the open man was found.
This was evidenced by the team dishing out an impressive 31.5 assists in the qualifiers. Scottie Thompson led the way for Gilas with nine assists per game. During the World Cup, Gilas only averaged 16 assists per game.
Cone clearly defined his expectation from each player. Chris Newsome, a prolific scorer with Meralco Bolts, accepted his task as the primary defensive stopper for Gilas.
Chinese Taipei star Cheng Liu sizzled in their previous game against New Zealand where he scored 20 points on 8/16 shooting. After sinking two early threes against Gilas, Liu ended up making a total of just five shots from 14 attempts, largely because of the relentless pressure from Newsome.
Carl Tamayo dropped 11 points and hauled down six boards against Chinese Taipei. Tamayo provides Gilas with a versatile big man, Cone’s own version of Ranidel de Ocampo, who is also the team’s tough guy and enforcer.
Tamayo and Quiambao were the “Bruise Brothers” of the NU Bullpups when the two were in high school. It is not far-fetched that they will relive this role in Gilas uniforms.
All these positives still beg the question: Can Gilas Pilipinas look just as good when they face bigger teams like New Zealand in the next window and world caliber squads in the Paris Olympic qualifiers?
Cone will be the first to admit that there is still so much work to be done. He has always been known to keep himself grounded even as his sights are always lasered towards the bigger target.
One thing going for Cone is that he is also fully aware that the team holds so much promise.
Brownlee has not fully shaken off the rust from his forced layoff. Sotto has had four straight double-doubles (two in the Japan B. League, two in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers) and is slowly beginning to understand what it takes to be a dominant big man.
AJ Edu and June Mar Fajardo have yet to join the team. The entire squad still has to learn to play together and for each other. Cone knows they eventually will.
Gilas Pilipinas can still get better. It will become better. – Rappler.com
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Waiting for Ginebra return, Brownlee looking at overseas offers
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delfin.dioquino editor
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26/02/2024 7:47
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JUMPER. Justin Brownlee in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2024 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Expect Justin Brownlee to reunite with Barangay Ginebra, but as he still waits for his next tour of duty in the PBA, chances are he will play elsewhere for the meantime.
Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone said Brownlee has received offers from overseas teams as the beloved naturalized player ponders his next career move after he and the Nationals swept the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
It will take months before Brownlee sets foot in the PBA again, with the league staging the Philippine Cup next starting on February 28.
“There are offers to go play overseas since it is All-Filipino. We’re perfectly fine with that,” said Cone on Sunday, February 25, after the Philippines’ 106-53 rout of visiting Chinese Taipei.
“We’re all for him going out, staying in shape.”
Going overseas should be an ideal move for Brownlee as he looks to regain his old form after being away from competitive action for four months – a result of failing a doping test in the Asian Games in October.
Brownlee is no stranger to playing in other foreign leagues in between his Ginebra stints as he suited up for Lebanese club Al Riyadi in 2019 and UAE’s Al Sharjah in 2021.
Not only would Brownlee be in tiptop shape once the PBA holds another import-flavored conference, he would also be in deadlier form for the Riga, Latvia leg of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in July.
Fearsome foes await in the OQT, with Brownlee and world No. 38 Philippines set to battle No. 8 Latvia and No. 23 Georgia.
“He will definitely be back for us at Ginebra in the next conference, after the All-Filipino. He is already locked in for that. So we’ll see him here,” said Cone.
“But in the meantime, he is looking at offers and he’ll probably end up playing somewhere for a while.”
Despite seeing his career temporarily derailed for one-third of a year, Brownlee looked like he hardly lost a step as he steered the Philippines to a pair of blowout wins in the first window of the Asia Cup Qualifiers.
Brownlee delivered 26 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks against Chinese Taipei – an impressive follow-up performance to his 16-point, 7-rebound, 7-assists, 3-steal effort in a 94-64 romp of Hong Kong.
No wonder teams are calling. – Rappler.com
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Benguet forest fires cast gloomy shadow over popular Atok flower farm
|
Mia Gonzalez
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27/02/2024 12:40
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FIRE. Fire ravages an area in a mountain in Benguet as shown in this photo taken from Northern Blossoms Flower Farm in Atok, Benguet.
Northern Blossom Flower Farm
BENGUET, Philippines – A popular flower farm and tourist destination in Atok, Benguet, is now enveloped in smog, casting a gloomy shadow over what is typically a picturesque landscape.
A series of forest fires raging across parts of the Cordillera Administrative Region has led to significant smog coverage over Atok, Benguet, particularly affecting Northern Blossom Flower Farm, a popular tourist destination known for its breathtaking views and vibrant flora.
The flower farm’s management has issued a statement urging potential visitors to reconsider their plans, highlighting the risks particularly to individuals with respiratory conditions such as asthma.
“Due to the ongoing forest fire near our area, Northern Blossom Flower Farm is now covered in smog. Smoke from the fire is covering our area. Please plan your visit accordingly,” the statement read, emphasizing the health advisory and apologizing for the inconvenience caused.
This environmental crisis has been attributed to at least seven forest fires reported in the towns of Benguet, Tuba, Itogon, Kabayan, and Bokod. The Regional Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has been actively monitoring and combating these fires, with a particular focus on the areas close to Kabayan and communication towers.
“The forest fires are still ongoing, although under control in areas near Kabayan and the towers,” said BFP Tuba Fire Marshall Fire Senior Inspector Meson Asing Jr.
Acting Kabayan town police chief Captain Davy Alilies said that the smog in Atok “is a direct result of a forest fire that originated in the neighboring municipality of Kabayan.”
“The fire started in the morning of February 24th at Sitio Otbong, Anchukey, Kabayan, and has since spread, affecting parts of Barangay Kabayan Barrio, particularly Sitio Eyabat and Kechep. Despite the spread, efforts to contain the fire have been partly successful, with significant control over the blaze in parts of Sitio Mamoyod,” he said.
Alilies added that the fire remained strong in Sitio Anchokoy, and Barangay Batan. “These areas have experienced the most intense portion of the fire,” he said.
Alilies noted that to date, there had been no reports of damage to private property or casualties in relation to the fire.
The situation is being closely monitored, and efforts to fully extinguish the fire are ongoing, he said, adding that the police, along with fire services and local government units, are working diligently to manage the situation and minimize its impact on the public and the environment.
Statistics provided by the BFP-Cordillera Administrative Region highlight the severity of the situation, with more than 60 forest fires recorded in the region since the start of the year. – Rappler.com
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