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Why Chinabank is special to Henry Sy’s family – and what we can learn from it | gdecastro0289 | 19/02/2024 16:46 | BRAND AMBASSADOR. Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee is flanked by Chinabank chair Hans Sy (2nd right) and Chinabank vice chair Gilbert Dee (left) in a photo opportunity on February 14, 2024.
In last week’s event wherein China Banking Corporation (Chinabank) introduced Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee as its first brand ambassador, Chinabank chair Hans Sy stood beside her and smiled for the photo opportunity.
A post shared by MMD (@michelledee)
Hans is the second son of SM founder Henry Sy, who served as honorary chair of Chinabank until he died in his sleep on January 19, 2019 at age 94.
Chinabank held a special place in the late tycoon’s life. It was Chinabank, then owned by the forebearers of Michelle, who lent Henry his first bank loan. Henry Sy would end up buying more shares in Chinabank until he became its biggest shareholder in mid-2000.
Sy traveled by ship from Xiamen, China to the Philippines when he was only 12 years old. He joined his father who had a small “sari-sari” store in Carriedo, Manila.
In 1942, during the Japanese occupation, their store burned down, and his father returned to China after the war. Henry, however, opted to stay. He sold surplus G.I. boots which allowed him to open his first Shoe Mart store in Carriedo.
How much did Chinabank lend to Henry Sy?
Chinabank’s website says that “in order to grow his business, he needed more capital,” and the bank lent him P1 million in 1949, “his first credit line.”
Henry would explain the significance of this loan using a Chinese term.
“The loan facilities given to me by the Bank gave me ‘pinsin’, a Fujianese word meaning ‘trustworthiness’ or ‘credibility’, in the Chinese community. It established me as trustworthy. It built up my credit. It proved that I was considered a very trusted customer by the Bank, and that helped my business. If China Bank considered me a good credit risk, then other people would also. That’s why I appreciate that loan so much,” he said in another book that celebrated Chinabank’s 90th anniversary.
According to the book “100 Years of Trust: The China Bank Story,” written by Raul Rodrigo and Nancy Pe Rodrigo, that was in 1949 when Sy was just 25 years old, and they explain the significance of the funding.
“That clean loan was a crucial step in the building of the Sy business empire. On top of badly needed capital to expand, the loan gave him tremendous credibility within the Binondo business community. Henry had arrived in the country in 1936 as a twelve-year-old boy, with literally no money in his pocket. But a twenty-five-year-old who could access an unsecured loan from the likes of Albino SyCip and Dee K. Chiong was someone that the rest of Binondo had to take seriously,” they said in the book, which was published in 2021 on the occasion of Chinabank’s 100th annversary.
“So Henry Sy would have a soft spot for China Bank ever after.”
FAST FACTS: Remembering Henry Sy Sr
There’s another word used in the Rodrigos’ book on Chinabank that has the same meaning: xinyong.
I found the best definition of this word in an article in The Conversation on China’s social credit system in 2018.
“The word ‘credit’ in Chinese – xinyong (信用) – is a core tenet of traditional Confucian ethics, which can be traced back to the late fourth century BC. In its original context, xinyong is a moral concept that indicates one’s honesty and trustworthiness. In the past few decades, its meaning has been extended to include financial creditworthiness,” the article reads.
Gilbert Dee, son of one of the early Chinabank leaders, George Dee Se Kiat, explained the word in the China Bank story book: “My father believed in xinyong. Xinyong is all about trust. The older generation—when deals were made, it was just a handshake, a purely verbal agreement. That was enough. No need for a receipt, no more documents—just your word. Your word is your honor. Of course, after so many generations, things are not the same any more. But during my father’s time, that was normal. That’s how things were done before, when it came to getting credit. What mattered [to my father] was if you were trustworthy or not. He wanted to know people well, to know if they had a good family background.”
Filipinos often wonder what makes the Chinese-Filipino community so successful, especially in business, and one reason for this is what’s called “social capital.”
As defined by Oxford Languages, social capital is the “networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively.” Trust is an important element in social capital. Once broken, trust is often difficult to regain.
A number of political and social scientists have written articles on social capital, and they’ve linked this to successful communities around the world.
The higher the social capital of a community or country, the more progressive it is, and vice-versa.
It’s also been linked to why people in some communities live longer than those who live in other communities within the same country. A clear example of this is the small province of Batanes in northern Philippines, where the social networks are strong and people help each other all the time, enabling the Ivatans to live longer than those who live in other communities in the country such as in Maguindanao in southern Philippines.
This has also been depicted in the Netflix series, “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones,” which is based on the books on the Blue Zones by Dan Buettner.
So, when you think about why the minority Chinese-Filipino community is more prosperous than the larger Filipino community, think about Henry Sy’s first loan. – Rappler.com
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Male members allege sexual abuse in Quiboloy’s group, exploitation at SMNI | Herbie G | 19/02/2024 12:33 | ABUSE. A former Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) worker and SMNI researcher, identified only as Rene, recounts the alleged exploitation and abuses he suffered when he served as KOJC worker, during a Senate committee hearing on February 19, 2024.
Screenshot
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – More former followers of embattled Davao-based preacher Apollo Quiboloy stepped forward to allege sexual abuses, human trafficking, labor exploitation, and other physical abuses in the religious group Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) and its media arm, the Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI).
Before the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality on Monday, February 19, witness “Rene” (not his real name) alleged that he was sexually abused by one of KOJC’s male department heads.
Rene, who broke into tears, alleged that Quiboloy’s associate forced him to engage in sexual acts, claiming it had the approval of Quiboloy.
He claimed to have written to Quiboloy through another associate of the preacher, but his complaint fell on deaf ears.
Rene said the only response he got was when the church associate, Eleanor Cardona, called him to confirm that she received his letter and had forwarded it to Quiboloy.
Cardona, according to Rene, merely had a “fellowship” with him and read him biblical verses.
Rene also told the committee that he once served as a researcher at SMNI without pay and was made to do street-level solicitations after his media work.
At SMNI, he said a female executive slapped him on several occasions.
Another witness, “David,” told senators he worked as a cameraman for SMNI and even covered events at Malacañang, the Senate, and the House of Representatives.
Both witnesses alleged they neither received salaries nor benefits from SMNI, doing so only because they believed they were serving God.
Rene said he was once convinced that Quiboloy was the “appointed son of God” and the “owner of the universe.”
The witnesses said KOJC workers who were given work at SMNI were mostly exploited like them.
“Wala po kaming mga sahod (We had no salaries),” Rene told senators, adding that Quiboloy would give SMNI workers a measly P200 to P300 each as weekly honoraria “depending on his mood.”
He said he was overwhelmed with work at SMNI, including street-level solicitations, which he undertook after his duties at the Quiboloy group’s media arm.
Aside from his media work at SMNI, Rene said he begged on the streets and was given a daily quota of P3,000.
He said there were many minors, with ages ranging from 13 to 16 years old, who were made to beg in the streets.
During his early years with KOJC, Rene said that besides begging in the streets, he also begged in restaurants, plazas, and malls, and even knocked on houses from 8 am to 11 pm, pretending to be deaf and mute, representing bogus charity organizations just so he could meet his daily quotas.
During certain periods of the year, especially from September to December, Rene said he was given a quota of P1.5 million in four months.
He said failure to meet the quota resulted in sanctions, ranging from hard work to torture, and alleged that Quiboloy slapped and hit him on several occasions. He said he and other KOJC workers feared Quiboloy and the preacher’s associates.
Initially, according to Rene, young people like him were promised free education as members, but once they became KOJC workers, they were instructed to cease attending school and abandon their families, all under the guise of serving God and in return for eternal salvation.
“Taos puso ko pong inalay ang aking sarili sa Kingdom…. Sinabihan po kami ni Quiboloy na iwan na namin ang pag-aaral, ang aming mga pamilya, at aming mga pangarap sa buhay,” he said.
(With all my heart, I surrendered myself to the Kingdom… Quiboloy told us to leave our studies, our families, and our life dreams behind.)
In a recorded video in an undisclosed Philippine embassy, David, another witness, said he was trained to become a cameraman for SMNI when he was assigned to the KOJC’s logistics department.
Like Rene, David said he neither received a regular salary nor benefits for normal workers when he started his SMNI work as a cameraman. He alleged that he was not enrolled with the Social Security System (SSS) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and enjoyed no bonuses, leave credits, and other benefits due ordinary workers.
David said most full-time KOJC workers gave their services for free, and only a few people, particularly non-members, were given salaries.
He recalled a time when he told cameramen from other news outfits that he was one of Quiboloy’s scholars when they asked him about how much he was receiving from SMNI.
“We were briefed to tell people that we were scholars when asked about our salaries,” David said in Filipino.
Lawyer Kathleen Kaye Laurente, a full-time KOJC worker and legal counsel of the Quiboloy-owned Jose Maria College (JMC) in Davao City, told the committee that the KOJC is a religious organization and its full-time workers were doing missionary work, and not considered regular workers.
KOJC members, however, receive regular honoraria at rates depending on their performance and length of service, among others, she said.
Laurente was reluctant at first to answer Hontiveros’ question if she and another full-time KOJC worker, JMC records and admission director Bryan Alberto, were also being asked to solicit donations in the streets, explaining that they were invited by the Senate committee to speak only about JMC.
Shortly after, she told the committee that “all full-time workers are not doing that.”
“That is not so true,” Laurente said.
She also repeatedly pointed out that the burden of proof lies with the accusers of Quiboloy and other KOJC leaders, and that they enjoy the presumption of innocence based on the law. – Rappler.com
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TELL ME YOUR FRIENDS and I will you who you are. . . . . . . E sino ba ang BFF nyan???? Dark Lord, Bastos Lord, etc.
Hence, SMNI is not only alleged to be a medium for Disinformation but is now also involved in child abuse and worker exploitation.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/philippines/new-witnesses-allege-sexual-abuse-exploitation-apollo-quiboloy-group-smni/ |
CONTEXT: Can a P100 daily wage increase hurt the poor? | Ralf Rivas | 19/02/2024 19:41 | HIGHER PAY. Labor groups ALSA Kontraktwal Cebu and Partido Manggagawa file a petition to increase daily wages in Cebu by P100, at the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas on Thursday, April 27.
Sentro-PM
MANILA, Philippines – The popular call to raise wages of minimum wage earners may actually hurt the poor – the same sector thought to benefit from the move.
The Senate on Monday, February 19, unanimously approved on third and final reading the bill mandating a P100-daily pay increase for minimum wage earners in the country.
Who doesn’t want higher pay amid inflation?
While deemed a popular measure, economists have raised the alarm over its unintended consequences, especially for those who are in the informal sector and are not covered by the wage increase.
The Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) underscored four reasons why they oppose the move.
“We are not against wage increases but we urge the Senate not to tamper with the existing mechanism of regional wage boards to adjust wages if needed. Regional wage boards take into account the interests of both employers and workers and the different cost and employment situations of various regions,” FEF said in a recent statement.
FEF said the wage increase will result in higher prices of goods, as additional across-the-board wage increase will push companies to charge higher prices.
“The subsequent wage-price spiral will trigger an erosion of the people’s purchasing power, causing widespread demands for future rounds of wage hikes,” FEF said.
With inflation jumping, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas may be forced to hike interest rates.
This will result in people shelling out more to pay for housing and car loans and credit card charges.
FEF added that increased interest rates will also force companies to reduce investments and cut back on employment.
The proposal also does not take into account the different cost factors and employment situations across different regions.
FEF warned that many small businesses may close shop or lay off workers.
FEF said the proposal doesn’t cover informal and seasonal workers, fishermen, gig economy workers, and market vendors, who will now suffer from the inflationary impact of legislated wage increases.
Instead of a nationally-legislated wage increase, FEF urged the government to liberalize food imports by reducing the tariffs on rice from 35% to 10% and abolishing or vastly expanding the import quotas for corn, chicken, pork, and fish.
“Liberalizing food imports will see an immediate fall in the price of food, thereby increasing the purchasing power of all Filipinos, whether formally or informally employed and whether senior citizens or babies.”
Those who are in favor, however, view these warnings as speculations.
IBON Foundation executive director Sonny Africa said wage hikes can lead to economic activity, as workers who earn more will spend more, unlike businesses that will not necessarily reinvest earnings.
Africa, as well as Makabayan lawmakers at the House, argued that higher earnings of workers will be spent on small businesses, and effectively spur economic growth.
Africa said that according to their estimates, large and medium firms will take just a 6.7% cut in profits, while small and micro businesses may take as much as a 7.9% cut.
IBON Foundation estimates that a family of five in Metro Manila needs P1,193 a day or P25,946 a month to live decently. Currently, Metro Manila’s minimum wage is just P610 a day. – with reports from Michelle Abad/Rappler.com
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FACT CHECK: MMDA’s no contact apprehension policy still suspended | Lorenz Pasion | 19/02/2024 18:29 | Claim: The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) no contact apprehension policy (NCAP) is being re-implemented.
Why we fact-checked this: Several Facebook users shared on their personal accounts a copy-pasted message claiming that the MMDA’s NCAP is now in “full force.”
The post claims that since the policy is now in effect, MMDA traffic enforcers will no longer be on the road flagging drivers for traffic offenses because monitoring will be done via CCTV cameras.
“Consequently, car registered owners will be informed of violations via post mail and shall be given only 5 days to contest the violations,” the announcement read.
To make it seem that the announcement came from a legitimate source, some users linked the message to a February 2023 Inquirer opinion article. One version of the misleading post, which has since been deleted, also included logos of the MMDA, the Police Community Affairs and Development Group-Metro Manila, and their contact details.
The facts: In a Facebook post on February 14, the MMDA disowned the alleged announcement, saying it did not come from them. The MMDA added that the implementation of NCAP had been suspended since 2022 due to the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court (SC).
The agency also advised the public to verify directly with the MMDA any supposed announcements circulating on social media.
About NCAP: NCAP utilizes traffic management technology such as CCTV and advanced camera systems to enforce traffic rules. Its proponents said the NCAP helped minimize human intervention in traffic management and instill a culture of discipline among motorists. (READ: EXPLAINER: What is the No Contact Apprehension Policy and why is it being suspended?)
Reimplemented in 2016 under the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte, the policy was enforced in five cities: Manila, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Parañaque, and Muntinlupa.
According to the MMDA’s Frequently Asked Questions on NCAP, the policy will not rid Metro Manila roads of MMDA traffic enforcers, but will “supplement” their presence. The agency added that since there are still places not covered by CCTVs, NCAP is designed to catch moving violations while MMDA enforcers will deal with the “apprehension of administrative offenses.”
Upon receipt of the notice of violation, an individual has seven days to contest the violation, not five days as stated in the circulating social media posts, according to the MMDA.
Suspended: The SC issued a TRO stopping the implementation of NCAP on August 30, 2022, following petitions from transport groups and a lawyer challenging the policy.
The first petition from transport groups urged the High Tribunal to declare invalid seven NCAP-related ordinances for violating existing laws. The groups also argued that NCAP has no basis in Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code and Republic Act 7924 or the MMDA law.
Meanwhile, lawyer Juman Paa’s petition asked the SC to declare NCAP unconstitutional after he was fined P20,000 for alleged traffic violations. The SC has yet to decide on these petitions after it concluded oral arguments in January 2023.
Misleading: The Inquirer article linked in some of the misleading Facebook posts was about Metro Manila mayors’ approval of a single ticketing system to “harmonize” existing laws on traffic enforcement. It also talked about possible use with NCAP to discipline motorists and improve road safety, and clearly mentioned that NCAP was suspended because of the High Court’s TRO.
Debunked: The misleading announcement has been appearing online since at least 2018, according to the archives of Agence France-Presse (AFP). The same copy-pasted announcement resurfaced in August 2022, which has been debunked by both the MMDA and AFP.
Official accounts: For official updates on MMDA’s programs and services, refer to its official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram accounts. – Larry Chavez/Rappler.com
Larry Chavez 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 [email protected]. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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GAME SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers | delfin.dioquino editor | 16/02/2024 16:38 | FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Four months after its historic title run in the Asian Games, Gilas Pilipinas begins another quest as it kicks off its campaign in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers this February.
Bunched in Group B, the Philippines will play Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei in a pair of home-and-away games for the first window.
Familiarity will not be an issue for the Nationals, with head coach Tim Cone bringing in members of his Asiad squad – among then June Mar Fajardo, Justin Brownlee, and Scottie Thompson – to form the core of his 12-man lineup.
Young stars Kai Sotto, Carl Tamayo, and Kevin Quiambao are also in the fold, giving Gilas Pilipinas a fine blend of experience and youth.
With Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong ranked 78th and 119th in the world, respectively, No. 38 Philippines is expected to come out of the first window unscathed.
Here’s the game schedule:
– Rappler.com
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Veteran director Tikoy Aguiluz dies at 72 | Marguerite de Leon | 19/02/2024 17:10 | From Tikoy Aguiluz's YouTube channel
MANILA, Philippines – Veteran filmmaker Amable “Tikoy” Aguiluz VI has died, Aguiluz’s family confirmed in a statement to media on Monday, February 19. He was 72.
“While we grieve this loss deeply, we kindly ask for your understanding as we choose to mourn in private for the time being,” the statement read.
“We assure you that once we are ready, we will share details about a public service where all who knew and loved Direk Tikoy can join us in paying tribute and saying our final goodbyes,” it added.
The University of the Philippines (UP) grad was best known for directing the drama Boatman (1985), the neo-noir Segurista (1996), and the historical biopic Rizal sa Dapitan (1997), among other titles.
He has received many accolades for his films, including multiple Gawad Urians for Segurista, the Grand Jury Prize at the Brussels International Film Festival for Rizal sa Dapitan, and France’s Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his body of work.
Aguiluz also co-founded the UP Film Center and founded the Cinemanila International Film Festival.
The Filipino film community has taken to social media to mourn the loss of one of their industry’s esteemed names:
– Rappler.com
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Why Chinabank is special to Henry Sy’s family – and what we can learn from it | gdecastro0289 | 19/02/2024 16:46 | BRAND AMBASSADOR. Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee is flanked by Chinabank chair Hans Sy (2nd right) and Chinabank vice chair Gilbert Dee (left) in a photo opportunity on February 14, 2024.
In last week’s event wherein China Banking Corporation (Chinabank) introduced Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee as its first brand ambassador, Chinabank chair Hans Sy stood beside her and smiled for the photo opportunity.
A post shared by MMD (@michelledee)
Hans is the second son of SM founder Henry Sy, who served as honorary chair of Chinabank until he died in his sleep on January 19, 2019 at age 94.
Chinabank held a special place in the late tycoon’s life. It was Chinabank, then owned by the forebearers of Michelle, who lent Henry his first bank loan. Henry Sy would end up buying more shares in Chinabank until he became its biggest shareholder in mid-2000.
Sy traveled by ship from Xiamen, China to the Philippines when he was only 12 years old. He joined his father who had a small “sari-sari” store in Carriedo, Manila.
In 1942, during the Japanese occupation, their store burned down, and his father returned to China after the war. Henry, however, opted to stay. He sold surplus G.I. boots which allowed him to open his first Shoe Mart store in Carriedo.
How much did Chinabank lend to Henry Sy?
Chinabank’s website says that “in order to grow his business, he needed more capital,” and the bank lent him P1 million in 1949, “his first credit line.”
Henry would explain the significance of this loan using a Chinese term.
“The loan facilities given to me by the Bank gave me ‘pinsin’, a Fujianese word meaning ‘trustworthiness’ or ‘credibility’, in the Chinese community. It established me as trustworthy. It built up my credit. It proved that I was considered a very trusted customer by the Bank, and that helped my business. If China Bank considered me a good credit risk, then other people would also. That’s why I appreciate that loan so much,” he said in another book that celebrated Chinabank’s 90th anniversary.
According to the book “100 Years of Trust: The China Bank Story,” written by Raul Rodrigo and Nancy Pe Rodrigo, that was in 1949 when Sy was just 25 years old, and they explain the significance of the funding.
“That clean loan was a crucial step in the building of the Sy business empire. On top of badly needed capital to expand, the loan gave him tremendous credibility within the Binondo business community. Henry had arrived in the country in 1936 as a twelve-year-old boy, with literally no money in his pocket. But a twenty-five-year-old who could access an unsecured loan from the likes of Albino SyCip and Dee K. Chiong was someone that the rest of Binondo had to take seriously,” they said in the book, which was published in 2021 on the occasion of Chinabank’s 100th annversary.
“So Henry Sy would have a soft spot for China Bank ever after.”
FAST FACTS: Remembering Henry Sy Sr
There’s another word used in the Rodrigos’ book on Chinabank that has the same meaning: xinyong.
I found the best definition of this word in an article in The Conversation on China’s social credit system in 2018.
“The word ‘credit’ in Chinese – xinyong (信用) – is a core tenet of traditional Confucian ethics, which can be traced back to the late fourth century BC. In its original context, xinyong is a moral concept that indicates one’s honesty and trustworthiness. In the past few decades, its meaning has been extended to include financial creditworthiness,” the article reads.
Gilbert Dee, son of one of the early Chinabank leaders, George Dee Se Kiat, explained the word in the China Bank story book: “My father believed in xinyong. Xinyong is all about trust. The older generation—when deals were made, it was just a handshake, a purely verbal agreement. That was enough. No need for a receipt, no more documents—just your word. Your word is your honor. Of course, after so many generations, things are not the same any more. But during my father’s time, that was normal. That’s how things were done before, when it came to getting credit. What mattered [to my father] was if you were trustworthy or not. He wanted to know people well, to know if they had a good family background.”
Filipinos often wonder what makes the Chinese-Filipino community so successful, especially in business, and one reason for this is what’s called “social capital.”
As defined by Oxford Languages, social capital is the “networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively.” Trust is an important element in social capital. Once broken, trust is often difficult to regain.
A number of political and social scientists have written articles on social capital, and they’ve linked this to successful communities around the world.
The higher the social capital of a community or country, the more progressive it is, and vice-versa.
It’s also been linked to why people in some communities live longer than those who live in other communities within the same country. A clear example of this is the small province of Batanes in northern Philippines, where the social networks are strong and people help each other all the time, enabling the Ivatans to live longer than those who live in other communities in the country such as in Maguindanao in southern Philippines.
This has also been depicted in the Netflix series, “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones,” which is based on the books on the Blue Zones by Dan Buettner.
So, when you think about why the minority Chinese-Filipino community is more prosperous than the larger Filipino community, think about Henry Sy’s first loan. – Rappler.com
Sources:
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Ex-Quiboloy follower: Duterte, Sara left KOJC’s ‘Glory Mountain’ with guns | Herbie G | 19/02/2024 16:07 | WITNESS. 'Rene' (not his real name) recounts his ordeal during the Senate hearing on the reported cases of physical and sexual abuses, as well as alleged human trafficking perpetrated by Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Apollo Quiboloy and senior officials of the church, on February 19, 2024.
Senate PRIB
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – A former Kingdom of Jesus Christ and Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) researcher claimed to have witnessed former president Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte leaving controversial preacher Apollo Quiboloy’s vast property in Davao City with bags of assorted firearms.
“Minsan po pumupunta doon si former president Rodrigo Duterte at former Davao mayor Sara Duterte. ‘Pag umalis na po sila sa Glory Mountain, dala na po nila ang mga bag na siya pong mga bag na nilalagyan po ng mga baril,” said the witness identified only as “Rene” (not his real name), during an investigation by the Senate committee on women, children, family relations, and gender equality on Monday, February 19.
(Sometimes, former president Rodrigo Duterte and former Davao mayor Sara Duterte go there. When they leave Glory Mountain, they take bags with them that contain guns.)
Rene read from an affidavit that he executed earlier, according to Senator Risa Hontiveros, the Senate committee’s chairperson.
The so-called Glory Mountain is a vast property owned by Quiboloy, filled with pine trees. It sits on the slopes of Mount Apo, the highest mountain in the country, situated in the rural and impoverished village of Tamayong in Davao City’s Calinan District.
According to Rene, he was sent to Glory Mountain – a place where KOJC workers being sanctioned or in need of discipline are sent – to work as a landscaper.
The witness said he was sent there at a time when he began entertaining doubts about the KOJC’s teachings and was tasked to recruit more young people to become workers of the religious group.
Rene recounted that Quiboloy would allegedly arrive on a chopper with large bags containing firearms of different calibers. He said the guns would then be laid down on the ground in a tent located near Quiboloy’s mansion.
Asked by Hontiveros later if he saw the guns being taken from the bags and laid down on the ground, Rene responded, “Yes po, Madam Chair.”
He also confirmed that he saw the Dutertes leaving KOJC’s Glory Mountain with the large bags that were used to bring the firearms.
Rene said the tent was just a few meters away from his work area.
He also said he and other workers were given strict instructions not to tell anyone about the things they had been seeing in Glory Mountain.
The Dutertes have yet to respond to the witness’ allegations, although the former president is known to be a gun aficionado.
In December 2023, a Rappler report revealed that the former president had registered about 358 firearms. These firearms were all registered under a law he enacted in 2022, granting them 10-year validity and legal backing.
The registration was made with the Philippine National Police (PNP) shortly before he stepped down from Malacañang in 2023.
Duterte reportedly has a Type 5 license, which, based on the law, permits “certified gun collectors” to own more than 15 guns.
Based on documents, more than half of his licensed firearms – at least 222 – are pistols, and 73 rifles, including an AK-47.
The report quoted Duterte as saying, “So lahat no’ng baril ko, pati ‘yong maliit na baril, lisensiyado ‘yan. Kaya ang kinuha ko para makaano ako, kasi mahilig ako sa baril, pinarehistro ko lahat na sa Crame. Kaya sila tanong-tanong, marami kang baril, eh putang-ina tingnan mo sa Crame.”
(So all my guns, including the small ones, were all registered. I am a gun collector so I have them all registered in Camp Crame. Some people have a lot of questions about why I have many guns, son of a whore, check the licenses in Crame.)
Duterte also claimed that some of the firearms were gifts from foreign visitors, and Senator Christopher Go, his former aide, facilitated their registration with the PNP. He said some of the guns were considered collector’s items. (READ: [The Slingshot: Rodrigo Duterte’s one last act of corruption)
“Collector’s item lang ‘yan, it’s allowed by law. How can you use it against me when the practice of giving a collector’s license is allowed by law? Paano mo gamitin ‘yan, batas ‘yan eh. Doon ako napika eh. Alam ko eh, may tawag ‘yong pulis sa akin sa Crame, ‘sir, chine-check.’ Sabi ko, ‘Ibigay mo lahat, buksan mo,’” he said.
(Those guns are collector’s items allowed by law. How can you use it against me when the practice of giving a collector’s license is allowed by law? It’s the law so how can you use that against me? That’s what angered me. I am aware of the probe because of a call from police in Crame who said, “Sir, they’re checking your guns.” I said, “Give everything, open it.”) – Rappler.com
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Noted: “When they leave Glory Mountain, they take bags with them that contain guns.” So, the source was PACQ, and the receivers were FPRRD and VP Sara Duterte. With lots of guns around, it should be expected that the Duterte Political Dynasty and Pastor Quiboloy will dare to “shoot it out” against law enforcers in the future. Good luck to such law enforcers.
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GAME SCHEDULE: 2024 PVL All-Filipino Conference | jisaga0269 | 27/04/2024 22:53 | 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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Quiboloy subpoenaed by Senate panel after snubbing hearing on alleged abuses | Bonz Magsambol | 19/02/2024 12:28 | PREACHER. Apollo Quiboloy, founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church.
MANILA, Philippines – The Senate on Monday, February 19, officially issued a subpoena to the embattled leader of the Davao-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), Apollo Quiboloy, after he snubbed the upper chamber’s hearings on his alleged human rights abuses.
“That’s why I am thanking Senate President for signing the subpoena against Apollo Quiboloy. My office has made it our policy to put the voices of women and children first, to put the voices of the victim-survivors at the center. And I am glad that our institution under the current Senate leadership has made it its policy, too,” said Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality.
In January, Quiboloy called the Senate inquiry led by Hontiveros “bogus,” and that it “turned a monster out of me.”
Quiboloy dismissed the accusations leveled against him during the Senate committee hearing as “criminal.” He said that while Hontiveros enjoyed parliamentary immunity, the witnesses were susceptible to libel charges.
The preacher said that he would only face the allegations against him before the courts. – Rappler.com
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Senator Risa Hontiveros is a very patient person. The information is that her request was submitted to the Office of the Senate President last February 6, 2024, and it took nine (9) working days to approve. Is that how fast the said office acts on its ministerial duties?
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ICC probe of drug war getting increasing trust among Filipinos – surveys | Lian Buan | 19/02/2024 11:07 | PROBE. Activists gather outside the House of Representatives in Quezon City, to call on President Marcos Jr. to acknowledge the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction over the investigation into the drug war killings.
Jire Carreon/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – There is increasing trust and approval among Filipinos toward the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation of the bloody drug war under former president Rodrigo Duterte, surveys by polling firm OCTA Research (OCTA) and Social Weather Stations (SWS) show.
SWS and OCTA asked different questions about the ICC, and responses to all questions indicate an increasing trend in favor of the probe.
As of December 2023, the SWS survey shows 25% of Filipinos “strongly approve” of the ICC investigation, which is an increase from 20% in March 2023. There is also an increase from 25% to 28% in the number of Filipinos who “somewhat approve” of the investigation. There are lesser Filipinos undecided about the issue, from 31% to 26%, and also lesser Filipinos who “strongly disapprove” of the investigation, from 14% to 11%.
The SWS survey also asked whether the government should allow the ICC investigation. According to the survey, 26% of Filipinos “strongly approve” of government allowing the investigation. It has increased from 21% in March 2023. This issue follows the same increasing trend as the first question.
This is a separate issue because since Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the ICC in 2018, government officials from his administration to the current Ferdinand Marcos Jr administration had insisted that the ICC had lost jurisdiction over the Philippines.
The Rome Statute says that proceedings which had started before the withdrawal continue to be valid even after withdrawal. In the Duterte government’s last attempt to stop the investigation, it argued that the “proceedings” referred to in the Rome Statute would retain their validity post-withdrawal only in the “investigation” phase or step 2 of the ICC process.
When Duterte withdrew, the Philippines was only in the preliminary examination stage or Step 1 of the process. This argument got two votes in the ICC appeal chambers in July 2023. The vote in the end was 3-2 to continue the investigation.
According to the OCTA survey done also in December 2023, majority of adult Filipinos, or 59%, are in favor of rejoining the ICC.
The Marcos government has kept an indefinite stance on whether it would cooperate with the ICC investigation, although in his most recent statement, the President said the government “will not lift a finger to help.” This was amid reports that investigators had entered the country in December, and amid speculations from the Duterte camp that an arrest warrant is in the horizon.
The investigation is at a stage where prosecutor Karim Khan can request for a warrant or a summons.
The OCTA survey also shows that 55% of adult Filipinos are in favor of the government cooperating with the ICC.
Filipinos have also gotten more knowledgeable about the ICC since 2018 when the preliminary examination started, according to the SWS survey. From 10% extensive knowledge about the ICC investigation in March 2023, it is now up at 14%. There is now 30% of Filipinos who have “partial but sufficient” knowledge, which is up from 24% in March.
While majority, or 55% of Filipinos, remain unsure that the ICC would be able to conduct an impartial investigation, there is an increase of trust at 29% according to the SWS survey. It used to be 22% trust in March, and 56% unsure.
– Rappler.com
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6 soldiers killed in operation vs group behind MSU Marawi blast | Bea Cupin | 19/02/2024 13:17 | AFTERMATH. Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. stands among law enforcement officers as they investigate the scene of an explosion during a Catholic Mass in a gymnasium at Mindanao State University in Marawi, Philippines, December 3, 2023.
Lanao Del Sur Provincial Government/Handout via Reuters
MANILA, Philippines – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) confirmed on Monday, February 19, that six soldiers were killed and four wounded during a weekend operation against a group believed to be behind a deadly December 2023 blast at the Mindanao State University (MSU) Marawi campus.
In a statement, AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the military launched an operation in the town of Munai, Lanao del Norte on February 18 as a “continuation” of the military’s pursuit operations against members of the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group (DI-MG).
The Army said at least three DI-MG group members were killed while several were injured.
Brawner said six soldiers “paid the ultimate sacrifice” while four were wounded and evacuated to Camp Evangelista Station Hospital in Cagayan de Oro City.
In a separate statement, the Philippine Army said troops from the Scout Platoon of the 44th Infantry Battalion engaged in an operation at Munai in Lanao del Norte on February 18.
The same day, another group from the 7th Scout Ranger Company of the First Scout Ranger Regiment’s 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion encountered five alleged DI-MG members in a different area. A third group, from the 8th Scout Ranger Company of the same 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion, reinforced troops to bring casualties back home.
Army 103rd Brigade spokesperson Lt. Colonel Miondas said a 15-man team from the 44th Infantry Battalion was pursuing the militants when they figured in a clash with 15 members of the armed group in Barangay Ramain.
Miondas said the firefight was still ongoing as nearby army units were ordered to reinforce the soldiers while the wounded were brought to Camp Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro for treatment.
“I extend my sincerest condolences to the families of our slain soldiers and offer the AFP’s support in this very trying time. I will also make sure that our wounded soldiers receive the best treatment possible for their injuries,” said Brawner.
The AFP chief said that since the December 2023 blast, at least 18 members of the DI-MG, including the supposed mastermind, have been killed in military operations.
“Our troops are motivated to finish the job and accomplish our mission of defeating local terrorist groups once and for all,” he said. – with reports from Froilan Gallardo/Rappler.com
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Results, team standings: UAAP Season 86 volleyball | Jasmine Payo | 5/5/2024 21:02 | ROARING. NU's Bella Belen (left) and Alyssa Solomon react in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball finals
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – The UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments reach a tipping point with the men’s and women’s finals!
LOOK: UAAP volleyball championship schedule
Here are the results in the men’s and women’s divisions:
MAY 15
May 11
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
– Rappler.com
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[EDITORIAL] Juan Ponce Enrile: 100-year-old chameleon | Lilibeth Frondoso | 19/02/2024 13:24 | Nico Villarete
Gets na gets natin si Juan Ponce Enrile. Laking mahirap na kinonfront ang kanyang ama at nag-demand ng kanyang karapatan bilang anak (sa labas). Matalas at tunay ang mga diploma at parangal mula sa Ateneo, University of the Philippines, at Harvard. “Rockstar” siya ng Corona impeachment. (PANOORIN: 100 years of Juan Ponce Enrile)
At tila naging peacemaker at unifier siya ng magkatunggaling Marcos at Duterte camps nang dumalo sa kanyang birthday bash ang mga paksyon ng naghaharing-uri.
Mula trusted defense chief ni Ferdinand E. Marcos, ngayo’y siya ang chief presidential legal counsel ng anak ni Makoy na si Ferdinand Marcos Jr. – kahit pa susi siya sa pagbagsak ni Marcos noong 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.
Let bygones be bygones – ang pagkalimot ang walang sing-epektibong elixir of youth ni Enrile. (Maliban daw sa stem cell?)
He not only reinvented himself more times than Madonna, he also retold – revised – history at his own convenience.
Understatement na sabihing isa siyang political butterfly. Kahit si Donald Trump, ang Amerikanong ex-president na may talento sa pag-re-resurrect ng kanyang political career, hindi tumatawid ng party lines tulad ni JPE.
Hindi siya nagdarasal sa altar ng transactional politics, isa siya sa mga diyos doon.
Halimbawa, keber lang na noong panahon ni Benigno Aquino III ay sinuportahan niya ang pagtindig ni PNoy laban sa mga Tsino, habang noong 2021, all-out naman ang suporta niya sa pro-China policy ni Digong. Hindi lang ito agility sa changing times; hindi johnny-come-lately si JPE, siya ‘yung kapag pumasok sa kuwarto, laging nakakasa ang mga baril.
Napakarami ng superlatives na nakadikit sa pangalan ni JPE kaya baka akala ninyo grudging respect para kay Manong Johnny ang tema ng editoryal na ito. Hindi.
Kapag tinitingnan ba ng ordinaryong tao si Manong Johnny, ano ang nakikita nila? Isang power-broker, dissembler, at consummate wheeler-dealer? O isang gentleman, statesman, at legal luminary?
Testament sa gullibility natin bilang isang bansa na pinayagan nating mamayagpag, manatili, mag-reinvent, at muling mag-reinvent ang isang Juan Ponce Enrile.
Sabi nga ni Milan Kundera, “The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.” Pero lagi tayong talo ni JPE dahil may situational amnesia tayo.
Tuwing mag-me-metamorphosize si Manong Johnny, bumebenta pa rin ang pagpapalit-anyo ng hunyangong ito. Dahil siguro nasisindak niya tayo, o nadadala tayo sa kanyang charisma, o simpleng walang gulugod ang mga pulitikong ibinoboto natin, mabibilang sa 10 daliri ang nagtatangkang banggain ang modern-day Rasputin na ito.
Marami tayong nililimot tungkol kay JPE. Nakakalimutan ng marami na kasama sa Rogue’s Gallery ng mga human rights violators ang Martial Law implementor na ito, katabi ang matandang Marcos at Duterte. Siya ang pamantayang ‘di kailanman mapapantayan ni Bato dela Rosa – sa tindig at talas.
May isa namang bagay na consistent si JPE – loyalty is not a virtue to him. At kung hindi man siya loyal sa sinuman, pinaligiran niya ang sarili ng mga taong loyal sa kanya. Sa gitna ng mga akusasyon ng pag-e-endorso ng bogus NGOs kapalit ng suhol sa pork barrel scam, isang Gigi Reyes ang sumalo ng mga umano’y kasalanan. (BASAHIN: ‘The Boss’ and Gigi Reyes)
Sadly, relevant pa rin si JPE – dahil siya ang walking symbol ng bulok na pulitika sa bansa. Siya ang epitome ng predatory at manipulative politics natin. Kinakatawan niya ang high power index sa bansa kung saan ang katumpakan ng sinasabi mo’y dumedepende sa kapangyarihan mo.
Relevant pa rin si JPE matapos ang isang siglo. Because in the Philippines, politicians dream they’d grow up to be like Manong Johnny. – Rappler.com
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I agree: “… si JPE – … siya ang walking symbol ng bulok na pulitika sa bansa. Siya ang epitome ng predatory at manipulative politics natin.” More likely, he is the idol of many of our politicians. Good luck to Philippine Democracy.
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6 soldiers killed in operation vs group behind MSU Marawi blast | Bea Cupin | 19/02/2024 13:17 | AFTERMATH. Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. stands among law enforcement officers as they investigate the scene of an explosion during a Catholic Mass in a gymnasium at Mindanao State University in Marawi, Philippines, December 3, 2023.
Lanao Del Sur Provincial Government/Handout via Reuters
MANILA, Philippines – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) confirmed on Monday, February 19, that six soldiers were killed and four wounded during a weekend operation against a group believed to be behind a deadly December 2023 blast at the Mindanao State University (MSU) Marawi campus.
In a statement, AFP chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said the military launched an operation in the town of Munai, Lanao del Norte on February 18 as a “continuation” of the military’s pursuit operations against members of the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group (DI-MG).
The Army said at least three DI-MG group members were killed while several were injured.
Brawner said six soldiers “paid the ultimate sacrifice” while four were wounded and evacuated to Camp Evangelista Station Hospital in Cagayan de Oro City.
In a separate statement, the Philippine Army said troops from the Scout Platoon of the 44th Infantry Battalion engaged in an operation at Munai in Lanao del Norte on February 18.
The same day, another group from the 7th Scout Ranger Company of the First Scout Ranger Regiment’s 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion encountered five alleged DI-MG members in a different area. A third group, from the 8th Scout Ranger Company of the same 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion, reinforced troops to bring casualties back home.
Army 103rd Brigade spokesperson Lt. Colonel Miondas said a 15-man team from the 44th Infantry Battalion was pursuing the militants when they figured in a clash with 15 members of the armed group in Barangay Ramain.
Miondas said the firefight was still ongoing as nearby army units were ordered to reinforce the soldiers while the wounded were brought to Camp Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro for treatment.
“I extend my sincerest condolences to the families of our slain soldiers and offer the AFP’s support in this very trying time. I will also make sure that our wounded soldiers receive the best treatment possible for their injuries,” said Brawner.
The AFP chief said that since the December 2023 blast, at least 18 members of the DI-MG, including the supposed mastermind, have been killed in military operations.
“Our troops are motivated to finish the job and accomplish our mission of defeating local terrorist groups once and for all,” he said. – with reports from Froilan Gallardo/Rappler.com
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CATCH UP: Recapping PVL teams’ player moves after wild 2023 offseason | jisaga0269 | 17/02/2024 10:00 | NEW HOMES. (L-R, from top row) Majoy Baron, Kim Fajardo, Kianna Dy, Caitlin Viray, Aby Marano, Bea de Leon, Dawn Macandili-Catindig, Grethcel Soltones, and Ara Galang pose for photos during the 2024 PVL Media Day sessions
PVL Images/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Hard-hitting volleyball is back for the first time in 2024 as the new PVL All-Filipino Conference kicks off at the PhilSports Arena on Tuesday, February 20.
Mighty dynasty Creamline is once again set to defend its crown, this time against two new teams and many other familiar faces – albeit dressed in different colors after arguably the most frenzied and most high-profile free agency period in league history to cap off 2023.
As the taraflex courts are rolled out once again, take a look back at how PVL teams fared in the chaotic, year-ending scramble, and how they are expected to perform in this upcoming 2024 season.
The following are arranged by the final team records in the 2023 Second All-Filipino Conference:
Key additions: Bea de Leon, Denden Lazaro-Revilla, Dij RodriguezKey departures: Celine Domingo, Jia de Guzman (Japan V. League import)Key holdovers: Alyssa Valdez, Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza, Kyle Negrito, Michele Gumabao
Dynasty, super team, empire. Whatever you want to call it, Creamline is again the team to beat in the new All-Filipino Conference.
Briefly bogged down by the departures of former MVPs Celine Domingo and Jia de Guzman, the Cool Smashers quickly rebounded by snagging sister team Choco Mucho’s leaders Bea de Leon and Denden Lazaro-Revilla, before scouring the sands to land beach volleyball standout Dij Rodriguez.
There’s not much else to be said. It is once again a championship-or-bust campaign for the almighty seven-time PVL champions.
Key additions: Royse Tubino, Mars Alba, Bia General, Mean MendrezKey departures: Caitlin Viray, Bea de Leon, Denden Lazaro-Revilla, Des Cheng (injured)Key holdovers: Sisi Rondina, Kat Tolentino, Isa Molde, Cherry Nunag, Deanna Wong
After its first-ever finals and podium finish, Choco Mucho is determined to keep shaking off the “little sister” tag.
Despite losing vocal leaders Bea de Leon and Denden Lazaro-Revilla to their ates in Creamline, the Flying Titans quickly rebounded with a free agency signing quartet, bannered by veteran spiker Royse Tubino, and fearless young setter Mars Alba.
Choco Mucho is here to stay as a contender, and its arsenal is more than enough to go for gold this time around.
Key additions: Dawn Macandili-Catindig, Jovelyn FernandezKey departures: Bia General, Gelai Nunag, Rachel Anne Daquis (on leave)Key holdovers: Vanie Gandler, Ces Molina, Ria Meneses, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Gel Cayuna
Cignal has a proverbial glass ceiling to break, and it looks like it has found the perfect set of tools for the job.
Often settling for bronze-medal finishes in recent years, the HD Spikers are shoring up their already potent defenses with top libero Dawn Macandili-Catindig, a perfect complement to their array of offensive powerhouses like MVP Ces Molina, Jovelyn Gonzaga, and the fast-rising Vanie Gandler.
There will be no silver linings this time around. Only gold will do for this Cignal batch.
Key additions: Aby Maraño, Ara Galang, Jeanette VillarealKey departures: NoneKey holdovers: Eya Laure, Mylene Paat, Pauline Gaston, Cess Robles, Jen Nierva, Jasmine Nabor
Fierce just got fiercer for former PVL champion Chery Tiggo.
Already led by former MVP Mylene Paat and super rookie Eya Laure, the Crossovers just got a double shot of veteran savvy in new captain Aby Maraño and her fellow former F2 partner-in-crime Ara Galang.
Chery Tiggo’s quest back on top continues, with a lot of skill, swag, and star power to boot.
Key additions: Kianna Dy (injured), Majoy Baron, Kim FajardoKey departures: Mika Reyes (injured)Key holdovers: Savannah Davison, Kath Arado, Dell Palomata, Erika Santos, Rhea Dimaculangan
Following F2’s disbandment, PLDT was aptly one of the first ones to ring players’ phones, and to its delight, the perfect trio of stars answered the calls.
Once she fully heals, super scorer Kianna Dy will serve as the perfect opposite hitter complement to top outsides Savannah Davison and Erika Santos, while Majoy Baron will nicely fill in the middle blocker spot left by injured captain Mika Reyes.
Setter Rhea Dimaculangan, meanwhile, will carry a lighter playmaking load as overqualified backup Kim Fajardo completes the former F2 troika for PLDT.
Like sister team Cignal, PLDT is never too far away from breaking through to the contenders’ upper rungs, and the same will still ring true this new conference.
Key additions: Brooke Van Sickle, MJ Phillips (returning), Myla Pablo (returning), Mich Morente, Joy Dacoron, coach Koji TsuzurabaraKey departures: Grethcel Soltones, Heather Guino-oKey holdovers: Jonah Sabete, Djanel Cheng, Remy Palma, Nicole Tiamzon, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas
The 2023 Second All-Filipino Conference is shaping up to be mere pit stop for Petro Gazz.
After a subpar 6-5 record and sixth-place finish, the Angels have refueled with a plethora of new signings and returnees, most notably Fil-Am standout Brooke Van Sickle, former Korean V. League import MJ Phillips, two-time MVP Myla Pablo, and new Japanese head coach Koji Tsuzurabara.
As expected of a perennial contender, Petro Gazz is once again back to compete with the best and be the best.
Key additions: Grethcel Soltones, Celine Domingo, Max JuangcoKey departures: Justine Jazareno (on leave), Coach Jorge Souza de BritoKey holdovers: Faith Nisperos, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Fifi Sharma, Erika Raagas, Trisha Genesis
There seems to be no stopping Akari’s rise as the PVL’s new dark horse contender.
After a franchise-best seventh-place finish in the previous All-Filipino tilt, the Chargers have gone all in, signing former V-League MVP Grethcel Soltones and ex-Finals MVP Celine Domingo to bolster multiple facets in both offense and defense.
It will surely be crowded at the top, but Akari is hell-bent on crashing that party soon.
Key additions: Ivy Lacsina, Jaila AtienzaKey departures: Judith Abil, Janine NavarroKey holdovers: Kamille Cal, Jho Maraguinot, Lycha Ebon, Rachel Jorvina, Krich Macaslang
Unlike its playoff-hunting sister team Akari, Nxled will more than likely keep its focus on developing its growing talent core this conference and beyond.
To their credit, the Chameleons are definitely on the right track after luring their own former F2 standout in young blocker Ivy Lacsina, who showed off as a potentially serviceable winger in her final conference as a Cargo Mover.
Nxled is by no means a title contender yet. That doesn’t mean it should be ignored by those that are.
Key additions: Caitlin Viray, Jolina dela Cruz (injured), Lorene Toring (injured), Elaine KasilagKey departures: College of St. Benilde players (Gayle Pascual, Jade Gentapa, Sophia Mondonedo, etc.)Key holdovers: Trisha Tubu, Kate Santiago, Louie Romero, Pia Ildefonso, Alyssa Bertolano
Don’t let young Farm Fresh fool you, it is hungry for wins, and it will stand toe-to-toe with anyone in its way, contender or otherwise.
Arguably the most intriguing of the PVL’s new teams, the Foxies are gearing up for a massive leap in the standings with an outstanding off-season haul of breakout opposite hitter Caitlin Viray, veteran blocker Elaine Kasilag, and former collegiate standouts Jolina dela Cruz and Lorene Toring.
Brimming with youth and clear-cut potential, Farm Fresh will surely threaten the league’s established powers very, very soon.
Key additions: Shola Alvarez, France Ronquillo, Alyssa EroaKey departures: NoneKey holdovers: Dimdim Pacres, Rapril Aguilar, Roma Joy Doromal, Fhen Emnas, Carly Hernandez
The horizon remains foggy for upstart Galeries Tower after its debut conference, but the skies will always clear up for those who weather the storms.
Currently a hodgepodge of veterans and prospects, the Highrisers made earnest attempts in the free agent bidding wars and landed more role players like Alyssa Eroa and former F2 hitter Shola Alvarez.
Galeries has shown an on-court fire better than its 1-10 debut record shows. Time will tell if it can find its winning blueprint in this intensely competitive league.
Key additions: Coach Roger Gorayeb, Ja Lana, Jel Quizon, Heather Guino-o, Jorelle Singh, Bingle Landicho, Janine Navarro, Aiko Urdas
One of the two debuting teams this All-Filipino Conference, Capital1 has immediately shown a serious desire to compete with the PVL’s best.
After tapping legendary coach Roger Gorayeb to command its kickoff campaign, the Solar Spikers put together an intriguing mix of role players-turned-top options like Heather Guino-o and Jorelle Singh, and young collegiate standouts like Ja Lana and Jel Quizon.
Capital1 will surely capitalize on its new spot in the PVL, and entertaining games may very well be in store for the debutant squad.
Key additions: Lilet Mabbayad, Jana Sta. Maria, Vira May Guillema, Dolly Verzosa, Sarah Verutiao
Undisputedly the bigger mystery of the two new PVL teams, renowned basketball big-spender Strong Group Athletics is not banking on major name recall in its first foray into volleyball.
Straight-up called a bunch of “no-names” by assistant team manager Kiara Cruz, Strong Group’s possible top options hail from the NCAA and a variety of lower-level leagues like Manny Pacquiao’s fledgling Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association.
Hey, who knows? Maybe the “no-names” can introduce themselves under the brighter lights of the PVL with some huge upsets. No one is unbeatable in sports. – Rappler.com
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Quiboloy subpoenaed by Senate panel after snubbing hearing on alleged abuses | Bonz Magsambol | 19/02/2024 12:28 | PREACHER. Apollo Quiboloy, founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church.
MANILA, Philippines – The Senate on Monday, February 19, officially issued a subpoena to the embattled leader of the Davao-based Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), Apollo Quiboloy, after he snubbed the upper chamber’s hearings on his alleged human rights abuses.
“That’s why I am thanking Senate President for signing the subpoena against Apollo Quiboloy. My office has made it our policy to put the voices of women and children first, to put the voices of the victim-survivors at the center. And I am glad that our institution under the current Senate leadership has made it its policy, too,” said Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality.
In January, Quiboloy called the Senate inquiry led by Hontiveros “bogus,” and that it “turned a monster out of me.”
Quiboloy dismissed the accusations leveled against him during the Senate committee hearing as “criminal.” He said that while Hontiveros enjoyed parliamentary immunity, the witnesses were susceptible to libel charges.
The preacher said that he would only face the allegations against him before the courts. – Rappler.com
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Senator Risa Hontiveros is a very patient person. The information is that her request was submitted to the Office of the Senate President last February 6, 2024, and it took nine (9) working days to approve. Is that how fast the said office acts on its ministerial duties?
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Ticket prices, how to watch: Gilas Pilipinas at FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers | delfin.dioquino editor | 16/02/2024 22:05 | AIM. Dwight Ramos in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Filipino hoop fans are in for a treat as Gilas Pilipinas returns to the grind in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
For the first window, the Nationals start their campaign with an away game in Hong Kong at the Tsuen Wan Stadium at 8 pm on February 22 before they host Chinese Taipei at the PhilSports Arena at 7:30 pm on February 25.
The opening window of the qualifiers marks the return of naturalized player Justin Brownlee, who served a three-month suspension after leading the Philippines to a historic Asian Games crown.
Also back in the fold are the likes of Kai Sotto, Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Carl Tamayo, and Kevin Quiambao – players who are considered the future of the national team.
With head coach Tim Cone underscoring the importance of the big picture, the Nationals hope to gain ground for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in July.
Here are ways to watch Gilas Pilipinas’ first two games in the Asia Cup Qualifiers:
Gilas Pilipinas will play its first home game since it beat China in the FIBA World Cup in September as it hosts Chinese Taipei at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
Here are the ticket prices available at SM Tickets:
Free TV viewers can catch the games live on One Sports and RPTV, while Cignal subscribers can also watch on One Sports+.
Pilipinas Live will stream the games on its website and mobile application.
Fans can also catch Rappler Sports’ live updates on game days.
– Rappler.com
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Golden age: UST volleyball teams put UAAP on notice after stunning season debuts | jisaga0269 | 18/02/2024 22:14 | TIGER POWER. UST spikers Reg Jurado (left) and Josh Ybañez in the UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments.
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – A golden age may be in store for UST volleyball in UAAP Season 86.
For the first time in 34 games spanning a five-year window, three-time UAAP men’s volleyball champion NU found itself on the losing end of the equation after its Season 85 finals foe UST carved out a stunning 25-23, 26-24, 25-19 debut sweep on Sunday, February 18.
Rookie MVP Josh Ybañez led the statement win with 13 points, while Dux Yambao tallied 19 excellent sets – helping three other Tiger Spikers score at least 8.
A few hours later at the Mall of Asia Arena, the UST Golden Tigresses staged their own shocking reenactment over in the women’s division with a 25-19, 25-23, 25-22 blanking of perennial finalists NU Lady Bulldogs, capping a day to remember for the stars of España.
Even after losing veterans Eya Laure, Imee Hernandez, and Milena Alessandrini, the “next woman up” mentality was quickly enforced as rookie Angge Poyos (16 points), Jonna Perdido (12 points), and Reg Jurado (12 points) worked as one cohesive unit to dominate the Season 84 champions.
Tigresses head coach Kungfu Reyes, although surprised that NU lay down for a sweep, still got exactly what he wanted out of his wards, who made up for lack of height with outstanding passing and floor defense.
“I wasn’t surprised because that is how we practice,” he said in Filipino.
“Practice makes permanent, I like to say. I think NU just had a bad stretch, but the way we played, that’s exactly what I see every day in practice.”
Tiger Spikers’ mentor Odjie Mamon was likewise pleased with the surprising way his team kicked off its finals comeback bid.
“I’m very happy that the team responded to our preparation, but it’s not all about techniques and tactics,” he said in Filipino.
“Here you need a steady mind and heart. You need to be patient and disciplined. We actually didn’t really win today. The opponent scored points for us and you all saw that. We’re just happy to receive their gifts.”
The roads ahead for both UST squads are still very long and treacherous, as the Tigresses still have to face the likes of defending champion La Salle and early dark horse UE, while the Tiger Spikers have yet to beat the likes of gutsy FEU and other up-and-coming contenders.
Still, the effect of this pair of debuts cannot be undervalued. Backed by a rich history and a combined 34 UAAP championships, UST volleyball aims to stay on top, and everyone is welcome along for the ride. – Rappler.com
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Pacquiao too old for Paris Games, says Olympic body | Jasmine Payo | 18/02/2024 15:47 | HARD AT WORK. Manny Pacquiao in training.
Wendell Alinea/MP Promotions
MANILA, Philippines – Too old for the Olympics.
There will be no Manny Pacquiao in the 2024 Paris Games as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially turned down the Philippines’ request to include the Filipino boxing icon in its roster.
In a released statement, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) said on Sunday, February 18, that the IOC thumbed down the appeal, citing the 40-year-old age limit for Olympic athletes.
“Too bad our beloved boxing icon is disqualified because of his age and that everyone needs to go through qualifiers, in all sports, to be able to participate in Paris,” said POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.
James McLeod, IOC director for National Olympic Committee Relations, responded to the POC, noting that the 45-year-old Pacquiao failed to meet the age limit in Olympic qualifying events.
Aside from the qualifiers, the POC had hoped Pacquiao, who retired in 2021, would be up for Olympic consideration via the Universality rule – special slots the IOC grants to underrepresented countries.
But McLeod said Universality slots are only awarded to countries with less than eight representatives in the last two editions of the Olympics.
The Philippines had 19 athletes in the Tokyo Games in 2021, with weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz capturing the country’s first Olympic gold and boxers Carlo Paalam (silver), Nesthy Petecio (silver), and Eumir Marcial (bronze) picking up medals.
Last year, Pacquiao said an Olympic stint remains as the only missing achievement in his stellar career.
“From the beginning, I went to Manila to be part of the Philippine team, but I wasn’t picked, I was rejected… because they said I was not good,” Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division champion, said in a previous interview.
“My heart and desire is to claim a gold medal in the Olympics.”
Four Filipinos already earned slots in the Paris Games this July – world No. 2 pole vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnasts Carlos Yulo and Aleah Finnegan, and boxer Eumir Marcial – with more athletes vying for berths through qualifiers in the coming months. – Rappler.com
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IN PHOTOS: Quezon City Commitment Ceremony 2024 | Russell Ku | 18/02/2024 11:19 | SEALED. An LGBTQ+ couple gives a kiss to each other during Quezon City's commitment ceremony on February 17, 2024.
Russell Ku/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Against the backdrop of the hustle and bustle of Elliptical Road and Commonwealth Avenue, LGBTQ+ couples in Quezon City (QC) made the move to commit to their partners for life in the city’s fourth commitment ceremony at the QCX Garden in Quezon Memorial Circle on Saturday, February 17.
According to city officials, more than 200 couples participated in the event. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said the ceremony was a way to fulfill their promises to the LGBTQ+ community when the city passed its Gender-Fair Ordinance.
Among the sponsors and guests for the event were Outright Action International Project Coordinator Ging Cristobal and Drag Race Philippines season 2 winner Captivating Katkat.
2024 would mark 10 years since QC passed the Gender-Fair Ordinance. Bills to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination remain pending in Congress even after more than 20 years of lobbying by its allies.
Here are some photos from the event.
– Rappler.com
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Fresh start: What the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers mean to Gilas Pilipinas | delfin.dioquino editor | 18/02/2024 12:13 | TWIN TOWERS. Kai Sotto (right) and AJ Edu in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – A fresh start awaits Gilas Pilipinas as FIBA begins a new cycle starting with the Asia Cup Qualifiers.
Back in action after their historic Asian Games title romp, the Nationals will tangle with Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei on February 22 and 25, respectively, for the first window as part of Group B, which also includes New Zealand.
What is the significance of the Asia Cup Qualifiers?
Teams are allowed to parade different sets of lineups for each of the three windows: February 2024, November 2024, and February 2025.
In fact, the Philippines fielded 30 different players across its six games in the qualifiers of the previous Asia Cup – the most by any participating teams in that edition.
Out of those 30 players, only nine made the 2022 Asia Cup roster.
But this time, things are expected to be different as head coach Tim Cone – tapped by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to handle the national team for the long run – plans to keep his 12-man core together for the next four years.
“This team is going to stay together through every window. We play Southeast Asian Games, we play Asian Games, we play World Cup qualifiers, we play FIBA Cup qualifiers, we want to keep this team intact,” said Cone.
“Because every time we play, we will grow from either the success or the failure that we have.”
That means program cornerstones Kai Sotto, AJ Edu, Dwight Ramos, Carl Tamayo, and Kevin Quiambao will be able to play alongside each other regularly leading up to the FIBA World Cup in 2027.
Sure, there will be roster changes due to injuries and age – Justin Brownlee and June Mar Fajardo are already 35 and 34, respectively – but essentially, Cone wants to foster continuity that the program lacked in past years.
“If you need to tweak it here and there with personnel changes, then you do that. If I need to tweak the system a little bit, I’ll make tweaks in the system,” said Cone.
“But the foundation will be there. The foundation of the players will be there, the foundation will be there.”
Cone and Gilas intend to use the Asia Cup Qualifiers to build for the Riga, Latvia leg of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in July.
Having last sent a men’s basketball team to the Olympics in 1972, the Philippines will need to defy the odds if it wants to end that decades-long absence in the Paris Games.
Waiting for the Filipinos in the first stage of the OQT are world No. 8 Latvia and world No. 23 Georgia, teams which both made it past the opening round of the last World Cup.
Latvia notably finished fifth in its World Cup debut despite playing without Boston Celtics star Kristaps Porzinigs, only narrowly missing the final four after an 81-79 loss to eventual champion Germany in the quarterfinals.
Aside from Porzingis, Latvia boasts of other current and former NBA talents in Charlotte Hornets forward Davis Bertans, Rodions Kurucs, and Dairis Bertans.
Meanwhile, Georgia placed 16th in the World Cup behind Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze, San Antonio Spurs big man Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Tornike Shengelia, who suited up for the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls.
Beating Latvia and Georgia will be a tall order, so it is pivotal for Gilas to make progress as early as possible.
“We’ll use this first window, we’ll use the preparation time in this window to get to a certain level and bring that level into the OQT and be able to play Latvia and Georgia and improve from there,” said Cone.
If the Philippines secures a top-two finish in its OQT group, it will advance to the crossover semifinals against the top two squads from other group composed of world No. 12 Brazil, No. 17 Montenegro, and No. 67 Cameroon.
Only the winner of that OQT leg will punch a ticket to Paris.
Out of the 24 participating teams in this edition of the Asia Cup Qualifiers, 16 will qualify for the official tournament set in 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The 24 squads are divided into six groups, with the top two from each group advancing directly to the Asia Cup and the six third-placed teams vying for the four remaining spots.
Considering the caliber of teams the Philippines will go up against in Group B – world No. 21 New Zealand, No. 78 Chinese Taipei, and No. 119 Hong Kong – reaching the Asia Cup for the eighth straight edition should be a doable task.
Qualifying for the Asia Cup, though, is one thing, going deep into the tournament is another.
The previous Asia Cup proved to be a wake-up call for the Philippines as it missed the top eight for the first time in 15 years.
Gilas endured its worst finish since it placed ninth in the 2007 edition after a 102-81 blowout loss to Japan in their playoff for the quarterfinals.
Ending its run with a 1-3 record, the Philippines beat only India and averaged a losing margin of 17.7 points against Lebanon, New Zealand, and Japan.
The upcoming Asia Cup gives Gilas a shot at redemption and a chance to solidify its place among the best in the continent, counting its Asian Games triumph.
Behind only 16-time champion China for most Asia Cup titles with five, the Philippines came close to the crown when it finished second in 2013 and 2015, but it has since lost its touch, settling for seventh in 2017 and ninth in 2022.
With a clear program in place and a formidable roster assembled, it is high time for Gilas to become a consistent force in the international scene. – Rappler.com
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Meet some of the first couples who received Quezon City’s ‘right to care’ card | Russell Ku | 18/02/2024 10:25 | JR Tabor and Jeremy Abrogar receive their "right to care" cards from the Quezon City government on February 17, 2024.
Russell Ku/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – As a new batch of LGBTQ+ couples sealed their commitment to each other in Quezon City (QC), 15 pairs finally received their right to make healthcare decisions for one another as they became the first batch to receive the city’s “right to care” card on Saturday, February 17.
QC gender and development head Janete Oviedo said Saturday marked the first day of distribution for the “right to care” cards, which also marked the city’s fourth commitment ceremony.
“We will start calling people who have ‘right to care’ cards for distribution. It will be given in the Gender and Development Office in Quezon City Hall,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Oviedo added that those who have yet to receive their cards have their own copies of the special power of attorney contracts which can be shown to hospitals in the city.
The program was formally introduced during QC Pride in June 2023, with the first batch of couples signing their special power of attorney contracts in August. The ordinance for the program was also passed in October 20, 2023, with officials still drafting its implementing rules and regulations.
Rappler talked to some of the couples who were filled with joy and excitement after receiving the card.
Transgender woman Richard Ella and her partner Lester Paradero said that they felt “lucky” to be among the first QC residents to receive their own “right to care” cards.
“Happy [ako] kasi…ako na lang po magdedesisyon para sa partner ko. At the same time, napakalayo ng pamilya [ni Lester] sa amin. Nasa Batangas ‘yung family niya na tawagan in case [may emergency],” Ella said.
(I’m happy since I can make decisions for my partner. At the same time, Lester’s family is far from us. His family is in Batangas should we need to call them in case of emergencies.)
The couple have been together for four years and decided to attend this year’s commitment ceremony to renew their vows for one another when they went to the event in 2021. They hope to start a business together to get “stable income” as Lester is earning money through contractual jobs.
35-year-old Leslie Ampo-an and her boyfriend Ash Musnit said that they were happy to finally receive the card as they witnessed their LGBTQ+ friends being denied by their family to visit their partners.
“Bilang mga mahihirap na mamamayan ng Quezon City, nakapahirap po para sa amin na kahit mag-pacheck-up pa man lang. So importante na meron ‘right to care’ card kasama ng partner namin kasi there are instances po na may nangyayari sa amin pero never po nakikialam ‘yung partner,” Ampo-an said.
(As we are among the marginalized sectors in Quezon City, it’s hard for us to even get ourselves a check-up. So it’s important that we have a “right to care” card with our partners since there are instances that something happens to us, but our partners can’t get involved.)
JR Tabor and Jeremy Abrogar said they felt their bond got stronger when they finally got the card as they marked their 18th year as a couple this February.
“Ngayon, mas safer na kami sa isa’t isa…kasi at least kahit malayo man kami sa family namin, at least mayroon ganitong card na kahit papaano na makakaensure kami na may right decision-maker para sa amin,” Tabor said.
(We feel safer with each other because even if our families are far away from each other, at least there is this card that would ensure us that there is a right decision-maker for us.)
Oviedo said more than 700 couples have signed up for the “right to care” card as of February 2024. Despite this development, city workers are still actively working to get LGBTQ+ couples in the city to sign up for the card.
Workers were giving documents for the “right to care” card to interested couples in the commitment ceremony, with an orientation set for February 24.
QC government workers are also giving documents for the city’s “right to care” card to interested couples. The card was introduced last year during QC Pride. It hopes to provide LGBTQ+ couples in the city with the right to make healthcare decisions for each other.15 couples… pic.twitter.com/dStFCmc5q5
Among those who received documents during the commitment ceremony was Kurt Mante and his 21-year-old girlfriend Nicole Delgado. The couple said that this was their first time hearing about the program and are undecided on signing up for the card.
“‘Di ko pa masyado maintindihan. Kailangan ko ng explanation para ma-go din tayo parehas. (I don’t understand it that much. I need an explanation so that we both have the go [signal]),” Delgado said.
Oviedo said that the QC government plans to do orientations in all of the city’s barangays. She added that they have also connected with LGBTQ+ organizations to also orient their members on the “right to care” card.
Those who wish to avail of Quezon City’s “right to care card” can register by going to the Quezon City gender and development council office or through bit.ly/RightToCareReg. – Rappler.com
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Ancajas underdog vs Inoue in world title battle in Tokyo | Jasmine Payo | 17/02/2024 20:19 | BACK-TO-BACK. Jerwin Ancajas absorbs another resounding loss to Fernando Martinez in their rematch.
Showtime Boxing Twitter page
MANILA, Philippines – Jerwin Ancajas will be the underdog when he seeks Takuma Inoue’s World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight crown on Saturday, February 24, at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo.
Latest figures on betting sites put Ancajas at +250, meaning a $100 bet on the Filipino challenger becomes $250 if he wins.
Takuma, younger brother of four-division world champion Naoya Inoue, was installed a -250 favorite, meaning a $250 bet on the Japanese will earn $100 if he prevails.
For Ancajas, the former longtime International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion, and his trainer/manager Joven Jimenez, the odds hardly matter.
They’ve trained long and hard for the fight originally set November 15 but got pushed back after Inoue sustained a fractured rib during training.
Jimenez believes their preparations, which started in Las Vegas last June and picked up last December at the Survival Camp in Magallanes, Cavite, would be enough to put Ancajas back at the helm despite a 16-month layoff.
Ancajas reigned at the 115-pound division from 2016 to 2020 before eventually outgrowing it and absorbing back-to-back losses to Fernando Martinez.
In his return on June 24, 2023, Ancajas fought at 121 pounds and stopped Wilner Soto in the fifth round.
Now, Ancajas is dropping to 118, where his punching power that has knocked out 23 of his 34 victims in a record that also included 3 losses and 2 draws, would be felt more.
Although Takuma is a light puncher (18-1, 4 knockouts), Jimenez said Ancajas won’t rush in and would measure up the Japanese’ prowess in the early rounds.
Like Jimenez, MP (Manny Pacquiao) Promotions president Sean Gibbons believes that Takuma is a “very winnable” fight for Ancajas.
Team Ancajas will be leaving for Tokyo on Sunday morning, February 18, and will train right away so as not to gain weight. – Rappler.com
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Brownlee to auction off Asian Games jersey, shoes for charity | delfin.dioquino editor | 16/02/2024 18:39 | HERO. Justin Brownlee in action for Gilas Pilipinas against China in the 19th Asian Games.
PSC-POC Media Pool
MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos have embraced Justin Brownlee as their own and the naturalized player wants to return the favor.
Brownlee aims to raise millions for charity as he plans to auction off the jersey and shoes he wore when he steered Gilas Pilipinas to a dramatic come-from-behind win over host China in the Asian Games last October.
The victory over China allowed the Philippines to reach the finals, where it toppled erstwhile unbeaten Jordan to capture its first Asian Games crown since 1962.
“We want to try to raise as much money as we can so we can give it away to charities,” said Brownlee in a video posted by Barangay Ginebra utility man Junjun Atienza on Facebook on Thursday, February 15.
“I think it is very important, giving back, and this is something I want to do for the fans or for one lucky fan, whoever wins the auction for it.”
Brownlee played the game of his life against China as he saved Gilas Pilipinas from the jaws of defeat with a timely explosion in the fourth quarter.
The Filipinos trailed by as many as 20 points before Brownlee erupted for 17 of his 33 points in the final frame to guide his side to the nail-biting 77-76 win.
Brownlee shot a perfect 5-of-5 from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter and ended the game on a personal 8-0 run as he almost singlehandedly demolished Team Dragon.
He said it is “one of my favorite games I ever played in for the Philippines.”
Aside from the game-worn jersey and shorts, Brownlee is also including the Nike Kobe 8 Protro “Halo” shoes he used in the China game.
Brownlee said he wants to set the starting bid at P2.5 million.
“Hopefully, that is not too much,” said the three-time PBA Best Import. “Hopefully, people can join and we could do something special for people who are in need.”
Back in action after a three-month suspension, Brownlee is hard at work as he suits up for Gilas Pilipinas in the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers this month. – Rappler.com
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Delayed for good reason: PVL finally implements rookie draft | jisaga0269 | 14/02/2024 20:07 | THE FUTURE. La Salle's Angel Canino and NU's Bella Belen share a hug at the conclusion of the UAAP Season 85 women's volleyball finals
UAAP Season 85 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ only professional volleyball league continues to further legitimize its operations amid fast-surging interest and vastly improving competition.
For the first time since turning pro in 2020, the PVL, barring any setbacks, is implementing its first-ever rookie draft this June, as officially announced in the 2024 All-Filipino Conference press launch on Wednesday, February 14.
This marks the last time teams may sign players through direct hiring, and all future amateur aspirants who have not previously played in the PVL would have to submit their names through the proper drafting channels.
Asked why the implementation of the highly anticipated draft took four years after the PVL was granted professional status, league commissioner Sherwin Malonzo explained that the technicalities go far beyond simple player-picking.
“Talks of a draft began in 2021, but decided to delay so we could study it well. It’s easy to think about, but hard to implement,” the amiable executive said in Filipino. “The execution is a different story, and that’s why it took years. We wanted to make sure everything is done right.”
“It’s not just about drafting. We’re also talking about teams’ commitment, the Uniform Players Contract, the salary cap, and then eventually, free agency. Those are the factors involved and the draft itself is just a part of it. That’s what I mean when I say, yes, drafting is easy, but that’s not all there is to it.”
Sure enough, the teams’ commitment has been a consistent issue in the PVL’s last few years, with teams like BaliPure, BanKo Perlas, Sta. Lucia, Army, and most recently, Gerflor and F2 Logistics, all taking extended leaves of absences or just straight-up closing shop.
In the wake of F2’s shocking disbandment, multiple superstar-caliber players quickly jumped ship, mostly to already-stacked teams, thus reopening debates in fan circles on the need for a salary cap to even out the competition.
“Hopefully, this June, it’s all systems go. We just need the commitment of the teams, then we send out the Uniform Players Contract,” Malonzo continued.
“We also need the input of the teams for the salary cap because as [PVL president] Mr. [Ricky] Palou said, it might be too low or too high. We need everyone’s input so it’s all evened out. It’s favorable for the teams and the league that the salary cap be implemented soon.”
While the fans’ clamor for further parity in the PVL is understandable, multiple safeguards must indeed be first put in place to assure smooth sailing from the moment the draft is implemented.
Based on what Malonzo has revealed, there is, however, continuous progress, which is always a good sign for the league’s immediate future. – Rappler.com
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Gilas Pilipinas gears up for FIBA window with ‘big picture’ in mind | delfin.dioquino editor | 15/02/2024 15:09 | MENTOR. Tim Cone in action as part of Gilas Pilipinas' coaching staff.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Head coach Tim Cone and Gilas Pilipinas plunge back to work focused on the big picture.
Eager to make the most out of a short preparation period, Cone hopes to build for the future as the Nationals started training for the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna on Thursday, February 15.
The national team has only a week to gear up for the opening window of the qualifiers before it battles Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei.
“We have limited time for prep so every moment is precious,” Cone said. “Hopefully, there will be a lot of teaching and learning as we prepare for this first window.”
Ten of the 12 players Cone chose entered the Laguna camp, namely, Justin Brownlee, Scottie Thompson, Kai Sotto, Dwight Ramos, Carl Tamayo, AJ Edu, Calvin Oftana, Chris Newsome, Jamie Malonzo, and Kevin Quiambao.
According to Gilas Pilipinas team manager Richard del Rosario, only June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez were missing after the pair led San Miguel to another PBA championship on Wednesday, February 14.
National team veteran Japeth Aguilar also joined the Laguna camp to help out.
After four days at the Inspire Sports Academy, the Nationals will hold an open practice at the PhilSports Arena on February 19 before they fly to Hong Kong for their first game on February 22.
Planning to keep his 12-man core intact for the next four years, Cone underscored the importance of establishing a solid foundation for the long haul.
“We will keep the big picture in mind that this is a long-term project and commitment,” said Cone.
Following the Hong Kong game, the Filipinos return home to host Chinese Taipei at the PhilSports Arena on February 25. – Rappler.com
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Mars Alba ready to fit in stacked Choco Mucho | Jasmine Payo | 18/02/2024 17:57 | DEBUT. New Choco Mucho recruit Mars Alba during the PVL media day.
MARS ALBA INSTAGRAM PAGE
MANILA, Philippines – After a rookie campaign with the disbanded F2 Logistics Cargo Movers, Mars Alba will turn another chapter in her career with the Choco Mucho Flying Titans in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).
Alba, a UAAP champion and Finals MVP with La Salle, thinks she had seamlessly adjusted with the Flying Titans, even noting the “healthy competition” in the setter position.
The UAAP Season 85 Best Setter will be playing alongside star setter and crowd favorite Deanna Wong and veteran Jem Ferrer, forming one of the most stacked lineups in the league.
But Alba remains upbeat, seeing the loaded spot as a great opportunity to challenge herself.
“It’s fun because it’s a healthy competition for us three. Three setters and we’re just trading ideas,” Alba said.
Wong also lauded Alba’s hard work and potential.
“[I’ve] been watching her and I can see what she is capable of, so I think she can lead the team,” said Wong.
Alba is one of Choco Mucho’s offseason pickups along with Mean Mendrez, Royse Tubino, and Bia General, following the Flying Titans’ runner-up finish in the last PVL conference.
They will join a formidable Flying Titans core spearheaded by reigning MVP Sisi Rondina, Kat Tolentino, Maddie Madayag, and Isa Molde when the All-Filipino Conference kicks off on Tuesday, February 20.
Alba believes she is in good hands with the Dante Alinsunurin-mentored Flying Titans, even likening her new coach to the legendary Ramil de Jesus, her former coach with the La Salle Lady Spikers
“For me, I’m confident because we all know that Choco Mucho really performed well last PVL conference. It’s already a given that the system of coach Dante works,” said Alba during the recent league media day.
Alinsunurin also called the shots for the National University men’s volleyball team, leading the Bulldogs to the Season 85 title, the same season Alba finished her collegiate career with a crown for La Salle.
Under Alinsunurin’s watch, Choco Mucho rolled to a 10-1 elimination run in the last All-Filipino Conference.
“I’m happy because coach Dante is a really great coach” said Alba. “He reminds me of coach Ramil because they’re almost the same.” – Rappler.com
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Alyssa Valdez sees ‘healthy competition’ against ex-teammate Ced Domingo | Jasmine Payo | 16/02/2024 20:03 | POWERHOUSE. Creamline's Alyssa Valdez (left) and Ced Domingo (right) celebrate with Jema Galazna.
PVL IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines — Creamline superstar Alyssa Valdez wished former teammate Celine “Ced” Domingo the best of luck with her new Premier Volleyball League (PVL) team as the latter is set to play with Akari this 2024 season.
“I think our bond is beyond the volleyball court, so whatever she’s up to, we’re just gonna be here to support her and we’re really looking forward to play against her,” Valdez said.
Last October, Domingo requested a release from Creamline to play for Nakhon Ratchasima VC in Thailand, then later signed with Akari early this year.
Domingo, however, is not expected to return to the PVL until her Thailand contract concludes late February.
“For sure, it’s a healthy competition, I can’t just wait how to see how she’s grown as a player and an individual,” Valdez added.
PVL | WATCH:BEST OF LUCK. Alyssa Valdez speaks on Ced Domingo’s transfer to Akari and their possible faceoff in the upcoming #PVL2024. pic.twitter.com/Bi2d6LpnFS
Creamline management allowed Domingo to leave for Thailand “with great respect and understanding,” about a month after team setter Jia de Guzman left the team for Japan.
The middle blocker then signed with Akari in January, joining a contending core that also added former MVP Grethcel Soltones to play alongside Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Michelle Cobb, Faith Nisperos, and Fifi Sharma.
Akari finished 4-8 in the 2023 Second All-Filipino Conference, its best finish to date.
“I’m very proud of her,” Valdez said of Domingo. “Doing great in Thailand, playing alongside with these great athletes… Great volleyball players. I hope she gets a lot of learnings in Thailand and she can take that to the Akari Chargers.” — Rappler.com
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Balikbayan at 26: How love pushed a young Filipino to move back to the PH | Michelle Abad | 18/02/2024 21:01 | VIDEO CALL. Dan and Yra during one of their long-distance video calls. Screenshot courtesy of Yra Cuyugan
MANILA, Philippines – Would you give up a promising life in a more developed country to be with the one you love?
Dan Ramos, a 26-year graduate of health information management in California, United States, did just that for Phoenix Yra Cuyugan, a 21-year-old psychology student who lived in the country he left. Dan, who comes from a family that immigrated from the Philippines to the US when he was four, found a reason to return to his homeland, despite the difficulties.
As the two are young lovers, some may call it reckless. While they don’t have everything figured out just yet, the one thing they’re sure about is each other.
Dan and Yra’s story is one of modern love, and it started on Discord.
One of Dan’s close friends happened to be Yra’s cousin in the US. Yra and her cousin thought it would be fun to set up a friend of hers with a friend of his, and Dan wanted to be a part of this plan.
Dan and Yra found friendship in each other, and began speaking through direct messages. But the set-up operation soon became an excuse to talk to each other.
“So we would bundle up a lot of updates of each other so since she was close to her friend… She would save up all of that chika (gossip) and I would save up all the chika about [my friend], and then would have calls like once a week,” said Dan.
“The rest of the four-hour call isn’t even the discussion about them na. We would make excuses like ‘Oh, I have an update about them.’ After 20 minutes: ‘Anyway, so kumain ka na ba (have you eaten)?” Yra continued, as the two laughed recalling it.
Their friends didn’t end up together, but they did.
At the point when they were honest about their feelings for each other, they had yet to meet in person. That wasn’t until months later, when Dan visited his home province Laguna, and the couple had each other’s company for two weeks with their families.
“The goodbye after that time was definitely the hardest of all the visits. Having met each other, the months apart were more painful than the seven months when we haven’t met in person yet because now we knew exactly what we were missing,” said Yra.
Yra and Dan faced the same challenges most people in long-distance relationships felt, like sacrificing sleep just to talk. But they believed their relationship progressed quickly precisely because they were able to focus on each other.
“You’re forced to see and connect with your love as who they are as a person only. So much builds up when you’re apart: communication skills, understanding, and most of all, trust. There are absolutely no other factors (sex, kilig, peer pressure, physical intimacy) we had that could distract us from seeing who the other really was, especially since both of us have very strong values for keeping honesty at our number one,” said Yra.
Dan began making decisions for his life with Yra in mind. Before meeting her, he was an administrative staff for employee health. While comfortable in the position, he did not see much growth in it. He quit his job to work as a health information technician, as he viewed it as a better opportunity to support Yra.
As time went by, Dan knew that he wanted to be closer to Yra, even if it meant leaving the States. For him, he was her home, in whom he found sincere love, comfort, and safety.
When Dan was little, his mother found an opportunity in the US to work as a nurse. In his single-parent household in America, all the siblings contributed to the household. He was the youngest of three, and he asked his two older brothers first if they were ready for him to leave the nest. He handled a number of expenses, such as groceries and the internet and phone bills.
While experiencing a mix of approval and worry for her youngest, Dan’s mother eventually came around, too.
Yra recalls how the beginning of their relationship was difficult due to their cultural differences.
“Even though he is a Filipino and his parents are very, very Filipino, province-Filipino type, he didn’t really grow up being that way. So the culture is still very American, so that part, nahirapan talaga ako (I had a hard time). But along the way, he learned to understand that I’m struggling. And so he adjusted everything he knew for me,” said Yra.
A lot of their misunderstandings came from their differences, Dan recalled. For one, he had to learn the concept of tampo.
Another challenge was how Dan came from a traditional Adventist family who wanted him to marry an Adventist woman. Yra also struggled with Dan’s family’s apparent disapproval of her weight.
“I was bigger than what they initially thought I would be. It went as far as when they had arguments, his mom called me a liability because of my weight as they are a whole family of nurses who have very strong opinions and routines with health,” added Yra.
Yra’s family, meanwhile, approved of Dan because of how transparent he was with his intentions with her. They saw how he sent money to her from the US to buy groceries, and when they were together in the Philippines, he accompanied her to a doctor’s appointment for an ailment she had been bothered by for years.
“They saw how much [our relationship] changed me into a better person and to take things more seriously,” said Yra.
Yra and Dan imagine going to the US together to build their careers and save money for a future with children. Dan hopes to be a work-from-home data analyst, and own multiple properties to rent out.
Meanwhile, Yra wants to finish her psychology degree, and maybe go to graduate school to be a therapist or psychologist – all while honing her skills in cosmetics, as she has also worked as a contractual makeup artist.
For both of them, the Philippines is home, and a place they want to return to.
“I do feel at home in the Philippines and I want our kids to also appreciate the culture we have here,” said Dan.
For couples in similar situations, Yra advises to always be intentional in their actions.
“Remember that your choice to love your person was never wrong, and the day will come where you both will be able to close the distance. I promise you, that day where, ‘See you next visit,” becomes “See you at home,” it will be worth every heartache you’ll face,” she said. – Rappler.com
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It is so good to know: “For both of them, the Philippines is home and a place they want to return to.” I hope our economic hardships and political corruption here will not change their decision in the coming years.
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Golden age: UST volleyball teams put UAAP on notice after stunning season debuts | jisaga0269 | 18/02/2024 22:14 | TIGER POWER. UST spikers Reg Jurado (left) and Josh Ybañez in the UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments.
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – A golden age may be in store for UST volleyball in UAAP Season 86.
For the first time in 34 games spanning a five-year window, three-time UAAP men’s volleyball champion NU found itself on the losing end of the equation after its Season 85 finals foe UST carved out a stunning 25-23, 26-24, 25-19 debut sweep on Sunday, February 18.
Rookie MVP Josh Ybañez led the statement win with 13 points, while Dux Yambao tallied 19 excellent sets – helping three other Tiger Spikers score at least 8.
A few hours later at the Mall of Asia Arena, the UST Golden Tigresses staged their own shocking reenactment over in the women’s division with a 25-19, 25-23, 25-22 blanking of perennial finalists NU Lady Bulldogs, capping a day to remember for the stars of España.
Even after losing veterans Eya Laure, Imee Hernandez, and Milena Alessandrini, the “next woman up” mentality was quickly enforced as rookie Angge Poyos (16 points), Jonna Perdido (12 points), and Reg Jurado (12 points) worked as one cohesive unit to dominate the Season 84 champions.
Tigresses head coach Kungfu Reyes, although surprised that NU lay down for a sweep, still got exactly what he wanted out of his wards, who made up for lack of height with outstanding passing and floor defense.
“I wasn’t surprised because that is how we practice,” he said in Filipino.
“Practice makes permanent, I like to say. I think NU just had a bad stretch, but the way we played, that’s exactly what I see every day in practice.”
Tiger Spikers’ mentor Odjie Mamon was likewise pleased with the surprising way his team kicked off its finals comeback bid.
“I’m very happy that the team responded to our preparation, but it’s not all about techniques and tactics,” he said in Filipino.
“Here you need a steady mind and heart. You need to be patient and disciplined. We actually didn’t really win today. The opponent scored points for us and you all saw that. We’re just happy to receive their gifts.”
The roads ahead for both UST squads are still very long and treacherous, as the Tigresses still have to face the likes of defending champion La Salle and early dark horse UE, while the Tiger Spikers have yet to beat the likes of gutsy FEU and other up-and-coming contenders.
Still, the effect of this pair of debuts cannot be undervalued. Backed by a rich history and a combined 34 UAAP championships, UST volleyball aims to stay on top, and everyone is welcome along for the ride. – Rappler.com
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Panels stolen from Cebu church surface in National Museum; Cebuanos want them back | Victor Barreiro Jr. | 18/02/2024 17:02 | ART. The National Museum of the Philippines receives a series of early 19th-century panels depicting the founder of the Augustinian Order from private collectors Edwin and Aileen Bautista.
National Museum of the Philippines
How did panels stolen in the late 1980s from the pulpit of the heritage church of Boljoon in southern Cebu end up decades later as a “Gift to the Nation” exhibit at the National Museum of the Philippines?
That is the question raised by many in Cebu after last week’s opening of the exhibit and donation by a private collector of four of the panels long thought lost by parishioners of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima.
More than raising questions, people demanded their return to Boljoon, inundating Facebook posts of the National Museum and media organizations that reported the exhibit with repeated assertions that these were stolen and should be repatriated to Cebu.
This weekend, various people and groups in different parts of Cebu are working independently for its return. Boljoon Councilor Eva Lowela Villanueva Moraca is finalizing an ordinance asking for their return, that she plans to file on Monday, February 19. Boljoon Mayor Jojie Derama issued a call for its repatriation. Provincial Board Member Red Duterte of the 5th District is preparing a counterpart provincial resolution that he plans to put forward, also on Monday, with a privilege speech on the issue.
Last Friday, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia asked Capitol consultant for heritage and museums Dr. Jose Eleazar Bersales to look into the issue “so that we may formally take a position of formally requesting the National Museum to return these panels.” Garcia is preparing a letter to be sent to the National Museum.
Police in Boljoon are also going over their piles of police blotters to look for the report of the theft. One was filed, said retired policeman Archimedes Villanueva, 79, who was a patrolman in the town when the panels were stolen. Councilor Moraca is his daughter and will be assisting him in the filing of an affidavit to attest to his assertions to bolster the town’s claim.
The Cebu Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church will meet on Monday to discuss the issue and submit recommendations to Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma on Tuesday.
The commission was alerted to the existence of the panels last year by Orland James Romarate, who works for the Cebu City Cultural and Historical Affairs Office. Romarate was sent a video of an episode of Executive Class on ANC with host David Celdran interviewing private collector Edwin Bautista, president and CEO of Union Bank of the Philippines.
The video, uploaded to YouTube on November 25, 2023, showed the four panels for just 3 seconds but Romarate, who is from Boljoon, immediately knew these were the ones stolen from their church. He alerted the commission, whose members then negotiated quietly for its return to Cebu.
The exhibit and its publicity last week blew things up.
The panels were indeed stolen from Boljoon, said Fr. Brian Brigoli, chairperson of the commission. Brigoli said they have extensive documentation to prove that the four panels used to adorn the Boljoon pulpit.
Whether the panels were carted away by thieves, which Boljoon residents said was what happened, or sold by the parish priest, which was claimed by some online, it is still considered stolen property, said Brigoli. He said Catholic Church laws do not allow priests to sell parish properties.
But the circumstances of the loss are obscured by hazy remembering of an event more than three decades in the past and colored by resurfaced emotions of a town that once stopped going to mass to ostracize a priest they accused of selling its antiques. That same priest then filed a case for slander against parishioners who were locked up through an arrest warrant enforced on a Friday. They crammed the detention cell, recalled heritage advocate and Boljoon Budget Officer Ronald Villanueva.
Interviewed separately, Villanueva, Moraca, and former journalist Iste Sesante Leopoldo also remember a “black mass” or “misa maldisyon” held at the church to curse those who stole parish antiques. Moraca and Leopoldo said they all wore black and only had candles for illumination during the mass held at 8 pm. A prominent local family had its members dying off shortly after, Moraca claimed.
Jonah John Rodriguez, executive director of the Cebu City Office on Substance Abuse Prevention, recalled the shock of townspeople upon the discovery that the panels were stolen. His family’s house is just outside the church compound.
“Natay-og baya ang tibuok Boljoon ato. Imagine one day pag abli sa simbahan, bakante na ang pulpito namo,” he said. (The entire Boljoon was shocked. Imagine that one day we just saw our pulpit already missing the panels.)
Rodriguez said he was in elementary school when this happened.
“It was painful and jarring” to see the empty space left by the panels, said heritage lawyer Kay Malilong. She said the space near the pulpit was her favorite spot at the church because there was an electric fan there.
“We all believed that the panels were stolen. The idea that the priest took them and sold them only happened now after the publicity surrounding that donation,” Malilong said.
“I know that the priest assigned at that time stayed on up to 1995 after the panels were gone. Had that been true, the townspeople would have done everything to make that priest suffer but he was still welcome. People still continued going to church, unlike in the early 80s when they really accused the priest of selling off antiques and they stopped going to church because I remember we went to church in Caceres,” Malilong said.
She questioned why the burden should be placed on Boljoon to prove the items were stolen.
“Why should we prioritize the feelings of the donors of sacred objects with questionable provenance? Nganong kami na man ang mu prove nga gikawat na nga? They should have checked because the duty of due diligence belongs to the National Museum and they’re the government agency, not us,” she said. (Why should we be the one to prove it was stolen?)
“Ma-uli ra lagi na (Those panels will be returned),” said Fr. Milan Ted Torralba, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP) Episcopal Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church.
Torralba said there is a process to the repatriation of items, even those considered stolen. He said that in his previous discussions with National Museum Director Jeremy Barns, unrelated to this case, the latter was generally in favor of repatriation.
Rappler sent emails with questions and requests for an interview with Barns to the National Museum last Thursday and Friday but did not receive a response.
Torralba said there is an existing agreement between the CBCP and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) on providing assistance in “retrieving lost and/or unlawfully taken cultural properties of the Church.”
It is an “articulation” of the agreement between the Holy See and the Philippine Government that took effect on May 29, 2008.
In his book, “The Pueblo of Bolhoon,” the late author Paul Gerschwiler described the pulpit as having “six rectangular recessed planes angled against each other, which once were decorated by beautifully carved and painted wooden relief-images.”
Only the panel that depicts St. Leo the Great wasn’t stolen. It has since been transferred to the parish museum. Gerschwiler described the other panels as depicting “Agustin de Hippo, San Cirilo de Alexandria and San Ambrosio de Milan.”
He wrote in the book, published by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, that these panels were “missing, looted and sold.”
With one panel in the parish museum and four at the National Museum, one is still unaccounted for, said Villanueva.
The parish had copies made and installed on the pulpit. These were then unveiled during the dedication of the altar last July 2019, he said.
The pulpit was where the priest would speak before modern sound systems were installed in churches. In Boljoon’s case, it is found on the epistle or right side of the church when facing the altar. It was acoustically designed to amplify a speaker’s voice.
Dr. Jocelyn Gerra said the panels are not just “the heritage of the church, this is the heritage of the people of Boljoon.”
“Now is a very good time in which churches and private persons or government institutions should really look into their assets, labi na ang (especially the) cultural heritage aspects,” said Gerra, a heritage advocate. She said what happened should trigger alarm bells because it is not isolated.
Villanueva said that if there was one good thing brought about by the resurfacing of the panels, it is that it has galvanized and united the Boljoon community in asking for its repatriation. – Rappler.com
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This is a test of the strength of the donor’s political connections against that of the affected people of Boljoon, Cebu. If the latter cannot have the said “stolen” or “sold without authority” properties returned to them, they may conduct a second “misa maldisyon.” God will be the People of Boljoon’s last resort.
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Results, team standings: UAAP Season 86 volleyball | Jasmine Payo | 5/5/2024 21:02 | ROARING. NU's Bella Belen (left) and Alyssa Solomon react in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball finals
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – The UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments reach a tipping point with the men’s and women’s finals!
LOOK: UAAP volleyball championship schedule
Here are the results in the men’s and women’s divisions:
MAY 15
May 11
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
– Rappler.com
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It’s been a long time coming: PH celebs attend Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ concert | Ysa Abad | 18/02/2024 14:14 | SWIFTIES. Filipino celebrities Isabelle Daza, Anne Curtis, Andrea Brillantes, and Kathryn Bernardo watched Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' concert.
Isabelle Daza, Andrea Brillantes, and Kathryn Bernardo's Instagram
MANILA, Philippines – Sana all! Several Filipino celebrities had their wildest dreams come to life as they were among the lucky fans who got the chance to watch pop star Taylor Swift during her highly-anticipated The Eras Tour concert.
To the heartbreak of many Philippine-based Swifties, the “All Too Well” hitmaker didn’t include a stop in the Philippines for her The Eras Tour. With zero shows in the country, numerous fans – including several famous Filipino personalities – flew to different parts of the world to catch the superstar in action.
Taylor had a four-night residency at the Tokyo Dome in Japan from February 7 to 10. As of February 18, she’s currently in Melbourne, Australia to conclude a three-night show. After Melbourne, she’ll be staging the concert in Sydney, Australia from February 23 to February 26. Then, Swift will bring the concert to Singapore – her only stop in Southeast Asia – from March 2 to 4 and 7 to 9.
Let’s take a look at the Filipino stars who channeled their die-hard fangirl selves for Taylor’s The Eras Tour concert:
Anne marked her birthday on February 17 by catching one of Swift’s concert stops in Melbourne. The actress-host attended the show with her “It Girls” squad, fellow actress Isabelle Daza, Martine Cajucom, and Nicole Warne.
The celebrity friend group took to social media to document their concert experience, sharing photos of their tickets and friendship bracelets, as well as showing off their Taylor-inspired outfits.
“I have two types of friends — those who make fun of me for being a Swiftie and those who fly to come see her with me,” Martine captioned her Instagram post.
Meanwhile, Belle shared a compilation of clips from the concert. “The Taylor effect,” she wrote.
Kathryn also flew to Melbourne to watch The Eras Tour concert with best friend Arisse de Santos. For her concert fit, the actress donned a Taylor Swift T-shirt, metallic mini-skirt, and black boots.
The A Very Good Girl star has been a known Swiftie for several years now. In 2014, Kathryn already attended Swift’s Red tour, the singer’s last concert in the Philippines. And she even had the chance to pose for a photo with the Grammy-winning singer!
Alexa was one of the lucky Swifties who were present during the singer’s three-night concert in Japan. The actress stunned in a Speak-Now inspired pink tulle dress. Completing her look are multiple friendship bracelets on her arm and butterfly clips on her hair.
“I can’t believe I finally experienced this live. My life is complete,” she wrote alongside a clip of the singer performing “All Too Well.” In a separate clip, the Pira-Pirasong Paraiso actress wrote: “I was enchanted to meet you, Taylor.”
Fangirling knows no age and actress Angelika is proof of that! Sharing photos from the Japan concert stop, she thanked the American singer for making a tita like her happy.
The Eras Tour is a huge event for a lot of Swifites. And like most fans, Andrea also went all out with her concert OOTD! The actress was a head-turner with her French Fries costume and a cheeseburger box clutch. The whole ensemble is a nod to the “You Need to Calm Down” music video where Taylor dressed up as French fries while Katy Perry wore a burger outfit.
“I know I had the best day with you today. Taylor Swift + my sisters + Tokyo = the best day,” the Senior High actress said alongside photos of her enjoying the concert.
Another Speak Now girlie! Michelle watched Taylor’s Japan concert in an all-purple ensemble: floral tube top, waistband pants, and butterfly accessories.
“Finally! My heart is so happy,” she captioned her post.
Former Pinoy Big Brother housemate Criza said that it was “enchanting to finally meet” Taylor during the singer’s Japan concert.
“Dreams really do come true. I still remember the day you announced your The Eras Tour concert for 2024 and all I said was, ‘I need to go. Whatever happens, I’m gonna go,” she said. The Zoomers star added that she “prayed and manifested” for her concert moment.
Addressing the singer, Criza said: “I will fly thousands of miles just for you and only you. You’re the only one who can make my heart skip a beat.”
The Eras Tour served as the singer’s first stadium tour in five years. It kicked off in the USA in March 2023 and is expected to end by December 2024 after 150 shows.
According to the Guinness World Records, Swift’s The Eras Tour has officially been named as the highest-grossing music tour ever. It’s the first concert tour to generate over $1 billion in revenue. – Rappler.com
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DOH opens first disease prevention and control center in Ilocos region | Victor Barreiro Jr. | 18/02/2024 14:41 | UNVEILING. Health and public officials unveil the newly-built and Ilocos region's first Center for Disease Prevention and Control in Dagupan City, Pangasinan on February 13.
Center for Health Development - Ilocos
LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte – The Department of Health (DOH) recently opened the very first Center for Disease Prevention and Control in Ilocos, a move seen to ramp up the region’s capability to predict and prepare against future disease outbreaks.
In a statement on Friday, February 16, Dr. Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire, undersecretary for the Universal Health Care-Health Services Cluster for Northern and Central Luzon, said the P20-million public health center would serve as a “pandemic preparedness center, which will help support in investigating, monitoring and preventing future diseases that may occur.”
It was built at the Region 1 Medical Center in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, and was funded through the DOH’s Facility Enhancement Program.
The most recent disease which wrought havoc in the country, including Ilocos, was COVID-19. It claimed the lives of at least 3,256 in the region, according to latest data from the COVID-19 tracker of the DOH.
According to Vergeire, the establishment of health specialty centers has been a “main thrust of the DOH [to] provide state-of-the-art medical services to the people in the province.”
She added the new facility would provide high-end diagnosis, treatment, and therapeutic services in the Ilocos region.
Aside from the center’s establishment, the DOH also held a groundbreaking ceremony on February 13 of a P49-million multipurpose building which would become a “center for cancer patients” in Pangasinan and across the region.
Regional director Paula Paz M. Sydiongco said the DOH would remain committed to developing the facilities and capabilities of public hospitals to provide quality health services to Filipinos.
Earlier on February 8, the DOH also broke ground for a multi-specialty center, an operating room complex, and patient wards’ building at the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center in La Union province.
“Once completed, it will be a place where the most dedicated and critical procedures will be performed by our medical specialists with precision and care,” said Sydiongco.
On Saturday, the Presidential Communications Office announced President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law Republic Act No. 11978, which marked the establishment of the first college of medicine in La Union at the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMSU) in Agoo town.
The medical school in DMMSU will “primarily offer a Doctor of Medicine Program, including an Integrated Liberal Arts and Medicine Program.”
It was eyed to strengthen the development of “a corps of professional physicians to strengthen the healthcare system of the country” and to “respond to the human resource development needs of the Provincial of La Union and the Ilocos region,” according to the Presidential Communications Office. – Rappler.com
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Q&A: Polychroma Games on the gameplay, narrative of Filipino-made indie game ‘Until Then’ | Victor Barreiro Jr. | 18/02/2024 13:00 | (EDITOR’S NOTE: The interviewee was incorrectly credited as Mickole Nulud, Polychroma Games director. This has been corrected to Mariel Tuble, writer at Polychroma.)
If you’re a gamer who enjoys narrative indie adventures like Indonesia’s A Space for the Unbound, then the Filipino-made Until Then should be right up your alley.
This slice-of-life game, developed by the Philippine-based Polychroma Games, features a coming-of-age tale that deals with the trauma of loss through the eyes of a high school student. Much of this bittersweet tale of tragedy and mystery is set against the backdrop of the Philippines, showcasing the unique culture and experiences that shaped the developers’ own lives.
Until Then doesn’t have an exact release date yet, but it’s expected to arrive on PlayStation, PC, and Linux sometime this year.
You can already try the game out for yourself through a free demo on Steam, and we caught up with Mariel Tuble, writer at Polychroma Games, to talk to her about the narrative and gameplay, as well as the response so far to the game.
Q: How do the elements of mystery and tragedy play into the narrative of Until Then?
Mariel Tuble: Until Then follows the story of Mark Borja, a Filipino high school student in a world still recovering from catastrophe.
He navigates his daily life, hangs out with his friends, joins a school club… but there are strange things happening around him that he can’t seem to shake off. His story might just take you to the heart of the mystery, if it isn’t too late.
Q: How does the setting of the Philippines play into this narrative?
MT: The story is one that could take place anywhere, really. It just happens to take place in our home country, because we wanted a distinctly Filipino flavor that would be achingly familiar to Filipinos who want to play the game.
Q: What went into the creative decision to set the narrative in the Philippines?
MT: We write what we know! Of course, there’s a lot of fun in getting to showcase the environments and culture of our country, but we just wanted to draw from our own experiences: taking the LRT to school, hanging out at the local peryahan, Christmas caroling from house to house. The Philippines is teeming with stories to tell!
Q: Speaking of the narrative, what are some of its key themes? And why did you want to highlight these themes?
MT: At its heart, Until Then is a story about coming to terms with change, loss, and the passage of time. We wanted to tell a story that would emotionally resonate, and these are feelings and topics that most people are intimately familiar with, no matter where they come from.
Like I said, we draw from what we know! Every single person on the team knows loss and the discomfort of change in some way, shape, or form. Our own experiences definitely colored everything we put into Until Then.
Q: Without spoiling anything, what do you want players to take away from the narrative?
MT: We really just want the game to leave an impact. We want it to make our players feel and think, but what it is they think and feel is in their hands. It would also be cool to have more gamers interested in Filipino culture, and to see more games set outside of the usual places like Western cities and East Asia. There are so many stories to tell from all over the world!
Q: When it comes to gameplay, what can we expect from Until Then?
MT: To be honest, in creating Until Then, we didn’t really think of it as a game – we think of it more as an interactive, cinematic experience. If people are looking for a fast-paced fun game of skill, this isn’t it. There are a lot of scenes that really force you to slow down to take in the moment, choices big and small, even miniscule, and minigames based on the mundane things we do everyday.
Q: Can you share more about these minigames that you mentioned?
MT: We wanted the minigames to reflect the little games we play with ourselves in our day-to-day life: passing barya in the jeep, fighting a friend for fishball, and trying to stick a flash drive in the right way.
Q: Did the narrative influence the gameplay in any way?
MT: The narrative definitely influenced the gameplay. There’s a definite focus on creating an atmosphere, so the gameplay is designed with that in mind. You’ll have to play to find out more!
Q: Were there other games you drew inspiration from in developing Until Then?
MT: We definitely drew inspiration from a lot of our favorite media. Night in the Woods and Life is Strange are some of the games that really influenced both narrative and gameplay. Gorgeous pixel games like the upcoming The Last Night inspired our art style and direction. We also took some cues from Oxenfree for the presentation.
Q: Until Then is drawing some buzz, having been featured on Steam Next Fest and on the PlayStation Blog. How do you feel about the response to the game so far?
MT: Ecstatic, for sure! And maybe a little bit daunted, too. It’s so exciting to finally get to share what we’ve poured our hearts and souls into these last few years.
Q: Speaking of which, how long has the game been in development?
MT: The game has been in the making for several years now, but things really took off in early 2020. There are ten people on our core team, but there have been some other people who joined our production in the past.
Q: Does the buzz affect the development and release of the game?
MT: The buzz makes us excited and more determined to wrap this up and get to our end goal, but the release date is still TBA at the moment!
Q: Lastly, what advice can you give other developers who also want to tell their own stories through a game?
MT: Sometimes you’ve got to take a leap of faith – probably even several! Find people who really believe in your vision and the story you want to tell; it makes all the difference. Also, play lots of games, watch lots of shows and movies, go out and see the world. Until Then would have never been created if it weren’t for the many things, big and small, that inspired us.
– Rappler.com
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FACT CHECK: No Marcos gold bars deposited in World Bank | Lorenz Pasion | 18/02/2024 13:11 | Claim: Former president Ferdinand E. Marcos deposited 156 tons of gold bars in the World Bank.
Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube video was posted on January 31 by a channel with 73,700 subscribers. As of writing, it has gained 82,365 views, 2,500 likes, and 507 comments.
The video’s narrator claimed that Marcos was the only Philippine president to have deposited the gold bars in the World Bank as an “inheritance” to the Filipino people.
The video also mentioned several Marcos gold myths that have already been disproven.
The bottom line: Marcos, or any other individual person, could not have deposited gold in the World Bank because it is not a regular commercial bank.
The World Bank is a “vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world,” according to its website. It adds: “We are not a bank in the ordinary sense but a unique partnership to reduce poverty and support development.”
Both Rappler and Vera Files have debunked claims of supposed Marcos gold reserves in the World Bank.
Gold reserves under Marcos: The Philippines’ gold reserves declined under Marcos’ administration, with news articles reporting on stolen wealth and missing gold from the national treasury.
According to a March 16, 1986 article from The New York Times, the country’s gold reserves declined by more than 40% in 1973 during the first full year of Martial Law. The article added that there were reports from US intelligence agents on the “diversion of precious metals by Mr. Marcos and his associates.”
Citing an unnamed American official, the report said that the official Philippine gold reserves decreased from 1,857,000 troy ounces in 1972 to 1,057,000 ounces in 1973.
Another article from the Los Angeles Times estimated that the late dictator and his associates siphoned seven tons of gold worth more than $75 million from the national treasury during the seven years that his government took direct control of the gold industry in the Philippines.
Philippines’ gold reserves: Data from the World Gold Council from 2000 to 2023 shows that over the past two decades, the country’s gold reserves were at their highest in 2002 with 271.49 metric tons, followed by a dip in 2005 and 2007, where they were at 131.67 tons.
From 2012 to 2019, gold reserves averaged 195.75 tons. In 2023, the Philippines had 164.77 tons in gold reserves.
Rappler has already published several fact checks on the rumored Marcos gold:
– 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 [email protected]. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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Fresh start: What the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers mean to Gilas Pilipinas | delfin.dioquino editor | 18/02/2024 12:13 | TWIN TOWERS. Kai Sotto (right) and AJ Edu in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – A fresh start awaits Gilas Pilipinas as FIBA begins a new cycle starting with the Asia Cup Qualifiers.
Back in action after their historic Asian Games title romp, the Nationals will tangle with Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei on February 22 and 25, respectively, for the first window as part of Group B, which also includes New Zealand.
What is the significance of the Asia Cup Qualifiers?
Teams are allowed to parade different sets of lineups for each of the three windows: February 2024, November 2024, and February 2025.
In fact, the Philippines fielded 30 different players across its six games in the qualifiers of the previous Asia Cup – the most by any participating teams in that edition.
Out of those 30 players, only nine made the 2022 Asia Cup roster.
But this time, things are expected to be different as head coach Tim Cone – tapped by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to handle the national team for the long run – plans to keep his 12-man core together for the next four years.
“This team is going to stay together through every window. We play Southeast Asian Games, we play Asian Games, we play World Cup qualifiers, we play FIBA Cup qualifiers, we want to keep this team intact,” said Cone.
“Because every time we play, we will grow from either the success or the failure that we have.”
That means program cornerstones Kai Sotto, AJ Edu, Dwight Ramos, Carl Tamayo, and Kevin Quiambao will be able to play alongside each other regularly leading up to the FIBA World Cup in 2027.
Sure, there will be roster changes due to injuries and age – Justin Brownlee and June Mar Fajardo are already 35 and 34, respectively – but essentially, Cone wants to foster continuity that the program lacked in past years.
“If you need to tweak it here and there with personnel changes, then you do that. If I need to tweak the system a little bit, I’ll make tweaks in the system,” said Cone.
“But the foundation will be there. The foundation of the players will be there, the foundation will be there.”
Cone and Gilas intend to use the Asia Cup Qualifiers to build for the Riga, Latvia leg of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in July.
Having last sent a men’s basketball team to the Olympics in 1972, the Philippines will need to defy the odds if it wants to end that decades-long absence in the Paris Games.
Waiting for the Filipinos in the first stage of the OQT are world No. 8 Latvia and world No. 23 Georgia, teams which both made it past the opening round of the last World Cup.
Latvia notably finished fifth in its World Cup debut despite playing without Boston Celtics star Kristaps Porzinigs, only narrowly missing the final four after an 81-79 loss to eventual champion Germany in the quarterfinals.
Aside from Porzingis, Latvia boasts of other current and former NBA talents in Charlotte Hornets forward Davis Bertans, Rodions Kurucs, and Dairis Bertans.
Meanwhile, Georgia placed 16th in the World Cup behind Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze, San Antonio Spurs big man Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Tornike Shengelia, who suited up for the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls.
Beating Latvia and Georgia will be a tall order, so it is pivotal for Gilas to make progress as early as possible.
“We’ll use this first window, we’ll use the preparation time in this window to get to a certain level and bring that level into the OQT and be able to play Latvia and Georgia and improve from there,” said Cone.
If the Philippines secures a top-two finish in its OQT group, it will advance to the crossover semifinals against the top two squads from other group composed of world No. 12 Brazil, No. 17 Montenegro, and No. 67 Cameroon.
Only the winner of that OQT leg will punch a ticket to Paris.
Out of the 24 participating teams in this edition of the Asia Cup Qualifiers, 16 will qualify for the official tournament set in 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The 24 squads are divided into six groups, with the top two from each group advancing directly to the Asia Cup and the six third-placed teams vying for the four remaining spots.
Considering the caliber of teams the Philippines will go up against in Group B – world No. 21 New Zealand, No. 78 Chinese Taipei, and No. 119 Hong Kong – reaching the Asia Cup for the eighth straight edition should be a doable task.
Qualifying for the Asia Cup, though, is one thing, going deep into the tournament is another.
The previous Asia Cup proved to be a wake-up call for the Philippines as it missed the top eight for the first time in 15 years.
Gilas endured its worst finish since it placed ninth in the 2007 edition after a 102-81 blowout loss to Japan in their playoff for the quarterfinals.
Ending its run with a 1-3 record, the Philippines beat only India and averaged a losing margin of 17.7 points against Lebanon, New Zealand, and Japan.
The upcoming Asia Cup gives Gilas a shot at redemption and a chance to solidify its place among the best in the continent, counting its Asian Games triumph.
Behind only 16-time champion China for most Asia Cup titles with five, the Philippines came close to the crown when it finished second in 2013 and 2015, but it has since lost its touch, settling for seventh in 2017 and ninth in 2022.
With a clear program in place and a formidable roster assembled, it is high time for Gilas to become a consistent force in the international scene. – Rappler.com
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IN PHOTOS: Quezon City Commitment Ceremony 2024 | Russell Ku | 18/02/2024 11:19 | SEALED. An LGBTQ+ couple gives a kiss to each other during Quezon City's commitment ceremony on February 17, 2024.
Russell Ku/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Against the backdrop of the hustle and bustle of Elliptical Road and Commonwealth Avenue, LGBTQ+ couples in Quezon City (QC) made the move to commit to their partners for life in the city’s fourth commitment ceremony at the QCX Garden in Quezon Memorial Circle on Saturday, February 17.
According to city officials, more than 200 couples participated in the event. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said the ceremony was a way to fulfill their promises to the LGBTQ+ community when the city passed its Gender-Fair Ordinance.
Among the sponsors and guests for the event were Outright Action International Project Coordinator Ging Cristobal and Drag Race Philippines season 2 winner Captivating Katkat.
2024 would mark 10 years since QC passed the Gender-Fair Ordinance. Bills to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination remain pending in Congress even after more than 20 years of lobbying by its allies.
Here are some photos from the event.
– Rappler.com
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GAME SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 86 volleyball | jisaga0269 | 8/5/2024 20:35 | It’s down to the last two teams standing as the University of Santo Tomas and National University battle for the UAAP volleyball championship in both the women’s and men’s divisions!
The league’s best separate themselves from the pack as the Final Four showdown kicks off! Here’s the schedule:
UAAP Season 86 volleyball action intensifies as the second round of the men’s and women’s divisions begins on Wednesday, March 20.
The contenders will separate themselves from the pack, with each game determining which teams will make the Final Four. Here’s the schedule:
Volleyball action is back in the UAAP!
Stars from both men’s and women’s divisions are set to ply their growing skill sets once again in front of thousands of fans, beginning on Saturday, February 17 and Sunday, February 18, both at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Here are the first-round schedules for both divisions:
*The March 13 games will be played at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Notable matches include women’s champion La Salle’s debut against contending Adamson on Saturday, 4 pm, at MOA, while men’s three-time defending titlist NU rolls into an immediate finals rematch with UST on Sunday, 12 pm, also at the same venue.
La Salle and NU – finalists in the last two women’s tournaments with one title won each – will wrap up their first-round schedule on March 16, 2 pm at Araneta. – Rappler.com
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Meet some of the first couples who received Quezon City’s ‘right to care’ card | Russell Ku | 18/02/2024 10:25 | JR Tabor and Jeremy Abrogar receive their "right to care" cards from the Quezon City government on February 17, 2024.
Russell Ku/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – As a new batch of LGBTQ+ couples sealed their commitment to each other in Quezon City (QC), 15 pairs finally received their right to make healthcare decisions for one another as they became the first batch to receive the city’s “right to care” card on Saturday, February 17.
QC gender and development head Janete Oviedo said Saturday marked the first day of distribution for the “right to care” cards, which also marked the city’s fourth commitment ceremony.
“We will start calling people who have ‘right to care’ cards for distribution. It will be given in the Gender and Development Office in Quezon City Hall,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Oviedo added that those who have yet to receive their cards have their own copies of the special power of attorney contracts which can be shown to hospitals in the city.
The program was formally introduced during QC Pride in June 2023, with the first batch of couples signing their special power of attorney contracts in August. The ordinance for the program was also passed in October 20, 2023, with officials still drafting its implementing rules and regulations.
Rappler talked to some of the couples who were filled with joy and excitement after receiving the card.
Transgender woman Richard Ella and her partner Lester Paradero said that they felt “lucky” to be among the first QC residents to receive their own “right to care” cards.
“Happy [ako] kasi…ako na lang po magdedesisyon para sa partner ko. At the same time, napakalayo ng pamilya [ni Lester] sa amin. Nasa Batangas ‘yung family niya na tawagan in case [may emergency],” Ella said.
(I’m happy since I can make decisions for my partner. At the same time, Lester’s family is far from us. His family is in Batangas should we need to call them in case of emergencies.)
The couple have been together for four years and decided to attend this year’s commitment ceremony to renew their vows for one another when they went to the event in 2021. They hope to start a business together to get “stable income” as Lester is earning money through contractual jobs.
35-year-old Leslie Ampo-an and her boyfriend Ash Musnit said that they were happy to finally receive the card as they witnessed their LGBTQ+ friends being denied by their family to visit their partners.
“Bilang mga mahihirap na mamamayan ng Quezon City, nakapahirap po para sa amin na kahit mag-pacheck-up pa man lang. So importante na meron ‘right to care’ card kasama ng partner namin kasi there are instances po na may nangyayari sa amin pero never po nakikialam ‘yung partner,” Ampo-an said.
(As we are among the marginalized sectors in Quezon City, it’s hard for us to even get ourselves a check-up. So it’s important that we have a “right to care” card with our partners since there are instances that something happens to us, but our partners can’t get involved.)
JR Tabor and Jeremy Abrogar said they felt their bond got stronger when they finally got the card as they marked their 18th year as a couple this February.
“Ngayon, mas safer na kami sa isa’t isa…kasi at least kahit malayo man kami sa family namin, at least mayroon ganitong card na kahit papaano na makakaensure kami na may right decision-maker para sa amin,” Tabor said.
(We feel safer with each other because even if our families are far away from each other, at least there is this card that would ensure us that there is a right decision-maker for us.)
Oviedo said more than 700 couples have signed up for the “right to care” card as of February 2024. Despite this development, city workers are still actively working to get LGBTQ+ couples in the city to sign up for the card.
Workers were giving documents for the “right to care” card to interested couples in the commitment ceremony, with an orientation set for February 24.
QC government workers are also giving documents for the city’s “right to care” card to interested couples. The card was introduced last year during QC Pride. It hopes to provide LGBTQ+ couples in the city with the right to make healthcare decisions for each other.15 couples… pic.twitter.com/dStFCmc5q5
Among those who received documents during the commitment ceremony was Kurt Mante and his 21-year-old girlfriend Nicole Delgado. The couple said that this was their first time hearing about the program and are undecided on signing up for the card.
“‘Di ko pa masyado maintindihan. Kailangan ko ng explanation para ma-go din tayo parehas. (I don’t understand it that much. I need an explanation so that we both have the go [signal]),” Delgado said.
Oviedo said that the QC government plans to do orientations in all of the city’s barangays. She added that they have also connected with LGBTQ+ organizations to also orient their members on the “right to care” card.
Those who wish to avail of Quezon City’s “right to care card” can register by going to the Quezon City gender and development council office or through bit.ly/RightToCareReg. – Rappler.com
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Binibining Pilipinas opens applications for the 2024 pageant. Here’s what you should know. | Ysa Abad | 14/02/2024 14:30 | Q&A. Candidates of Binibining Pilipinas 2023 participate in the question and answer round of the pageant's coronation night.
Screenshot from Binibining Pilipinas YouTube
MANILA, Philippines – Heads up, beauty queen hopefuls! Applications for a new batch of Binibining Pilipinas queens are now open.
“The search is on for the next Binibining Pilipinas queens. Be part of the 60th Binibining Pilipinas legacy as we celebrate our diamond year,” the Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc (BPCI) made the announcement on Tuesday, February 13.
Application forms can be downloaded at the Binibining Pilipinas website.
Pageant hopefuls should submit their accomplished application forms at the BPCI office in Quezon City by March 22.
The pageant is open to natural-born Filipino citizens who are either born in the Philippines or outside and those who have reacquired their citizenship under RA 9225. Interested beauty queens may or may not have resided within the Philippines.
Aside from their accomplished application forms, aspiring candidates should also submit a copy of their high school or college diploma, transcript of records for graduate applicants, medical certificate for both physical and mental health well-being, certificate of good moral character given by school, church, or professional organization, and birth certificate.
Those interested to join should also bring a set of their photos composed of one close-up and one full body shot.
Interestingly, the organization didn’t specify any physical requirement for the aspiring candidates. However, on the application form, beauty queen hopefuls should input their body measurements and information such as height, weight, hair color, eye color, bust, waist, and hips.
Other information needed in the application form also include occupation, outstanding and past contracts with talent management (if any), and media appearances (if any).
As of writing, BPCI has yet to announce other details regarding the pageant, including a date for coronation night and the titles up for grabs.
The winners of the 2024 pageant will be taking the reins from current titleholders Binibining Pilipinas International 2023 Angelica Lopez and Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2022 Anna Valencia Lakrini.
To note, during the Binibining Pilipinas 2023 pageant, only two titles were given: Binibining Pilipinas International and Binibining Pilipinas Globe.
The Miss Intercontinental franchise was taken over by Mutya ng Pilipinas, while BPCI withdrew from the Miss Grand International pageant. – Rappler.com
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Ancajas underdog vs Inoue in world title battle in Tokyo | Jasmine Payo | 17/02/2024 20:19 | BACK-TO-BACK. Jerwin Ancajas absorbs another resounding loss to Fernando Martinez in their rematch.
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MANILA, Philippines – Jerwin Ancajas will be the underdog when he seeks Takuma Inoue’s World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight crown on Saturday, February 24, at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo.
Latest figures on betting sites put Ancajas at +250, meaning a $100 bet on the Filipino challenger becomes $250 if he wins.
Takuma, younger brother of four-division world champion Naoya Inoue, was installed a -250 favorite, meaning a $250 bet on the Japanese will earn $100 if he prevails.
For Ancajas, the former longtime International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion, and his trainer/manager Joven Jimenez, the odds hardly matter.
They’ve trained long and hard for the fight originally set November 15 but got pushed back after Inoue sustained a fractured rib during training.
Jimenez believes their preparations, which started in Las Vegas last June and picked up last December at the Survival Camp in Magallanes, Cavite, would be enough to put Ancajas back at the helm despite a 16-month layoff.
Ancajas reigned at the 115-pound division from 2016 to 2020 before eventually outgrowing it and absorbing back-to-back losses to Fernando Martinez.
In his return on June 24, 2023, Ancajas fought at 121 pounds and stopped Wilner Soto in the fifth round.
Now, Ancajas is dropping to 118, where his punching power that has knocked out 23 of his 34 victims in a record that also included 3 losses and 2 draws, would be felt more.
Although Takuma is a light puncher (18-1, 4 knockouts), Jimenez said Ancajas won’t rush in and would measure up the Japanese’ prowess in the early rounds.
Like Jimenez, MP (Manny Pacquiao) Promotions president Sean Gibbons believes that Takuma is a “very winnable” fight for Ancajas.
Team Ancajas will be leaving for Tokyo on Sunday morning, February 18, and will train right away so as not to gain weight. – Rappler.com
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The weight of Cardinal Tagle’s new award, the highest honor from France | Paterno Esmaquel II | 18/02/2024 9:29 | LEGION OF HONOR. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle (2nd from left) poses with family and friends after receiving the highest order of merit from the French government, February 15, 2024.
Courtesy of Father Gregory Gaston
MANILA, Philippines – Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, former archbishop of Manila, got another boost to his international stature after France bestowed on him the Legion of Honor, the country’s highest order of merit.
The French government handed this award to Tagle in a ceremony at Villa Bonaparte in Rome on Thursday, February 15. The ambassador of France to the Holy See, Florence Mangin, presented the recognition to Tagle.
The cardinal received the award in the presence of his brother Manny Tagle, who represented his family, Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See Myla Grace Macahilig, Philippine Ambassador to Italy Neal Imperial, and high-ranking Filipino priests in Rome, including the head of the worldwide Dominican order, Father Gerard Francisco Timoner III of Daet, Camarines Norte.
The Legion of Honor was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 to recognize individuals, including foreigners, who advance the French virtues of liberty and equality.
The Legion consists of five classes, according to Encyclopedia Brittanica, “listed in descending rank: grand cross (limited to 80 members), grand officer (200), commander (1,000), officer (4,000), and knight, or chevalier (unlimited).”
Tagle holds the rank of officer.
This is the latest global recognition for Tagle, a 66-year-old Filipino cardinal who is considered one of the leading candidates to succeed Pope Francis.
Tagle is currently one of two pro-prefects at the Dicastery for Evangelization. This is the only Vatican department led by the Pope himself. Tagle is the Pope’s right-hand man in this department, along with the other pro-prefect, Italian-born Archbishop Rino Fisichella.
He is also one of the highest-ranking cardinals in the Catholic Church, after the Pope broke tradition to give him the rank of cardinal-bishop in 2020.
Tagle’s stature at the Vatican, in itself, makes him a heavyweight in the Catholic Church.
This award from France makes him an even more prominent churchman.
France, after all, remains an influential center of power in the Catholic Church, even if church attendance in this Catholic majority country is declining. It is the birthplace of world-renowned saints such as Joan of Arc, Therese of Lisieux, and Bernadette Soubirous, and is home to prominent theologians such as Yves Congar, Henri de Lubac, and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
It is also one of the countries with the highest number of cardinal electors who will help elect the next pope. Six of 130 cardinal electors – or 4.6% of them – come from France. This is a significant number considering that there are 68 countries with cardinal electors, and 52 of these countries only have one elector each.
The Philippines, the country with the world’s third highest number of Catholics, has only two cardinal electors: Tagle and his successor as Manila archbishop, Cardinal Jose Advincula.
The French government’s reasons for awarding Tagle the Legion of Honor can be found in the citation read by the French ambassador, and the Filipino cardinal’s response, as shared to Rappler by Father Gregory Gaston, rector of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome.
In awarding Tagle the Legion of Honor, the French government said it is honoring his “remarkable career as a man of the Church at the service of the common good.”
French Ambassador Mangin cited Tagle’s achievements, such as having been a member of the International Theological Commission as early as 1997, and having been a bishop of Imus, Cavite, and archbishop of Manila. She also mentioned Tagle’s position at the Dicastery for Evangelization.
She emphasized Tagle’s “concern for the poorest people,” including his work for AIDS patients when he was a student. “Particularly in Manila, you are devoted to the poor, to victims of violence and drug addiction. You are committed to migrants and the victims of natural disasters,” she said.
“Whenever we meet you, we are struck by your simplicity and the warmth of your welcome, as well as by your gentleness and sensitivity,” the ambassador added.
She likewise thanked Tagle for his links with France.
In his work as pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, he is “responsible for seven French dioceses: Martinique, Guadeloupe, Réunion, French Guinea, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, and the Apostolic Vicariate of Mayotte.”
Mangin added that he is “close to the French association Anak-TNK, which helps vulnerable children in Manila, in collaboration with our compatriot Father Matthieu Dauchez.”
In May 2022, he also presided over the beatification Mass of Blessed Pauline Jaricot, a 19th-century Catholic from Lyon, France, who founded the Pontificial Society of the Propagation of the Faith, which has close ties with Tagle’s Vatican evangelization department.
In his response to the ambassador, Tagle said he views the award as a recognition of the Catholic Church and its members who tirelessly work to spread the Gospel. He said many others also deserve credit, and “they are legion!”
“I interpret this not so much as a recognition of my personal work, but as an affirmation of the mission of the whole Church called evangelization,” Tagle said.
He later thanked his parents and his brother, “who have taught me about mission and service,” and his friends and coworkers in the Philippines, particularly the Diocese of Imus and the Archdiocese of Manila, as well as the Dicastery for Evangelization and Pope Francis.
“Most of all, I praise our greatest evangelizers: the poor, the migrants, and the refugees who bear the face of Jesus, calling us to justice, truth, love, and peace. They also teach us the gospel of hope and joy. They share the gospel through their patience, perseverance, and sweet smiles. They are mostly hidden but they are real,” Tagle said.
“They are many of them,” the Filipino cardinal added. “They are legion, Legion of Honor.” – Rappler.com
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Attention, art lovers! What to expect at Art Fair Philippines 2024 | Steph Arnaldo | 18/01/2024 13:21 | Art Fair PH
MANILA, Philippines – Heads up, art lovers and collectors! Art Fair Philippines is back, and will be holding its annual edition from February 16 to 18 at The Link, Makati City.
Art Fair Philippines highlights modern and contemporary art, giving Filipino artists the opportunity to exhibit and sell their work. This year’s edition will mark the event’s 11th year and will be the second Art Fair to be held in-person after the pandemic.
Art Fair Philippines 2024 will feature different exhibits, projects, residencies, talks, and more by local artists. Based on the organization’s press conference on Tuesday, January 16, here are the different activities to look forward to at this year’s gathering of the Philippine art community!
Among this year’s special exhibitions will be the showcasing of 55 exhibitors from the Philippines, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Spain.
With the direction of production designer and theater director Ed Lacson, works by artists including Jonathan Ching, Jigger Cruz, Rod Paras-Perez, Alfredo Esquillo Jr. and Renato Habulan will be displayed.
A section of the exhibit will showcase works by Brooklyn-based multi-disciplinary artist Mr. StarCity, Romanian conceptual artist Andreea Medar, and Spanish artist Eugenio Ampudia.
The special exhibit Pambabae will focus on works created by Filipina modernists between the years 1969 and 1989. This exhibit aims to promote female artists whose works were largely overshadowed by their male contemporaries.
Artists Ivi Avellana Cosio, Ileana Lee, Nelfa Querubin, Evelyn Collantes, Phyllis Zaballero, and Lilian Hwang will be included in the exhibit.
The fair will also be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Karen H. Montinola (KHM) Selection, a grant offered yearly to one emerging Filipino artist in memory of collector Karen Montinola. A retrospective exhibit curated by art consultant Norman Crisologo will feature works by previous grant recipients Pio Abad, Mike Adrao, Mac Valdezco, Mark Valenzuela, Alvin Zafra, Liv Vinluan, Carlo Villafuerte, Melvin Guirhem, and Faye Abantao.
2024 KHM awardee Gean Brix Garcia will be exhibiting his work Ceremonials.
Residency programs allow artists to explore their art and deepen their craft with support from the art community. This year’s Art Fair Philippines will include visual reports from artists under 2023 residency programs.
The selected artists are Mark Salvatus for Manila Observatory, Anna Miguel Cervantes for Linangan Art Residency, Jett Ilagan for Emerging Islands, Julian Tapales for Butanding Barrio, and Renz Baluyot for Orange Project.
International artists Iseult Perrault and Petr Hajdyla who joined Orange Project in 2024 will be joining them.
On its second year, ArtFairPH/Digital promotes digital media that incorporates computer technology, animation, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and the metaverse with art.
David Gryn, the founder of Daata, a digital art incubator and online platform, will be presenting Best Dressed Chicken (Manila Version). This work is a selection of digital video artworks that engage with notions of vanity and choice.
CryptoArt PH will explore the innovations of Filipino artists in the realm of NFTs and blockchain technology.
Curated by former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila Sandra Palomar, this year’s ArtFairPH/Photo will feature works by the organization FotomotoPH. The sole exhibitor for this section of the fair, the organization is composed of photographers, curators, and writers promoting Philippine photography.
Aptly titled NO SHOWING, this year’s ArtFairPH/Film will not involve a film showing. Curated by filmmaker Moira Lang, the event will provide a space for filmmakers and filmgoers to discuss the state of movies in the country. Instead of being a festival of films, Lang envisions it to be a festival of conversation.
Trans-disciplinary visual artist Derek Tumala will present his work A Warm Orange-Colored Liquid. This work is deemed his “biggest and most ambitious work to date.”
Motion graphics artist and multimedia engineer Isaiah Cacnio’s Prismatic Embrace is a digital projection of vibrant and playful colors.
The Gallery Weekend for 10 Days of Art will be presented from February 9 to 11 in preparation for Art Fair Philippines’ opening the following week.
The public art component of Art Fair Philippines 2024 will be featured along Ayala Avenue and the Green Wall of Ayala Triangle Garden Tower 2.
If you’re looking forward to the different exhibits and events offered at Art Fair Philippines 2024, you can purchase tickets in advance via www.artfairphilippines.com. Tickets will also be sold at Art Fair Philippines’ reception area from February 16 to 18. – Rappler.com
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A star is born: Rookie Dongallo sparks hope for languishing UE after 27-point debut | jisaga0269 | 17/02/2024 19:53 | SHE'S GOT NEXT. UE spiker Casiey Dongallo attempts an attack over the Ateneo defense in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – Nine wins in 10 seasons.
That has long been the predicament of the lowly UE Lady Warriors in the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament, with a whopping 119 losses in that miserable decade-long stretch.
While the program has had its share of diamonds in the rough like Shaya Adorador, Judith Abil, and Kath Arado, no one, despite best efforts, has lifted the Lady Warriors to any semblance of contention in recent memory.
That may change, however, with the arrival of hotshot rookie Casiey Dongallo.
In just her first collegiate game, the California Academy product quickly brushed off noticeable rookie jitters and exploded for 27 points on 26 attacks and 1 ace, as UE downed rebuilding Ateneo after a first-set setback, 20-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-18, on Saturday, February 17.
Led by other young standouts like Ange Reyes (22 excellent digs) Krizzie Madriaga (16 excellent sets), and Rizza Nogales (13 points – 9 attacks, 4 blocks), the Lady Warriors overcame the once-mighty Blue Eagles for the first time since the Season 73 tournament 13 years ago.
Aware of the immense hype surrounding her and her fellow ex-Califonia Cal Babies, Dongallo made it her sole mission to get past her own uncertainties and deliver her game the way she’s been known for.
“First of all, I’m just thankful to my teammates because I cannot do that, I cannot have 27 points without them,” she said in Filipino. “I’m just happy that during the time I was nervous, they were there, they didn’t let my game dip. They were there to lift me up.”
Although it is just the first game, Dongallo’s scoring eruption was a much-welcomed ray of hope for a UE program desperate to find a new star to lean on.
For the 17-year-old spiker, she hopes that she, her fellow newcomers, and her senior teammates can usher in a new age for UE down the line, even if the wins don’t come in bunches just yet.
“I’m happy because the reason we went to UE is we want to lift UE to where it was before, and I’m happy because we’re slowly proving our purpose,” Dongallo continued. “We will just do our best throughout this season because as I said, we just want to lift UE back.”
“It will take time. It will progress and we will slowly fulfill our goals. This win is one of them, and we’re hoping that we continue to do our best in the next games.” – Rappler.com
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Apolinario tries to extend ring rampage against Thai, seeks world title crack | delfin.dioquino editor | 17/02/2024 17:12 | STANCE. Dave Apolinario poses after a fight.
Sanman Boxing Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – Unbeaten Dave “Doberman” Apolinario seeks to include dangerous Thai Tanes Ongjunta among his victims when they clash on Thursday, February 22, at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
An impressive win by Apolinario, who won the International Boxing Organization flyweight belt in 2022, will give him the chance to challenge for the world crown of the major sanctioning bodies – World Boxing Council, World Boxing Organization, World Boxing Association, and International Boxing Federation – this year.
The 25-year-old Apolinario, a southpaw, is favored over Ongjunta owing to his sterling record of 19-0 with 13 knockouts. Ongjunta is no pushover having won his last eight bouts for a 12-1 card with six knockouts.
Apolinario, being managed by Sanman Promotions head JC Manangquil, will fly to Japan on Sunday with his team, including head trainer Ronerex Dalut, to acclimatize to the cold Tokyo weather.
This will be Apolinario’s second straight fight at Korakuen, where he bested Mexican Brian Mosimos via unanimous decision last August 30.
According to Manangquil, they will be pursuing a world title fight in May, provided, of course, that the pride of Maasim, Sarangani, disposes of Ongjunta.
Apolinario promised to give his best and end the Filipino boxers’ spate of championship losses. – Rappler.com
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‘Run it back’: Tyler Bey wants another shot with Magnolia after finals heartbreak | delfin.dioquino editor | 16/02/2024 14:52 | GOOD SPORT. Magnolia import Tyler Bey hugs San Miguel counterpart Bennie Boatwright after the Beermen's title-clinching win.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – Tyler Bey has some unfinished business.
Bey hopes to get another shot in the PBA as Magnolia fell short of the Commissioner’s Cup crown after succumbing to San Miguel in six games of the best-of-seven finals on Wednesday, February 14.
“For me, personally, I love the Philippines. I love Magnolia. Hopefully, we could run it back,” said Bey.
A former NBA player, Bey joined the Hotshots with hopes of helping the storied franchise get over the hump as Magnolia endured a five-year title drought since it won its last championship in the 2018 Governors’ Cup.
Bey joined the team in September – two months before the conference started – and fit right in, with his athleticism and defensive acumen further enhancing the Hotshots’ grind-out style.
Magnolia thrived with Bey leading the way as it clinched the top seed with a 9-2 record then reached the finals for the first time in over two years after disposing of TNT in the quarterfinals and Phoenix in the semifinals.
Bey almost took home the Best Import honors, losing only by a slim margin to Fuel Masters reinforcement Johnathan Williams III.
The conference, though, proved to be a tournament marked by runner-up finishes for Bey as the Hotshots once again saw their title bid crushed, with the mighty Beermen capturing a record-extending 29th crown.
On the verge of forcing a winner-take-all match, Magnolia wasted a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter and absorbed a 104-102 loss in Game 6.
“[W]e wish we could do everything better. Execute plays, not turn the ball over, not get foul calls. That was pretty much the game,” said the 26-year-old.
Although he ended his first PBA stint with no precious hardware, Bey returns home to the United States having gained a band of brothers.
“We did not get the result we wanted, but I just feel like I met a good group of guys, met guys that I could call family. I just hope we could run it back and go from there,” he said. – Rappler.com
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Tandem of Rama, Garcia seeking reelection in 2025 Cebu City polls | Jairo Bolledo | 17/02/2024 22:57 | FILE PHOTO. Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama and Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia.
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu City voters can still expect a Rama-Garcia tandem in the upcoming 2025 midterm elections.
Mayor Michael Rama announced Saturday, February 17, that Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia will remain as his running mate as they seek a reelection in the midterm polls next year.
“With pride, privilege, and distinction, with no fear of contradiction, still my vice mayor for 2025, Raymond Alvin Garcia,” Rama said in his speech during the city hall’s family day, as part of its 87th charter day celebration.
Rama’s reelection announcement followed shortly after he revealed that his older son, Mikel, a lawyer, would run for city councilor. Rama and Garcia ran under the same banner, the Partido BARUG, PDP-Laban, Kusug, and Panaghiusa coalition, during the May 2022 national and local elections.
The mayor urged city hall employees residing in Cebu City to register so they could participate in the elections next year.
In front of a gathering of barangay captains on Friday, Garcia affirmed his commitment to Rama’s leadership. He said he will not part ways with Rama regarding the upcoming elections.
Meanwhile, the city’s official media arm also reported on Friday that Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) chairman lawyer Jose Daluz III, with former city councilor Dave Tumulak, may run against Rama.
This came after Daluz’s exclusive interview with a local media in Cebu where he was asked if he is interested in running for mayor in 2025.
Daluz, in a text message to Rappler, on Saturday said he was still going around the city “to consult.”
“I (am) aiming for the mayorship but I am not fully decided yet,” he said.
Tumulak, on the other hand, ran against Rama in the 2022 elections.
Daluz, president of the Panaghiusa party, joined forces with Rama (Barug PDP Laban) and Garcia (Kusug), as a coalition in the 2022 elections.
In October 2023, Rama replaced Daluz and other MCWD board members Miguelito Pato and Jocelyn May Seno, with his own appointed board composed of Melquiades Feliciano, Aristotle Batuhan, and Nelson Yuvallos.
Daluz earlier said the rift over MCWD leadership was prompted by Rama’s alleged “brokering” to privatize MCWD and the former’s proposal that Rama run for senator or congressman in the 2025 elections.
Rama, however, already denied these allegations. – Rappler.com
Wenilyn Sabalo, a community journalist currently affiliated with SunStar Cebu, is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow of Rappler for 2023-2024.
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Results, team standings: UAAP Season 86 volleyball | Jasmine Payo | 5/5/2024 21:02 | ROARING. NU's Bella Belen (left) and Alyssa Solomon react in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball finals
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – The UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments reach a tipping point with the men’s and women’s finals!
LOOK: UAAP volleyball championship schedule
Here are the results in the men’s and women’s divisions:
MAY 15
May 11
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
MAY 8
MAY 5
MAY 4
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
** – Twice-to-beat* – Final Fourx – Eliminated
APRIL 27
APRIL 24
APRIL 21
APRIL 20
APRIL 17
APRIL 14
APRIL 13
APRIL 10
APRIL 9
APRIL 4
APRIL 3
MARCH 24
MARCH 23
MARCH 20
First round
MARCH 17
MARCH 16
MARCH 13
MARCH 10
MARCH 9
MARCH 6
MARCH 3
MARCH 2
FEBRUARY 28
FEBRUARY 25
FEBRUARY 24
FEBRUARY 21
FEBRUARY 18
FEBRUARY 17
– Rappler.com
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A star is born: Rookie Dongallo sparks hope for languishing UE after 27-point debut | jisaga0269 | 17/02/2024 19:53 | SHE'S GOT NEXT. UE spiker Casiey Dongallo attempts an attack over the Ateneo defense in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – Nine wins in 10 seasons.
That has long been the predicament of the lowly UE Lady Warriors in the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament, with a whopping 119 losses in that miserable decade-long stretch.
While the program has had its share of diamonds in the rough like Shaya Adorador, Judith Abil, and Kath Arado, no one, despite best efforts, has lifted the Lady Warriors to any semblance of contention in recent memory.
That may change, however, with the arrival of hotshot rookie Casiey Dongallo.
In just her first collegiate game, the California Academy product quickly brushed off noticeable rookie jitters and exploded for 27 points on 26 attacks and 1 ace, as UE downed rebuilding Ateneo after a first-set setback, 20-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-18, on Saturday, February 17.
Led by other young standouts like Ange Reyes (22 excellent digs) Krizzie Madriaga (16 excellent sets), and Rizza Nogales (13 points – 9 attacks, 4 blocks), the Lady Warriors overcame the once-mighty Blue Eagles for the first time since the Season 73 tournament 13 years ago.
Aware of the immense hype surrounding her and her fellow ex-Califonia Cal Babies, Dongallo made it her sole mission to get past her own uncertainties and deliver her game the way she’s been known for.
“First of all, I’m just thankful to my teammates because I cannot do that, I cannot have 27 points without them,” she said in Filipino. “I’m just happy that during the time I was nervous, they were there, they didn’t let my game dip. They were there to lift me up.”
Although it is just the first game, Dongallo’s scoring eruption was a much-welcomed ray of hope for a UE program desperate to find a new star to lean on.
For the 17-year-old spiker, she hopes that she, her fellow newcomers, and her senior teammates can usher in a new age for UE down the line, even if the wins don’t come in bunches just yet.
“I’m happy because the reason we went to UE is we want to lift UE to where it was before, and I’m happy because we’re slowly proving our purpose,” Dongallo continued. “We will just do our best throughout this season because as I said, we just want to lift UE back.”
“It will take time. It will progress and we will slowly fulfill our goals. This win is one of them, and we’re hoping that we continue to do our best in the next games.” – Rappler.com
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GOAT things: Legendary Ramil de Jesus reflects on 27-year UAAP career after 300th win | jisaga0269 | 17/02/2024 20:57 | GREATEST. La Salle Lady Spikers head coach Ramil de Jesus gives instructions in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – In Philippine women’s volleyball, there is only one Ramil de Jesus, and there won’t be anyone like him again.
Still going strong in his 27th year as the La Salle Lady Spikers head coach, the legendary mentor reached his 300th UAAP career win – all with the same school – on Saturday, February 17, as his formidable team thrashed the Adamson Lady Falcons, 25-16, 25-16, 25-18.
UAAP | LOOK:Congratulations coach Ramil de Jesus for win no. 3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣!#UAAPSeason86 pic.twitter.com/LKaaUcNJTD
Making a rare appearance in the postgame press conference to celebrate his milestone, a lively De Jesus waxed grateful for all the blessings that have come his way, leading up to win No. 300 to kick off his 12th UAAP title defense.
“It’s not like I’m counting, but in my 27 years, I suppose I’ve reached that mark. I’m just happy to reach that mark because I never imagined getting there,” said De Jesus, widely considered the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) coach in Philippine volleyball.
“All that matters to me really is I give the kids great conditioning with their games and performances, not reaching those kinds of milestones,” added De Jesus, who has politely refused media appearances in the last two years due to personal reasons.
Having handled stars like Aby Maraño, Kianna Dy, Mika Reyes, Manilla Santos, and Cha Cruz, De Jesus pointed to the importance of discipline as his legacy-defining secret, and how important it is for every aspect of an athlete’s life.
“I just want to be remembered as someone who keeps his players smart in games and in dressing up uniforms, things like that. I’m very particular with those things,” he continued.
“That’s the trademark, when you say La Salle, you know this team is proper, is disciplined under coach Ramil whether inside or outside the court. I keep reminding them that my guidance extends beyond the court, and there will come a time when you can apply our lessons and advice.”
UAAP | WATCH:Coach Ramil de Jesus wants to remembered as a coach who has brought flair, passion, and discipline to his players as he nabbed his 300th UAAP win. He is responsible for all 12 DLSU titles. #UAAPSeason86 pic.twitter.com/YKbx4eCM34
Now facing a new title-retention challenge after losing four starters last season, De Jesus is, as always, locked to the task at hand with his young star core of reigning MVP Angel Canino, rising opposite Shevana Laput, and new captain setter Julia Coronel.
“I’m glad Angel is more mature. Last season, I only had her for a few months, so now, I’m glad she’s stepped up in her maturity,” De Jesus said.
“The transition will be difficult, because it’s tough to replace the players you lost. Thankfully, there are new players ready to train and fill those positions out. That’s the great thing happening now, you have players ready to play their roles and step up.” – Rappler.com
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GOAT things: Legendary Ramil de Jesus reflects on 27-year UAAP career after 300th win | jisaga0269 | 17/02/2024 20:57 | GREATEST. La Salle Lady Spikers head coach Ramil de Jesus gives instructions in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament
UAAP Season 86 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – In Philippine women’s volleyball, there is only one Ramil de Jesus, and there won’t be anyone like him again.
Still going strong in his 27th year as the La Salle Lady Spikers head coach, the legendary mentor reached his 300th UAAP career win – all with the same school – on Saturday, February 17, as his formidable team thrashed the Adamson Lady Falcons, 25-16, 25-16, 25-18.
UAAP | LOOK:Congratulations coach Ramil de Jesus for win no. 3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣!#UAAPSeason86 pic.twitter.com/LKaaUcNJTD
Making a rare appearance in the postgame press conference to celebrate his milestone, a lively De Jesus waxed grateful for all the blessings that have come his way, leading up to win No. 300 to kick off his 12th UAAP title defense.
“It’s not like I’m counting, but in my 27 years, I suppose I’ve reached that mark. I’m just happy to reach that mark because I never imagined getting there,” said De Jesus, widely considered the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) coach in Philippine volleyball.
“All that matters to me really is I give the kids great conditioning with their games and performances, not reaching those kinds of milestones,” added De Jesus, who has politely refused media appearances in the last two years due to personal reasons.
Having handled stars like Aby Maraño, Kianna Dy, Mika Reyes, Manilla Santos, and Cha Cruz, De Jesus pointed to the importance of discipline as his legacy-defining secret, and how important it is for every aspect of an athlete’s life.
“I just want to be remembered as someone who keeps his players smart in games and in dressing up uniforms, things like that. I’m very particular with those things,” he continued.
“That’s the trademark, when you say La Salle, you know this team is proper, is disciplined under coach Ramil whether inside or outside the court. I keep reminding them that my guidance extends beyond the court, and there will come a time when you can apply our lessons and advice.”
UAAP | WATCH:Coach Ramil de Jesus wants to remembered as a coach who has brought flair, passion, and discipline to his players as he nabbed his 300th UAAP win. He is responsible for all 12 DLSU titles. #UAAPSeason86 pic.twitter.com/YKbx4eCM34
Now facing a new title-retention challenge after losing four starters last season, De Jesus is, as always, locked to the task at hand with his young star core of reigning MVP Angel Canino, rising opposite Shevana Laput, and new captain setter Julia Coronel.
“I’m glad Angel is more mature. Last season, I only had her for a few months, so now, I’m glad she’s stepped up in her maturity,” De Jesus said.
“The transition will be difficult, because it’s tough to replace the players you lost. Thankfully, there are new players ready to train and fill those positions out. That’s the great thing happening now, you have players ready to play their roles and step up.” – Rappler.com
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Students protest bills on PUP privatization, commercialization | Mia Gonzalez | 17/02/2024 14:01 | PROTEST. Student groups protested in front of PUP gate on Monday afternoon, hours after the House bills seeking charter change in the university were filed in Congress.
Chris Burnet Ramos/Rappler.com
MANILA, Philippines – Polytechnic University of the Philippines students are protesting certain provisions in proposed bills seeking to amend the PUP charter which will pave the way for the privatization and commercialization of services inside the campus.
The students held protest actions following the February 12 House hearing on the proposed bills.
Under House Bill No. 8860, PUP’s governing board shall have the power and duty to enter joint ventures with business and industry for PUP’s profitable development and management of economic assets. It also allows privatization in managing non-academic services in the school including health, food, and building.
Sandigan ng Mag-aaral para sa Sambayanan (SAMASA PUP) chairperson Ronjay-C Mendiola told the House committee on higher and technical education, which is conducting hearings on the proposed bills, that the privatization may increase the prices of food and other products of stall concessionaires inside the main campus.
He said this will also affect student organizations who have to rent school venues for their events.
Baguio City Representative Mark Go, House panel chairman, explained that the proposed provision is a broad function for the governing board to exercise. This, he said, should be appreciated in the context of benefits for the whole university.
The lawmaker also argued that even if the national government has to allocate a budget for state universities like PUP, state universities also have to generate internal incomes and not just rely on the national government.
Mendiola told Rappler that the proposed provision will allow the government to “escape its responsibility” of prioritizing funds for state universities and colleges.
“Pinapatakas natin ‘yung government doon sa responsibility na sila dapat ang nagbibigay o tumutugon. ‘Pag umoo tayo na magkaroon ng income-generating projects, kung pipiliin ng university na magkaroon ng ganito, parang inaabswelto na natin ang government doon sa pag-mi-misprioritize nila ng budget,” Mendiola said.
(We’re allowing the government to escape its responsibility that it should be the one giving or addressing [funding]. If we allow the existence of income-generating projects, if the university will favor this, it would seem like we’re absolving the government of misprioritizing the budget.)
PUP student regent Miss Kim Modelo clarified that students support the other provisions in the bills, including the appropriation of an P8-billion budget for the university, which is higher than its P3-billion* budget for 2024. (*Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story indicated a 6-billion budget; this has been corrected.)
Modelo also called for more consultation with PUP’s stakeholders, including teachers and non-teaching personnel, on the proposed bills.
During the hearing, PUP president Manuel Muhi reiterated that elevating the state university to a premier academic status will allow the school to address gaps in education and employment, design programs tailored for a modern work setting, and assist other polytechnic schools in the Philippines. It will also subsume various campuses that are currently funded by local government units.
Then-president Rodrigo Duterte vetoed the bill in 2019 due to “serious reservations.”
This is not the first time that joint ventures in state universities and colleges were criticized by stakeholders.
Republic Act No. 9500, which strengthened the University of the Philippines (UP) into a national university in 2008, vested the UP Board of Regents with the power to approve joint ventures.
On February 6, UP Diliman students protested the increasing commercialization of campus spaces in the national university. Various food stalls in the campus were told to end their operations in February to make way for the March opening of DiliMall, the former UP Shopping Center.
In January 2023, the Samahang Manininda sa UP Campus slammed the opening of the UP Diliman Gyud Food Hub, another avenue of concessionaires managed by private partners of UP, for not giving spaces for small campus vendors.
In a 2016 article, UP Diliman student publication Philippine Collegian reported that the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged the millions of unpaid obligations of Ayala Land for both the Technohub and the UP Town Center, which “deprived” the stockholders of benefits for the supposed additional funding. COA had directed UP to bill ALI for this. – Rappler.com
Chris Burnet Ramos is an Aries Rufo fellow. A graduating journalism student from PUP Manila, he currently writes for the progressive sector and the studentry as a senior news writer for PUP College of Communication’s The Communicator.
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What group is going to benefit from this commercialization? The business sector, of course. I agree with Sandigan ng Mag-aaral para sa Sambayanan (SAMASA PUP) chairperson Ronjay-C Mendiola that this move will allow the government to “escape its responsibility” of prioritizing funds for state universities and colleges. Since when did the Government prioritize the student sector more than the business sector, especially when campaign fund donors and corrupt businesspersons are involved?
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Hero dog Appa completes rescue mission at landslide-hit village in Davao de Oro | Mia Gonzalez | 17/02/2024 14:31 | HERO DOG. Hero dog Appa with a search and rescue team in the landslide-hit village of Masara in Maco, Davao de Oro.
Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao
DAVAO ORIENTAL, Philippines – The Philippine Coast Guard’s “hero dog” Appa has completed his search and rescue mission in Masara village in Maco, Davao de Oro, leaving a town filled with grateful residents still reeling from a deadly landslide.
Maco Mayor Arthur Carlos Voltaire Rimando said Appa, whom he called a “hero dog,” left his town on Friday, February 16, after the PCG completed their search and rescue mission.
A massive landslide hit Maco town on February 6. The death toll as of February 14 was 85.
In a statement on Friday, Rimando said Appa was the one who found the location of a landslide survivor, a three-year-old girl, three days after the landslide.
The mayor said Appa had just completed a rescue mission in nearby Davao Oriental, which was also hit by massive landslides in early February, before joining the team in Davao de Oro.
“From Davao Oriental, Appa was rushed to Zone One, the ground zero of the landslide in Masara village to find the landslide survivors. The dog is dead tired already. The veterinarian at the Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao has recommended for the dog to be pulled out from the search and rescue mission for a much needed rest,” said Rimando.
The mayor said that in time for Appa’s departure from the landslide site on Friday, he ordered the pull out of the Incident Command Center in Masara. The local government shifted its operation from search and rescue to retrieval of the dead, using heavy equipment.
“As the hero dog gets dead tired from the search and rescue mission, three other dogs named Britney, Ivy, and Tifa are quick to reinforce Appa. The three dogs led responders in finding the locations of four cadavers. They are part of the Coast Guard’s K9 search and rescue dogs from the Coast Guard District Southwestern Mindanao based in Zamboanga City and Zamboanga del Sur,” Rimando said.
Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao in a statement said in a statement that Appa helped locate at least three cadavers and a body part.
“In the ongoing efforts, Appa’s keen sense of smell and agility in traversing the terrain have been invaluable,” Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao said.
The Coast Guard also said that Britney, Ivy and Tifa have also led their search and rescue team in locating six locations of possible cadavers on February 15.
“These findings represent a crucial step in the recovery process, offering closure to grieving families and ensuring dignified handling of the situation. The unwavering dedication of the SAR team and the remarkable abilities of Britney, Ivy, and Tiffa underscore the invaluable role of human-canine partnerships in times of crisis,” the Coast Guard said. – Rappler.com
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National Living Treasure awardees honored in Ilocos Norte’s biggest cultural festival | Jairo Bolledo | 17/02/2024 18:05 | DALLOT QUEEN. Adelita R. Bagcal, 2023 Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan, takes center stage in Ilocos Norte's biggest cultural festival, the Tan-ok ni Ilocano: Festival of Festivals, on Friday, February 16, 2024.
Screenshot/ Ilocos Norte provincial government
ILOCOS NORTE, Philippines – Adelita Romualdo Bagcal, a “Manlilikha ng Bayan 2023,” took the center stage in Ilocos Norte’s biggest cultural festival on February 16, Friday, at the Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Stadium in Laoag City.
The 11th installment of the Tan-ok ni Ilocano (Greatness of Ilocano): Festival of Festivals revolved “around Ilokano oral traditions” in honor of Bagcal, the provincial government said in a statement.
Bagcal, who was recognized as a National Living Treasure for being a “master of oral traditions,” performed Dallot, a traditional Ilocano chant performed during special occasions. She performed before an audience which was mostly composed of a young crowd.
The 77-year-old Bagcal chanted dallot with a rendition of an Ilocano folk song “O Naraniag a Bulan” arranged by Filipino composer Eudenice Palaruan in the background and performed by the Northwestern University’s Saguday Chorale.
In an interview with Rappler in December after she was conferred the award, Bagcal said that she wished to live longer so she can pass down the tradition of Dallot to the younger generation of Ilocanos.
Aside from performing, the Dallot queen of the North, was also honored by her hometown of Banna in its performance during the event for “her mastery of the native chant and her skillful gathering of abuos eggs [that embody] the rich culture and tradition of her town.”
Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc, in his speech, said that Tan-ok highlighted the province’s “greatest display of storytelling through dance, music and the arts.”
“We celebrate our traditions that uphold the very culture that binds and defines us,” he said.
Ilocos Norte tourism officer Aianree Raquel, who helmed the festival from its inception, looked back in a social media post on how the festival may have served as a “constant reminder of our enduring beliefs – that as a people we draw strength from adversity and depend on community.”
It was during former governor and now Senator Imee Marcos’s administration in 2011 when the event was launched to revive the “cultural pride and Ilokano identity by focusing on narrative-driven presentations produced by local creatives.”
Gracing the event on Friday, the senator said that she was elated to return to the province for the grand festival. In her speech, she said that she would continue to “fight for, support, and protect the Ilokano people and the province.”
“Kilala ninyo ako, hindi ko ugali ang sumuko sa probinsya, sumuko sa pamilya, hangga’t kaya pa natin – kakayanin natin. Kahit mag-isa, kahit ginigipit, kahit pinipigilan, kailangan kong lumaban para sa inyo, para sa atin, kahit ako ang pinaka-nasasaktan,” she said.
(You know me, it’s not my attitude to give on behalf of the province, my family, that’s why until we can, we will endure. Even we’re alone, persecuted, and challenged, I need to fight for you, for us, even though I am hurting.)
The 23 towns and cities of the province came together to perform cultural presentations that highlighted the “distinct tradition, folklore, livelihood, and history of their (towns).”
The contingent from Batac City emerged as the champion for a performance which celebrated the city’s Empanada Festival, and how this famous delicacy could “transcend borders” and “unite” people.
Coming in 2nd place was the performance from Pinili town that showcased the Abel Festival. It captured the heart of the judges and audience for giving a glimpse into the “enchanting world of Nana Magdalena Gamayo and her timeless craft.” Gamayo is also a National Living Treasure and an Ilokano master weaver.
Vintar’s Siwawer Festival came in 3rd place for a performance, which depicted the Imalawa tribe in embracing the “nature’s gifts and [cherishing] its harmony.”
Other contestants that landed on top spots were Currimao (1st runner-up); Piddig (2nd runner-up); Laoag City (3rd runner-up); Nueva Era (4th runner-up); and Badoc town (5th runner-up). – Rappler.com
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Bishop not convinced by military view that Negros now ‘insurgency-free’ | Mia Gonzalez | 17/02/2024 17:39 | FILE PHOTO. From the Facebook page of the Philippine Army.
Philippine Army FB
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – The military claimed it has wiped out the communist insurgency in Negros Island, as proven by the absence of major violence here for a period in 2023. However, a leader of the Roman Catholic Church said unless the root causes of the armed conflict are addressed, social unrest will persist in the province.
Lieutenant Colonel J-Jay Javines, the chief public information officer of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, recommended that Negros Occidental be placed under a ‘state of stable internal peace and security’ (SIPS), a new jargon similar the previous label of “insurgency-free” status.
Javines said the government has dismantled the five active guerrilla fronts operating in Negros Island.
But he added, it was not only the dismantling of active guerrilla fronts that was important, but also the fact that there was no major violence initiated by communist insurgents for a certain period in 2023.
“We are empowering the local government units (LGUs) in their peace, security, and development effort. The declaration will make them more deeply involved, meaning they will be the ones initiating programs, projects, and activities to end local communist armed conflict. We will do this with the implementation of the Sustainment Plan to ensure that remnants of dismantled guerilla fronts will not be able to recover,” Javines said.
Though he welcomed the declaration of SIPS in Negros, San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza stood by his assessment of the communist insurgency. He said the root causes of armed conflict must be stamped out to ensure the end of social unrest in Negros Occidental.
Alminaza said the SIPS declaration plan would be effective if it meant a cessation of red-tagging and intimidation against the people on the island.
“In Negros, we feel some of the harshest divides between the few rich and the many, many poor and deprived of basic needs. Unless we address the realities of landlessness, inadequate social services, and meager incomes, among others, I would find it hard to imagine that such a statement is accurate or durable,” he said.
Alminaza added that the people of the Philippines deserve a country that truly strives to build peace based on justice, freedom, and democracy.
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the Regional Peace and Order Council will have to convene on March 13 to discuss if the SIPS declaration in the Negros is feasible.
“Together with the declaration comes a Sustainment Plan, which details the delivery of various government services and infrastructure projects to bring in development, especially in far-flung villages,” Javines said.
Javines, however, made it clear that the military will continue to carry out combat operations even after the SIPS declaration. – Rappler.com
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Apolinario tries to extend ring rampage against Thai, seeks world title crack | delfin.dioquino editor | 17/02/2024 17:12 | STANCE. Dave Apolinario poses after a fight.
Sanman Boxing Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – Unbeaten Dave “Doberman” Apolinario seeks to include dangerous Thai Tanes Ongjunta among his victims when they clash on Thursday, February 22, at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
An impressive win by Apolinario, who won the International Boxing Organization flyweight belt in 2022, will give him the chance to challenge for the world crown of the major sanctioning bodies – World Boxing Council, World Boxing Organization, World Boxing Association, and International Boxing Federation – this year.
The 25-year-old Apolinario, a southpaw, is favored over Ongjunta owing to his sterling record of 19-0 with 13 knockouts. Ongjunta is no pushover having won his last eight bouts for a 12-1 card with six knockouts.
Apolinario, being managed by Sanman Promotions head JC Manangquil, will fly to Japan on Sunday with his team, including head trainer Ronerex Dalut, to acclimatize to the cold Tokyo weather.
This will be Apolinario’s second straight fight at Korakuen, where he bested Mexican Brian Mosimos via unanimous decision last August 30.
According to Manangquil, they will be pursuing a world title fight in May, provided, of course, that the pride of Maasim, Sarangani, disposes of Ongjunta.
Apolinario promised to give his best and end the Filipino boxers’ spate of championship losses. – Rappler.com
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[Vantage Point] BDO lifts NAIA rehab | Mia Gonzalez | 17/02/2024 11:00 | Raffy de Guzman
BDO chairperson Teresita Tan Sy-Coson’s guarantee to bankroll the cost of rehabilitating the decrepit Ninoy Aquino International Airport to the tune of P119 billion played a crucial role in how SMC SAP & Company won the bid to do just that.
SMC SAP, a group led by conglomerate San Miguel Corporation, won the bidding on 82.2% revenue share offer for the government to enhance and manage the country’s main gateway. SMC SAP revenue share offer tops those of the two other groups which tendered a revenue share of below 35%. SMC SAP beat the GMR consortium, which proposed a share of 33.3%, and the Manila International Airport Consortium, which proposed a share of 25.91%.Initially, the other bidders had questioned the financial capabilities of SMC SAP. Rappler’s Lance Yu wrote about the credentials of the members of San Miguel’s conglomerate and how two of its partners – RMM Asian Logistics and RLW Aviation Development – “will contribute to the rehabilitation project, given that both companies were incorporated mere days before the bid submission deadline and have a meager paid-up capital of a few million.” He also cited a leaked document which floated the idea that the[se] companies “were being used as mere nominees to circumvent the [Greater Capital Region] airport limitation in the [instructions to bidders] which is capped at 33%.”
Of the four bidders, the financial capabilities of the SMC-SAP looks unimpressive. Two companies in the consortium which were formed only on December 15 last year have only P6.25 million in capitalization. RMM Asian Logistics’ president is Raymond Miller Moreno, former owner of the defunct Liberty Telecom.
RLW Aviation Development, on the other hand, is headed by a certain Robert Lee Wong. As newly registered companies which together supposedly control 57% of the SMC consortium, questions were raised on its technical and financial capability. It would appear that the two companies in the SMC-SAP consortium have no track record, funds, and operational knowhow.
Some suspect that the SMC consortium is only using these rashly set up companies as fronts to skirt ownership cap under the bidding rules. San Miguel’s ownership of the Bulacan Airport, restricts it to only own 33% in NAIA.
Rappler wrote that RMM Asian Logistics and RLW Aviation Development each have a 30% and 27% ownership stake, respectively: “If these companies were indeed acting as merely nominees, then that means San Miguel could effectively act as if it had a 90% stake in the airport, with the other 10% going to its partner Incheon International Airport Corporation.”
Now that the winning bidder has been officially announced, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista tells Rappler that all these have all been resolved and the issue has become moot. He expressed the hope that there will be no other hindrance to the much-needed rehabilitation of the NAIA.
Sy-Coson’s generous guarantee, Bautista says, played a big role. It has given his department some comfort that the winning bidder will not lack the needed wherewithal to pursue the project.
Nine hundred billion pesos in 25 years: that is the amount the government will receive from the proceeds of the long-delayed NAIA rehabilitation. Bautista says the SMC group will sign the concession agreement within the next 30 days. The government gets an upfront payment of P30 billion upon signing, and another P2 billion over the year.
The NAIA rehab required hard work from the DOTr’s technical working group and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), with invaluable assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as transaction adviser.
More than three decades ago, then-president Fidel V. Ramos tried to start the ball rolling for the privatization of Terminal 3. Unfortunately, the plan did not push through. For many years since then, the NAIA rehabilitation remained a pipe dream. It was like a ball that was tossed around just for fun and with little seriousness, mostly by those who seemed to find it more profitable to keep the airport squalid and rundown.
This latest iteration of the airport’s privatization under Bautista’s administration went through the wringer. Fortunately, efforts to delay its implementation have proved futile. To prevent further delays, the DOTr stuck to a tight deadline. Bautista was adamant about making NAIA a better airport ASAP, focusing mainly on the economic benefits that such an undertaking will bring to the country.
Bautista has set his sights on the rehabilitation of the NAIA as one of his legacy projects. He often bemoans the embarrassment the country has had to endure from air travelers who suffer from entering or exiting the Philippines through a dilapidated airport.
In our usual tete-a-tete, he expressed his deep desire and resolve to make the airport’s rehabilitation his number-one priority. He believes that making the NAIA a world-class gateway presents several advantages that can significantly enhance both the aviation infrastructure and the overall economic development of the Philippines.
For one, NAIA currently faces challenges, such as congested terminals, outdated facilities, and inconsistent service quality. Bautista hopes that the winning bidder would finally upgrade terminals, modernize facilities, and implement efficient passenger processes, leading to a vastly improved passenger experience, including smoother check-ins, shorter wait times, and better amenities. This ultimately enhances customer satisfaction which could spur significant growth in tourism.
What he hopes to achieve are better surveillance systems, improved runway infrastructure, and enhanced emergency response capabilities. By addressing safety concerns and meeting international standards, Bautista says, the airport would become more reliable, reducing the risk of accidents and incidents, and increasing confidence among airlines and passengers.
NAIA currently operates above its designed capacity, leading to congestion and delays. Revitalizing the airport would involve expanding terminal capacity, optimizing runway operations, and streamlining air traffic management systems. These improvements would enable NAIA to accommodate more flights and passengers, reducing delays and enhancing overall operational efficiency.
As the primary gateway to the Philippines, NAIA plays a crucial role in facilitating tourism and trade. By improving the airport’s infrastructure and services, the country can attract more international visitors and investors. A modern and efficient airport not only creates a positive first impression, but also encourages repeat visits and business engagements, ultimately contributing to economic growth and job creation.
Upgrading NAIA would enhance the competitiveness of the Philippines within the global aviation industry. With neighboring countries investing in modern airports and transportation infrastructure, it is essential for the Philippines to remain competitive. A rehabilitated NAIA would attract more airlines, encourage new routes, and position the country as a key aviation hub in the Asia-Pacific region, driving economic development and connectivity.
Bautista is convinced that overhauling the NAIA would generate significant employment opportunities across various sectors, including construction, hospitality, retail, and aviation services. Additionally, the increased economic activity resulting from improved airport infrastructure would stimulate growth in related industries, thereby creating a multiplier effect on job creation that would contribute to overall economic development.
In a statement, Ramon Ang, president and chief executive officer of Top Frontier Investment Holdings, Incorporated and the largest shareholder of SMC, said SMC SAP & Company aims to “create an integrated airport network” that “elevates the Philippines as a prime hub for tourism, business, and investment in the region.”
The winning bidder has to double the annual passenger capacity of the airport to 62 million on a 15-year concession contract. According to government records, NAIA handled 48 million passengers in 2019 prior to the pandemic, well beyond its 33.2 million capacity.
San Miguel, which is in the thick of building another international airport in Bulacan, has committed at least P122.3 billion CAPEX through the concession period. Its management of the Manila gateway would not conflict with the airport in Bulacan. By next year, NAIA is expected to see improvements – including shorter queues and more parking spaces – while the Bulacan gateway is not expected to open until 2027.
The winning consortium for NAIA, which includes SMC and Incheon Airport of South Korea, will be taking over MIAA’s role for the next 15 years. The contract may also be extended for up to 10 more years.
In a separate statement, SMC’s communication group says: “Our proposal is designed not only to elevate NAIA to world-class standards but also to ensure that the government benefits from the most advantageous revenue-sharing agreement. This aims to secure a favorable outcome for our shareholders while prioritizing fairness and long-term sustainability over immediate profits. Recognizing the weight of the responsibility entrusted to us, we are committed to collaborating closely with the government and our various stakeholders, harnessing every resource available to us, to transform NAIA into a modern international gateway that Filipinos will be proud of.” – Rappler.com
Val A. Villanueva is a veteran business journalist. He was a former business editor of the Philippine Star and the Gokongwei-owned Manila Times. For comments, suggestions email him at [email protected].
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I appreciate the effort of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista. This is indeed a feather in his cap. May this project not be tainted by graft and corruption. Good luck to the winning bidders.
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Last ride? You can still bike, run in La Mesa watershed soon | Iya Gozum | 16/02/2024 11:13 | HAVEN. Bikers and runners have long patronized La Mesa Nature Reserve as one of the few spaces in Metro Manila where they can do recreational outdoor activities.
Aris Soriano
MANILA, Philippines – Good news, jocks! La Mesa Nature Reserve, which temporarily closed to the public on February 12 along with La Mesa Ecopark, will still open for outdoor activities under the management of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), division manager Patrick Dizon confirmed to Rappler.
La Mesa Nature Reserve is a popular training ground for trail runners and mountain bikers, owing to its wide expanse of green space and proximity to many who live in Metro Manila.
It is expected to open this March again, MWSS administrator Leonor Cleofas confirmed during a handover ceremony on Thursday, February 15.
Upon news of the closure, long-time patrons of the nature reserve had turned to social media to express their sentiment on the future of the watershed without the ABS-CBN Foundation (AFI). Cyclists, supporters started a petition calling for continuity of ecotourism under new management.
Meanwhile, park rangers who are set to receive severance pay from the ABS-CBN Foundation (AFI) can still expect employment under MWSS. Park rangers not only patrol the watershed but also serve as trail guides for visitors.
“In the interim, while the engagement of the service provider is still being processed, the rangers and the security will be absorbed by the MWSS through our concessionaires starting February 16,” said Dizon.
Retaining park rangers should help in the smooth transition of the conservation of the watershed.
“Sila po talaga ang nakakaalam ng daily needs ng ating watershed reservation at saka ng ating ecopark,” Cleofas said.
(They’re the ones who really know the daily needs of the watershed reservation and our ecopark.)
The nature reserve and ecopark are expected to open again in March. Cleofas said this will be done in phases.
The watershed is now under the MWSS, which is set to implement a sustainability roadmap together with concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad.
The arrangement with AFI expired on December 31, 2023.
How reforestation programs will continue and the roadmap implemented under the new leadership are still under discussion. “For the transition, constant communication is still being undertaken among parties,” Dizon said.
Last December, MWSS took over as chair of the technical working group of the La Mesa Watershed Reservation Multi-Sectoral Management Council.
The council was created when former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared the watershed, covering 2,659 hectares, as a protected area.
While the turnover is said to be aligned with the Integrated Watershed Management Roadmap for Angat, Ipo, and La Mesa (IWMRAIL), there are concerns over the new management given the history of MWSS and the watershed.
IWMRAIL is the sustainability roadmap crafted by the MWSS and concessionaires to sustainably develop watersheds until 2047 to provide clean water for Metro Manila.
One long-standing issue in the watershed is the MWSS housing project, which necessitated intervention from the Office of the President and the Supreme Court.
The housing project for MWSS workers and employees was approved back in June 18, 1968, in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement of the MWSS with two labor unions. A total of 1,411 employees were supposed to benefit from the housing project.
It was delayed when a former acting general manager refused to sign the deed of sale to beneficiaries and when former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. wanted a Maynilad filtration plant built on the housing project land.
In 1999, the AFI began campaigning for the rehabilitation of the La Mesa watershed.
Two years later, the University of the Philippines-National Hydraulic Research Center (UP-NHRC) recommended in its study that the watershed not be used for housing projects.
The study said the reservoir water, which is consumed by Metro Manila residents, may potentially be contaminated because of construction activities. Tree cutting to make way for the housing project may also increase sedimentation and siltation in streams.
In 2006, the Senate conducted two hearings on the issue. The Senate recommended the passage of a law to declare it as a protected area.
“The inclusion of the La Mesa watershed as an initial component of NIPAS [National Integrated Protected Areas System] and its eventual declaration as a protected area through Congressional action will prevent MWSS from further alienating lands within the reservoir just to satisfy its contractual obligations,” the Senate committee report released in 2007 read.
Arroyo did so when she signed Proclamation No. 1336, series of 2007. She ordered the DENR and the MWSS to manage the watershed “in accordance with sustainable development, without impairing its usefulness as source of water for domestic use and other related purposes.”
However, the proclamation also said that the watershed is “subject to private rights.”
The housing project has not proceeded since the DENR cancelled the environmental compliance certificate of property developer Century Communities in 2016. – Rappler.com
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[Uncle Bob] Makati Cinema Square: Against all odds | Mia Gonzalez | 10/2/2024 10:00 | ICONIC MALL. The Makati Cinema Square.
Roberto Coloma
Makati Cinema Square (MCS) was a modern mixed-use development with a mid-rise condo on the fringes of Manila’s financial district when I first went there in the 1980s.
My wife worked as a creative director in an ad agency near MCS and we lived with our young son in a two-story apartment with a garage just 10 to 15 minutes away by car. Rent in middle-class Makati was still cheap back then.
Family-owned MCS had a department store and a clever blend of retail shops and F&B establishments. It had apparel and audio stalls (records, CDs and stereo gear) in the basement.
I bought my first hi-fi (high fidelity) stereo system (Dual turntable, Hitachi amplifier and I don’t remember which speakers) from MCS shops, eventually adding a CD player (a very new technology then) bought during a US trip along with giant-killer Boston Acoustics compact speakers.
In later years MCS became a center for pirated videos and software (“DVD, DVD sir”). Now the bored-looking cellphone shopgirls staring at their screens mumble “power bank, sir” as you walk past them.Japanese restaurants long ago set up shop across the street in a cluster called Little Tokyo, which extended to the low-rise Creekside building whose ground floor is now lined with wall-to-wall bars catering to Japanese men.
MCS is a different place now, a psychedelic warren of shops and stalls with no decipherable planning logic.
The escalators don’t work but the air conditioning is brisk.
Little Tokyo has dramatically expanded, drawing a steady stream of Japanese expatriates, women for hire and Pinoy foodies. You want good Japanese food? Go where the Japanese dine.
Gun and ammo shops now dominate the basement, with names like Final Option, Casa Armas, West Point Gun Club, Lock and Load and Tactical Precision Trading.
Shakey’s Pizza and Booksale, purveyor of cheap literature, are still thriving.
Just a few audio shops remain, making money off oldies like me and young vinyl converts, some of them in school uniform.
Massage parlors operate openly at ground level, teasing customers with garish lighting and names like Grit Spa (that sounds painful).
I invested P90 ($1.60) in a bottle of extra-strong Red Horse beer for the right to occupy a table in a strategic section of a videoke bar called Globe.
In the dimly lit bar, chubby peroxide blondes in cutoff denim shorts flirted with comb-over senior citizens who sang ’60s hits with tremendous reassurance. When the host (probably the boss) sang, his minions burst into applause.
It’s a sad place.
But hey, they have a very clean toilet, which is hard currency in low-rent malls.
After sundown, Japanese expats descend upon MCS in vans and cars, emerging later in varied levels of inebriation, local girls in hand as they head for drunken sex, if they can manage to get it up.
But against all odds, MCS has a lot to offer.
My old vinyl dealer, Bob de Leon at Bebop Records, in the basement, is still going strong. Emer’s upstairs still serves slurpable lomi noodles.
Aida’s Chicken, which serves Bacolod food, still has a vintage stereo and artworks left behind by its late owner Toto Tarrosa, a multi-talented collector who was a fixture in Manila’s bohemian circles.
There’s an uber cool walk-up bar called Fat Cat next to the KFC.
Fat Cat is a jazz joint that seems to be favored by gangs of attractive young women, for some reason. I’m not complaining.
The servers are cheerful and the analogue (vinyl) setup is authentic, particularly the chest-high Klipsch speakers in the corners.
They serve interesting cocktails as well as neat shots of single malt whisky, including Japanese brands Yamazaki, Hibiki, Yakushu, Chita and Nikka, plus the usual Scottish suspects.
My close friend Edsel Tolentino, a creative guru and guitarist who used to work in the area, took me to a restaurant called Isaribi. Great sashimi and tempura, competent staff and a steady stream of Japanese customers. I went there alone for the same fix over the weekend.
Server Chloe, 41, has worked in the restaurant for seven years. Her husband Jun works in Dubai at the same kind of job and has not visited the Philippines since the COVID epidemic.
Chloe earns the minimum wage of P610 pesos ($11) a day and has four days off a month. They have two boys aged 23 and eight.
Elder son Justin is a graduate of marine services, hoping to serve food in cruise ships, and that’s how the cycle of Overseas Filipino Workers goes on. Justin will support his family in the future after his parents retire.
MCS reminds me of Shibuya (without the crazy crossing) and Roppongi in Tokyo, Patpong in Bangkok, and Itaewon in Seoul.
With the surrounding blocks already gentrified, one can only hope MCS survives as a middle- and lower-class haven for funky, cheap, and quirky goods and services. – Rappler.com
Roberto Coloma, better known as Bobby, retired in 2022 after 40 years as a foreign correspondent. He started his career as editor-in-chief of the Philippine Collegian, the student newspaper of the University of the Philippines.
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Why Filipino students performed poorly in global learning assessments | Bonz Magsambol | 8/2/2024 12:30 | PHILIPPINE EDUCATION. File photo of students at Corazon Aquino Elementary School in Quezon City during the opening of classes in August 2023
Jire Carreon/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Before the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 rankings were released in December 2023, the Department of Education (DepEd) had already said it was not expecting “good results.”
It seemed to be the agency’s way of controlling the narrative and minimizing public backlash, if not lowering public expectations. After all, the DepEd had already faced a string of controversies in only two years of Vice President Sara Duterte’s leadership. Critics hit Duterte for what they called “misplaced priorities” in the department – from red-tagging to alleged misuse of hefty confidential funds.
“To be honest, we’re not expecting good results. So right now, we’re really focused in learning recovery. And that is why we requested that if there were realignments to be made, it should be realigned to the NLRP (National Learning Recovery Program),” DepEd Undersecretary Michael Poa said in November 2023.
Poa was right. The Philippines, once again, ended up among the countries that produced the lowest proficiency for 15-year-old students in reading, mathematics, and science, as indicated by the PISA rankings. The country ranked 77th out of 81 countries globally.
The country scored Level 1a to 1b on mathematics, reading, and science. This means that students had below minimum proficiency in all three subject areas.
At level 1a for reading, students can understand only the literal meaning of sentences or short passages. At level 1b for mathematics, they can perform only simple calculations. Lastly, at level 1a for science, they can recognize only simple scientific phenomena.
The latest PISA result begs the question: why do Filipino students continue to lag behind other countries in global education assessments?
At a Senate hearing on the 2022 PISA results on Wednesday, February 7, Senator Nancy Binay asked the DepEd if the questions in PISA were taught in schools in the country. “Paano maisasagot ng mga student ang questions kung hindi siya naituturo as part of the curriculum?” (How can the students answer the questions when these are not being taught as part of the curriculum?)
In response, educational psychologist and University of the Philippines professor Lizamarie Olegario said that the learning curriculum in the country is too much focused on mere “memorization” or the low ordering thinking skill, while PISA questions require analytical thinking.
“Hindi talaga siya natuturo sa classrooms natin. ‘Yung mga questions sa PISA ay practical real-life situations. Kasi dapat ‘yung tinuturo natin ay solving real-life problems, authentic learning dapat tayo,” she explained.
(They are really not being taught in our classrooms. The questions in PISA were practical real-life situations. Because what we should be teaching them are about solving real-life problems. We should teach them about authentic learning.)
Olegario said that teachers should veer away from telling students to just memorize math formulas and read fictional books. “In reading, students are so much exposed to fiction. In math, more on memorizing formulas. But in PISA, they need to analyze problems. In science, basically the experiments only ask them to follow steps. But in PISA, they have to imagine. They have to do experiments in their minds.”
Olegario also attributed the dismal performance of students to the failed implementation of the K to 12 program. “The K to 12 is not being implemented to the fullest. The task performance is still on the lower order of thinking skills [which] should be the application side or problem solving.”
Even before K to 12 was launched in 2012, many were already clamoring against the additional two years of basic education. Despite a classroom shortage, lack of textbooks, tables and chairs, the ambitious program was implemented. Policymakers and proponents of K to 12 marketed it to the public as a curriculum preparing “graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.”
But former DepEd director for curriculum and development Joyce Andaya refuted Olegario’s claim. She said that “nowhere in the review did it come out that we focused on the lower level thinking skills.”
“In fact, in the review, there were very important findings. Number 1, there were overlapping. Number 2, there were misplaced competencies that should have been in grade 4 but perhaps in grade 7, and cognitive demands. There’s also high cognitive demands, meaning the curriculum has leaned towards high level than low thinking skills,” she said.
But what Andaya failed to point out was whether the teachers were teaching the way lessons should be taught. The DepEd is the biggest employer of teachers having some 900,000 teaching personnel across the country.
“From our initial discussions, we just found out that our learners and teachers are not familiar with the type of tests that are given by PISA,” Andaya said. She said that there’s need to strengthen “formative tests” in classrooms to match the PISA questions.
In an interview with Rappler on Wednesday, Philippine Business for Education’s Justine Raagas said that there were two major factors why Filipino students lagged behind other countries in PISA. These are lack of resources and the quality of teachers the country has.
Raagas said that the Philippines is allotting only 3% to 4% of its gross domestic product for its education budget while the global standard is 6%. “We perform poor, and we spend less,” she said.
For one, Raagas pointed out the perennial problem of classroom and textbook shortage. “We’re hounded by problems. We lack classrooms. Learners now still share textbooks.”
In 2023, the DepEd was able to build only 3,600 new classrooms. DepEd Assistant Secretary Francis Bringas said that Philippine public schools lacked some 159,000 classrooms before school opened in August 2023. At this rate, the government would be able to address the classroom shortage in 40 years, and by that time, more problems in the education sector would have come up.
Ironically, on the lack of textbooks, the DepEd left some P3 billion worth of learning materials sitting in warehouses from 2021 to 2023. A Rappler investigation revealed that the learning materials were held hostage by logistics firm Transpac due to non-payment of fees, among other things. The materials were later released after Rappler published its report in December 2023.
“Teachers are the biggest inputs to classroom learning. It’s important to have high quality teachers who are knowledgeable,” Raagas said, stressing the crucial role of teachers for some 28 million basic education students.
According to a World Bank study in 2016, the knowledge of teachers and the method they use to teach a subject were “important determinants of student learning outcomes in the Philippines.” The study showed that “knowledge of subject matter among elementary and high school teachers is low in most subjects.”
For instance, the World Bank study revealed that a mathematics teacher in high school was only able to answer 31% of the questions “completely correctly,” far from even half of the questions.
“Since the tests are closely aligned with the curriculum, the results suggest that teachers face significant challenges in teaching a considerable portion of the current K to 12 curriculum,” the study said.
How can students learn to analyze math equations if their teachers themselves are having a hard time answering them?
But Raagas said teachers shouldn’t be overburdened by the problems because they are overworked with administrative tasks rather than just teaching. “They need to be supported,” she said.
To address this, the DepEd recently released an order removing administrative tasks from teachers so they could focus on teaching. Raagas, however, said that if the DepEd would hire only 5,000 administrative staff every year, it would take years for the agency to solve the problem.
“We have to remember that we have over 47,000 schools…. Do the math, if only 5,000 year-on-year, it would take years to be completed. In the next years, we would still have overworked teachers,” Raagas said. (READ: Overworked teachers among causes of high learning poverty level in PH – experts)
For years, teachers have complained that paperwork piling up hinders them from preparing lessons.
What does the DepEd need now? Raagas said the agency needs a strong leader.
“We need a strong leadership that [will say,] ‘hey all these things need to be done.’ And the fact is that many of the reforms have to be done simultaneously,” she said.
Many critics disagreed with Duterte’s appointment as education chief. She is not an educator, and some people questioned her qualifications. But the Vice President said her experience as a mother and her background in local governance are enough. Will she take the rest of her term to learn the job? – Rappler.com
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I appreciate the candidness of Philippine Business for Education’s Justine Raagas, who stated that the agency (DepEd) needs a strong leader. However, using the adjective “strong” may be less appropriate compared to plainly stating that she lacks the experience and educational qualification to lead DepEd. It is said that VP Sara Duterte defended herself by declaring that “her experience as a mother and her background in local governance are enough.” Unfortunately, such experience and background are insufficient or appropriate for such a position. Why should an official maintain her position when not qualified or experienced? The highest responsibility belongs to President Marcos Jr. He should urgently act on this and not prolong the suffering of affected students, teachers, and parents.
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For as low as P5,000, you can invest in retail treasury bonds. Here’s how. | Ralf Rivas | 13/02/2024 17:27 | MANILA, Philippines – If you have P5,000 and want a passive and risk-free investment, government bonds may be just for you.
Finance Secretary Ralph Recto is urging Filipinos to invest in the 30th tranche of the Bureau of the Treasury’s Retail Treasury Bonds (RTB 30) in a bid to promote cheap investment opportunities and help the government fund its priority projects.
“The RTB 30 is more than just a financial contract but a commitment to shared prosperity. It will help drive the government’s socioeconomic agenda forward and empower ordinary Filipinos to chart their path to financial freedom for a more secure future,” Recto said.
RTB 30 is a five-year tenor investment with a gross interest rate of 6.25% per annum, payable every quarter until its maturity in 2029.
The public offering for RTB 30 will begin on February 13, 2024 until February 23, 2024, and will be settled on February 28, 2024. The public can avail of the investment with a minimum amount ofP5,000, and in multiples of P5,000 thereafter, during the offer period.
RTBs can be purchased via BTr’s online ordering facility for investors who are clients of China Banking Corporation, the Development Bank of the Philippines, Land Bank of the Philippines, and the First Metro Securities.
Filipinos can also avail of the investment instrument through the Bonds.PH app.
The RTB 30 also offers an exchange program, which allows investors to reinvest their funds and mitigate reinvestment risk upon maturity of the eligible bonds. Eligible participants for the exchange are existing holders of RTB 22 and 25.
“RTBs are just a few swipes away, making investing as easy as ordering our favorite food delivery,” Recto said. – Rappler.com
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Philippine eagles transferred to new breeding facility in Davao City | Jee Geronimo | 14/02/2024 18:31 | CHECKUP. A veterinarian checks the wings of one of the eagles scheduled for transfer during a physical checkup at the Philippine Eagle Center in Barangay Malagos, Davao City, on February 13, 2024.
Ivy Marie Mangadlao/Rappler
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) transferred seven critically endangered Philippine eagles (Pithecophaga jefferyi) from their center in Barangay Malagos to a new breeding facility in Barangay Eden on Tuesday night, February 13, with the hope of enhancing breeding success and protecting the country’s national bird from the potential threat of avian flu.
Named the National Bird Breeding Sanctuary (NBBS), this new breeding facility is situated in the 105-hectare Eden Tourism Reservation Area at the foot of Mount Apo, owned by the city government.
It encompasses a 13.46-hectare area, with 8.16 hectares designated as a natural forest buffer and 5.3 hectares allocated for the core facility currently housing one breeding chamber and six temporary holding cages, positioned at an altitude of 1,000-1,200 meters above sea level – a habitat akin to the nesting sites of the wild Philippine eagle.
PEF shared in a media primer that the move from the Philippine Eagle Center (PEC) in Barangay Malagos to Barangay Eden was “the only recourse against two main threats, which is the avian flu and the changing landscape around the PEC.”
“Game and poultry farms mushrooming around the PEC increases the risk of exposure to highly pathogenic diseases such as avian flu. Activities in adjacent farm lots are disruptive to our Philippine eagle pairs’ breeding activities. Without the productivity of our natural pairs in breeding, we lose the potential hatchlings that could be released into the wild,” PEF said.
The conservation group reported that the bird flu outbreak in Magsaysay town in Davao del Sur in March 2022, which is 90 kilometers southwest of the center, posed a direct threat to all 32 eagles in the PEC.
PEF executive director Dennis Salvador said this milestone was a conclusion of years of efforts convincing the government to do something about the status of the Philippine eagle.
“We had to accelerate this move to transfer some of the breeding birds elsewhere because, in consultation with the Davao City government, they cannot control development in Malagos, especially with the flourishing of game fowl farms and poultry farms surrounding the area, which puts the captive population of eagles at great risk. And so, the city government allowed us to move in here to build a new facility for the breeding eagle,” Salvador said.
According to Jayson Ibañez, director for operations, the new facility will not be open to the public and is intended only for research and conservation.
“We would be piloting the use of natural rearing techniques. Meaning, it would be the breeding pair who would take care of their young. And that would ensure the imprinting of the chick to its proper species,” he said.
The original plan was to transfer eight eagles, but following a physical examination before their transportation to the new breeding facility, only seven were deemed fit for transfer.
Ibañez disclosed that most of the eagles transferred were victims of human persecution, including their most productive pair, Ariela from Wao, Lanao del Sur, and Matatag from Mount Apo.
“Ariela, the female eagle, lost two digits in an accidental trapping incident involving a nylon rope intended for catching deer and wild pigs. Matatag, the male eagle, rescued in 2011 after being accidentally trapped on Mount Apo, endured rehabilitation and release. But, a few years later, while roaming the forests of Mount Apo, he was shot so he was persecuted the second time around, which made his wings partially functional,” he said.
Other eagles included Balikatan and Bangsa Bae, currently undergoing pairing, and three birds designated for cooperative artificial insemination, namely Dakila, Lipadas, and Pin-pin.
Ibañez pointed out that this transfer was costly, with the initial phase already totaling P9 million for labor, materials, and equipment. The upcoming second phase involves constructing two more breeding chambers and at least six holding cages to accommodate eight additional birds.
He also mentioned that the center in Malagos will remain a home for retired Philippine eagles from the breeding program, and over 100 other animals, mostly endemic and injured, which are no longer releasable to their natural habitats.
“There will be available spaces for extra educational activities, aiming to transform and maximize the old facility for education, training, and tourism. The goal is to offer meaningful, enjoyable, and interactive experiential learning for the public, making them appreciate why the Philippine eagle is our national heritage,” he added
According to their latest estimates, only 392 pairs of Philippine eagles are left around the country. – Rappler.com
Ivy Marie Mangadlao is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow.
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Dredge Agusan River to solve flooding problem, says governor | Mia Gonzalez | 17/02/2024 12:54 | DIY BOAT. Residents use makeshift boats to navigate the flooded streets in Barangay Mahogany in Butuan City, a community near the riverbanks after the downstream Agusan River overflowed in early February 2024.
Ivy Marie Mangadlao
BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – Following the severe flooding that hit Agusan del Sur, Governor Santiago Cane Jr. said that the key solution is to dredge the Agusan River.
Cane said this during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit to the province on Friday, February 16, where the latter presided over a situation briefing on the effects of the trough of the low pressure Area (LPA) in Caraga.
Cane said that it will take months before the floodwaters subside to their normal level. This is because of the slow flow of the Agusan River due to siltation, highlighting the need for national government assistance.
“This (flooding) will take a while, even if it doesn’t rain anymore. Until March, there will still be floodwater. Although the number of affected barangays will decrease day by day, [for] the barangays along the Agusan River [it] will take months before the floodwater fully subsides,” he said.
When Marcos asked what could be done to speed up the flow of water, Cane suggested that the solution is to dredge the Agusan River, from its mouth in Butuan City to the upstream river along Agusan del Sur.
He added that at the mouth of the Agusan River in Butuan Bay, an island had formed in the middle of the river due to siltation, hindering the flow of water, but the local government does not have enough funds for dredging.
“I suppose we’ll just have to wait until we can put together the plan for the river. We’ll dredge it again. The siltation is really bad; it is the same problem everywhere,” Marcos said in response.
During the briefing, Cane reported that 53% of the population of Agusan del Sur was affected by the flooding. Thirteen of the province’s 14 municipalities were affected.
He reported that the total estimated amount of damage to properties, infrastructure, and agriculture is P2,295,983,284.
On January 31, the provincial government declared a state of calamity.
In February 2017, following heavy floods in Caraga and Davao provinces, then-agriculture secretary Manny Pinol announced the Duterte administration’s approval to dredge four major rivers, including the silted Agusan River, to mitigate the perennial flooding that cause damage to crops and properties.
A study conducted a few months after Piñol’s announcement concluded that dredging the river is an effective approach to addressing the flooding concerns along the Agusan River, particularly in terms of depth and extent as dredging allows the river to contain a greater volume of floodwater in any given scenario. However, the study noted that this approach will have a long-term negative impact.
“As dredging also smoothens the river bed, the flood velocity and the stream power along it significantly increased compared to the true scenario. This was greatly observed as the rainfall event becomes more extreme in the area,” the study said.
The study emphasized that this would greatly impact the river, potentially leading to bank erosion and sedimentation, especially considering that the much of the stretch of the Agusan River consists of bare soil.
Researchers said the study is a good reference for lawmakers on how they would take action on the planned dredging of the Agusan River. – Rappler.com
Ivy Marie Mangadlao is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow.
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In Negros Occidental, young bride gives birth minutes before Valentine’s Day wedding | Mia Gonzalez | 17/02/2024 10:49 | WEDDING AFTER BIRTH. Zyrha Mae Laraya and Lendon Mondia are wed inside the delivery room, with their newborn as witness.
What a coincidence.
An 18-year-old bride from the mountain town of Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental suffered from stomach pain and contractions just minutes before she participated in a mass wedding inside the mayor’s office on Valentine’s Day, February 14.
Rushed to the nearby municipal health office, Zyrha Mae Laraya, still clad in her white wedding dress, gave birth to a baby girl.
Town doctors Lyle Ladera and Wena June Acson assisted the bride until she successfully delivered her baby that weighed 2.8 kilograms or 6 pounds and 17 ounces.
Laraya was earlier expected to give birth around March 3. Acson said in a phone interview that “it was a normal delivery” since records showed that she underwent a complete pre-natal check up.
Moises Padilla Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo had to administer a special wedding ceremony for the couple at the municipal health office (MHO) alongside their newborn on the same day.
“I just finished the ceremony for the five couples inside my office then after lunch, I personally proceeded to MHO to also wed the lucky couple,” said the mayor, who even brought cake and wine for the event.
“It was indeed as double celebration of marriage and life in one sitting,” she said.
The groom, 22-year-old Lendon Mondia, saw the birth of their second child ahead of their wedding ceremony as good luck for their family.
Laraya is thankful for her safe delivery.
The couple have been living together for about four years. They had their first child when Laraya was 15. When she got pregnant again, they decided to join the kasalang bayan (mass wedding) organized by the municipal government on February 14.
Two other grooms who took part in the kasalang bayan in Moises Padilla are brothers of Mondia. – Rappler.com
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CATCH UP: Recapping PVL teams’ player moves after wild 2023 offseason | jisaga0269 | 17/02/2024 10:00 | NEW HOMES. (L-R, from top row) Majoy Baron, Kim Fajardo, Kianna Dy, Caitlin Viray, Aby Marano, Bea de Leon, Dawn Macandili-Catindig, Grethcel Soltones, and Ara Galang pose for photos during the 2024 PVL Media Day sessions
PVL Images/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Hard-hitting volleyball is back for the first time in 2024 as the new PVL All-Filipino Conference kicks off at the PhilSports Arena on Tuesday, February 20.
Mighty dynasty Creamline is once again set to defend its crown, this time against two new teams and many other familiar faces – albeit dressed in different colors after arguably the most frenzied and most high-profile free agency period in league history to cap off 2023.
As the taraflex courts are rolled out once again, take a look back at how PVL teams fared in the chaotic, year-ending scramble, and how they are expected to perform in this upcoming 2024 season.
The following are arranged by the final team records in the 2023 Second All-Filipino Conference:
Key additions: Bea de Leon, Denden Lazaro-Revilla, Dij RodriguezKey departures: Celine Domingo, Jia de Guzman (Japan V. League import)Key holdovers: Alyssa Valdez, Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza, Kyle Negrito, Michele Gumabao
Dynasty, super team, empire. Whatever you want to call it, Creamline is again the team to beat in the new All-Filipino Conference.
Briefly bogged down by the departures of former MVPs Celine Domingo and Jia de Guzman, the Cool Smashers quickly rebounded by snagging sister team Choco Mucho’s leaders Bea de Leon and Denden Lazaro-Revilla, before scouring the sands to land beach volleyball standout Dij Rodriguez.
There’s not much else to be said. It is once again a championship-or-bust campaign for the almighty seven-time PVL champions.
Key additions: Royse Tubino, Mars Alba, Bia General, Mean MendrezKey departures: Caitlin Viray, Bea de Leon, Denden Lazaro-Revilla, Des Cheng (injured)Key holdovers: Sisi Rondina, Kat Tolentino, Isa Molde, Cherry Nunag, Deanna Wong
After its first-ever finals and podium finish, Choco Mucho is determined to keep shaking off the “little sister” tag.
Despite losing vocal leaders Bea de Leon and Denden Lazaro-Revilla to their ates in Creamline, the Flying Titans quickly rebounded with a free agency signing quartet, bannered by veteran spiker Royse Tubino, and fearless young setter Mars Alba.
Choco Mucho is here to stay as a contender, and its arsenal is more than enough to go for gold this time around.
Key additions: Dawn Macandili-Catindig, Jovelyn FernandezKey departures: Bia General, Gelai Nunag, Rachel Anne Daquis (on leave)Key holdovers: Vanie Gandler, Ces Molina, Ria Meneses, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Gel Cayuna
Cignal has a proverbial glass ceiling to break, and it looks like it has found the perfect set of tools for the job.
Often settling for bronze-medal finishes in recent years, the HD Spikers are shoring up their already potent defenses with top libero Dawn Macandili-Catindig, a perfect complement to their array of offensive powerhouses like MVP Ces Molina, Jovelyn Gonzaga, and the fast-rising Vanie Gandler.
There will be no silver linings this time around. Only gold will do for this Cignal batch.
Key additions: Aby Maraño, Ara Galang, Jeanette VillarealKey departures: NoneKey holdovers: Eya Laure, Mylene Paat, Pauline Gaston, Cess Robles, Jen Nierva, Jasmine Nabor
Fierce just got fiercer for former PVL champion Chery Tiggo.
Already led by former MVP Mylene Paat and super rookie Eya Laure, the Crossovers just got a double shot of veteran savvy in new captain Aby Maraño and her fellow former F2 partner-in-crime Ara Galang.
Chery Tiggo’s quest back on top continues, with a lot of skill, swag, and star power to boot.
Key additions: Kianna Dy (injured), Majoy Baron, Kim FajardoKey departures: Mika Reyes (injured)Key holdovers: Savannah Davison, Kath Arado, Dell Palomata, Erika Santos, Rhea Dimaculangan
Following F2’s disbandment, PLDT was aptly one of the first ones to ring players’ phones, and to its delight, the perfect trio of stars answered the calls.
Once she fully heals, super scorer Kianna Dy will serve as the perfect opposite hitter complement to top outsides Savannah Davison and Erika Santos, while Majoy Baron will nicely fill in the middle blocker spot left by injured captain Mika Reyes.
Setter Rhea Dimaculangan, meanwhile, will carry a lighter playmaking load as overqualified backup Kim Fajardo completes the former F2 troika for PLDT.
Like sister team Cignal, PLDT is never too far away from breaking through to the contenders’ upper rungs, and the same will still ring true this new conference.
Key additions: Brooke Van Sickle, MJ Phillips (returning), Myla Pablo (returning), Mich Morente, Joy Dacoron, coach Koji TsuzurabaraKey departures: Grethcel Soltones, Heather Guino-oKey holdovers: Jonah Sabete, Djanel Cheng, Remy Palma, Nicole Tiamzon, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas
The 2023 Second All-Filipino Conference is shaping up to be mere pit stop for Petro Gazz.
After a subpar 6-5 record and sixth-place finish, the Angels have refueled with a plethora of new signings and returnees, most notably Fil-Am standout Brooke Van Sickle, former Korean V. League import MJ Phillips, two-time MVP Myla Pablo, and new Japanese head coach Koji Tsuzurabara.
As expected of a perennial contender, Petro Gazz is once again back to compete with the best and be the best.
Key additions: Grethcel Soltones, Celine Domingo, Max JuangcoKey departures: Justine Jazareno (on leave), Coach Jorge Souza de BritoKey holdovers: Faith Nisperos, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Fifi Sharma, Erika Raagas, Trisha Genesis
There seems to be no stopping Akari’s rise as the PVL’s new dark horse contender.
After a franchise-best seventh-place finish in the previous All-Filipino tilt, the Chargers have gone all in, signing former V-League MVP Grethcel Soltones and ex-Finals MVP Celine Domingo to bolster multiple facets in both offense and defense.
It will surely be crowded at the top, but Akari is hell-bent on crashing that party soon.
Key additions: Ivy Lacsina, Jaila AtienzaKey departures: Judith Abil, Janine NavarroKey holdovers: Kamille Cal, Jho Maraguinot, Lycha Ebon, Rachel Jorvina, Krich Macaslang
Unlike its playoff-hunting sister team Akari, Nxled will more than likely keep its focus on developing its growing talent core this conference and beyond.
To their credit, the Chameleons are definitely on the right track after luring their own former F2 standout in young blocker Ivy Lacsina, who showed off as a potentially serviceable winger in her final conference as a Cargo Mover.
Nxled is by no means a title contender yet. That doesn’t mean it should be ignored by those that are.
Key additions: Caitlin Viray, Jolina dela Cruz (injured), Lorene Toring (injured), Elaine KasilagKey departures: College of St. Benilde players (Gayle Pascual, Jade Gentapa, Sophia Mondonedo, etc.)Key holdovers: Trisha Tubu, Kate Santiago, Louie Romero, Pia Ildefonso, Alyssa Bertolano
Don’t let young Farm Fresh fool you, it is hungry for wins, and it will stand toe-to-toe with anyone in its way, contender or otherwise.
Arguably the most intriguing of the PVL’s new teams, the Foxies are gearing up for a massive leap in the standings with an outstanding off-season haul of breakout opposite hitter Caitlin Viray, veteran blocker Elaine Kasilag, and former collegiate standouts Jolina dela Cruz and Lorene Toring.
Brimming with youth and clear-cut potential, Farm Fresh will surely threaten the league’s established powers very, very soon.
Key additions: Shola Alvarez, France Ronquillo, Alyssa EroaKey departures: NoneKey holdovers: Dimdim Pacres, Rapril Aguilar, Roma Joy Doromal, Fhen Emnas, Carly Hernandez
The horizon remains foggy for upstart Galeries Tower after its debut conference, but the skies will always clear up for those who weather the storms.
Currently a hodgepodge of veterans and prospects, the Highrisers made earnest attempts in the free agent bidding wars and landed more role players like Alyssa Eroa and former F2 hitter Shola Alvarez.
Galeries has shown an on-court fire better than its 1-10 debut record shows. Time will tell if it can find its winning blueprint in this intensely competitive league.
Key additions: Coach Roger Gorayeb, Ja Lana, Jel Quizon, Heather Guino-o, Jorelle Singh, Bingle Landicho, Janine Navarro, Aiko Urdas
One of the two debuting teams this All-Filipino Conference, Capital1 has immediately shown a serious desire to compete with the PVL’s best.
After tapping legendary coach Roger Gorayeb to command its kickoff campaign, the Solar Spikers put together an intriguing mix of role players-turned-top options like Heather Guino-o and Jorelle Singh, and young collegiate standouts like Ja Lana and Jel Quizon.
Capital1 will surely capitalize on its new spot in the PVL, and entertaining games may very well be in store for the debutant squad.
Key additions: Lilet Mabbayad, Jana Sta. Maria, Vira May Guillema, Dolly Verzosa, Sarah Verutiao
Undisputedly the bigger mystery of the two new PVL teams, renowned basketball big-spender Strong Group Athletics is not banking on major name recall in its first foray into volleyball.
Straight-up called a bunch of “no-names” by assistant team manager Kiara Cruz, Strong Group’s possible top options hail from the NCAA and a variety of lower-level leagues like Manny Pacquiao’s fledgling Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association.
Hey, who knows? Maybe the “no-names” can introduce themselves under the brighter lights of the PVL with some huge upsets. No one is unbeatable in sports. – Rappler.com
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EXPLAINER: Why Duterte’s sudden call for Mindanao independence won’t fly | Dwight de Leon | 16/02/2024 9:30 | Photo courtesy of Malacañang; Graphics by Marian Hukom/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – A couple of days after former president Rodrigo Duterte accused his successor Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of involvement in the illegal drug trade, the man from Davao City stepped up his rhetoric by calling for Mindanao’s independence.
“What is at stake now is our future, so we’ll just separate,” Duterte was quoted as saying on January 30. The former mayor even claimed he had asked his former House speaker – incumbent Davao del Norte 1st District Representative Pantaleon Alvarez – to gather signatures in favor of the advocacy.
The government did not take the call sitting down, decrying the proposal that has – at the same time – baffled critics due to its lack of specifics.
Rappler sums up the gigantic obstacles that advocates of Mindanao secession are facing to make that vision – if they are really serious about it – a reality.
In the 2006 book Secession: International Law Perspectives, professor Antonello Tancredi wrote: “International law neither prohibits nor authorizes secession, but simply acknowledges the result of de facto processes which may lead to the birth of new states.”
There is no manual on successful secessions, and separatists can only learn from the experience of other countries.
Duterte-era chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo brought up the statehoods of Singapore and Timor-Leste, but the conditions that paved the way for their independence are different from the realities in Mindanao.
Singapore, for instance, did not gain independence voluntarily. It was expelled by Malaysia in 1965, due to irreconcilable differences in ideology and politics.
Timor-Leste, meanwhile, is a case that inspires Duterte, who said on February 7: “My proposal of a Mindanao secession is a legal process that will be brought to the United Nations (UN), just like what happened to Timor-Leste.”
Yes, the UN organized a referendum in Timor-Leste in 1999, the watershed vote that resulted in its independence from Indonesia. But the young nation’s journey of self-determination was bloody, and its experience does not necessarily bear strong similarities to that of Mindanao.
While there were state-sanctioned killings that triggered the Moro insurgency in the southern Philippines, Timor-Leste had to grapple with what numerous scholars believe is a genocide at the tail-end of the 20th century. The atrocities during that time prompted the rise and consolidation of pro-independence organizations, which Mindanao does not have at the moment.
The downfall of military dictator Suharto also ushered in an era of democratic reforms, and the succeeding president, B.J. Habibie, allowed the people of Timor-Leste to pick either full independence from Indonesia or special autonomy.
It seems implausible that the Marcos administration would one day just let political foes in Mindanao do what they want, such as enabling a referendum on secession. After all, the government has already been adamant about quashing Duterte’s out-of-left-field proposal that made national headlines.
Issuing their own statements to reject the former president’s call were the justice and interior departments, as well as National Security Adviser Eduardo Año and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Carlito Galvez Jr. – both Marcos appointees who were once part of the Duterte Cabinet.
“The national government will not hesitate to use its authority and forces to quell and stop any and all attempts to dismember the Republic,” Año warned on February 4. “Any attempt to secede any part of the Philippines will be met by the government with resolute force.”
President Marcos has also urged the proponents of a separate Mindanao to drop their advocacy.
“The new call for a separate Mindanao is doomed to fail, for it is anchored on a false premise, not to mention a sheer constitutional travesty,” he said on February 8.
Panelo has rebuked Marcos, insisting that espousing the idea of secession is part of freedom of speech guaranteed by the 1987 Constitution.
“Secession is anchored on the principle that the people have the right to self-determination. They have the right to choose the kind of government they want, to choose the officials who will govern them and to determine their future,” Panelo said on February 11.
Still, the present charter does not entertain secessionist movements.
The first two articles of the Constitution put a premium on the country’s territorial integrity, saying that the Armed Forces of the Philippines must work “to secure the sovereignty of the State and the integrity of the national territory.”
Marcos has already made clear how he interprets the Constitution in light of secession calls.
“Our Constitution calls for a united, undivided country. It calls for an eternal cohesion. For this reason, unlike other Constitutions, there is nothing in ours that allows the breaking up of this union, such as an exit provision,” he said.
There were calls in the past for Mindanao to separate from the rest of the Philippines, but “they never really got mainstream,” according to former presidential adviser on the peace process Ging Deles.
“What became a real move towards independence or secession was the Bangsamoro,” she said in Rappler’s panel discussion on Mindanao independence on February 9. “It was not a call for an independent Mindanao. It was a call of a specific area that was united in teachers of culture, history, and tradition that were being neglected.”
Duterte, however, cannot convince even the leadership of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to join his cause.
“As chief minister of the Bangsamoro government, I stand firmly on adhering to the faithful implementation of the provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro towards the right to self-determination,” Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim said on February 2, referring to the landmark 2014 peace deal that resulted in Islamic separatists letting go of their firearms.
Other leaders from Mindanao have opposed Duterte’s call, including Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, and House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe.
Weeks since Duterte’s statement, there are little indications that would suggest there is truly a “movement” or well-oiled machine to concretize the idea. A signature campaign has also not begun.
When asked about the blueprint of their ambition, Alvarez acknowledged that they are still at the first step of what he said is a three-stage process.
“First is awareness. The people in Mindanao need to know about this movement seeking to separate Mindanao from the rest of the Philippines. The next stage would be acceptance. We have to answer the questions of what and why so the public will understand. After that, we will wait for the right timing, the ‘when,'” he said during Rappler’s panel discussion.
Alvarez insisted their call for Mindanao secession is not personal, but former presidential political adviser Ronald Llamas disagreed.
Llamas suspects that the proposal ultimately stems from the long shadow cast by the possibility of the Marcos administration allowing the International Criminal Court to arrest Duterte over his bloody drug war that resulted in thousands dead.
“My belief is that the call for secession is basically personal. It’s the fear of the ICC,” he said. – Rappler.com
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‘After Monday, wala na akong immunity’: Kris Aquino shares health update on 53rd birthday | jreyes0314 | 14/02/2024 18:27 | UPDATE. Kris Aquino appears on 'Fast Talk With Boy Abunda' on her 53rd birthday to share a health update.
Screenshot from GMA Network's YouTube page
MANILA, Philippines – Kris Aquino appeared on a special episode of Fast Talk With Boy Abunda on Wednesday, February 14, to share an important update on her health on her 53rd birthday.
The actress-host said that the next six months will be a crucial period for her, as this coming Monday, February 19 (Los Angeles time), she will be visiting the hospital to try a biological medicine to improve her heart condition. She said that if the medicine does not take effect, she has a “very strong chance” of suffering cardiac arrest.
She will be needing a total of four doses of this new medication, which she will be trying out a small dose of first to see if her body can handle it.
Kris shared that the muscles surrounding her heart, as well as its middle layer, are now very swollen. She explained that a simple attempt to walk to the bathroom or to put on weight has already caused her blood pressure to increase to levels up to 140bpm, adding that the danger behind her condition is that she could suffer a stroke at any time.
Kris further shared that her fifth autoimmune disease is being classified by doctors as an autoimmune mixed connective tissue disease. Under this falls lupus – which she had bared the onset of in January – or also rheumatoid arthritis.
Despite her condition, however, Kris affirmed that she is fighting to stay alive.
“I hate to say it, but I’ve always been very, very upfront and honest at hinarap ko na ‘to because alam ko na bawat araw, especially now birthday ko pa, pahiram na lang ‘to ng Diyos. Binigyan ako ng bonus, so whatever days are left, it’s a blessing. But I really want to stay alive. Sino ba naman ang sasabihin na handa na akong mamatay?” Kris said.
(I hate to say it, but I’ve been always been very, very upfront and honest and I’m saying this now because I know that each day, especially now that it’s my birthday, is just borrowed from God. I was given a bonus, so whatever days are left, it’s a blessing. But I really want to stay alive. Who would say that they’re ready to die?)
She added that as Bimby, her youngest son, is only 16, she promised him that she would do everything in her power to recover, especially since his brother Josh is an individual on the autism spectrum.
“Kailangan pa nila ako, but on the flip side of that, after Monday, wala na akong immunity. Puwede na ‘kong dapuan ng kahit anong sakit at wala akong panlaban doon,” Kris said.
(They still need me, but on the flip side of that, after Monday, I won’t have immunity anymore. I can catch whatever sickness and not have anything to fight it.)
The now-53-year-old also explained that the reason it is so difficult for her to fight off her illnesses is that there are three pages’ worth of medicines that she cannot take – including common fever reducers like paracetamol and almost all antibiotics. She even said that the medicines she is allowed to take can be counted with ten fingers.
Kris also gave an analogy to help viewers better understand her condition.
“Papasok ka sa giyera, lahat ng kalaban mo naka-Armalite, lahat sila may assault rifle. Ikaw, binigyan ka ng butter knife o binigyan ka ng isang tinidor. ‘Yun lang ang panlaban,” she explained.
(You’re going to war, and all your enemies are equipped with Armalites or assault rifles. But you were only given a butter knife or a fork. That’s your only weapon.)
To cap off the episode, Kris said that she promises everyone that she will continue to fight for her recovery in exchange for all the love, support, and prayers, that they have given her.
“Wala naman akong nagawa para sa inyo, pero kayo, sobra yung binibigay niyo sa akin na lakas (I may not have done anything for you, but the strength you have given me is overflowing) because I know that you’re praying for me, and that’s the biggest gift anyone can give,” she said.
Kris also thanked her long-time co-host Boy Abunda, as he had promised to immediately fly to the US to accompany Josh and Bimby should anything happen to Kris.
Kris previously revealed in an Instagram comment that Bimby would need to start working soon to help shoulder her medical bills. – Rappler.com
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Hunters, now hunted: La Salle ready for all comers as UAAP title defense kicks off | jisaga0269 | 12/2/2024 17:07 | SUPER ROOKIE. La Salle star rookie Angel Canino reacts after scoring a point at the UAAP Season 85 women's volleyball tournament
UAAP Season 85 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – There was no looking back for La Salle as it romped its way to the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball title last year.
In Season 86, however, the Lady Spikers are now forced to glance back every now and then, rising as enemy No. 1 for the rest of the eight-school league when the new collegiate volleyball season rolls off on February 17.
For assistant coach Noel Orcullo and his players, the defending champion Lady Spikers are more than ready to take on all comers.
“That’s what coach [Ramil de Jesus] has always been reminding us that it’s more difficult this season since we’re the defending champions,” Orcullo said in Filipino in the Season 86 press conference at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“Unlike before, we were the ones chasing teams. Now, we’re the ones being chased. It’s difficult, especially since we lost a lot of players as well.”
Indeed, La Salle’s list of graduated players is a short, yet star-studded one.
Season 85 Finals MVP Mars Alba and 1st Best Outside Hitter Jolina dela Cruz turned pro in the PVL with the now-defunct F2 Logistics, while star middle blocker Fifi Sharma and star libero Justine Jazareno signed up with Akari.
Still bannering the Lady Spikers, however, are sophomore MVP Angel Canino, fast-rising opposite Shevana Laput, and veteran blocker Thea Gagate – a talented core more than enough to still catapult La Salle as the team to beat in Season 86.
“We’re very confident in getting back the championship, and we’ll definitely work hard for it together,” Gagate said.
“We just accepted that losing players are a part of the game, so now, we have to show the young players and coaches that we seniors can lead the way inside the court.”
Julia Coronel, the newly assigned starting setter and team captain after Alba’s graduation, said that it is up to her to continue what her seniors started in Season 85 and keep La Salle’s winning tradition alive ahead of a possible 13th women’s volleyball title.
“I would say we’re ready for this season because we have worked very hard in our off-season preparations,” she said. “We really want to win again and get the championship this season.”
“For me, I have to be more vocal inside the court. As a leader, I have to be the last one to give up because I have to be the team’s voice and be strong when my teammates lean on me. Whatever happens this season, we will keep fighting.” – Rappler.com
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New year, new eats! Restaurants, chains opening around Metro Manila in 2024 | Steph Arnaldo | 13/01/2024 15:38 | MANILA, Philippines (1st UPDATE) – Save the dates, your money, and your appetites, people – 2024 is looking to be a fun and filled year of new eats and new names set to open in the Philippines very soon!
Despite the unfortunate closures of well-loved names in 2023, it’s safe to say that the local F&B industry has been on the road to recovery since the pandemic. To add to the successful expansion of province-based chains around Metro Manila and the openings of famous overseas names last year, here are some local and international restaurants and chains to look forward to this year!
Flying from Paris and Hong Kong is Japanese-Brazilian restaurant Uma Nota, which has made its way to Metro Manila for the first time!
Uma Nota transformed into a more high-end concept for its first Philippine branch, located at Shangri-La The Fort in BGC. The nightlife joint – which formally opened in February – boasts a sophisticated underground location that takes you to the heart of Brazil and Japan with its beautiful interiors that draw inspiration from the historical migration of the Japanese to São Paulo.
It’s a vibrant and festive spacious area that weaves the rich tapestry of cultural influences, meticulously designed by Asmaa Said, founder of The Odd Duck Studio. Drinks and appetizers can be enjoyed at the upscale Living Room, with its eye-catching ‘Hanging Tree’ installation; the intimate but social Bar; the mod Tropicalia inspired by the 70s; and The Meiji Room, with its Japanese mural.
Note that the menu comes at hotel-level prices, so a substantial budget for dining should be considered. The selection is a mix of Japanese and Brazilian influences, with a standout Japanese A5 Wagyu Striploin dish that’s best eaten medium-rare. It’s well-seasoned, buttery, and soft, uniquely served with a fresh and tangy Brazilian tomato salsa and farofa, Brazil’s traditional toasted cassava flour.
Stay for the drinks, because the cocktails pack a punch in terms of alcohol content, flavor, and presentation. Tang is followed by hot spice with the Kyoto Sour, featuring Atago No Matsu sake, grapefruit, green Tabasco, lemon, and agave; or the IG-worthy, tropical Uma Nota Cup Noodle, blending Plantation 3 stars, homemade toasted coconut, liqueur, pineapple, cucumber, lime, and sesame oil. Brazil’s signature Caipirinhas and limemade (Maluco Carioca) are available, too, among many others.
Not a secret any longer! The Bistro Group is bringing Malaysian bakeshop Secret Recipe to Metro Manila by February, the restaurant group confirmed to Rappler.
The branch will be located at One Ayala Mall, Makati City, and marks The Bistro Group’s first Asian-Western cuisine concept that serves savory meals, cakes, and pastries.
Its Philippine menu will consist of Fried Rice with Chicken Satay, Irish Lamb Shank, Laksa, and Beef Rendang, plus freshly-baked cakes like Hokkaido Triple Cheese Chocolate, Butterfly Pea Lemon, Black Forest Milo Cheesecake, and Absolute Durian.
Hot teas like Peppermint Mojito Serenity and Cherry Blush Harmony will be available, as well as signature drinks Citrus Sea of Blue Tea, Pop of Berry Delight, Caramel Matcha, Chocolate Oreo Smores, and Espresso Ecstacy.
The cake shop and café chain was founded in Malaysia in 1997, and has since expanded to 440 branches around Asia.
Yes, chef! In November, the Gordon Ramsay brand announced that its first Philippine restaurant would be opening at the Newport World Resorts (NWR) in Pasay City in the second quarter of 2024.
Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill, helmed by the Hell’s Kitchen host and the celebrity chef himself, is slated to be one of NWR’s biggest restaurants to date. On the menu will be a curated selection of rare breed steaks, grilled specialties, and fresh market seafood, plus Ramsay’s iconic beef Wellington as well.
Brazil’s award-winning steakhouse Fogo de Chão is heading to Glorietta 4 in Makati City this year!
The Bistro Group first announced its upcoming arrival to the country in July 2022, marking the internationally-renowned restaurant’s first foray into Asia.
The Philippine menu will offer the South Brazilian restaurant’s premium filet mignon, bone-in cowboy ribeye, beef ribs, seafood ala carte, dry-aged wagyu cuts, and lamb chops. The resident “churrascaria” also offers its house specialties of Picanha – a prime cut of the top sirloin – and Fraldinha, strongly marbled bottom sirloin, served with authentic chimichurri sauce.
Founded in 1979, Fogo de Chão is best known for its use of churrasco, the cooking technique of “roasting high-quality cuts of meat over an open flame.” Churrasco is the Portuguese/Spanish term for “grilled beef” from the cuisines of Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. Gaucho chefs carefully prepare, butcher, grill, and carve these tender meat cuts tableside, and typically season the meat platters with cumin, cilantro, oregano, turmeric, coriander, parsley, annatto, and other native spices and herbs.
Fogo de Chão is headquartered in the US and currently has 66 branches across Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the US, and the Middle East. Its São Paulo branch is part of the 2020 Michelin Guide of Brazil.
Word on the street is that popular US steak restaurant Morton’s Steakhouse is set to open in two Philippine locations – Inquirer reported in November 2022 that the chain signed up for a space in Ayala Triangle Tower Two, Makati City, while Spot.PH also spotted its sign on the ground floor of Uptown Eastgate Tower, Bonifacio Global City.
The Bistro Group is reportedly bringing the brand here in the second quarter of 2024.
The renowned steakhouse – which was founded in Chicago in 1978 – is famous for its prime-aged steaks. Since then, Morton’s has ventured to Toronto, Mexico, Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo, and Singapore.
Coming in hot from La Union is the surf spot’s beloved coffee shop El Union, whose team is bringing a new concept called Del Union to Fully Booked, Bonifacio Global City! As of February, the branch is already open to bookworms and coffee lovers looking for a cup o’ joe and hearty sandwiches.
El Union’s first coffee and sandwich shop in Metro Manila aims to reimagine the local coffee experience for urban dwellers by bringing a taste of provincial life to the urban jungle.
Inspired by the success of El Union, Del Union serves not only its signature horchata, coffee, and grilled cheese, but also new sandwiches crafted by Chef EJ Lagman of MAKAN at Eliseos, a well-loved restaurant in La Union. Expect a charred tenderloin beef sandwich with smoked aioli; beet, leek, and ginger on focaccia; and even all-veggie options! Most dishes will highlight produce from the north.
When one door closes, another one opens! Chef Bruce Ricketts closed down his award-winning omakase Mecha Uma in BGC in December, but is gearing up for mid-2024 with a new concept called Iai Manila, an “innovative sushi kappo” and chef’s counter in Metro Manila.
Chef Bruce Ricketts is also also behind Parañaque gem Sensei Sushi, Japanese fusion resto Ooma, and Mexican joint La Chinesca. As of writing, Iai already has its own Instagram page, but with no posts yet.
Mecha Uma was known as the country’s “first chef’s counter offering an innovative, seasonal omakase experience.”
Organic neighborhood favorite Earth Kitchen, located along White Plains, Quezon City, closed down in July 2023, reassuring patrons that a “next chapter” was in store at a “new and better space.”
However, the wholesome dining restaurant has remained active on social media, with its latest post on January 10 announcing that Earth Kitchen will be back soon with more “fresh and sustainable dining options!”
Earth Kitchen opened its first and sole branch in White Plains in 2015, with an advocacy to eat clean, sustainable, and healthy, while supporting our local farmers and indigenous communities. – Rappler.com
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Why is Filipino tycoon Injap Sia’s Hotel 101 like a fast-food burger? | gdecastro0289 | 9/2/2024 13:21 | MANILA, Philippines – Filipino tycoon Edgar “Injap” Sia II, founder of Philippine fast-food chicken brand Mang Inasal, has likened his hotel business to fast-food burgers.
As Sia’s DoubleDragon Corporation applies “standardization” to its global hotel chain, Hotel 101, its top executives said on Thursday, February 8 that it will be the only branded hotel chain in the world to have rooms that will be the same type in all countries where Hotel 101 will be established.
In a disclosure, investment management company DoubleDragon said the Hotel 101 chain will have “literally 1 type of room, all the same sizes, all the same fit out, all the same bulb, door knob, the same bed size.”
“Eventually we see Hotel 101 rooms to be just like that one iconic hamburger in a global fast-food chain, it is the same no matter where you go – yes, the price changes as costs vary from country to country, but the burger doesn’t change,” said Hotel 101 CEO Hannah Yulo-Luccini.
DoubleDragon calls its 21-square-meter signature space the “Happy Room.”
“The opportunity that we see globally in the hospitality space is that of standardization because we believe it brings unbeatable efficiency, especially for the mid-end segment,” said DoubleDragon chair Sia, also likening it to the budget airline business.
“Take for example the budget airline industry – essentially all budget airlines sell one product across the whole industry and that product is the economy seat,” he said.
DoubleDragon said Hotel 101 is “efficient to build, efficient to maintain, efficient to operate,” resulting in cheaper room rates of up to 30% in the 3-star hotel category.
“Unbeatable efficiency comes from having around five times the usual size of other branded 3-star hotel chain, as Hotel 101 on average has 500 rooms per site, and efficiency brought about by having literally only 1 type of room,” the publicly listed firm said.
“The latest Hotel 101 typical room now comes with prefabricated toilets, and standardized flat pack furniture and a single type of bulb within the whole building. A customer literally knows what to expect wherever they may be,” it said.
Booking a room is also expected to be fast since there is only one standard room.
Standardization is a common practice in the fast-food business since it allows restaurants to serve food quickly. It also allows for economies of scale since companies get lower prices from suppliers by buying more of the same item, translating to lower costs and cheaper food.
George Ritzer, an American sociologist, became famous for coining the word, “McDonaldization.” In 1993, he wrote the article, “The McDonaldization of Society,” which pointed out McDonald’s principles – efficiency, calculability, predictabilty, control – that have been applied to society, and pointing out some negative consequences.
DoubleDragon claimed there is no hotel brand worldwide that has more than 100,000 rooms of the same type.
Similar to the airline industry, Hotel 101 currently applies “dynamic pricing” on the room rates wherein the room price moves up and down depending on the real time supply and demand on the chosen date of booking.
Hotel 101 is the first Filipino hotel chain to go global. It is currently undertaking three Hotel 101 projects abroad.
Hotel 101 in Madrid, Spain, will have 680 rooms. It is set to open in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Hotel 101 in Niseko, Hokkaido prefecture, Japan will have 482 rooms and is set to be launched in 2027.
Hotel 101 in Los Angeles, USA, will have 622 rooms.
“These first three overseas sites will serve as bridge projects to jumpstart the transition of Hotel 101 to transcend beyond these first three countries and become a global brand with a truly unique business concept that can be planted in over 100 countries,” the company said.
DoubleDragon is planning to launch Hotel 101 projects in 22 other countries by 2026: United Kingdom, UAE, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Mexico, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Turkey, Italy, Germany, France, and China.
In October 2023, DoubleDragon opened its Global Corporate Office and Global Sales Hub in Singapore, which showcases its Happy Room.
DoubleDragon’s global vision for Hotel 101 is to have a portfolio of one million hotel rooms in 101 countries before 2050.
It believes it can do this since it applies the “Asset Light” concept to its “hybrid condotel business.” This means it pre-sells the units, which translates to less capital expenses. After construction, the investor who buys a unit gets a perpetual individual condominium title, while Hotel 101 shoulders hotel operating expenses, unit repairs and maintenance, as well as cost of unit renovations. The unit owner gets a chance to stay in the hotel, and Hotel 101 earns from it by renting it out when the unit owner doesn’t use it.
“If one studies closely the novel and unique Hotel 101 concept simultaneously from a deeper detailed view, its Asset-Light and highly portable business model is exportable to over 100 countries globally, of which the network effect of the brand is expected to be further elevated which should positively benefit all the stakeholders within its ecosystem,” DoubleDragon said.
“Moreover, as far as we know, the Hotel 101 unique concept has never been done in any part of the world before, moreso in multiple countries worldwide.”
In the Philippines, DoubleDragon currently has its flagship Hotel 101 Manila in Pasay City, and its new Hotel 101 Fort business-leisure hotel in Bonifacio Global City with 609 rooms.
DoubleDragon has also lined up the following Hotel 101 projects in the Philippines:
Meantime, DoubleDragon’s subsidiary, Hotel 101 Global PTE, has reserved the ticket symbol “HBNB” with the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, where it plans to list this year.
It will be the first Filipino company to list via the Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPAC) in the US Nasdaq Stock Exchange.
“The SPAC listing will enable DoubleDragon’s hotel subsidiary to not only increase its equity capital base but will also make Hotel 101 become more relevant overseas and the step would at the same time further strengthen DoubleDragon’s consolidated balance sheet,” the company said.
Sia started and grew the chicken barbeque chain, Mang Inasal, in Iloilo in 2003, which was later acquired by fast-food giant Jollibee Foods Corporation for P3 billion. This catapulted the now-42-year-old college dropout to the Forbes magazine’s wealthiest list in 2011.
Jollibee founder Tony Tan Caktiong is now Sia’s partner in DoubleDragon, where the former serves as co-chairman. – Rappler.com
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Ticket prices, how to watch: Gilas Pilipinas at FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers | delfin.dioquino editor | 16/02/2024 22:05 | AIM. Dwight Ramos in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Filipino hoop fans are in for a treat as Gilas Pilipinas returns to the grind in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
For the first window, the Nationals start their campaign with an away game in Hong Kong at the Tsuen Wan Stadium at 8 pm on February 22 before they host Chinese Taipei at the PhilSports Arena at 7:30 pm on February 25.
The opening window of the qualifiers marks the return of naturalized player Justin Brownlee, who served a three-month suspension after leading the Philippines to a historic Asian Games crown.
Also back in the fold are the likes of Kai Sotto, Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Carl Tamayo, and Kevin Quiambao – players who are considered the future of the national team.
With head coach Tim Cone underscoring the importance of the big picture, the Nationals hope to gain ground for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in July.
Here are ways to watch Gilas Pilipinas’ first two games in the Asia Cup Qualifiers:
Gilas Pilipinas will play its first home game since it beat China in the FIBA World Cup in September as it hosts Chinese Taipei at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
Here are the ticket prices available at SM Tickets:
Free TV viewers can catch the games live on One Sports and RPTV, while Cignal subscribers can also watch on One Sports+.
Pilipinas Live will stream the games on its website and mobile application.
Fans can also catch Rappler Sports’ live updates on game days.
– Rappler.com
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The exorcism of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.? | Paterno Esmaquel II | 16/02/2024 18:30 | Ah, political crisis. You know it when politicians attend or hold their own, mm-hmm, prayer rallies.
The plot gets thicker when one considers the timing: the 38th anniversary of People Power, the 1986 revolt that unseated the President’s father and namesake, dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos.
But it gets weird – and complicated – when one factors in the “opposing” political camps holding these prayer rallies.
We say “opposing,” in quotation marks, because while they come from different poles of the political spectrum, they now find themselves seeking to drive away the same evil spirits.
At least two political camps are mounting prayer rallies on February 23 and 25 to seek the enlightenment of President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. – and to resist attempts to change the Constitution, which had been linked to the chief executive‘s cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
On February 23, forces loyal to the Liberal Party, or the Aquinos, or the Yellows, or “the opposition” (depending on how you view them) are holding a National Day of Prayer and Action for EDSA.
February 23, 1986, was the first day of the three-day revolution, which erupted after Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin called on Filipinos to protect rebel soldiers against pro-Marcos troops. Those who heeded his call flocked to Metro Manila’s main highway, EDSA.
The revolution ended on February 25, 1986, a date that presidents have declared a holiday for many years.
Opposition forces represented by Kiko Aquino Dee, grandson of democracy icons Benigno Aquino Jr. and Corazon Aquino, are frustrated after Marcos did not declare it a nonworking holiday this year. (It is worth noting, however, that not all presidents, not even Benigno Aquino III, declared this a nonworking holiday.) They, too, are aghast at moves to change the Constitution, which the nation ratified on February 2, 1987, and is considered a legacy of the 1986 uprising.
This was to be expected of the so-called Yellow forces that have always been against Marcos.
But what about the pro-Duterte?
Even if he ran on an anti-Aquino platform in the 2016 presidential election and later approved a hero’s burial for the late dictator Marcos, former president Rodrigo Duterte is riding the EDSA wave. Duterte reportedly confirmed he will join a prayer rally at Plaza sa Katawhan in front of the Cebu City Hall on February 25.
In this prayer rally, pro-Duterte forces aim to fight moves to change the Constitution through people’s initiative, The Freeman reported.
Few media outlets, among them The Freeman and Daily Tribune, have reported about this Cebu prayer rally as of Friday afternoon, February 16, but pro-Duterte personalities such as Jay Sonza and Vivian Velez have been actively promoting the event on social media.
Three weeks ago, Duterte also led a prayer rally against charter change. The rally took place in his turf, Davao City, where he said Marcos was on the drug watch list of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
The former president said on this day of prayer, January 29, a Sunday: “May drug addict tayo na presidente! Putang inang ‘yan!” (We have a drug addict for a president! That son of a whore!)
What litanies can we expect from Duterte this time around?
We know the question on your mind right now: Why is Duterte – who once cursed Pope Francis and called God stupid – now leading prayer rallies, of all things?
Well, throughout history, religion has been used either to legitimize political power or to challenge the powers that be.
The People Power Revolution is a perfect example – when Filipinos clutching rosaries or holding images of the Virgin Mary faced soldiers and tanks in a brave act of protest against the Marcos dictatorship.
Remember, too, how Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo joined prayer rallies or had her photos taken with religious leaders at the height of her unpopularity? And how prayer rallies, too, became a tool for her critics (only that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines was lukewarm toward calls for her resignation)?
As the German feminist theologian Dorothy Solle wrote in 1984, religion plays a double function: “as apology and legitimation of the status quo and its culture of injustice on the one hand, and as a means of protest, change, and liberation on the other hand.”
In his 1964 book, The Sacred Canopy, sociologist Peter Berger said that religion “appears in history both as a world-maintaining force and as a world-shaking force.”
We can talk more about this in a future in-depth article, but for now, allow us to end with the words of the President’s manang, his eldest sister Senator Imee Marcos.
For Senator Marcos, praying means one thing in the context of today’s politics: keeping “demons” away.
At an event of the Christian church Jesus Is Lord (led by a congressman, Eddie Villanueva, whose son Joel is a senator – ah, another religious angle), Senator Marcos made an impassioned plea to the Lord.
“Haplusin nawa ninyo ang puso ng aking kapatid, ang Pangulo ng Pilipinas. Buksan ‘nyo ang kanyang mga mata at bigyan ‘nyo siya ng kaliwanagan ng pag-iisip. Gisingin ‘nyo po siya at ilayo sa mga demonyong nakapaligid,” Senator Marcos said.
(Touch the heart of my brother, the President of the Philippines. Open his eyes and give him clarity of mind. Wake him up and keep him away from the demons around him.)
Okay then.
May the best angels win! – Rappler.com
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I agree with Paterno Esmaquel II: “Well, throughout history, religion has been used either to legitimize political power or to challenge the powers that be. ” How about the present situation? Are our politicians, especially former President Digong Duterte, using religion to legitimize their Greed for Power and Money?
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4 new al fresco dining destinations in Angeles City | Joann Manabat - CMS | 14/02/2024 12:15 | CITY GETAWAYS. Four new restarunts in Angeles City, Pampanga.
Joann Manabat/Rappler
ANGELES CITY, Philippines – New secret garden-like cafes and restaurants have emerged in Angeles City in Pampanga, perfect for couples looking for romantic dinner dates with the sunset as their backdrop.
The city’s newest outdoor dining destinations – Piña Kitchen and Cafe, Kynd Dining, Muni Phils, and Sage by Ardesia – are just 15 minutes away from Clark Freeport Zone.
Sophisticated dining Piña Kitchen and Coffee has a tropical ambience that matches its Asian cuisine centered on Philippine fusion.
Opened in December 2023, Piña has been collaborating with the nearby Aeta community to provide their produce needs and carry out a farm-to-table experience.
On Valentine’s Day, Piña arranged a special schedule and prepared a three-course menu for couples planning. Their regular menu offerings will still be available to groups dining together. You can try some their savory piña (pineapple) dishes.
Located at Purok 2, Bliss, Barangay Sapangbato, Piña Kitchen and Cafe is open daily from 11 am to 9 pm For reservations, call or send a text message to 09620716998.
Social media accounts: @pina_kitchenandcoffee on Instagram, Piña Dining and Coffee on Facebook.
Not far from Piña is Kynd Dining locaed in the highlands of Barangay Sapangbato in Angeles City.
Inspired by Ubud town in Bali, Indonesia, Kynd offers views of the lush mountain greenery and the Angeles City watershed.
Kynd opened its doors in June 2023, serving mostly Filipino fusion dishes such as Okoy, Tinapa Paté, and Crispy Pork Kare-Kare, as well as a selection of cocktails.
Enjoy a sunset dinner in a special tablescape for Valentine’s Day at their al fresco dining area.
Accepting walk-ins on a first come, first serve basis, even on Valentine’s Day, Kynd Dining is open every Tuesday to Sunday from 11 am to 9 pm. For reservations call or text 09285100628
Social media accounts: @kynd.dining on Instagram, KYND Dining on Facebook.
Casual dining restaurant Muni’s Sunset Lounge Cafe boasts of one of the best views in the whole of Pampanga: Mount Arayat as well as the city scape.
Muni offers simple pasta dishes and sandwiches perfect for casual dinner dates.
Also located in Purok 2, Bliss, Muni opened their little paradise in May 2022 as a bed and breakfast with four kubo (nipa hut) rooms each with a bathtub and a semi-outdoor shower area. Pets are also welcome.
Muni’s Sunset Lounge Cafe is open daily from 3 pm to 9 pm. For inquiries and bookings, send a message to 09938677526.
Look for them in their socials via Instagram and Facebook: @muni.phils
A reservation-only, semi-fine dining restaurant, Sage by Ardesia is perfect for special dinner dates with your equally special someone.
Opened in January 2024, Sage sources its ingredients from a local farm.
Their must-try include pizza and pasta dishes such as Margherita and Pistachio Mortadella, as well as Tagliatelli Tartufo and Tagliatelle al Nero con Frutti di Mare. Gluten-free options are also available for any of their pasta dishes, upon request.
Located at Jose P. Laurel Avenue, Barangay Margot, Sage by Ardesia is open daily from 11 am to 10 pm They also welcome intimate parties. To book your table, you may text or call 09175340111.
Look for them via Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok: @sagebyardesia – Rappler.com
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MUP pensions, Maharlika Fund pose risks to PH economy, says new study | gdecastro0289 | 16/02/2024 15:49 | SWORN IN. Four new directors of the Maharlika Investment Corporation take their oath office on December 20, 2023.
Presidential Communications Office
MANILA, Philippines – A new research paper by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) cited risks facing the Philippine economy in 2024, including ballooning military and uniformed personnel (MUP) pensions as well as the new strategic investment fund of the Marcos administration called the Maharlika Investment Fund.
In an economic briefing on Thursday, February 15, Dr. Margarita Debuque-Gonzales, a former senior research fellow of PIDS, the government’s policy think-tank, presented the highlights of a new study titled “Macroeconomic Outlook of the Philippines in 2023–2024: Prospects and Perils.”
The PIDS researchers forecast GDP growth to fall within 5.5-6% this year, while inflation is expected to fall exactly at the government target of 3%.
But they identified various risks to the economy, especially on the country’s fiscal health.
Some thoughts of Dr Maggie Debuque-Gonzales (former UPSE prof) on the Maharlika Investment Fund. She says the Filipino people must stay vigilant and look out for possible misuse/corruption of the fund. pic.twitter.com/wiUd9TlMSW
Debuque-Gonzales pointed out that the arrears or unpaid MUP pensions have ballooned to P57 billion as of 2021, and that MUP pensions “typically exceeded the cost of supporting the active military.”
Moreover, because MUP pensions are “automatically indexed” or tied to retirement pay, the MUP salary increases in the past have led to the swelling of such pensions.
She advised that addressing MUP pensions “could [contribute] to greater fiscal sustainability in the country.”
Moreover, she said that “the heart of the debate should be on…who [among the MUP] will bear the brunt of the [fiscal] adjustment and the need for an equitable framework.”
Although there were efforts among government technocrats and some lawmakers to reform MUP pensions, these have been stymied by intense opposition among army and police forces, as well as other MUPs who stand to lose benefits once reforms are enacted.
Apart from MUP pensions, the PIDS researchers also pointed out risks posed by the Maharlika Investment Fund, the new strategic investment fund set up by the Marcos Jr. administration.
While Maharlika can potentially attract new capital into the country, the authors said they wish the fund “will not draw from already scarce state funds, and the government must also ensure that the funding contributions of the [GFIs]…do not fuel uncertainty” and erode the country’s overall financial health.
Debuque-Gonzales also pointed out that Maharlika has “dual” if not “conflicting” goals: “one is to promote socioeconomic development, and another is to make it profitable.” Settling this conflict will be crucial in Maharlika’s success.
The PIDS authors added that Maharlika needs a “credible return benchmark” that the economic managers must craft. However, she emphasized that such benchmark cannot be misused to merely “mask” the fund’s performance in case it performs poorly or is subject to corruption.
Maharlika might also be politicized, and this should be avoided. She said, “the likelihood of [MIF] turning a profit may be higher if investment decisions are kept free of political complexities and patronage.”
Debuque-Gonzales, who is set to assume a new role as a senior researcher at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), said that her “last policy recommendation” as she leaves PIDS is that the Filipino public has a role to play in monitoring the implementation of the Maharlika fund. “You should be the ones monitoring, because this is your fund,” she added.
Earlier, economists at the University of the Philippines similarly flagged risks associated with the Maharlika Investment Fund. In a discussion paper published June 2023, the UP economists said that Maharlika “violates fundamental principles of economics and finance and poses serious risks to the economy and the public sector – notwithstanding its proponents’ good intentions.”
The Maharlika Investment Fund was signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 18, 2023, less than 8 months since it was first proposed by lawmakers in the House of Representatives.
In November 2023, President Marcos appointed businessman Rafael Consing Jr. to be the first president and CEO of the Maharlika Investment Corporation (MIC). Right before Christmas 2023, Marcos completed the 9-member board of directors of the MIC. – Rappler.com
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CATCH UP: Recapping PVL teams’ player moves after wild 2023 offseason | jisaga0269 | 17/02/2024 10:00 | NEW HOMES. (L-R, from top row) Majoy Baron, Kim Fajardo, Kianna Dy, Caitlin Viray, Aby Marano, Bea de Leon, Dawn Macandili-Catindig, Grethcel Soltones, and Ara Galang pose for photos during the 2024 PVL Media Day sessions
PVL Images/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Hard-hitting volleyball is back for the first time in 2024 as the new PVL All-Filipino Conference kicks off at the PhilSports Arena on Tuesday, February 20.
Mighty dynasty Creamline is once again set to defend its crown, this time against two new teams and many other familiar faces – albeit dressed in different colors after arguably the most frenzied and most high-profile free agency period in league history to cap off 2023.
As the taraflex courts are rolled out once again, take a look back at how PVL teams fared in the chaotic, year-ending scramble, and how they are expected to perform in this upcoming 2024 season.
The following are arranged by the final team records in the 2023 Second All-Filipino Conference:
Key additions: Bea de Leon, Denden Lazaro-Revilla, Dij RodriguezKey departures: Celine Domingo, Jia de Guzman (Japan V. League import)Key holdovers: Alyssa Valdez, Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza, Kyle Negrito, Michele Gumabao
Dynasty, super team, empire. Whatever you want to call it, Creamline is again the team to beat in the new All-Filipino Conference.
Briefly bogged down by the departures of former MVPs Celine Domingo and Jia de Guzman, the Cool Smashers quickly rebounded by snagging sister team Choco Mucho’s leaders Bea de Leon and Denden Lazaro-Revilla, before scouring the sands to land beach volleyball standout Dij Rodriguez.
There’s not much else to be said. It is once again a championship-or-bust campaign for the almighty seven-time PVL champions.
Key additions: Royse Tubino, Mars Alba, Bia General, Mean MendrezKey departures: Caitlin Viray, Bea de Leon, Denden Lazaro-Revilla, Des Cheng (injured)Key holdovers: Sisi Rondina, Kat Tolentino, Isa Molde, Cherry Nunag, Deanna Wong
After its first-ever finals and podium finish, Choco Mucho is determined to keep shaking off the “little sister” tag.
Despite losing vocal leaders Bea de Leon and Denden Lazaro-Revilla to their ates in Creamline, the Flying Titans quickly rebounded with a free agency signing quartet, bannered by veteran spiker Royse Tubino, and fearless young setter Mars Alba.
Choco Mucho is here to stay as a contender, and its arsenal is more than enough to go for gold this time around.
Key additions: Dawn Macandili-Catindig, Jovelyn FernandezKey departures: Bia General, Gelai Nunag, Rachel Anne Daquis (on leave)Key holdovers: Vanie Gandler, Ces Molina, Ria Meneses, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Gel Cayuna
Cignal has a proverbial glass ceiling to break, and it looks like it has found the perfect set of tools for the job.
Often settling for bronze-medal finishes in recent years, the HD Spikers are shoring up their already potent defenses with top libero Dawn Macandili-Catindig, a perfect complement to their array of offensive powerhouses like MVP Ces Molina, Jovelyn Gonzaga, and the fast-rising Vanie Gandler.
There will be no silver linings this time around. Only gold will do for this Cignal batch.
Key additions: Aby Maraño, Ara Galang, Jeanette VillarealKey departures: NoneKey holdovers: Eya Laure, Mylene Paat, Pauline Gaston, Cess Robles, Jen Nierva, Jasmine Nabor
Fierce just got fiercer for former PVL champion Chery Tiggo.
Already led by former MVP Mylene Paat and super rookie Eya Laure, the Crossovers just got a double shot of veteran savvy in new captain Aby Maraño and her fellow former F2 partner-in-crime Ara Galang.
Chery Tiggo’s quest back on top continues, with a lot of skill, swag, and star power to boot.
Key additions: Kianna Dy (injured), Majoy Baron, Kim FajardoKey departures: Mika Reyes (injured)Key holdovers: Savannah Davison, Kath Arado, Dell Palomata, Erika Santos, Rhea Dimaculangan
Following F2’s disbandment, PLDT was aptly one of the first ones to ring players’ phones, and to its delight, the perfect trio of stars answered the calls.
Once she fully heals, super scorer Kianna Dy will serve as the perfect opposite hitter complement to top outsides Savannah Davison and Erika Santos, while Majoy Baron will nicely fill in the middle blocker spot left by injured captain Mika Reyes.
Setter Rhea Dimaculangan, meanwhile, will carry a lighter playmaking load as overqualified backup Kim Fajardo completes the former F2 troika for PLDT.
Like sister team Cignal, PLDT is never too far away from breaking through to the contenders’ upper rungs, and the same will still ring true this new conference.
Key additions: Brooke Van Sickle, MJ Phillips (returning), Myla Pablo (returning), Mich Morente, Joy Dacoron, coach Koji TsuzurabaraKey departures: Grethcel Soltones, Heather Guino-oKey holdovers: Jonah Sabete, Djanel Cheng, Remy Palma, Nicole Tiamzon, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas
The 2023 Second All-Filipino Conference is shaping up to be mere pit stop for Petro Gazz.
After a subpar 6-5 record and sixth-place finish, the Angels have refueled with a plethora of new signings and returnees, most notably Fil-Am standout Brooke Van Sickle, former Korean V. League import MJ Phillips, two-time MVP Myla Pablo, and new Japanese head coach Koji Tsuzurabara.
As expected of a perennial contender, Petro Gazz is once again back to compete with the best and be the best.
Key additions: Grethcel Soltones, Celine Domingo, Max JuangcoKey departures: Justine Jazareno (on leave), Coach Jorge Souza de BritoKey holdovers: Faith Nisperos, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Fifi Sharma, Erika Raagas, Trisha Genesis
There seems to be no stopping Akari’s rise as the PVL’s new dark horse contender.
After a franchise-best seventh-place finish in the previous All-Filipino tilt, the Chargers have gone all in, signing former V-League MVP Grethcel Soltones and ex-Finals MVP Celine Domingo to bolster multiple facets in both offense and defense.
It will surely be crowded at the top, but Akari is hell-bent on crashing that party soon.
Key additions: Ivy Lacsina, Jaila AtienzaKey departures: Judith Abil, Janine NavarroKey holdovers: Kamille Cal, Jho Maraguinot, Lycha Ebon, Rachel Jorvina, Krich Macaslang
Unlike its playoff-hunting sister team Akari, Nxled will more than likely keep its focus on developing its growing talent core this conference and beyond.
To their credit, the Chameleons are definitely on the right track after luring their own former F2 standout in young blocker Ivy Lacsina, who showed off as a potentially serviceable winger in her final conference as a Cargo Mover.
Nxled is by no means a title contender yet. That doesn’t mean it should be ignored by those that are.
Key additions: Caitlin Viray, Jolina dela Cruz (injured), Lorene Toring (injured), Elaine KasilagKey departures: College of St. Benilde players (Gayle Pascual, Jade Gentapa, Sophia Mondonedo, etc.)Key holdovers: Trisha Tubu, Kate Santiago, Louie Romero, Pia Ildefonso, Alyssa Bertolano
Don’t let young Farm Fresh fool you, it is hungry for wins, and it will stand toe-to-toe with anyone in its way, contender or otherwise.
Arguably the most intriguing of the PVL’s new teams, the Foxies are gearing up for a massive leap in the standings with an outstanding off-season haul of breakout opposite hitter Caitlin Viray, veteran blocker Elaine Kasilag, and former collegiate standouts Jolina dela Cruz and Lorene Toring.
Brimming with youth and clear-cut potential, Farm Fresh will surely threaten the league’s established powers very, very soon.
Key additions: Shola Alvarez, France Ronquillo, Alyssa EroaKey departures: NoneKey holdovers: Dimdim Pacres, Rapril Aguilar, Roma Joy Doromal, Fhen Emnas, Carly Hernandez
The horizon remains foggy for upstart Galeries Tower after its debut conference, but the skies will always clear up for those who weather the storms.
Currently a hodgepodge of veterans and prospects, the Highrisers made earnest attempts in the free agent bidding wars and landed more role players like Alyssa Eroa and former F2 hitter Shola Alvarez.
Galeries has shown an on-court fire better than its 1-10 debut record shows. Time will tell if it can find its winning blueprint in this intensely competitive league.
Key additions: Coach Roger Gorayeb, Ja Lana, Jel Quizon, Heather Guino-o, Jorelle Singh, Bingle Landicho, Janine Navarro, Aiko Urdas
One of the two debuting teams this All-Filipino Conference, Capital1 has immediately shown a serious desire to compete with the PVL’s best.
After tapping legendary coach Roger Gorayeb to command its kickoff campaign, the Solar Spikers put together an intriguing mix of role players-turned-top options like Heather Guino-o and Jorelle Singh, and young collegiate standouts like Ja Lana and Jel Quizon.
Capital1 will surely capitalize on its new spot in the PVL, and entertaining games may very well be in store for the debutant squad.
Key additions: Lilet Mabbayad, Jana Sta. Maria, Vira May Guillema, Dolly Verzosa, Sarah Verutiao
Undisputedly the bigger mystery of the two new PVL teams, renowned basketball big-spender Strong Group Athletics is not banking on major name recall in its first foray into volleyball.
Straight-up called a bunch of “no-names” by assistant team manager Kiara Cruz, Strong Group’s possible top options hail from the NCAA and a variety of lower-level leagues like Manny Pacquiao’s fledgling Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association.
Hey, who knows? Maybe the “no-names” can introduce themselves under the brighter lights of the PVL with some huge upsets. No one is unbeatable in sports. – Rappler.com
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For them in 2024, there’s no forgetting the EDSA revolution | Dwight de Leon | 13/02/2024 7:00 | PEOPLE POWER. Protesters gather at the EDSA People Power Monument on February 20, 2022, to commemorate the 36th anniversary of the People Power Revolution that toppled dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
No holiday, no problem.
Malacañang’s decision in October 2023 to exclude the EDSA People Power Revolution anniversary from the list of holidays in 2024 prompted democracy advocates to push back harder and mount numerous commemorative events this year, according to the grandson of democracy icons Ninoy and Cory Aquino.
“A fire was lit under us when the holiday was canceled, which was questionable because other holidays that fell on a weekend like the Chinese New Year were recognized as a holiday,” Kiko Aquino Dee said.
“This year, in particular, it is clear that there is an effort to set EDSA aside, and that’s something we stand against,” he added.
So far, the Buhay ang Edsa campaign network has listed the following events later this month:
The culmination of the bloodless revolt on February 25, 1986, kicked dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos out of Malacañang after an iron-fist rule that lasted more than a decade. His family soon went on exile in Hawaii, an experience that his son Marcos Jr. described as among the darkest days of their lives.
A decades-long project to rehabilitate their family’s image ultimately led to the Marcoses returning to power, capped by Marcos Jr.’s ascent to the presidency in 2022.
For 2024, the Palace downplayed its removal of the EDSA Revolution anniversary from the list of holidays, saying there would be “minimal socio-economic impact in declaring this day as a special non-working holiday since it coincides with the rest day for most workers and laborers.”
This year, democracy advocates are also using the EDSA revolution anniversary commemoration to amplify their opposition to charter change.
“We cannot talk about EDSA without defending the Constitution that made the victories of EDSA enjoyed by the people,” Aquino Dee said.
The present Constitution was completed months after the 1986 uprising, and ratified through a nationwide plebiscite in February 1987.
It replaced the 1973 Constitution, which helped Marcos justify his prolonged stay in office.
Around 78 student council organizations across the country have banded together to reject attempts under the Marcos administration to amend or revise the present Constitution.
“It is our firm belief that charter change will not address the worsening education crisis where our learners are failing globally in reading, mathematics, and science,” said Kris Felices, a member of the alliance. “We fervently urge the government and other policy makers to concentrate their efforts in addressing pressing concerns affecting the youth.” – Rappler.com
(Quotes in Filipino were translated into English.)
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Rappler Talk: Father Regie Malicdem on the mission of mall chapels | Paterno Esmaquel II | 17/02/2024 8:59 | Click the YouTube link at the topmost portion of this page to watch this Rappler Talk interview.
MANILA, Philippines – Why is the Catholic Church building more chapels in Filipino shopping malls?
Filipinos take these chapels for granted, a fact of life in the country with the world’s third biggest number of Catholics.
But what is the theology behind these mall chapels? How do they fit into the Catholic Church’s mission? Or how do they redefine “mission” for today’s Catholics who live in busy cities?
Rappler senior multimedia reporter Paterno Esmaquel II talks to Father Reginald “Regie” Malicdem, mission station priest of Mary Mother of Hope Chapel in Landmark, a popular department store in the Makati business district.
Malicdem, one of the most recognized priests on social media today, is a former rector of the Manila Cathedral. A longtime private secretary to Manila archbishops, he is now the vicar general or right-hand man of Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula.
This Rappler Talk interview interview with Malicdem was shot at Landmark Chapel right after the noontime Mass on Ash Wednesday, February 14.
Watch the interview at 11 am (Manila time) on Saturday, February 17.
To watch Rappler Talk, click the video at the topmost portion of this page, or check it out on Rappler’s Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or YouTube accounts. – Rappler.com
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GAME SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 86 volleyball | jisaga0269 | 8/5/2024 20:35 | It’s down to the last two teams standing as the University of Santo Tomas and National University battle for the UAAP volleyball championship in both the women’s and men’s divisions!
The league’s best separate themselves from the pack as the Final Four showdown kicks off! Here’s the schedule:
UAAP Season 86 volleyball action intensifies as the second round of the men’s and women’s divisions begins on Wednesday, March 20.
The contenders will separate themselves from the pack, with each game determining which teams will make the Final Four. Here’s the schedule:
Volleyball action is back in the UAAP!
Stars from both men’s and women’s divisions are set to ply their growing skill sets once again in front of thousands of fans, beginning on Saturday, February 17 and Sunday, February 18, both at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Here are the first-round schedules for both divisions:
*The March 13 games will be played at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Notable matches include women’s champion La Salle’s debut against contending Adamson on Saturday, 4 pm, at MOA, while men’s three-time defending titlist NU rolls into an immediate finals rematch with UST on Sunday, 12 pm, also at the same venue.
La Salle and NU – finalists in the last two women’s tournaments with one title won each – will wrap up their first-round schedule on March 16, 2 pm at Araneta. – Rappler.com
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Filipino tattoo artist Whang-Od awarded the Presidential Medal of Merit | Dwight de Leon | 14/02/2024 17:10 | DISTINCTION. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with Presidential Medal of Merit recipient Apo Whang-Od on February 14, 2024.
Presidential Communications Office
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. conferred the Presidential Medal of Merit on 106-year-old Kalinga tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od on Wednesday, February 14.
“She is a pioneer in shattering gender stereotypes, venturing into tattooing when it was just a man’s exclusive preserve,” Marcos said. “She is a keeper of oral traditions and a mentor, teaching a new generation of artists, thus ensuring that her art form lives on to tell tales of her community’s history.”
“As Apo Whang-Od’s works appeal to diverse cultures and across political divides, she becomes an enabler for unity and an example of an idea that binds us all. She is truly a national treasure,” he added.
Whang-Od, who started tattooing at the age of 15, is known as the last living mambabatok, an artist who uses thorn and bamboo sticks to draw tribal design tattoos.
The Presidential Medal of Merit, as per Executive Order No. 236, is given to the following:
Aside from Whang-Od, Wednesday’s ceremony in the Palace also celebrated government workers who received the Dangal ng Bayan, Presidential Lingkod Bayan, and CSC (Civil Service Commission) Pag-asa awards. – Rappler.com
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Apo Badoc, patroness of Ilocos Norte, finds home in 4th European city | Paterno Esmaquel II | 13/02/2024 7:58 | PATRONESS. The 400-year-old image of Our Lady of Badoc is honored in an Ilocos Norte fluvial procession to remember the time it was found floating in the sea in 1620.
Ilocos Norte provincial government
MANILA, Philippines – From the shores of Japan in 1620 as the legend goes, the fabled image of Our Lady of Badoc is now in Milan.
Laoag Bishop Renato Mayugba brought a replica of the 400-year-old image of La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc, also known as Apo Badoc, to this Italian city on Sunday, February 10.
Apo Badoc is the patroness of Ilocos Norte, a northern Philippine province of more than 609,500 people. It boasts of historical churches, including a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is the birthplace of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Before being flown to Milan, Apo Badoc had already been brought to the German city of Heilbronn, Rome, and Copenhagen, according to the news service of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. It was also Mayugba, 68, bishop of Laoag for more than a decade, who brought Apo Badoc to Germany, Denmark, and Italy over the past five years.
In bringing the Ilocano icon to different churches worldwide, the Catholic Church aims to strengthen the faith of overseas Filipinos, who brave foreign lands to provide for their families back home. They are also the ones who fill church pews in countries where they work, as Catholicism declines in places like Europe.
“Kahit saan pumunta ang Pilipino, dala niya ang kanyang debosyon (Wherever Filipinos go, they bring their devotion),” Mayugba said in his homily in Milan on Sunday. “Tayo ngayon ang mga bagong mga missionaries (We are now the new missionaries).”
Pope Francis had said in December 2019, when he led the first Simbang Gabi at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, that Filipinos are “smugglers of the faith” – alluding to how overseas Filipinos “smuggle” their faith even to places where it is dangerous to be Catholic, such as the Middle East.
When he was studying in Rome, said Mayugba, he heard the story of an Italian boy who surprised his parish priest when he recited the Our Father in Filipino. “The priest said, ‘Why do you pray like that?’ ‘Because my yaya taught me,’ (the boy) said.”
Mayugba told the Filipino Catholics in Milan: “Combined with your work, you are bringing the faith to the people you live with. May the Lord bless you – for your work and mission as Filipinos and Christians in this part of the world.”
Among the Philippines’ 17 regions, the Ilocos Region – which is composed of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan – was the fifth largest source of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) 2022 Survey on Overseas Filipinos. The Ilocos Region contributed 9.1% of the 1.96 million OFWs during the period April to September 2022.
Up to 9% of OFWs worked in Europe. Italy is one of the top destinations as domestic helpers – to the point that a Filipino film producer, ABS-CBN’s Star Cinema, even produced a 2004 movie titled Milan.
Toward the end of his Mass in Milan, Mayugba said he is leaving with them the miraculous image of Our Lady of Badoc, who is known to help bring peace to families. “Ang kanyang gusto ay buuin ang pamilya (What she wants is to keep families together),” the Laoag bishop said.
The original image of Our Lady of Badoc is enshrined at the Minor Basilica of Saint John the Baptist in Badoc, Ilocos Norte.
The designation of “minor basilica” is significant because there are only 22 minor basilicas out of thousands of Catholic churches in the Philippines, while the world’s four major basilicas can only be found in Rome, the seat of the Pope. This means the shrine of Our Lady of Badoc is one of the 22 most exalted Catholic churches in the Philippines.
According to Museo Ilocos Norte, the image of Apo Badoc was said to have been found by local fishermen in 1620 – contained in a wooden crate floating off the shores of Lago, Dadalaquiten, on the border of Badoc, Ilocos Norte, and Sinait, Ilocos Sur. In another crate was the image of Santo Cristo Milagroso, an image of a dark-skinned crucified Christ, which is now honored in Sinait.
Apo Badoc and Santo Cristo Milagroso are believed to have been shipped out of Japan by persecuted Christians in the 17th century, said Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, a longtime bishop in Mindanao but a native of Laoag, Ilocos Norte.
This kept the images away from destruction as the Tokugawa Shogunate prohibited Christianity and ordered the persecution of Christians in the early 17th century. One of those martyred in Japan was the first Filipino saint, Lorenzo Ruiz of Binondo, Manila, who died of torture on September 29, 1637, for refusing to renounce his Catholic faith.
In 2019, four centuries after it was found, Mayugba also brought Apo Badoc to Japan. – Rappler.com
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Filipino tattoo artist Whang-Od awarded the Presidential Medal of Merit | Dwight de Leon | 14/02/2024 17:10 | DISTINCTION. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with Presidential Medal of Merit recipient Apo Whang-Od on February 14, 2024.
Presidential Communications Office
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. conferred the Presidential Medal of Merit on 106-year-old Kalinga tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od on Wednesday, February 14.
“She is a pioneer in shattering gender stereotypes, venturing into tattooing when it was just a man’s exclusive preserve,” Marcos said. “She is a keeper of oral traditions and a mentor, teaching a new generation of artists, thus ensuring that her art form lives on to tell tales of her community’s history.”
“As Apo Whang-Od’s works appeal to diverse cultures and across political divides, she becomes an enabler for unity and an example of an idea that binds us all. She is truly a national treasure,” he added.
Whang-Od, who started tattooing at the age of 15, is known as the last living mambabatok, an artist who uses thorn and bamboo sticks to draw tribal design tattoos.
The Presidential Medal of Merit, as per Executive Order No. 236, is given to the following:
Aside from Whang-Od, Wednesday’s ceremony in the Palace also celebrated government workers who received the Dangal ng Bayan, Presidential Lingkod Bayan, and CSC (Civil Service Commission) Pag-asa awards. – Rappler.com
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GAME SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers | delfin.dioquino editor | 16/02/2024 16:38 | FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Four months after its historic title run in the Asian Games, Gilas Pilipinas begins another quest as it kicks off its campaign in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers this February.
Bunched in Group B, the Philippines will play Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei in a pair of home-and-away games for the first window.
Familiarity will not be an issue for the Nationals, with head coach Tim Cone bringing in members of his Asiad squad – among then June Mar Fajardo, Justin Brownlee, and Scottie Thompson – to form the core of his 12-man lineup.
Young stars Kai Sotto, Carl Tamayo, and Kevin Quiambao are also in the fold, giving Gilas Pilipinas a fine blend of experience and youth.
With Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong ranked 78th and 119th in the world, respectively, No. 38 Philippines is expected to come out of the first window unscathed.
Here’s the game schedule:
– Rappler.com
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MUP pensions, Maharlika Fund pose risks to PH economy, says new study | gdecastro0289 | 16/02/2024 15:49 | SWORN IN. Four new directors of the Maharlika Investment Corporation take their oath office on December 20, 2023.
Presidential Communications Office
MANILA, Philippines – A new research paper by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) cited risks facing the Philippine economy in 2024, including ballooning military and uniformed personnel (MUP) pensions as well as the new strategic investment fund of the Marcos administration called the Maharlika Investment Fund.
In an economic briefing on Thursday, February 15, Dr. Margarita Debuque-Gonzales, a former senior research fellow of PIDS, the government’s policy think-tank, presented the highlights of a new study titled “Macroeconomic Outlook of the Philippines in 2023–2024: Prospects and Perils.”
The PIDS researchers forecast GDP growth to fall within 5.5-6% this year, while inflation is expected to fall exactly at the government target of 3%.
But they identified various risks to the economy, especially on the country’s fiscal health.
Some thoughts of Dr Maggie Debuque-Gonzales (former UPSE prof) on the Maharlika Investment Fund. She says the Filipino people must stay vigilant and look out for possible misuse/corruption of the fund. pic.twitter.com/wiUd9TlMSW
Debuque-Gonzales pointed out that the arrears or unpaid MUP pensions have ballooned to P57 billion as of 2021, and that MUP pensions “typically exceeded the cost of supporting the active military.”
Moreover, because MUP pensions are “automatically indexed” or tied to retirement pay, the MUP salary increases in the past have led to the swelling of such pensions.
She advised that addressing MUP pensions “could [contribute] to greater fiscal sustainability in the country.”
Moreover, she said that “the heart of the debate should be on…who [among the MUP] will bear the brunt of the [fiscal] adjustment and the need for an equitable framework.”
Although there were efforts among government technocrats and some lawmakers to reform MUP pensions, these have been stymied by intense opposition among army and police forces, as well as other MUPs who stand to lose benefits once reforms are enacted.
Apart from MUP pensions, the PIDS researchers also pointed out risks posed by the Maharlika Investment Fund, the new strategic investment fund set up by the Marcos Jr. administration.
While Maharlika can potentially attract new capital into the country, the authors said they wish the fund “will not draw from already scarce state funds, and the government must also ensure that the funding contributions of the [GFIs]…do not fuel uncertainty” and erode the country’s overall financial health.
Debuque-Gonzales also pointed out that Maharlika has “dual” if not “conflicting” goals: “one is to promote socioeconomic development, and another is to make it profitable.” Settling this conflict will be crucial in Maharlika’s success.
The PIDS authors added that Maharlika needs a “credible return benchmark” that the economic managers must craft. However, she emphasized that such benchmark cannot be misused to merely “mask” the fund’s performance in case it performs poorly or is subject to corruption.
Maharlika might also be politicized, and this should be avoided. She said, “the likelihood of [MIF] turning a profit may be higher if investment decisions are kept free of political complexities and patronage.”
Debuque-Gonzales, who is set to assume a new role as a senior researcher at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), said that her “last policy recommendation” as she leaves PIDS is that the Filipino public has a role to play in monitoring the implementation of the Maharlika fund. “You should be the ones monitoring, because this is your fund,” she added.
Earlier, economists at the University of the Philippines similarly flagged risks associated with the Maharlika Investment Fund. In a discussion paper published June 2023, the UP economists said that Maharlika “violates fundamental principles of economics and finance and poses serious risks to the economy and the public sector – notwithstanding its proponents’ good intentions.”
The Maharlika Investment Fund was signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 18, 2023, less than 8 months since it was first proposed by lawmakers in the House of Representatives.
In November 2023, President Marcos appointed businessman Rafael Consing Jr. to be the first president and CEO of the Maharlika Investment Corporation (MIC). Right before Christmas 2023, Marcos completed the 9-member board of directors of the MIC. – Rappler.com
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First Bulacan, now NAIA: San Miguel-led group will operate Philippines’ main airport | lkyu0285 | 16/02/2024 11:37 | NAIA. The facade of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Shutterstock
MANILA, Philippines – The consortium led by San Miguel has officially won the lucrative contract to rehabilitate the country’s main international gateway, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The government named SMC-SAP and Company Consortium as the bid winner on Friday, February 16, just days after it emerged as the clear frontrunner with the biggest bid.
Asked whether the 82.16% bid by San Miguel is viable, USec TJ Batan says that based on past experiences, private sector ingenuity surprises the government. pic.twitter.com/8XWeXvL5RN
Under the terms of the deal, San Miguel’s group will now serve as the operator of NAIA for the next 15 years, with a possible 10-year extension. The consortium is required to “rehabilitate, operate, optimize, and maintain” the airport, which covers improvements to its runways, four terminals, and other facilities.
The consortium will also be sharing 82.16% of its gross revenue to the government, on top of an upfront payment of P30 billion and a fixed annual payment of P2 billion.
This isn’t the first time Ramon Ang’s conglomerate has reached for the skies. In late 2020, San Miguel bagged the franchise for the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan. As early as September 2023, Rappler questioned whether San Miguel would also make a strong push for NAIA.
At that time, ownership limits complicated Ang’s path to NAIA, especially if he wanted to be the sole operator of the airport. Aviation officials said that the limits were put in place precisely to prevent those who already have airports in the Greater Capital Region from gobbling up competition. But the government has since loosened those limits, paving the way for San Miguel to find partners and bid for NAIA.
Friday’s announcement serves as the culmination of months of hectic planning by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and bidders – a timeline much shorter than that seen during other attempts to privatize NAIA. As recently as December 2023, the Asian Development Bank even advised the government to consider extending the deadline, given the requests of some bidders and the “upcoming holiday season.”
The DOTr has largely stuck to its schedule, although delays have hampered the official announcement of a winner. Originally, the government was supposed to announce the result of the financial evaluation by February 14, with the notice of award to be issued on February 15. But on the afternoon of February 14, a transportation representative informed the media that the announcement would be pushed to February 16, with no reason being given for the delay.
Three consortiums – made up of some of the Philippine’s biggest businesses and best international airport operators – battled it out in the last stage of the bidding process.
Here were the members of each consortium, along with the respective gross revenue share that they offered:
San Miguel has made daring bids in the past. For instance, in 2013, Ramon Ang also bid big for the NAIA Expressway project, beating out rival Manny Pangilinan’s Manila North Tollways Corporation. San Miguel offered P11 billion in cash upfront – a whopping 36 times more than Manila North Tollways’ P305-million bid.
In this case, the consortium that San Miguel leads also offered by far the biggest bid, which was more than triple that of the Manila International Airport Consortium – the group that made an earlier unsolicited bid for NAIA, which did not prosper.
The margin between San Miguel and GMR’s group was also wide. GMR is no stranger to the airport scene either. The Indian-based operator previously partnered with Megawide to develop the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, and it was also part of an unsuccessful offer to rehabilitate NAIA back in 2020.
The fourth bidder, the Asian Airport Consortium, did not make it past the technical evaluation stage of the bidding. The group was made up of Lucio Co’s Cosco Capital, Asian Infraustructure and Management, Philippine Skylanders International, and Indonesia’s PT Angkasa Pura.
But despite the win, some questions remain. For one, will San Miguel be able to operate NAIA alongside its Bulacan airport profitably, especially with the generous revenue-sharing terms that it offered?
Rappler also previously questioned the credentials of the members of San Miguel’s conglomerate. It’s unclear how two of its partners – RMM Asian Logistics and RLW Aviation Development – will contribute to the rehabilitation project, given that both companies were incorporated mere days before the bid submission deadline and have a meager paid-up capital of a few million.
A document leaked to Rappler floated the idea that the companies were being used as “merely nominees to circumvent the [Greater Capital Region] airport limitation in the [instructions to bidders] which is capped at 33%.”
– Rappler.com
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Bursting at the seams: Loaded UP loses another prospect as Luis Pablo returns to La Salle | jisaga0269 | 15/02/2024 21:54 | COMING HOME. Former UP big man Luis Pablo poses for a photo with La Salle.
PHOTO RELEASE/John Mauricio
MANILA, Philippines – The UP Fighting Maroons may have attracted too much talent for their own good.
After a series of de-commitments from high school prospects like Jared Bahay and Chris Hubilla, the UAAP Season 84 men’s basketball champions have lost another project in their midst as big man Luis Pablo heads home to the La Salle Green Archers after just his college rookie season.
“I wanted to show off what I can really do,” the 19-year-old said in Filipino in a statement. “It’s exciting to think that I will be given a chance to showcase my skills more.”
“I just need to make sure I can really show my skills and I will go beyond the people’s expectations, especially my own.”
Despite then being a newly crowned NCAA juniors MVP, Pablo hardly played in UP’s loaded frontline led by former MVP Malick Diouf and eventual Rookie of the Year Francis Lopez.
Alongside fellow former La Salle Green Hills star Seven Gagate, the 6-foot-7 Pablo only averaged 1.5 points and 1.8 rebounds in just a hair above 9 minutes per game.
Even with Diouf graduating from the program, new foreign student-athlete (FSA) Dikachi Udodo and former UE standout Gani Stevens are now eligible for Season 87, likely leaving the likes of Pablo and Gagate still without much wiggle room in head coach Goldwin Monteverde’s rotation.
The likes of Aldous Torculas, Sean Alter, Mark Belmonte, Chicco Briones, and Miguel Yniguez will also fight for frontcourt minutes moving forward.
La Salle, meanwhile, currently only has reigning MVP Kevin Quiambao, Michael Phillips, Raven Cortez, and new FSA Henry Agunnane manning the frontlines for Season 88, if ever they commit beyond 2024.
“First of all, we’re very very excited that he’s considering coming back to De La Salle,” said team official Awoo Lacson. “He’s one of our sons in our La Salle program and we want them back. We want them to play for us. We want to win with them. It’s our commitment to help them become winners.”
Other La Salle “sons” who have since returned to Taft are star guards Jacob Cortez, formerly of San Beda, and Kean Baclaan, formerly of NU.
“I think Luis’ abilities cannot be measured at this point. He is full of potential. He will be able to mature to become a very dependable veteran. I think he’s going to help our program be successful for the years to come,” Lacson continued.
Among other seldom-used bench players who have since left the UP program are big man JB Lina and guard RC Calimag, both now with the NCAA’s San Beda Red Lions.
Further back down the line, burly forward Will Gozum also left UP after not seeing much playing time and blossomed with College of St. Benilde as an eventual NCAA MVP.
The Fighting Maroons, however, will still parade top recruit and Season 86 Mythical Five member Noy Remogat come Season 88, unless plans also change. – Rappler.com
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‘Run it back’: Tyler Bey wants another shot with Magnolia after finals heartbreak | delfin.dioquino editor | 16/02/2024 14:52 | GOOD SPORT. Magnolia import Tyler Bey hugs San Miguel counterpart Bennie Boatwright after the Beermen's title-clinching win.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – Tyler Bey has some unfinished business.
Bey hopes to get another shot in the PBA as Magnolia fell short of the Commissioner’s Cup crown after succumbing to San Miguel in six games of the best-of-seven finals on Wednesday, February 14.
“For me, personally, I love the Philippines. I love Magnolia. Hopefully, we could run it back,” said Bey.
A former NBA player, Bey joined the Hotshots with hopes of helping the storied franchise get over the hump as Magnolia endured a five-year title drought since it won its last championship in the 2018 Governors’ Cup.
Bey joined the team in September – two months before the conference started – and fit right in, with his athleticism and defensive acumen further enhancing the Hotshots’ grind-out style.
Magnolia thrived with Bey leading the way as it clinched the top seed with a 9-2 record then reached the finals for the first time in over two years after disposing of TNT in the quarterfinals and Phoenix in the semifinals.
Bey almost took home the Best Import honors, losing only by a slim margin to Fuel Masters reinforcement Johnathan Williams III.
The conference, though, proved to be a tournament marked by runner-up finishes for Bey as the Hotshots once again saw their title bid crushed, with the mighty Beermen capturing a record-extending 29th crown.
On the verge of forcing a winner-take-all match, Magnolia wasted a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter and absorbed a 104-102 loss in Game 6.
“[W]e wish we could do everything better. Execute plays, not turn the ball over, not get foul calls. That was pretty much the game,” said the 26-year-old.
Although he ended his first PBA stint with no precious hardware, Bey returns home to the United States having gained a band of brothers.
“We did not get the result we wanted, but I just feel like I met a good group of guys, met guys that I could call family. I just hope we could run it back and go from there,” he said. – Rappler.com
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San Miguel’s group wins bid for NAIA. What’s next? | lkyu0285 | 16/02/2024 20:55 | Raffy De Guzman/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – It’s official: the consortium led by San Miguel has won the bid to rehabilitate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which has long languished as one of the worst and “most stressful” airports in the world.
The Department of Transportation issued the Notice of Award for the NAIA privatization to SMC-SAP Company Consortium on Friday, February 16, capping off one of the fastest solicited private-public partnership projects in the history of the Philippines.
The latest push to fix up the country’s main airport started just on February 2, 2023, when the government signed its transaction advisory services agreement with the Asian Development Bank. Just over a year later, a winning bidder has emerged.
Now, Ramon Ang’s mega-conglomerate, along with South Korea’s Incheon International Airport Corporation, will have up to 25 years to upgrade and optimize NAIA. What are the first steps?
Under the terms of the P170.6-billion deal, the San Miguel conglomerate will make improvements to the airport’s runways, four terminals, and other facilities in areas ranging from construction, supply, operation, and maintenance.
According to Transportation Undersecretary for Planning and Project Development TJ Batan, the agreement is not so much about building specific things but about delivering services.
“Let’s start from the time that you arrive in the airport. 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,” Batan said during Friday’s press conference.
“You have these performance indicators as well as availability. Your passenger boarding bridges, your escalators, your elevators should be operational 95% to 99% of the time. Your air conditioning, your lighting should be working this amount of time,” he added.
More specifically, the NAIA rehabilitation is expected to increase airport capacity from 35 million passengers per annum to 62 million, improve air traffic movements per hour from 40 to 48, and make service meet international benchmarks.
Batan explained that in meeting these performance indicators, the concessionaire will likely build better infrastructure and incorporate “technology improvements.”
San Miguel’s group is expected to assume operation of the airport within the next three to six months.
In the meantime, the consortium will be doing its financial closing as well as ironing out the details of the takeover, which will involve the transfer of employees from the current operator – the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) – to the SMC-SAP Company Consortium.
“There are employees of NAIA who will join them and employees of NAIA who will remain with the MIAA as a regulator. So it will take three to six months. But we’ll try our best to do it as early as possible so that we can start the operations and maintenance of this project in the private sector,” Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said.
Once the takeover is complete, the consortium’s first order of business is to work on “quick gains” or low-hanging fruit service improvements within the first year.
San Miguel will then have 15 years to operate the airport, which can be extended by another 10 years. Whether an extension is granted or not will depend on a performance evaluation that will be conducted on the 8th year of the concession period.
In making the winning bid for the airport, San Miguel’s group bet big, committing to share 82.16% of its gross revenue with the government, on top of an upfront payment of P30 billion and a fixed annual payment of P2 billion.
Asked whether this privatization deal could lead to higher fees for passengers, MIAA General Manager Eric Ines admitted that a rate hike is on the table.
“Actually, the MIAA has not raised its rates since April 2000. So we thought it’s about time that we should try to raise some rates in accordance [with] what had already been computed before, but was never implemented,” Ines said on Friday.
The airport chief said that increases are expected for “rentals, navigational charges, all of it,” but he said that as far as he knows, there will be “no change” to the passenger service charge. Currently, travelers must pay a terminal fee or passenger service charge of P200 for domestic trips and P550 for international trips.
According to Ines, MIAA is still evaluating the impact of the planned increase to end users, but that it would “not be too big.”
MIAA has yet to release the proposed fee changes to the media.
The bid by San Miguel’s group is certainly favorable to the government, with the NAIA deal expected to generate P900 billion all in all, or over P36 billion per year for 25 years. In comparison, when MIAA used to operate the airport, it remitted only an average of P1.78 billion per year from 2010 to 2023.
Will San Miguel be able to sustain itself? Undersecretary Batan argued that “private sector efficiencies and ingenuity” has repeatedly shown that it can provide “solutions to government problems.” Batan also said that the bid committee studied the financial plan of the bidders and assessed the willingness of lenders to lend to the bidder for the project.
Asked whether the 82.16% bid by San Miguel is viable, USec TJ Batan says that based on past experiences, private sector ingenuity surprises the government. pic.twitter.com/8XWeXvL5RN
“We also look at the financing plan to see whether the funding sources of the bidder, now the winning bidder, also makes sense. So, these detailed evaluations were done to make sure that the concessionaire or the winning bidder is able to deliver on their commitments for the project,” Batan said.
Transportation Undersecretary for Aviation and Airports Roberto Lim also clarified that the gross revenue share excludes passenger service charge or terminal fees. This means San Miguel’s group will only have to share 82.16% of the revenue that it earns from other airport fees, like navigation charges and rentals.
“That should put in context the rationale of, I suppose, the bidder in assessing what bid percentage to offer. It’s the gross revenue excluding the [passenger service charge],” Lim said.
Aside from financial concerns, government officials also faced questions about the possible conflict of interest arising from San Miguel operating both NAIA and the soon-to-rise international airport in nearby Bulacan. But Secretary Bautista said he doesn’t think there will be any conflict in operations.
“Bulacan Airport, I think, will not start until maybe 2027 or 2028. But right now, we need to improve Manila International Airport because as you know, it is a very congested airport with a capacity of 35 million passengers per annum handling almost 50 now. We really need to modernize this airport so that we can provide better service to our passengers,” Bautista said on Friday.
The secretary said that modernizing NAIA could raise its capacity to 60 million passengers per annum, but since estimates show that the country will need to service almost 100 million passengers every year by 2050, there is space for another airport.
“We really need another airport. So, I don’t think the operations of Manila International Airport will conflict with Bulacan Airport,” Bautista said.
The SMC-SAP Company Consortium has four members: San Miguel Holdings Corporation, Incheon International Airport Corporation, RMM Asian Logistics, and RLW Aviation Development.
San Miguel serves as the lead member and financial qualifying entity for the consortium while Incheon International Airport Corporation, which runs the famed South Korean airport, acts as the operations and maintenance partner. But who are the other two members?
Documents show that both RMM Asian Logistics and RLW Aviation Development were created only last December 2023.
Rappler previously questioned whether Ramon Ang’s consortium might be using these hastily made companies to circumvent ownership limitations outlined in the bidding rules. Because San Miguel already has the Bulacan Airport, it is allowed to have a direct ownership stake of only 33% in NAIA.
Meanwhile, RMM Asian Logistics and RLW Aviation Development each have a 30% and 27% ownership stake, respectively. If these companies were indeed acting as merely nominees, then that means San Miguel could effectively act as if it had a 90% stake in the airport, with the other 10% going to its partner Incheon International Airport Corporation.
When Rappler raised the question of RMM Asian Logistics and RLW Aviation Development’s involvement in the rehabilitation project, Undersecretary Batan said that they are expected to contribute investments.
“RMM and RLW are consortium members that will be putting in equity into the special purpose company that will operate NAIA for the winning bidder. So they are going to put in investment in the special purpose [company],” Batan said.
Both companies only have a meager paid-up capital of P6.25 million based on documents shown during the opening of the financial proposals. – Rappler.com
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Alyssa Valdez sees ‘healthy competition’ against ex-teammate Ced Domingo | Jasmine Payo | 16/02/2024 20:03 | POWERHOUSE. Creamline's Alyssa Valdez (left) and Ced Domingo (right) celebrate with Jema Galazna.
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MANILA, Philippines — Creamline superstar Alyssa Valdez wished former teammate Celine “Ced” Domingo the best of luck with her new Premier Volleyball League (PVL) team as the latter is set to play with Akari this 2024 season.
“I think our bond is beyond the volleyball court, so whatever she’s up to, we’re just gonna be here to support her and we’re really looking forward to play against her,” Valdez said.
Last October, Domingo requested a release from Creamline to play for Nakhon Ratchasima VC in Thailand, then later signed with Akari early this year.
Domingo, however, is not expected to return to the PVL until her Thailand contract concludes late February.
“For sure, it’s a healthy competition, I can’t just wait how to see how she’s grown as a player and an individual,” Valdez added.
PVL | WATCH:BEST OF LUCK. Alyssa Valdez speaks on Ced Domingo’s transfer to Akari and their possible faceoff in the upcoming #PVL2024. pic.twitter.com/Bi2d6LpnFS
Creamline management allowed Domingo to leave for Thailand “with great respect and understanding,” about a month after team setter Jia de Guzman left the team for Japan.
The middle blocker then signed with Akari in January, joining a contending core that also added former MVP Grethcel Soltones to play alongside Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Michelle Cobb, Faith Nisperos, and Fifi Sharma.
Akari finished 4-8 in the 2023 Second All-Filipino Conference, its best finish to date.
“I’m very proud of her,” Valdez said of Domingo. “Doing great in Thailand, playing alongside with these great athletes… Great volleyball players. I hope she gets a lot of learnings in Thailand and she can take that to the Akari Chargers.” — Rappler.com
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Aiming to be ‘stronger, faster,’ EJ Obiena begins 2024 season as Olympics nears | delfin.dioquino editor | 14/02/2024 21:21 | SENSATIONAL. EJ Obiena reacts after the Asian Games men's pole vault final.
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MANILA, Philippines – The previous year saw EJ Obiena conquer new heights, but he is not done pushing himself to the limit as the Paris Olympics approaches.
Obiena seeks to raise his game to another level as he competes in the Memorial Josip Gasparac in Osijek, Croatia, on February 20 to start the indoor season.
“I’m trying to be stronger, faster, jump a little bit higher than last year,” said Obiena last January 29 when he claimed the Athlete of the Year award from the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA).
Obiena has installed himself as a medal contender in Paris following a stellar 2023 that saw him become the first Asian pole vaulter to clear the six-meter bar, among other notable achievements.
He soared past the elusive height twice, doing so when he clinched a historic silver in the World Athletics Championships.
Currently ranked second in the world, Obiena also stamped his class in the continent as he defended his Asian Athletics Championships crown and won his first Asian Games title.
Not settling for less, Obiena hopes to get a crack at the Olympic gold, which world No. 1 Armand Duplantis of Sweden is eager to defend.
Duplantis is a heavy favorite to reign in Paris as he holds the world record of 6.23m, but his rivals have caught him on his bad days, with Obiena beating him twice over the last two years.
Obiena edged Duplantis for the Brussels Diamond League crown in September 2022 then one-upped the reigning world champion again with a silver in the Monaco Diamond League in July 2023, where the Swede finished fourth.
“If things go into place, it should put me closer to the world No. 1 and give myself a better chance,” Obiena said during the PSA Awards Night.
After his appearance in Croatia, Obiena will fly to Berlin, Germany, for the ISTAF Indoor on February 23 and will also see action in Glasgow, Scotland, for the World Indoor Championships on March 3. – Rappler.com
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Murder case recommended vs suspect in slay of lawyer who aided drug war victims | Jairo Bolledo | 16/02/2024 22:30 | IN MEMORIAM. Lawyers, women's groups and human rights defenders from the National Union of People's Lawyers, stage a protest ang light candles at the Boy Scout Circle in Quezon City on September 15, 2023 in honor of Atty. Ma. Saniata Liwliwa Alzate, who was murdered in Abra province on September 14.
Jire Carreon/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – A local prosecutor pushed to file a murder charge against the suspect in the killing of an Abra lawyer in September last year.
In a resolution dated February 6, but was only publicized on Friday, February 16, Abra acting provincial prosecutor Daryl Fajardo indicted or recommended the filing of charge against Angelo Infante Indon (also known as Angelo Alfonso) and his unidentified companion for the murder of lawyer Maria Saniata Liwliwa Gonzales Alzate on September 14, 2023.
The prosecutor said that they filed a murder charge because of the treachery and premeditation of the crime.
The case will be filed with the Bangued, Abra Regional Trial Court.
Alzate was killed while inside her car, parked right in front of their house, in Santiago street, Zone 2, Bangued town – Abra’s capital. The two motorcycle-riding assailants fled after shooting her. The lawyer was brought to a nearby hospital, but later expired due to the gunshot wounds she sustained.
It took almost five months before the complaint reached a resolution because the Abra provincial prosecutor was asked by lawyer Raphiel Alzate, the slain lawyer’s husband, to inhibit from the case. Among the reasons cited in the inhibition was the previous filing of a case against the slain lawyer by the Abra prosecutor.
In deciding on the complaint, Fajardo said he was convinced through various evidence – such as several affidavits, CCTV footage, and autopsy report – that murder had been committed, with reasonable certainty that Indon committed it.
The prosecutor noted that the suspects waited for the lawyer to arrive at her house and “took that moment when the victim would less expect that she will be attacked.” With this, Alzate was caught by surprise and could not defend herself, the prosecutor added.
He added that the acts of the suspects – which include the purchasing of a motorcycle and the respondent’s decision to head to Bangued, even though he was a resident of Nueva Ecija – revealed his intent to commit the alleged crime.
“Respondents underwent a process of meditation, and tenacious persistence in the accomplishment of the criminal act,” the prosecutor added.
Alzate was the third lawyer to be killed since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed office in June 2022, and the 118th since 1972. The data is based on Rappler’s independent tally, along with data from the Supreme Court, Department of Justice, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, and the Free Legal Assistance Group. The data spans eight presidents: from the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos up to his son, incumbent President Marcos Jr.
The slain lawyer, as a public interest counsel, assisted and helped countless indigent clients, including victims of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody drug war. Her husband earlier told Rappler that Alzate specifically helped clients who were victims of illegal arrest at the height of Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs.
Before her demise, Alzate was able to secure the issuance of a writ of amparo – a protective writ – for her client, who was allegedly abducted, detained, and tortured by police personnel in Bangued town.
Alzate also served as president of Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Abra chapter for two terms, and as the organization’s former legal aid committee chairperson. Only weeks before her death, she was appointed IBP Commissioner on Bar Discipline, tasked to investigate and look into disciplinary cases against lawyers filed before the IBP. – Rappler.com
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Baguio councilor proposes two-day monthly menstrual leave for workers | Herbie G | 16/02/2024 18:02 | Shutterstock
BAGUIO, Philippines – A Baguio councilor has proposed an ordinance to grant menstrual leave to female employees in the city as a stride towards gender-sensitive workplace policies.
Councilor John Rhey Mananeng, president of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation in Baguio, said on Thursday, February 15, that his proposal, if approved, would provide female employees in both government and private sectors, excluding pregnant or menopausal women, with a two-day monthly menstruation leave.
The proposed benefit comes with pay equivalent to at least half of their basic salaries and applies to employees who have completed at least six months of continuous or intermittent service at the time the proposed ordinance takes effect.
Key provisions of the proposed measure include safeguarding the job security of employees availing menstrual leave, prohibiting demotions or terminations as a result of utilizing this benefit. Employers already offering this privilege or its equivalent would be exempt from the ordinance’s coverage.
Mananeng said, “We have filed this ordinance due to the realization that most of our workforce in Baguio comprises young women, hence the necessity to consider the natural conditions of women in the workplace…. Lastly, as representatives of the youth, we aspire to create safe spaces in the city with gender sensitivity and a conducive working environment for all.”
He said a similar policy is already being implemented in some countries in Asia and Europe, and there are at least two pending House bills about it.
To ensure effective implementation, Mananeng said the proposed ordinance, if approved, would require the formulation of implementing rules and regulations (IRR) by Baguio’s mayor, in collaboration with the City Legal Office and his office.
He said he drew inspiration from the 1987 Constitution and the Magna Carta for Women, which provides that it is the state’s obligation to ensure safe working conditions for women and the provision of gender-responsive health services.
Citing research from the National Library of Medicine in the United States, he pointed out the impact of menstruation on women’s workplace performance, indicating the need to grant menstrual leave to recognize and address women’s health issues in the workplace.
The proposed measure has been approved on first reading and was referred to the City Council’s Committee on Social Services, Women, and Urban Poor for review. – Rappler.com
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Biting back: NU refocuses on UAAP title redemption after Season 85 setback | jisaga0269 | 13/02/2024 17:13 | STARE-OFF. NU star spiker Bella Belen stares at La Salle rookie standout Angel Canino at the UAAP Season 85 women's volleyball finals Game 1
UAAP Season 85 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – Practice makes perfect, and with perfection, comes pressure.
That is the situation the NU Lady Bulldogs went through in their UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball title defense right after an astounding 16-0 Season 84 sweep.
Battling internal inconsistencies alongside stronger, more confident opponents, the Sampaloc-based spikers still rose to the Final Four second seed with an 11-3 record, before eventually being dethroned in back-to-back, five-set finals games by resurgent La Salle and rookie-MVP Angel Canino.
With Season 86 set to tip off this Saturday, February 17, the Lady Bulldogs have found enough time to lick their wounds ahead of another crack at a fourth UAAP women’s volleyball title.
Vange Alinsug, NU’s lone starting six representative in the kickoff press conference last Monday, February 12, revealed as much.
“We regrouped, of course, as part of our preparations dating back to last season,” she said in Filipino.
“While the pressure may not be the same as last season, it’s still there. Right now, we already know what we really want and what to do. We’re focused on redemption because we really want to get our title back.”
UAAP | WATCH:Still on a title hunt.NU rising star Vange Alinsug bares that the Lady Bulldogs are still gunning for redemption in #UAAPSeason86 after being dethroned by La Salle the season prior. pic.twitter.com/NxARRRffDP
Still led by the likes of former rookie-MVP Bella Belen, star opposite Alyssa Solomon, setter Lams Lamina, libero Shaira Jardio, and support outside Alinsug, the Lady Bulldogs are still a definitive Final Four contender alongside champion La Salle and possibly FEU, Adamson, and UST.
Even without former Finals MVP Cess Robles and Best Libero Jen Nierva, who have both graduated and turned pro with Chery Tiggo, NU still possesses a potent offense and defense under returning head coach Norman Miguel.
“My role will be the same, but we collectively need to be more vocal as a team, so we can continue helping one another inside the court,” Alinsug continued.
“We really want that championship back. The moment we lost it after Season 85, we promised ourselves we would not stop working until we regain it in Season 86. I will contribute my 100% best and we all need to be one whole unit inside the court.” – Rappler.com
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Davao de Oro landslide responders find themselves rescuing dogs, cats | Herbie G | 16/02/2024 16:30 | TO THE RESCUE. Davao de Oro search team workers rescue a dog which survived the February 6 Maco town landslide.
Davao de Oro provincial government
DAVAO ORIENTAL, Philippines – Amid the rising death toll at the site of the devastating landslide and as rescue efforts shifted towards retrieving bodies in Davao de Oro, a team of disaster responders unexpectedly found themselves saving pets that had survived the February 6 tragedy.
As of 7 pm on Thursday, February 15, the death toll rose from 85 to 92 while the search continued to 36 other missing people.
After the landslide, 97 pet owners went to authorities and asked for help.
“We saw many dogs and cats. They were agitated, scared, and very hungry when rescuers found them in the rubble,” said Dr. Headyn Cenabre, assistant head of the provincial veterinary office of Davao de Oro, during a press conference on Thursday.
Workers from the veterinary office have rescued 127 dogs and cats from the rubble and hiding in abandoned houses in the landslide-hit villages of Masara and Mainit in Maco town as of February 14. They provided them with food, vaccination, vitamins, and leashes, among others.
Of the rescued animals, 23 dogs and 27 cats have remained unclaimed as of this posting.
Cenabre said rescuing the animals was very difficult for her team due to the high and rough terrain and rain in the area.
“We put the rescued animals in cages. Responders had to walk for long hours on rough roads from the mountains to the lowland. We hope and pray for fair weather as we continue to look for more surviving animals. There are still many areas and houses in the landslide-hit villages that have yet to be reached by our animal rescue team,” she said.
Apex Mining Corporation, a firm which saw several dozen of its workers buried in the landslide, sent a team to help, and vehicles for the ongoing animal rescue operation.
Cenabre said her team brought the unclaimed dogs and cats to a temporary shelter in an impounding area in Mawab town.
“For the rescued dogs with no owners, we will put them through an adoption process. As far as I know, there are already many people who have expressed their intention to adopt these unclaimed dogs. And we are willing to entertain those who wish to adopt these dogs,” said Cenabre.
She advised the owners of unclaimed dogs and cats to visit the municipal agriculture offices of Mawab and Maco towns or they may send messages to the official Facebook page of the provincial veterinary office of Davao de Oro. – Rappler.com
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Last ride? You can still bike, run in La Mesa watershed soon | Iya Gozum | 16/02/2024 11:13 | HAVEN. Bikers and runners have long patronized La Mesa Nature Reserve as one of the few spaces in Metro Manila where they can do recreational outdoor activities.
Aris Soriano
MANILA, Philippines – Good news, jocks! La Mesa Nature Reserve, which temporarily closed to the public on February 12 along with La Mesa Ecopark, will still open for outdoor activities under the management of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), division manager Patrick Dizon confirmed to Rappler.
La Mesa Nature Reserve is a popular training ground for trail runners and mountain bikers, owing to its wide expanse of green space and proximity to many who live in Metro Manila.
It is expected to open this March again, MWSS administrator Leonor Cleofas confirmed during a handover ceremony on Thursday, February 15.
Upon news of the closure, long-time patrons of the nature reserve had turned to social media to express their sentiment on the future of the watershed without the ABS-CBN Foundation (AFI). Cyclists, supporters started a petition calling for continuity of ecotourism under new management.
Meanwhile, park rangers who are set to receive severance pay from the ABS-CBN Foundation (AFI) can still expect employment under MWSS. Park rangers not only patrol the watershed but also serve as trail guides for visitors.
“In the interim, while the engagement of the service provider is still being processed, the rangers and the security will be absorbed by the MWSS through our concessionaires starting February 16,” said Dizon.
Retaining park rangers should help in the smooth transition of the conservation of the watershed.
“Sila po talaga ang nakakaalam ng daily needs ng ating watershed reservation at saka ng ating ecopark,” Cleofas said.
(They’re the ones who really know the daily needs of the watershed reservation and our ecopark.)
The nature reserve and ecopark are expected to open again in March. Cleofas said this will be done in phases.
The watershed is now under the MWSS, which is set to implement a sustainability roadmap together with concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad.
The arrangement with AFI expired on December 31, 2023.
How reforestation programs will continue and the roadmap implemented under the new leadership are still under discussion. “For the transition, constant communication is still being undertaken among parties,” Dizon said.
Last December, MWSS took over as chair of the technical working group of the La Mesa Watershed Reservation Multi-Sectoral Management Council.
The council was created when former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared the watershed, covering 2,659 hectares, as a protected area.
While the turnover is said to be aligned with the Integrated Watershed Management Roadmap for Angat, Ipo, and La Mesa (IWMRAIL), there are concerns over the new management given the history of MWSS and the watershed.
IWMRAIL is the sustainability roadmap crafted by the MWSS and concessionaires to sustainably develop watersheds until 2047 to provide clean water for Metro Manila.
One long-standing issue in the watershed is the MWSS housing project, which necessitated intervention from the Office of the President and the Supreme Court.
The housing project for MWSS workers and employees was approved back in June 18, 1968, in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement of the MWSS with two labor unions. A total of 1,411 employees were supposed to benefit from the housing project.
It was delayed when a former acting general manager refused to sign the deed of sale to beneficiaries and when former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. wanted a Maynilad filtration plant built on the housing project land.
In 1999, the AFI began campaigning for the rehabilitation of the La Mesa watershed.
Two years later, the University of the Philippines-National Hydraulic Research Center (UP-NHRC) recommended in its study that the watershed not be used for housing projects.
The study said the reservoir water, which is consumed by Metro Manila residents, may potentially be contaminated because of construction activities. Tree cutting to make way for the housing project may also increase sedimentation and siltation in streams.
In 2006, the Senate conducted two hearings on the issue. The Senate recommended the passage of a law to declare it as a protected area.
“The inclusion of the La Mesa watershed as an initial component of NIPAS [National Integrated Protected Areas System] and its eventual declaration as a protected area through Congressional action will prevent MWSS from further alienating lands within the reservoir just to satisfy its contractual obligations,” the Senate committee report released in 2007 read.
Arroyo did so when she signed Proclamation No. 1336, series of 2007. She ordered the DENR and the MWSS to manage the watershed “in accordance with sustainable development, without impairing its usefulness as source of water for domestic use and other related purposes.”
However, the proclamation also said that the watershed is “subject to private rights.”
The housing project has not proceeded since the DENR cancelled the environmental compliance certificate of property developer Century Communities in 2016. – Rappler.com
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Bye, long hair: Kyt Jimenez honors dare after San Miguel title romp | delfin.dioquino editor | 15/02/2024 20:34 | NEW GUY. Kyt Jimenez (R) in action with the San Miguel Beermen in the 2023-24 PBA Commissioner's Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – They say hair is a man’s crowning glory.
San Miguel newcomer Kyt Jimenez, though, had no qualms getting his long mane cut by his own teammates, honoring a dare to mark his first championship in the PBA.
The ponytailed guard submitted to the fun challenge of veteran teammates June Mar Fajardo and Chris Ross – even if it took him years to grow his long locks – after the Beermen finished off Magnolia in six games on Wednesday, February 14, to capture the PBA Commissioner’s Cup crown.
“Kuya June Mar, coach Chris, and I made a deal that once we win the championship, they’ll automatically cut my hair,” said Jimenez in a mix of Filipino and English.
“Worth it. This is the best day of my life.”
Picked 76th overall by San Miguel in the last draft, Jimenez barely played in the best-of-seven finals as he made an appearance only once, putting up 2 points in 3:30 minutes of play in their 109-85 blowout victory in Game 2.
The former Perpetual standout rode the bench the rest of the way.
But the title tastes just as sweet for him as those who played a prominent role in the series, with Jimenez taking pride in the fact that he prepared the likes of CJ Perez and Jericho Cruz for the actual games by pushing them in practice.
“It feels like I also played on the court because I brought out my teammates’ full potential,” said Jimenez. “You’re going to make your teammates improve when you make them work hard.”
Although playing time has been scarce for Jimenez as the Beermen boast of a loaded backcourt unit that also includes Ross, Terrence Romeo, and Simon Enciso, the rookie said he takes advantage of being under their wing.
“I learn a lot when I’m with them. I know that I can still improve myself so when it comes to being on the court, I’ll always be ready,” Jimenez said.
And Jimenez believes he will eventually get a chance to showcase his wares and perhaps replicate his exploits in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, where he became the first player to record a quadruple-double.
“I know the time will come that I’ll be able to do here the things I did before. I know that for myself,” said Jimenez. – Rappler.com
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FAST FACTS: OFW abuses in South Korea’s Seasonal Worker Program | Michelle Abad | 16/02/2024 7:30 | GANGWON PROVINCE. Gimyujeong-ro's Gangchon Rail Park in Gangwon-do, South Korea. Gangwon province is one of the destinations of seasonal workers.
Carl Kho on Unsplash
MANILA, Philippines – A new study from civil society groups found the prevalence of labor rights abuses among overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in South Korea’s Seasonal Worker Program (SWP).
Because the SWP is facilitated by partner local government units (LGUs) in the Philippines and Korea, one would expect close monitoring of adherence to the workers’ human rights.
But the report, conducted by the Joint Committee with Migrants in Korea (JCMK) and the Migrant Forum in Asia, found grim realities: the program is tainted with irregularities and exploitation.
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives and Department of Migrant Workers officials also earlier raised concerns about the program. In January, the DMW announced that it had halted deployment of Filipinos as seasonal workers to Korea, following a number of complaints about their working conditions.
Here are some things to know about the program, and how abuses happen.
According to the Korea Immigration Service, the SWP recruits migrant workers for short periods to address chronic labor shortages during Korea’s busy farming and fishing season.
The program has been in place since 2017 though the Philippines began deploying workers around 2022. Such shortages occur because of Korea’s aging workforce, the research said.
Because workers are seasonal, their contracts usually last around five to eight months. Workers are expected to return to their home countries, but they may also reapply for a new season.
The Philippines is just one of the countries sending its citizens to be seasonal workers in Korea. Others include fellow developing countries Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Nepal.
Under Philippine migration governance, agencies that recruit Filipinos for work abroad should be accredited by the DMW. Under the SWP, Philippine LGUs have memoranda of understanding with their counterpart LGUs in South Korea. As the sister LGUs facilitate the recruitment on their own, the DMW is left out of the loop.
The study noted a lack of policy coherence between sending countries and South Korea. The non-supervision of a national authority whose mandate is OFW protection makes the deployment process prone to irregularity and non-uniformity.
In Talisay, Batangas, the research found that local officials were “relying on a private individual” to handle the documentation of seasonal worker applicants, while others were sent through other local governments.
The report also said that there was no regular monitoring system for salaries – like the modes of payment, or if these comply with minimum wages.
Worker-applicants also had to make a deposit with the sending LGUs before departure. This was meant to be a preventive measure against overstaying, but the report said this is abuse of human rights.
Criticism prompted the Korean government to scrap the return deposit system in 2022, but JCMK’s survey found that sending local governments were still requiring repatriation bonds.
On February 8, the Department of Justice issued a legal opinion on the Korean SWP. The DOJ recognized the authority for LGUs to enter into sisterhood agreements with LGUs abroad based on the Local Government Code, while also recognizing the DMW’s authority to regulate recruitment.
“The autonomy granted to LGUs to enter into agreements with foreign counterparts does not deprive the DMW the authority to regulate the deployment of seasonal Filipino workers overseas,” the DOJ opinion reads.
It’s one thing to have the right to sisterhood agreements, but it’s another to deploy workers, which may seem out of the ordinary. Does this mean that the past deployments within LGUs were a form of illegal recruitment? DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Cacdac said that the department was now “correcting precisely what had transpired.”
“We will also be mindful of exorbitant fees. Because as you know, that’s part of the recruitment process. Of course, for the most part, wrongful charging of fees would constitute illegal recruitment under our laws, so babantayan din po natin ‘yan (we will closely monitor this, too),” Cacdac said in a press briefing on Monday, February 19.
Most seasonal workers surveyed said they were paid between 1.8 million and 2.2 million KRW, or P75,600 to P92,400 monthly. Such a salary – for a blue-collar job at that – is only a dream for many Filipinos.
To compare, the minimum wage for agriculture workers in Metro Manila, which consistently records the highest minimum wages in the country, is just P573 a day or a little over P12,400 a month.
In reality, the study found, brokers intervene in sending remittances and managing the workers’ stay in Korea, “perpetrating a spectrum of human rights violations.”
Brokers were reported to collect high recruitment and visa facilitation fees, deduct hefty amounts from workers’ remittances, and sexually harass workers.
If workers live in isolated areas, they are also at risk of forced labor and trafficking. Some workers are deployed without contracts.
In the case of at least 124 seasonal workers from “Lubau City” cited in the study (which may be referring to Lubao, Pampanga, which has deployed seasonal workers) and who went to Seongju county, the “most problematic issue” was the improper payment of salaries, the report said.
Their monthly salary was 2.1 million KRW, which is subject to a deduction of 200,000 KRW for room and board. But, citing a September 2022 Korea Daily report, the research said the workers’ take-home pay ended up at just half, at 1 million KRW, because of brokers’ deductions.
In November 2023, the DMW said it was not stopping the coordination among LGUs with sisterhood agreements. However, the department asked to be involved in the vetting process.
On February 7, the DMW released interim guidelines on processing Filipino workers for the Korean SWP. These guidelines outlined requirements for LGUs, which included memoranda of agreement, and an undertaking that no illegal or unauthorized fees should be collected from applicants either in the Philippines or Korea.
In the guidelines, officially DMW Advisory No. 1-A, series of 2024, LGUs were also advised to coordinate with the DMW before the departure of their constituent-SWP workers.
Cacdac further clarified in the Monday briefing that the DMW would be handling the recruitment processes, but it will delegate tasks unrelated to recruitment to the LGU, such as education and pre-deployment orientation seminars.
LGUs are also tasked to monitor the situations of their constituents for any unusual or untoward incidents, so that the DMW can act on complaints as necessary.
The DMW added that it was also building cases against individuals whom they had become aware were acting as brokers. – Rappler.com
1 KRW = P0.042
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No Eya Laure, no problem: UST Tigresses stay confident ahead of new UAAP season | jisaga0269 | 13/02/2024 20:12 | LEADER. Bernadette Pepito reacts in-game in the UAAP Season 85 women's volleyball tournament.
UAAP Season 85 Media Team
MANILA, Philippines – The UST Golden Tigresses struck fear in the hearts of all teams, contenders or otherwise, in the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament.
Bannered by superstar spiker Eya Laure and fellow veterans Imee Hernandez and Milena Alessandrini, the España-based hitters busted lengthy winning streaks by both eventual champion La Salle and runner-up NU before booking the last Final Four ticket with a 10-4 record.
The Tigresses, however, ran out of their giant-slaying magic in the semifinals, as they bowed to top-seeded La Salle, marking the end of their star trio’s collegiate careers.
Now with UST’s Season 86 campaign kicking off on Sunday, February 18, its holdovers are more than ready to keep their contending fire alive and possibly book a return trip to the Final Four.
“We’re kind of a rebuilding team with a lot of young players, and it’s going to be difficult since Ate Eya and the other seniors were huge losses for us,” bared captain Detdet Pepito, the reigning UAAP Best Libero.
“But we saw in our previous league, the Shakey’s V-League, we were okay. We went there without expectations and we performed well without pressure. We saw that we can compete even without Ate Eya.”
Apart from Pepito, UST will lean on a plethora of rising prospects to carry bigger burdens, like Season 85 revelation Reg Jurado, young setter Cassie Carballo, and wingers Jonna Perdido, Xyza Gula, and Angeline Poyos.
Watching from afar in the PVL, Chery Tiggo’s Laure couldn’t be prouder that the young Tigresses continue to bring the same ferocity that she gave UST for the last 12 years.
“I’ve seen their progress, and those who are stepping up for the team, since I saw their games in the offseason,” Laure said during the PVL Media Day last Sunday, February 11.
“Of course, I’m very proud and confident of the UST [team], knowing they will fight for UST the way we fought for it before. They’ll fight for this. They may be little, but they have a big heart.”
When asked about who could step up for the team, Laure was particularly impressed by the Tigresses’ middle blockers like Pia Abbu and Janna Torres, after playing against them in a tune-up game last January at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
“The MBs (middle blockers) of UST now, I really saw their improvement from last year to this year,” Laure said.
However, the 24-year-old former UST captain thinks striking a balance across all positions is what the team needs for the upcoming season.
“Being strong in some positions would not suffice. It really needs to be a team effort to win,” Laure said.
UST will figure in an uphill climb back to prominence in Season 86, as the likes of La Salle, NU, Adamson, and FEU all have strong cases as early contenders. – Rappler.com
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Following in dad’s footsteps, Jeron Teng ends years-long search for PBA title with San Miguel | delfin.dioquino editor | 15/02/2024 14:13 | DRIVE. Jeron Teng in action for the San Miguel Beermen in the 2023-24 PBA Commissioner's Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – For a player like Jeron Teng who got used to winning championships in the collegiate level, a fruitless six-year chase for a professional title felt like forever.
Fortunately for Teng, his decision to join San Miguel bore fruit as he captured his first PBA crown, with the Beermen ruling the Commissioner’s Cup after a six-game conquest of Magnolia that ended on Wednesday, February 14.
“I can finally say that I’m a champion in the PBA because I worried that [it has been so long], I won my last championship in college,” said Teng, who led the La Salle Green Archers to a pair of UAAP crowns, along with titles in other collegiate leagues.
Picked fifth overall by Alaska in the 2017 Draft, Teng came close to bagging a championship in his rookie year as the Aces battled the Hotshots in the 2018 Governors’ Cup finals.
Alaska, though, fell short and bowed to Magnolia in six games.
What came next were a series of early exits as the Aces failed to make it past the quarterfinals in each of the six succeeding conferences before they decided to disband the team and sell their PBA franchise to Converge in 2022.
The FiberXers reached the playoffs in each of the three conferences they played for their debut season, but they were nowhere near as powerful as the perennial title contenders in the league.
After parting ways with Converge at the end of the 2022-2023 season, Teng signed with San Miguel with the intention of winning a breakthrough PBA title and making his father and former Beermen standout Alvin proud.
The older Teng won all of his nine PBA championships with the San Miguel franchise, including a rare Grand Slam in the 1989 season.
“I’m truly blessed to be part of San Miguel and to win one with the team that my dad played for and helped win multiple championships,” said the younger Teng.
“Ever since I joined San Miguel, I’ve given my dad a lot of joy so I’m really grateful. He just always tells me to give my best for San Miguel.”
Now that he has gotten a taste of a championship, Teng already has his sights set on another one, especially with the Philippine Cup coming off the wraps on February 28.
“The championship feeling is very addicting,” said Teng. “I’m just thinking of getting more. We want more.” – Rappler.com
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