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How to avail of a calamity loan from Pag-IBIG Fund | Michelle Abad | 26/07/2024 15:26 | Thousands of Filipino families are working to rebuild their lives following the two tropical cyclones that affected the Philippines in July – Butchoy and Carina.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, as of 8 am on Friday, July 26, at least 317 houses were damaged by the two storms, with an estimated cost of damaged houses at P2.66 million.
Filipinos needing housing assistance may be qualified to avail of a calamity loan from the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund).
The Pag-IBIG Fund Calamity Loan was established to provide immediate financial aid to its members in calamity-stricken areas.
Here’s a quick guide on how to apply, according to the Pag-IBIG Fund’s website.
Pag-IBIG lists the following requirements to be qualified for the calamity loan:
Eligible members have until 90 days after the declaration of a state of calamity by the Office of the President or their local Sangguniang Bayan to avail of the loan.
For example, if you live in Metro Manila and you need a calamity loan after Typhoon Carina, you have until October 22 to apply for the loan, since the Metro Manila Council declared a state of calamity over the region on July 24.
If you’re qualified, you may borrow up to 80% of your total Pag-IBIG Regular Savings. These consist of your monthly contributions, your employer’s contributions, and accumulated dividends earned.
If you have an outstanding Multi-Purpose or Calamity Loan, the amount you can receive from the new application will be the difference between 80% of your total Pag-IBIG Regular Savings, and the outstanding balance of your previous loan/s.
The more savings you have in your Pag-IBIG Regular Savings or contributions, the more you can loan.
You can apply through the human resources division at your workplace, or directly over-the-counter at any Pag-IBIG Fund branch by submitting an accomplished loan application form and requirements.
Pag-IBIG also offers an online alternative called Virtual Pag-IBIG. This is reserved for members with a Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card Plus, or cash cards issued by any of Pag-IBIG Fund’s partner banks.
According to Pag-IBIG Fund acting media relations division chief Ariane Luceña, active members (or those who have given a monthly contribution at least once in the last six months) can avail of a Loyalty Card Plus in any branch after paying a one-time fee of P125.
Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card Plus cardholders will receive the loan directly in their card. This card acts like an ATM card, powered by Asia United Bank, Union Bank of the Philippines, and Robinsons Bank.
If you don’t have a Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card Plus, the loan will be issued via check.
The loan is payable within three years, with an initial payment due on the third month after the loan release.
You can also opt to pay in two years.
Employed members can also pay loan amortizations via salary deduction arrangements with their employer. If you want to do advance payments, you can do so at any Pag-IBIG branch, Virtual Pag-IBIG, or accredited collecting partners’ outlets or online payment channels.
The Pag-IBIG Fund Calamity Loan has an interest rate of 5.95% per annum.
More details about the loan can be found in Pag-IBIG Fund’s Circular No. 449. – Rappler.com
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China’s foreign minister warns Philippines over US missile deployment | lkyu0285 | 27/07/2024 13:57 | MEETING. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the 25th ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Minister Meeting in the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting at National Convention Center, in Vientiane, Laos, July 27, 2024.
Chalinee Thirasupa/REUTERS
BEIJING, China – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has warned the Philippines over the US intermediate-range missile deployment, saying such a move could fuel regional tensions and spark an arms race.
The United States deployed its Typhon missile system to the Philippines as part of joint military drills earlier this year. It was not fired during the exercises, a Philippine military official later said, without giving details on how long it would stay in the country.
China-Philippines relations are now at a crossroads and dialogue and consultation are the right way, Wang told the Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo on Friday, July 26, during a meeting in Vientiane, the capital of Laos where top diplomats of world powers have gathered ahead of two summits.
Wang said relations between the countries are facing challenges because the Philippines has “repeatedly violated the consensus of both sides and its own commitments,” according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.
“If the Philippines introduces the US intermediate-range missile system, it will create tension and confrontation in the region and trigger an arms race, which is completely not in line with the interests and wishes of the Filipino people,” Wang said.
The Philippines’ military and its foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wang’s remarks.
China and the Philippines are locked in a confrontation in the South China Sea and their encounters have grown more tense as Beijing presses its claims to disputed shoals in waters within Manila’s its exclusive economic zone.
Wang said China has recently reached a temporary arrangement with the Philippines on the transportation and replenishment of humanitarian supplies to Ren’ai Jiao in order to maintain the stability of the maritime situation, referring to the Second Thomas Shoal.
Philippine vessels on Saturday successfully completed their latest mission to the shoal unimpeded, its foreign ministry said in a statement. – Rappler.com
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Philippine Coast Guard confirms ‘minimal’ oil leak from MT Terranova | lkyu0285 | 27/07/2024 12:50 | OIL SPILL. Members of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) respond to a maritime incident involving Motor Tanker Terra Nova that capsized and eventually submerged 3.6 nautical miles east off Lamao Point in Limay, Bataan, on July 25, 2024. The distressed vessel was carrying 1.4 metric tons of industrial fuel oil with Iloilo as its port of destination.
Philippine Coast Guard
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has confirmed that the sunken MT Terranova is leaking “minimal” amounts of oil from valves, though the situation remains “manageable” as much of the tanker remains intact underwater.
“As observed, it’s not yet alarming since only a little is coming out and the tanker itself is still intact,” PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said in Filipino during a press conference on Saturday, July 27.
Balilo said that divers from Harbor Star Shipping Services conducted an initial assessment of the ship earlier on Saturday and found leaks coming from the tanker’s valves. The PCG could not immediately confirm the number of leaks found or the amount of oil already spilled.
The PCG also said the oil spill has grown to between 12 to 14 kilometers long, based on an aerial survey report by the Philippine Space Agency and reports on the ground. However, because the oil found was not too dark, it’s possible that the oil spill includes a mix of both operational oil from the ship and industrial fuel oil from its cargo.
Local governments have also been told to brace for the effects of the oil spill. Based on the current trajectory of the oil spill, it could possibly affect communities in Bataan and Cavite.
Saturday’s diving team had been on standby since Friday, July 26, but waited for the weather and sea condition to improve before continuing the operation.
Oil tanker MT Terranova was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank on Thursday, July 25, off Bataan province. The PCG said that attempts are now underway to recover its cargo before it causes a wider oil spill.
Shogun Ships Company Incorporated, owner of the sunken ship, has tapped Harbor Star Shipping Services to salvage the tanker and respond to the oil spill. Harbor Star was also among the companies that responded to the Mindoro oil spill in 2023 caused by the sinking of oil tanker MT Princess Empress.
Optimistically, the PCG estimates that it could complete siphoning within seven days, considering the oil tanker sank in shallow waters.
However, Balilo said that under the “worst-case scenario,” the oil spill could stretch all the way into the vicinity waters of Parañaque, Manila, Navotas, Bulacan, and Pampanga. The coast guard has already deployed oil containment booms.
According to Limay Mayor Nelson David, around 400 to 500 liters of the vessel’s engine fuel leaked out. Authorities have observed an oil slick in the area, although there are no reports yet if the industrial fuel oil of the tanker was already spilling.
“There’s nothing to worry about, but we would not be complacent,” PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said in Filipino on Friday, July 26.
“We are still preparing for the worst-case scenario to address the potential negative impact to the marine environment.” – Rappler.com
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Your sanctuary calls: Churches serve as refuge for disaster victims | pfkahanap0307 | 27/07/2024 15:00 | MANILA, Philippines – How do religious groups help when disasters strike?
Parts of Luzon were recently flooded after Typhoon Carina (Gaemi) enhanced the southwest monsoon, bringing back memories of Tropical Storm Ondoy (Ketsana) in 2009.
In troubling times like this, according to members of Rappler’s faith chat room, churches are called to provide victims with both physical and spiritual needs, regardless of their religion.
One user, Joshua Policarpio, said that religious communities also use their networks to help mobilize volunteers and gather resources for relief efforts.
Several organizations, including parishes and religious groups, have extended a helping hand to those affected by Typhoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon.
SPIRIT OF BAYANIHAN 🤝🏻Parish priest Father Ferdinand Delatado, along with Parish Pastoral Council president Sister Lina Tanjuatco and members of the Social Action Ministry, organized a relief operation and donation drive at San Ildefonso de Toledo Parish in Tanay, Rizal, on… pic.twitter.com/oie6tTQcBW
CHRISTIAN SERVICE ❤️Calvary Foursquare Church in Santa Mesa, Manila, has opened its doors to provide food, shelter, and electricity for charging to the victims of #HabagatPH, including those stranded in front of the church due to flooded roads on Wednesday, July 24. Photos by… pic.twitter.com/fjMMu1XY4l
Other churches, such as the Quiapo Church in the City of Manila, also opened their doors to those who needed temporary shelter during the typhoon.
CHURCH AS TEMPORARY SHELTER ⛪️Filipinos took shelter as churches open its doors to those seeking refuge as heavy rain brought by #CarinaPH and #HabagatPH affect Metro Manila and other areas in Luzon. Photos courtesy of Santuario del Sto. Cristo Parish and Roman Catholic Diocese… pic.twitter.com/18u8JD5cyG
‘I DESIRE MERCY, NOT SACRIFICE’ 🕊The iconic Quiapo Church shelters Filipinos affected by #CarinaPH and #HabagatPH, declaring on its Facebook page, “Ang dambana ni Jesus Nazareno ay tahanan ng bawat Pilipino.” 📸 Quiapo Church Do you have similar stories of hope from… pic.twitter.com/LsDjJt5ry4
Father Marvin Pajarillaga, a parish priest in Quezon City whose church also served as an evacuation center, told Rappler in an interview that welcoming evacuees is also a way of showing God’s love.
“Yes, ang simbahan ay lugar para magdasal, pero kinakailangan din naming isalba ‘yung buhay ng mga tao,” he said. (Yes, the church is a place for prayer, but we also need to save people’s lives.)
Is your religious community holding relief efforts for typhoon victims? Let us know in the faith chat room of the Rappler Communities app. – Rappler.com
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Former Sagada mayor James Pooten, wife die in car crash | Michelle Abad | 27/07/2024 17:30 | POOTEN COUPLE. James Pooten and his wife.
Cymbeline Joan Piluden Pooten's Facebook page
BAGUIO, Philippines – The beloved former mayor of the tourist town of Sagada, Mountain Province, died in a car crash in Canada together with his wife and two relatives last Friday, July 26.
James Pooten, popularly known by his Igorot name Payko, died of multiple injuries when the sport utility vehicle he was in collided head-on with a semi-trailer truck in Calgary, Canada. He was 61.
Also killed were Cymbeline Joan Piluden Pooten, 60, cousin Arlene Guzman-Padalla, 62, and her son, Jacob, 32. They were declared dead on the spot.
The driver of the trailer suffered minor injuries. The accident occurred around 10 am on Highway 564 at Highway 9 in Rocky View County, east of Calgary.
According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, preliminary investigations suggested that the SUV may have rolled through a stop sign before the collision. The intersection was closed for several hours as police conducted their investigation, which was still ongoing.
The Pooten couple flew to Canada on July 18 to attend a meeting with the Igorot Global Organization. – Rappler.com
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PH rower Joanie Delgaco falls short of outright quarterfinal berth, drops to repechage | delfin.dioquino editor | 27/07/2024 17:19 | REPRESENT. Rower Joanie Delgaco of Philippines in action in the women's single sculls heats in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Molly Darlington/REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines – Filipina rower Joanie Delgaco ran out of steam and fell short of an outright quarterfinal berth in the women’s single sculls in the Paris Olympics after placing fourth in Heat 2 on Saturday, July 27.
Delgaco, who opened Team Philippines’ campaign, missed out on a top-three finish that merits a spot in the quarterfinals as she failed to sustain a promising start and finished with a time of 7 minutes and 56.26 seconds.
Two-time world champion Karolien Florijn of the Netherlands, who is tipped to win the gold medal, coolly topped the heat with a 7:36.90 clocking.
Switzerland’s Aurelia-Maxima Katharina Janzen (7:41.15) and Slovenia’s Nina Kostanjsek (7:46.30) wound up at second and third, respectively.
The Philippines’ first female rower to qualify for the Olympics, Delgaco got off to a strong start and ranked third through the first half of the 2,000m race before being overtaken by Kostanjsek.
Delgaco crossed the 1,000m mark with a time of 3:50.76 but needed 15 seconds more to complete the second half, which spelled the difference.
But it is not the end of the road for Delgaco as she hopes to bounce back on Sunday, July 28, in the repechage, where the top two will advance to the quarterfinals.
Algeria’s Nihed Benchadli (8:06.62) and Morocco’s Majdouline El Allaoui (8:30.47) will also see action in the repechage after finishing the heat at fifth and sixth, respectively. – Rappler.com
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Steep climb as fencer Samantha Catantan begins Olympic bid | delfin.dioquino editor | 27/07/2024 14:59 | READY. Fencer Samantha Catantan of Team Philippines in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Samantha Catantan Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – It will be an uphill climb for Filipina fencer Samantha Catantan as she begins her Paris Olympics quest in the women’s individual foil on Sunday, July 28.
Seeded second to last out of the 34 participants, Catantan battles No. 32 seed Mariana Pistoia of Brazil in the round of 64.
If she overcomes Pistoia, Catantan – the Philippines’ first female fencer to qualify for the Summer Games – then needs to pull off a massive upset in the round of 32 against top seed Arianna Errigo of Italy.
Errigo is a two-time individual world champion and won a team gold and an individual silver in the 2012 London Olympics.
Also competing in the same category is former national team standout Maxine Esteban, who now represents African nation Ivory Coast following her nationality switch last year.
The 20th seed Esteban drew a first-round bye and will face France’s Pauline Ranvier in the round of 32.
Reigning Olympic champion Lee Kiefer of the USA, whose mother is Filipina, begins her title defense in the round of 32 against the winner between Poland’s Martyna Jelinska and Morocco’s Youssra Zakarani. – Rappler.com
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‘Prof’ Pacquiao to give Anpo crash boxing course in Tokyo exhibition bout | Jasmine Payo | 27/07/2024 15:54 | READY. Manny Pacquiao stretches during a public workout in Tokyo.
WENDELL ALINEA/MP PROMOTIONS
TOKYO, Japan – Manny Pacquiao intends to give a crash boxing course when he tangles with Japanese kickboxer and MMA fighter Rukiya Anpo in a feature exhibition bout in Rizin 28 on Sunday, July 28, at the Saitama Super Arena in the Saitama Prefecture.
In an official video released by event organizers, Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division world champion, said: “I’m not boasting…but in terms of boxing, I’m like a professor.”
“For me, I’ve been in boxing for 80 percent of my life,” said the 45-year-old Pacquiao, adding, “I can still compete like the same as before.”
After three decades as a pro and receiving such accolades as Fighter of the Year, Fighter of the Decade, Pound for Pound king, oldest welterweight champion and, arguably the greatest fighter of this generation, Pacquiao officially retired in August 2023 following an unexpected loss to substitute opponent Yordenis Ugas.
According to Pacquiao, the reason for his longevity and success in the ring is because he treated the sport as a science. He studied and learned as he climbed the boxing ladder.
While boxing is highly physical combat, Pacquiao said 60 percent of boxing is up here, while pointing to his head.
Apart from skills and power, Pacquiao said the execution of all those strategies is vital to one’s success in the sport referred to as the sweet science.
Still pining for action, Pacquiao last fought and beat South Korean martial artist DK Yoo on December 11, 2022.
He’s been inactive since then until the offer to do battle with mixed martial artist Chihiro Suzuki in Tokyo came along.
Suzuki, however, was forced to withdraw after breaking his hand and Anpo was chosen to take his place in the bout set at a catchweight of 152 pounds.
The three-round bout of three minutes each will apply boxing rules, with a whopping $5 million fine to be slapped if Anpo turns wild and uses kicks against Pacquiao, bared Rizin president Noboyuki Sakakibara.
In another Rizin.tv video, Ano, who’ll be Pacquiao’s tallest foe ever at 6-foot flat, said he “already have some (boxing) foundation. That’s why I can spar with Sean (Strickland).”
Strickland is a former UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) middleweight champion and, of course, not in Pacquiao’s league boxing-wise.
Pacquiao, who arrived here late Tuesday, had light training on Wednesday, jogged and did a public workout on Thursday. – Rappler.com
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‘Prof’ Pacquiao to give Anpo crash boxing course in Tokyo exhibition bout | Jasmine Payo | 27/07/2024 15:54 | READY. Manny Pacquiao stretches during a public workout in Tokyo.
WENDELL ALINEA/MP PROMOTIONS
TOKYO, Japan – Manny Pacquiao intends to give a crash boxing course when he tangles with Japanese kickboxer and MMA fighter Rukiya Anpo in a feature exhibition bout in Rizin 28 on Sunday, July 28, at the Saitama Super Arena in the Saitama Prefecture.
In an official video released by event organizers, Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division world champion, said: “I’m not boasting…but in terms of boxing, I’m like a professor.”
“For me, I’ve been in boxing for 80 percent of my life,” said the 45-year-old Pacquiao, adding, “I can still compete like the same as before.”
After three decades as a pro and receiving such accolades as Fighter of the Year, Fighter of the Decade, Pound for Pound king, oldest welterweight champion and, arguably the greatest fighter of this generation, Pacquiao officially retired in August 2023 following an unexpected loss to substitute opponent Yordenis Ugas.
According to Pacquiao, the reason for his longevity and success in the ring is because he treated the sport as a science. He studied and learned as he climbed the boxing ladder.
While boxing is highly physical combat, Pacquiao said 60 percent of boxing is up here, while pointing to his head.
Apart from skills and power, Pacquiao said the execution of all those strategies is vital to one’s success in the sport referred to as the sweet science.
Still pining for action, Pacquiao last fought and beat South Korean martial artist DK Yoo on December 11, 2022.
He’s been inactive since then until the offer to do battle with mixed martial artist Chihiro Suzuki in Tokyo came along.
Suzuki, however, was forced to withdraw after breaking his hand and Anpo was chosen to take his place in the bout set at a catchweight of 152 pounds.
The three-round bout of three minutes each will apply boxing rules, with a whopping $5 million fine to be slapped if Anpo turns wild and uses kicks against Pacquiao, bared Rizin president Noboyuki Sakakibara.
In another Rizin.tv video, Ano, who’ll be Pacquiao’s tallest foe ever at 6-foot flat, said he “already have some (boxing) foundation. That’s why I can spar with Sean (Strickland).”
Strickland is a former UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) middleweight champion and, of course, not in Pacquiao’s league boxing-wise.
Pacquiao, who arrived here late Tuesday, had light training on Wednesday, jogged and did a public workout on Thursday. – Rappler.com
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HIGHLIGHTS, RESULTS: Team Philippines, 2024 Paris Olympics – July 27 | Jasmine Payo | 27/07/2024 15:15 | MANILA, Philippines – Team Philippines kicks off its Paris Olympics campaign on Saturday, July 27, as gymnast Carlos Yulo and rower Joanie Delgaco open their respective bids.
Carlos Yulo gets three medal chances as he advances to the individual all-around, floor exercise, and vault finals following the conclusion of the men’s artistic gymnastics qualification.
Yulo placed second in floor exercise with 14.766 points, sixth in vault with an average of 14.683 points, and ninth in the all-around with a total of 83.631 points.
In the other apparatuses, Yulo ranked 19th in parallel bars, 27th in horizontal bar, 40th in pommel horse, and 49th in still rings.
Full story here.
Carlos Yulo is on track to advance to the men’s all-around final as he ranks eighth through two of the three qualification subdivisions with a total of 83.631 points.
The top 24 – with a maximum of two per country – will reach the all-around final.
He also hopes to reach two apparatus finals as he sits at second in floor exercise and sixth in vault, with the top eight (maximum of two per country) qualifying for the medal round.
Carlos Yulo tallies a respectable 13.466 points in horizontal bar to wrap up the men’s all-around qualification.
Carlos Yulo displays consistency in one of his pet events as he scores 14.533 in parallel bars.
Yulo improves on the 13.466 points he scored in the same apparatus in the Tokyo Games.
Carlos Yulo amasses 14.8 and 14.566 points in his two vaults as he propels himself into contention for a spot in the finals.
With an average of 14.683 points, Yulo currently ranks fourth in the apparatus behind Great Britain’s Harry Hepworth (14.766), Croatia’s Aurel Benovic (14.733), and Great Britain’s Jake Jarman (14.699).
In the Tokyo Olympics, Yulo reached the vault final and narrowly missed a medal as he finished fourth.
Carlos Yulo misses the cut for the final of still rings after garnering 13.0 points in the men’s all-around qualification.
He finished with 14.0 points in the same apparatus in the Tokyo Games.
Carlos Yulo earns 13.066 points in pommel horse in the men’s all-around qualification.
That means he will miss the final of the apparatus, with only the top eight – a maximum of two per country – advancing.
Still, his score is a major improvement to the 11.833 points he recorded in pommel horse in the Tokyo Games as Yulo aims to make the all-around final.
Carlos Yulo lets out a loud roar, seemingly satisfied after a stellar floor exercise performance in the men’s all-around qualification.
He nets 14.766 points to put himself in prime position of making the top eight and reaching the final.
Currently, only Great Britain’s Jake Jarman has a better score with 14.966 points, while defending champion Artem Dolgopyat is behind with 14.466 points.
Joanie Delgaco missed out on an outright quarterfinal berth in the women’s single sculls after placing fourth in Heat 2.
Delgaco clocked 7:56.26 to finish behind the Netherlands’ Karolien Florijin (7:36.90), Switzerland’s Aurelia-Maxima Katharina Janzen (7:41.15), and Slovenia’s Nina Kostanjsek (7:46.30).
Only the top three from each of the six heats advanced to the quarterfinals.
But Delgaco can still reach the quarterfinals through the repechage set on Sunday, July 28.
Full story here.
Here’s the schedule on Day 1, Manila time:
Delgaco is the first to see action among the Philippines’ 22 qualified athletes when she competes in the women’s single sculls heats.
Then hours later, Yulo takes center stage in the men’s artistic gymnastics all-around qualification with hopes of reaching as many apparatus finals as possible as he eyes medals in his pet events floor exercise and vault.
CENTENNIAL TEAM 🇵🇭Flag bearers Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio lead Team Philippines in the #Paris2024 opening ceremony as the country celebrates 100 years of Olympic participation.Photo from Reuters pic.twitter.com/hYbzgfferu
– Rappler.com
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Philippine Coast Guard confirms ‘minimal’ oil leak from MT Terranova | lkyu0285 | 27/07/2024 12:50 | OIL SPILL. Members of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) respond to a maritime incident involving Motor Tanker Terra Nova that capsized and eventually submerged 3.6 nautical miles east off Lamao Point in Limay, Bataan, on July 25, 2024. The distressed vessel was carrying 1.4 metric tons of industrial fuel oil with Iloilo as its port of destination.
Philippine Coast Guard
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has confirmed that the sunken MT Terranova is leaking “minimal” amounts of oil from valves, though the situation remains “manageable” as much of the tanker remains intact underwater.
“As observed, it’s not yet alarming since only a little is coming out and the tanker itself is still intact,” PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said in Filipino during a press conference on Saturday, July 27.
Balilo said that divers from Harbor Star Shipping Services conducted an initial assessment of the ship earlier on Saturday and found leaks coming from the tanker’s valves. The PCG could not immediately confirm the number of leaks found or the amount of oil already spilled.
The PCG also said the oil spill has grown to between 12 to 14 kilometers long, based on an aerial survey report by the Philippine Space Agency and reports on the ground. However, because the oil found was not too dark, it’s possible that the oil spill includes a mix of both operational oil from the ship and industrial fuel oil from its cargo.
Local governments have also been told to brace for the effects of the oil spill. Based on the current trajectory of the oil spill, it could possibly affect communities in Bataan and Cavite.
Saturday’s diving team had been on standby since Friday, July 26, but waited for the weather and sea condition to improve before continuing the operation.
Oil tanker MT Terranova was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank on Thursday, July 25, off Bataan province. The PCG said that attempts are now underway to recover its cargo before it causes a wider oil spill.
Shogun Ships Company Incorporated, owner of the sunken ship, has tapped Harbor Star Shipping Services to salvage the tanker and respond to the oil spill. Harbor Star was also among the companies that responded to the Mindoro oil spill in 2023 caused by the sinking of oil tanker MT Princess Empress.
Optimistically, the PCG estimates that it could complete siphoning within seven days, considering the oil tanker sank in shallow waters.
However, Balilo said that under the “worst-case scenario,” the oil spill could stretch all the way into the vicinity waters of Parañaque, Manila, Navotas, Bulacan, and Pampanga. The coast guard has already deployed oil containment booms.
According to Limay Mayor Nelson David, around 400 to 500 liters of the vessel’s engine fuel leaked out. Authorities have observed an oil slick in the area, although there are no reports yet if the industrial fuel oil of the tanker was already spilling.
“There’s nothing to worry about, but we would not be complacent,” PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said in Filipino on Friday, July 26.
“We are still preparing for the worst-case scenario to address the potential negative impact to the marine environment.” – Rappler.com
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BINI moves ‘Grand BINIverse’ concert dates after fans ask for postponement | Russell Ku | 27/07/2024 10:02 | Metrophoto Brands
MANILA, Philippines — P-pop girl group BINI is moving its much-awaited Grand BINIverse concert to November 16 and 17 at the Araneta Coliseum, its agency Star Music PH announced on Friday, July 26.
The concert was initially scheduled for October 4. The new date also extends the concert to a two-day show and will fall on the day that BINI will mark the first year since it released its breakout hit “Pantropiko.”
Ticket prices and seat plan for the upcoming concert have yet to be announced.
#BINI :🚨 Grand BINIverse Alert! 🚨Hi BL♾️! The #GrandBINIverse in Araneta Coliseum will be moved to November 16 and 17, 2024!Two eyyy-pic dates for our grand gathering with our best girls!🤙🤙We will keep you posted about the ticket details! #BINIversayangHulyo pic.twitter.com/2wS8zH7ROW
The move comes as BINI’s fans, also known as Blooms, took to social media and trended the hashtag #PostponeGrandBiniverse as they worry for the group’s health due to its loaded schedule.
Blooms said that the BINI members are “overworked” and should not worry about how the fans would react to a postponement as “they’ve already established their name” in the music industry. They added that the Blooms are always willing to wait for the right time to watch a BINI concert.
As of writing, the hashtag remains one of the top five trending Philippine topics on X.
we will wait always for our girls. all we want for now is for their mental and physical health to be prioritized above all. jho, hindi kami mawawala, magpagaling ka muna, magpahinga muna kayo. mahal namin kayong walo, palagi. #PostponeGrandBiniverse pic.twitter.com/13pITlaCei
it breaks me that they still worry about people's interest in them fading. of all the uncertain things in this world, one thing's for sure— bini, will always receive the same excitement from your blooms, if not more. #PostponeGrandBiniversepic.twitter.com/sS8CfVLzwd
the girls are clearly overworked. please let them breathe and have enough rest after their overseas events. after all, they’ve already established their name—the hype won’t die down that easily. they deserve at least a month-long break. please. #PostponeGrandBiniverse
we just want the girls to have enough rest,regain their strengths and to prioritize their health pls 🙁 #PostponeGrandBiniverse pic.twitter.com/YSkyMDI6VH
to the management or whoever reads this, please understand that these tags are not an 'attack', and we are not angry. we are just concerned about the girls' health and their personal time. we can always wait for them because they are worth the wait.#PostponeGrandBiniverse
#PostponeGrandBiniverse pic.twitter.com/mH7YbXXLyT
Since BINI rose to popularity with “Pantropiko” and “Salamin, Salamin,” the group has done multiple activities nonstop such as a sold-out three-day BINIVERSE show at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City, a regional concert tour, and endorsements with big brands such as Shopee and Jollibee, among others.
In between its activities, BINI also released its latest single “Cherry On Top” on July 11.
The group is set to perform at KCON LA in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 27, as part of the pre-show of the “M Countdown” stage and will visit Canada in August as part of its BINIVERSE tour.
Dubbed as the “Nation’s Girl Group,” BINI made its official debut in June 2021. They are composed of Jhoanna, Maloi, Stacey, Aiah, Colet, Gwen, Mikha, and Sheena.
The group is known for its songs “Na Na Na,” “I Feel Good,” “Lagi,” “Huwag Muna Tayong Umuwi,” “Karera,” and “Salamin, Salamin.” BINI became the first Filipino act to enter Spotify’s Global Top Artists chart and top the platform’s Philippine Daily Top Artists chart. – Rappler.com
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Your sanctuary calls: Churches serve as refuge for disaster victims | pfkahanap0307 | 27/07/2024 15:00 | MANILA, Philippines – How do religious groups help when disasters strike?
Parts of Luzon were recently flooded after Typhoon Carina (Gaemi) enhanced the southwest monsoon, bringing back memories of Tropical Storm Ondoy (Ketsana) in 2009.
In troubling times like this, according to members of Rappler’s faith chat room, churches are called to provide victims with both physical and spiritual needs, regardless of their religion.
One user, Joshua Policarpio, said that religious communities also use their networks to help mobilize volunteers and gather resources for relief efforts.
Several organizations, including parishes and religious groups, have extended a helping hand to those affected by Typhoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon.
SPIRIT OF BAYANIHAN 🤝🏻Parish priest Father Ferdinand Delatado, along with Parish Pastoral Council president Sister Lina Tanjuatco and members of the Social Action Ministry, organized a relief operation and donation drive at San Ildefonso de Toledo Parish in Tanay, Rizal, on… pic.twitter.com/oie6tTQcBW
CHRISTIAN SERVICE ❤️Calvary Foursquare Church in Santa Mesa, Manila, has opened its doors to provide food, shelter, and electricity for charging to the victims of #HabagatPH, including those stranded in front of the church due to flooded roads on Wednesday, July 24. Photos by… pic.twitter.com/fjMMu1XY4l
Other churches, such as the Quiapo Church in the City of Manila, also opened their doors to those who needed temporary shelter during the typhoon.
CHURCH AS TEMPORARY SHELTER ⛪️Filipinos took shelter as churches open its doors to those seeking refuge as heavy rain brought by #CarinaPH and #HabagatPH affect Metro Manila and other areas in Luzon. Photos courtesy of Santuario del Sto. Cristo Parish and Roman Catholic Diocese… pic.twitter.com/18u8JD5cyG
‘I DESIRE MERCY, NOT SACRIFICE’ 🕊The iconic Quiapo Church shelters Filipinos affected by #CarinaPH and #HabagatPH, declaring on its Facebook page, “Ang dambana ni Jesus Nazareno ay tahanan ng bawat Pilipino.” 📸 Quiapo Church Do you have similar stories of hope from… pic.twitter.com/LsDjJt5ry4
Father Marvin Pajarillaga, a parish priest in Quezon City whose church also served as an evacuation center, told Rappler in an interview that welcoming evacuees is also a way of showing God’s love.
“Yes, ang simbahan ay lugar para magdasal, pero kinakailangan din naming isalba ‘yung buhay ng mga tao,” he said. (Yes, the church is a place for prayer, but we also need to save people’s lives.)
Is your religious community holding relief efforts for typhoon victims? Let us know in the faith chat room of the Rappler Communities app. – Rappler.com
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Steep climb as fencer Samantha Catantan begins Olympic bid | delfin.dioquino editor | 27/07/2024 14:59 | READY. Fencer Samantha Catantan of Team Philippines in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Samantha Catantan Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – It will be an uphill climb for Filipina fencer Samantha Catantan as she begins her Paris Olympics quest in the women’s individual foil on Sunday, July 28.
Seeded second to last out of the 34 participants, Catantan battles No. 32 seed Mariana Pistoia of Brazil in the round of 64.
If she overcomes Pistoia, Catantan – the Philippines’ first female fencer to qualify for the Summer Games – then needs to pull off a massive upset in the round of 32 against top seed Arianna Errigo of Italy.
Errigo is a two-time individual world champion and won a team gold and an individual silver in the 2012 London Olympics.
Also competing in the same category is former national team standout Maxine Esteban, who now represents African nation Ivory Coast following her nationality switch last year.
The 20th seed Esteban drew a first-round bye and will face France’s Pauline Ranvier in the round of 32.
Reigning Olympic champion Lee Kiefer of the USA, whose mother is Filipina, begins her title defense in the round of 32 against the winner between Poland’s Martyna Jelinska and Morocco’s Youssra Zakarani. – Rappler.com
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HIGHLIGHTS, RESULTS: Team Philippines, 2024 Paris Olympics – July 27 | Jasmine Payo | 27/07/2024 15:15 | MANILA, Philippines – Team Philippines kicks off its Paris Olympics campaign on Saturday, July 27, as gymnast Carlos Yulo and rower Joanie Delgaco open their respective bids.
Carlos Yulo gets three medal chances as he advances to the individual all-around, floor exercise, and vault finals following the conclusion of the men’s artistic gymnastics qualification.
Yulo placed second in floor exercise with 14.766 points, sixth in vault with an average of 14.683 points, and ninth in the all-around with a total of 83.631 points.
In the other apparatuses, Yulo ranked 19th in parallel bars, 27th in horizontal bar, 40th in pommel horse, and 49th in still rings.
Full story here.
Carlos Yulo is on track to advance to the men’s all-around final as he ranks eighth through two of the three qualification subdivisions with a total of 83.631 points.
The top 24 – with a maximum of two per country – will reach the all-around final.
He also hopes to reach two apparatus finals as he sits at second in floor exercise and sixth in vault, with the top eight (maximum of two per country) qualifying for the medal round.
Carlos Yulo tallies a respectable 13.466 points in horizontal bar to wrap up the men’s all-around qualification.
Carlos Yulo displays consistency in one of his pet events as he scores 14.533 in parallel bars.
Yulo improves on the 13.466 points he scored in the same apparatus in the Tokyo Games.
Carlos Yulo amasses 14.8 and 14.566 points in his two vaults as he propels himself into contention for a spot in the finals.
With an average of 14.683 points, Yulo currently ranks fourth in the apparatus behind Great Britain’s Harry Hepworth (14.766), Croatia’s Aurel Benovic (14.733), and Great Britain’s Jake Jarman (14.699).
In the Tokyo Olympics, Yulo reached the vault final and narrowly missed a medal as he finished fourth.
Carlos Yulo misses the cut for the final of still rings after garnering 13.0 points in the men’s all-around qualification.
He finished with 14.0 points in the same apparatus in the Tokyo Games.
Carlos Yulo earns 13.066 points in pommel horse in the men’s all-around qualification.
That means he will miss the final of the apparatus, with only the top eight – a maximum of two per country – advancing.
Still, his score is a major improvement to the 11.833 points he recorded in pommel horse in the Tokyo Games as Yulo aims to make the all-around final.
Carlos Yulo lets out a loud roar, seemingly satisfied after a stellar floor exercise performance in the men’s all-around qualification.
He nets 14.766 points to put himself in prime position of making the top eight and reaching the final.
Currently, only Great Britain’s Jake Jarman has a better score with 14.966 points, while defending champion Artem Dolgopyat is behind with 14.466 points.
Joanie Delgaco missed out on an outright quarterfinal berth in the women’s single sculls after placing fourth in Heat 2.
Delgaco clocked 7:56.26 to finish behind the Netherlands’ Karolien Florijin (7:36.90), Switzerland’s Aurelia-Maxima Katharina Janzen (7:41.15), and Slovenia’s Nina Kostanjsek (7:46.30).
Only the top three from each of the six heats advanced to the quarterfinals.
But Delgaco can still reach the quarterfinals through the repechage set on Sunday, July 28.
Full story here.
Here’s the schedule on Day 1, Manila time:
Delgaco is the first to see action among the Philippines’ 22 qualified athletes when she competes in the women’s single sculls heats.
Then hours later, Yulo takes center stage in the men’s artistic gymnastics all-around qualification with hopes of reaching as many apparatus finals as possible as he eyes medals in his pet events floor exercise and vault.
CENTENNIAL TEAM 🇵🇭Flag bearers Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio lead Team Philippines in the #Paris2024 opening ceremony as the country celebrates 100 years of Olympic participation.Photo from Reuters pic.twitter.com/hYbzgfferu
– Rappler.com
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Palaro to Paris: Joanie Delgaco aces volleyball to rowing jump | Jasmine Payo | 14/07/2024 18:25 | For almost the entirety of her teenage years, Joanie Delgaco was hungry for a volleyball break.
Standing at 5-foot-5 when she was 17 years old, Delgaco was not exactly tall enough for the sport. But she stood out as a setter for Camarines Sur in the Palarong Pambansa, attracting volleyball scouts, including one, she said, from NCAA’s University of Perpetual Help.
Despite receiving interest, Delgaco, who eventually became the first Filipina rower to qualify in the country’s 100-year history in the Olympics, felt her chance to shine in volleyball was slim.
“In volleyball back then, I couldn’t see myself excelling [long-term],” Delgaco said in Filipino.
From age 11 to 17, Delgaco had a volleyball career in sight, even idolizing former UAAP star Alyssa Valdez. But eventually, the Iriga native gave herself a reality check.
She felt the need to try something new, so when an opportunity to try out and train for a different sport in Manila came, a teenaged Delgaco took a leap of faith.
Convinced by a rowing coach, Delgaco jumped into her new sport, betting on her physical tools and innate strength, which her mentors believed to be her biggest asset.
“He really talked to me and my parents. I said alright, if I could do well in rowing, maybe this is really for me,” she said.
Starting without any knowledge of the sport, Delgaco traveled to Manila for the first time in her life. She did not even bring a travel bag with her, using instead a cardboard box to pack her clothes and relocate to the city.
Slowly, she grasped the fundamentals of rowing, building herself up to go for an Olympic standard 2,000-meter race.
Rowing techniques included sculling backward, requiring leg and arm strength in pulling back the paddle – a stark contrast to dragon boat, which propels the boat forward.
From orchestrating plays for her volleyball team, Delgaco aced captaining her racing shell, the term used for competitive rowing boats.
“When I started rowing, in under one year, I already won a medal,” shared Delgaco. “That’s when I felt like this is where I am going to excel. And then, every year after that, the blessings did not stop.”
By 2024, her biggest blessing came. Delgaco booked a ticket to the Paris Olympics after placing fourth in the women’s single sculls in the World Rowing Asian and Oceanian Qualification Regatta in Chungju, South Korea, last April 21.
The feat made her only the fourth rower – and just the first female – in Philippine history to advance to the Olympic games after Edgardo Maerina (1988 Seoul Games), Benjamin Tolentino Jr. (2000 Sydney Games), and Cris Nievarez (2022 Tokyo Games).
“Isang malaking karangalan na makapasok sa Olympics lalo na sa sport namin na hindi talaga masyado alam (It is a big honor to advance to the Olympics, especially in a sport that many may not be familiar with),” Delgaco said.
It took the 26-year-old three tries, though, noting she tasted defeat in her two previous Olympic attempts.
In 2016, when she was only 18 years old, Delgaco lost her bid for an Olympic ticket, then fell short again in 2021 where she finished just a second shy of qualifying.
Part of her up-and-down journey in the sport also saw her snagging the 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold in Manila, and then bowing out in last year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
But whichever way her campaigns end up, Delgaco always makes sure to represent the country well. More so now that she’s in the sport’s biggest stage.
“Bihira lang mga atletang nakakapasok dito sa Olympic competition (It’s rare to be a part of this),” said Delgaco. – Rappler.com
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[DECODED] The Philippines and Brazil have a lot in common. Online toxicity is one. | Pauline Macaraeg | 25/07/2024 12:00 | David Castuciano/Rappler
I remember seeing a thread on X (formerly Twitter) three years ago comparing the Philippines and Brazil. It was a hilarious read covering specific similarities in food, culture, religion, history, and humor.
Melodramatic telenovelas? We both have it. Colonial past? Check. A vibrant LGBTQIA+ community? Yes, we share that, too. We even find similar things funny, often ending up with mirrored memes that cater to our unique sense of humor.
Outside of the X thread, one of the most striking similarities I found was that Filipinos and Brazilians both have high social media usage — above the worldwide average in 2024.
Sadly, our similarities with Brazil do not end there. What we discovered after months of working on a project that would assess the digital threats to women in public life in Brazil was that we share the same struggles, too.
We’ve seen it in the Philippines. We are seeing it again in Brazil: women leaders and journalists are continuously being attacked online, a telltale sign of democratic backsliding.
We from The Nerve, a Manila-based data consultancy firm, studied over one million social media posts for the report published by global initiative #ShePersisted titled, “Big Tech and The Weaponization of Misogyny in the Brazil Online Ecosystem.”
The report is composed of a forensic dive into social media discussions and a nationally representative public opinion survey in Brazil to assess digital threats to women in public life in Brazil, including politicians and journalists.
Our findings were striking: gendered disinformation, or the deliberate spread of false information designed to damage reputations, is still being widely used by social media networks to attack high-profile Brazilian women who dare to criticize men in power.
Among the common themes of gendered attacks in the Brazilian digital landscape include casting doubt on women’s abilities (e.g. qualifications and intelligence), their morality or sexuality, and their loyalty or patriotism (e.g. accusing them as “traitors” to the country or as “communists”).
Sounds familiar? We in the Philippines have a term for it: red-tagging.
Filipino leaders and journalists have faced accusations of being “communists” just because they dare to oppose the government. We exposed that police pages and other government entities were behind some of these attacks.
There’s also another similarity we share with Brazil that’s obvious to many: having populists as former presidents. The Philippines had Rodrigo Duerte, and Brazil had Jair Bolsonaro. They both ruled with macho politics.
It came as no surprise that the online gendered attacks we found in Brazil were most prevalent during Bolsonaro’s term, which lasted from 2019 to 2022. Bolsonaro lost by a narrow margin to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the 2022 Brazilian elections — a loss that prompted his party to contest the results and his supporters to incite a nationwide election denial movement.
We found that the gendered attacks in Brazil were driven by pro-authoritarian groups and actors promoting anti-rights ideologies, which were seeded into existing right-wing communities that supported Bolsonaro.
Sometimes, these attacks would infiltrate non-political communities, including religious, cultural, and lifestyle groups. One tactic is for pro-authoritarian networks to drive the gendered attacks by exploiting religion to sow division, undermine the reputation of women in authority positions, and, as result, expand these networks’ reach.
Remember the Philippines’ DDS (diehard Duterte supporter) and Marcos networks? Brazil has pro-Bolsonaro networks, too. They utilize the same information operations tactics employed by authoritarian leaders such as in Russia and the Philippines, where disinformation is spread against critics of an autocratic government using existing hyperpartisan communities to sway public opinion, erode public trust, and reinforce the authority of autocrats.
The X thread said Brazil and the Philippines are both “batshit insane” when it comes to fandoms. With these findings, we can say that this applies to political fandoms, too.
Bolsonaro is no longer president, and he’s even barred from running for office until 2030. Yet, the social media networks formed during his administration remain. The right-wing networks from Bolsonaro’s presidency persist, and have become an online watering hole for conservatives and anti-feminists.
Here in the Philippines, we also know that Duterte is no longer in office. Yet, we still see pro-Duterte networks participating in current issues, such as our maritime disputes with China.
It becomes more tricky when the existing guardrails, such as fact-checking, appear to be no longer working. In analyzing the social media posts, we found that disinformation narratives against Brazilian women persisted online even after being debunked by fact-checkers — indicating coordinated efforts to keep the lies alive.
This is where platform accountability should come in because, ultimately, these gendered attacks are found on their services. If the data shows that content moderation is not enough to squash these hateful narratives, then there is a clear need for proactive policies that will protect its users. Unfortunately, this remains a significant challenge shared all over the world — especially with the rise of generative AI.
What should be done?
#ShePersisted proposed: “A concerted and coordinated whole-of-society effort is needed to bolster a rights-based approach to information integrity.”
What it means is that we continue to report on these issues for awareness and continue to debunk false claims. But we don’t stop there. We also involve other stakeholders in the battle for facts, and together we hold both the Big Tech and the online perpetrators accountable. We are already trying to do this in the Philippines with #FactsFirstPH.
It can also be done in Brazil — especially since #ShePersisted’s survey found that a large majority of Brazilian voters care about gendered disinformation, with 79% being “concerned” or “very concerned” about how women are depicted on social media. This figure rises to 85% after exposure to educational messages highlighting possible negative impacts on democracy, online harassment, and exploitation of women and girls.
“Weaponizing social media against women leaders with gendered disinformation and hate is one of the most effective mechanisms deployed to erode democratic institutions, divide social groups, exercise foreign influence, and support the growth of transnational far-right movements,” #ShePersisted said in the study. – Rappler.com
Decoded is a Rappler series that explores the challenges and opportunities that come with living in transformative times. It is produced by The Nerve, a data forensics company that enables changemakers to navigate real-world trends and issues through narrative & network investigations. Taking the best of human and machine, we enable partners to unlock powerful insights that shape informed decisions. Composed of a team of data scientists, strategists, award-winning storytellers, and designers, the company is on a mission to deliver data with real-world impact.
#ShePersisted’s study on Brazil is part of a project aimed at creating strategic communications approaches to combating gendered disinformation. It also conducted similar research on Moldova and the digital threats faced by its women leaders. Go here to access the full reports.
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SCHEDULE: Team Philippines in 2024 Paris Olympics | delfin.dioquino editor | 22/07/2024 21:24 | MANILA, Philippines – Twenty-two brave athletes represent the Philippines in the Paris Games as the country celebrates its 100th year of participation in the Olympics.
Sending its biggest Olympic delegation in over three decades, the Philippines hopes to exceed its historic campaign in the previous Tokyo Games, where it won a breakthrough gold on top of two silvers and one bronze.
Here is the schedule of Filipino Olympians, Philippine time:
Joanie Delgaco (women’s single sculls)
Carlos Yulo (men’s artistic gymnastics)
Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, Levi Jung-Ruivivar (women’s artistic gymnastics)
Aira Villegas (women’s 50kg)
Nesthy Petecio (women’s 57kg)
Eumir Marcial (men’s 80kg)
Hergie Bacyadan (women’s 75kg)
Carlo Paalam (men’s 57kg)
Samantha Catantan (women’s individual foil)
Kiyomi Watanabe (women’s -63kg)
Kayla Sanchez (women’s 100m freestyle)
Jarod Hatch (men’s 100m butterfly)
EJ Obiena (men’s pole vault)
Lauren Hoffman (women’s 400m hurdles)
John Cabang Tolentino (men’s 110m hurdles)
Bianca Pagdanganan, Dottie Ardina (women’s individual stroke play)
John Ceniza (men’s 61kg)
Elreen Ando (women’s 59kg)
Vanessa Sarno (women’s 71kg)
– Rappler.com
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PH reports smooth mission to Ayungin in first test of ‘arrangement’ with China | Glenda Gloria | 27/07/2024 12:37 | Google Map
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government said on Saturday, July 27, that “no untoward incidents” happened during a morning resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea — unlike last month’s mission, when the China Coast Guard (CCG) wielded axes and knives and boarded Philippine Navy boats.
“It was the first RORE [rotation and reprovisioning] mission conducted under the ambit of the understanding reached between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China on principles and approaches” to avoid “misunderstandings and miscalculations, without prejudice to national positions,” the National Security Council (NSC) said in a statement.
In a separate statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said a civilian vessel the MV Lapu-Lapu was escorted by the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Cape Engaño for the mission.
This is the first resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre since the Philippines announced on July 21 that it had reached a “provisional arrangement” with China on how to proceed with missions to Ayungin Shoal.
DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza, in a message to media, said there was “no prior notification and no on-site inspection. The mission, said Daza, reached the BRP Sierra Madre the morning of July 27 and left at around 1:26 pm the same day.
“We were informed the Chinese Coast Guard vessels were at a reasonable distance with no risk of collision,” said Daza of the July mission.
Saturday’s mission also took place days before the Philippines’ foreign affairs and defense chiefs are set to meet with their American counterparts during the 4th 2+2 ministerial meeting in Manila on Tuesday, July 30.
The DFA praised the Philippine Navy and PCG for their “professionalism” in the conduct of the “lawful and routine” mission to the BRP Sierra Madre. The department noted that two agencies coordinated closely with the DFA: the NSC and the Department of National Defense.
In a statement on Saturday, the Chinese foreign ministry said that the China Coast Guard “monitored” the resupply mission. The ministry said China was notified before the mission was carried out, and after confirming on-site that the Philippine vessel carried just humanitarian living necessities, China “let the vessel through.”
China maintained that its position on Ren’ai Jiao, or Ayungin Shoal, had not changed. It continued to claim the shoal, the Spratly Islands, and their adjacent waters as under its jurisdiction.
“China will continue to properly deal with relevant territorial issues and disputes over maritime rights with the Philippines through dialogue and consultation,” the ministry said.
Ayungin Shoal is a flashpoint for tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea. Incidents often take place during missions to bring supplies and rotate personnel to the BRP Sierra Madre, an old warship that was run aground in 1999 in response to China’s military build-up in nearby Mischief Reef.
The incident-free Ayungin mission on July 27 caps monthlong efforts in the Philippines to bring down tensions in the South China Sea, which Beijing continues to claim practically in its entirety despite the 2016 Arbitral Ruling. Ayungin Shoal is just over 100 nautical miles away from Palawan.
In early July, Manila hosted a meeting for the Bilateral Communication Mechanism on the South China Sea. The bilateral “arrangement” was announced weeks after — albeit not without a quick exchange of statements between Manila and Beijing’s foreign ministries.
The Philippines, in announcing the arrangement, said it did “not prejudice each other’s positions in the South China Sea.” But China, in a statement through its own foreign ministry, implied that Manila had agreed to contentious terms — on prior notification of the mission and “on-site verification” by the Chinese. Daza said the statement was “inaccurate,” particularly over its claims on those terms.
Philippine defense and security officials have also been trying to bring down the rhetoric following the CCG’s attack on Philippine soldiers during the June 17 resupply mission. In his third State of the Nation Address, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that while the government “cannot waver,” it “continuously [tries] to find ways to de-escalate tensions in contested areas with our counterparts, without compromising our position and our principles.”
Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo also recently met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers meeting in Laos.
Most resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre have been marred by violence or aggressive actions by the Chinese. – Rappler.com
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Maria Ressa to Benilde Class of 2024: You’re firefighters, ‘architects of a new world’ | Glenda Gloria | 27/07/2024 9:49 | MANILA, Philippines – Noting that they are the “warriors in a battle for the soul of our nation,” Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa on Saturday, July 27, challenged Class 2024 of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde to turn the many crises facing the Philippines into opportunities “for innovation, for leadership, for change.”
In her commencement address held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City, Ressa thanked the De La Salle University (DLSU) for standing by Rappler at the height of the attacks against it by the previous Duterte administration, “when saying the right thing gets you punished.” What DLSU, College of Saint Benilde (CSB), and Rappler learned during those years, she added, is that “doing the right thing is the right thing.” Ressa also served for six years as member of the Board of Trustees at DLS-CSB.
“You are not just the graduates of Class of 2024, you are warriors in a battle for the soul of our nation,” Ressa told the thousands of graduates gathered at the PICC. “And we need you – what Benilde brings together, right brain, left brain — your idealism, your passion and creativity, your unwavering commitment to what’s right. The qualities that Benilde has helped inspire in you.”
Ressa noted the challenges facing the Philippines today — corruption, inequality, climate change, disinformation. She said Class of 2024 can, and should, turn these challenges into opportunities.
In a fast-changing, anxious world, Ressa asked the graduates to heed the golden rule: “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This “pushes us away from fear, anger and hate, from tribalism, from US against THEM.”
“The more contentious the issue, the more we need to lower the temperature,” Ressa said.
What needs to be done is to rebuild. “You are a generation with more access to information, more tools for connection, and more potential for impact than any before you,” she said. “But we are handing you a world on fire. Remember that you’re not victims of that fire. You are the firefighters, the architects of a new world rising from the ashes.” – Rappler.com
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Legacy at risk: Preserving Cordilleran culture through Geoffrey Carantes’ art | Herbie G | 27/07/2024 9:00 | LARGER THAN LIFE. Detail of the bas-relief sculpture based on Geoffrey Carantes' work that is housed in the Benguet capitol.
Mari-An C. Santos/Rappler
BAGUIO, Philippines – “He drew not just for himself but for his people.”
This is how Lynette Carantes-Bibal described her father, the late Geoffrey Carantes.
His artworks, produced from the 1970s to 1990s, stand as visual documents of Cordilleran history and lifeways. However, they are at risk of being erased by time and the elements.
Carantes came from one of the leading families of Baguio. He was born to Maximino, who served as councilor of Baguio and later mayor of Tuba, Benguet, and Engracia, an entrepreneur from Aringay, La Union.
At four years old, he already showed remarkable talent in making life-like sketches of people. In 1963, he earned the distinction of being the first Ibaloi to graduate with a degree in Fine Arts from the University of the Philippines. Subsequently, he studied history and art education at the University of Baguio.
His biggest work, in terms of scale, is the bas-relief sculpted by his cousin Dominador, based on his mural commissioned by the provincial government of Benguet. It is now prominently displayed in the Capitol building.
Carantes also distinguished himself as the illustrator of two very important books: A Peoples’ History of Benguet (1985) by Anavic Bagamaspad and Zenaida Hamada-Pawid, for which he drew the cover and fold-out illustrations, and Common Medicinal Plants of the Cordillera Region (1989) by Leonardo Co, for which he drew the cover illustration and frontispiece.
Professor Lisa Ito-Tapang, curator of Parola, the University of the Philippines-Diliman’s Fine Arts Gallery, said Carantes’ frontispiece is unique in that “it is not a scientific drawing; it does not show a specimen in isolation but within the ecosystem of the Cordillera.”
“That is very symbolic and significant for the book because his work gives a historical and geographical context to the richness of medicinal plants that were documented by Co,” she explained.
Apart from being an artist and documentor of Cordilleran culture, Carantes was also an educator and public servant.
His strong grounding in history was inspired by his university professors, including William Henry Scott and Teodoro Agoncillo, who stirred his passion for local history.
He taught at the University of Baguio and University of the Philippines-College Baguio, using the blackboard as his canvas and chalk as his medium to draw detailed depictions of Cordilleran history. Many of his past students vividly remember his classes.
Carantes was on his second term as a councilor of La Trinidad when he passed away in February 1998.
Four of Carantes’ framed drawings hang in the UP Baguio Cordillera Studies Center. A watercolor and two line illustrations are in the care of the UP Baguio Archives. Although they are all framed, one illustration is showing signs of water damage.
Thirteen of his works, including two pieces each in watercolor and charcoal, are in Bibal’s care. Her brother, Jude, has seven with him in Canada; sister, Lakam, has four in Loakan, Baguio; and brother Bahag has five in La Trinidad, Benguet.
A bulk of his works are stored in the Carantes house in La Trinidad. Some are framed, but many more are in a wooden desk he used, along with interview notes in his handwriting on Ibaloi genealogy and history, an unfinished MA thesis titled The Arts and Craft of the Benguet Ibaloi: Insights into the Culture of a Cordillera People, and various clippings of his art illustrations from programs and newspapers.
Three of his pen-and-ink drawings, Bibal noted, have minor tears, and more than a few are starting to crumble and develop mold. The watercolor art is not framed and is exposed to the elements.
Utmost care must be taken in handling the works to prevent further damage, Ito-Tapang said.
The watercolor art needs to be framed, and the rest need to be kept in a watertight container.
“Institutions and offices that have his works in their possession need to document and archive them,” Ito-Tapang said. “It is very important to conserve the works of Mr. Carantes because he is a political and cultural figure in the history of the region. The values and aspirations in his works are important for future generations of Cordillerans to know about.”
Bibal said, “The issue of ancestral land claims is connected to love for culture and history. He emphasized the importance of family histories – which is part of a collective – and we draw our identity from the stories of our land. Your history, who you are, and what you can be in the future are connected to the land. He advocated all of these through his art.”
“I like learning stories of artists like him who may have been forgotten with the passage of time but who have very important things to say about our country. I think his story should be told,” Ito-Tapang said. – Rappler.com
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Here’s what you should include in a relief pack — and why | Steph Arnaldo | 27/07/2024 9:30 | MANILA, Philippines — Hundreds of thousands of families are in need of relief assistance after the heavy rain and flood brought about by the southwest monsoon or habagat enhanced by Typhoon Carina (Gaemi).
Organizations nationwide, including restaurants and fandom-led groups, have launched donation drives to aid affected communities and evacuees in Luzon, who are experiencing a scarcity of food, drinkable water, comfortable clothing, and other necessities.
During these times, cash or in-kind donations are needed by these organizations, who are in charge of purchasing the goods, packing them, and distributing them.
If you want to help nearby communities or your own neighbors, you can put together your own relief packs. Here are the basic items that should go into a relief pack for it to be considered complete, and why.
Emergencies leave victims with little to no time for food preparation, so easy-to-open and ready-to-eat canned goods are one of the most important items in any relief pack.
According to American Red Cross, canned goods or de lata — canned meats, fruits, beans, and even vegetables — are good sources of protein and energy. For areas where there is no electricity, food items that do not require cooking, heating, refrigeration, or utensils are needed. De latas are also relatively cheap.
Common examples are corned beef, vienna sausage, canned tuna, fruit cocktail, and sardines.
Crackers are lightweight and non-perishable snacks that are not only convenient to distribute, but are also a good instant source of carbohydrates and energy. In an article published by the University of Georgia, crackers, along with granola bars and trail mix, are categorized as high-energy food, which makes them crucial during or before emergencies.
Instant noodles and oatmeal — ideally those in cups with sporks provided — need little resources and effort to prepare. All that’s needed is hot water.
They are also a source of carbohydrates and fiber. Bread is also a good option. However, bread typically has a short shelf life.
Hydration is an essential item for survival, and safe and clean water can be hard to access during a disaster. Liters of bottled drinking water are a must for any relief pack.
According to the World Health Organization, the quality of drinkable water can be compromised in emergencies due to the latter’s detrimental impacts on water systems.
Illnesses, injuries, and lower immunity are common during typhoons, so a selection of over-the-counter medicines will benefit any relief pack.
Medicines — such as skin ointments, mosquito repellants, paracetamol, ibuprofen, cough suppressants, and anti-diarrhea tablets — are essential.
Simple t-shirts, either new or used but in good condition, can be included in the relief pack, as many typhoon victims may need new belongings. Underwear is also essential, but it must be brand-new.
Blankets can also help keep families in shelters warm and dry.
Exposed to dirty flood water, victims need hygiene and disinfection kits as soon as possible to help prevent any infections and diseases, too. A proper hygiene kit typically includes soap, toothbrush, toothpaste (sachets would do), rubbing alcohol (for any wounds), and facial tissue.
An essential item for women that may be overlooked is menstrual pads, so don’t forget to leave a pack of sanitary pads as well. Disposable pampers for infants are just as important. — Fore Esperanza/Rappler.com
Fore Esperanza is a Rappler intern. She’s taking up English language studies at the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology.
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‘Violated’: Puyat family says ‘Gil Tulog’ signs for marketing stunt crossed the line | Russell Ku | 26/07/2024 11:48 | GIL TULOG. Photo of controversial 'Gil Tulog' signs posted at various parts of Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City on July 25, 2024.
Wellspring's Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – The Makati City government took down on Friday, July 26, the viral “Gil Tulog” street signs posted along Gil Puyat Avenue.
Makati Mayor Abby Binay said in a statement on Friday that the move to change the street signs did not reach her office, adding that she has reprimanded city officials involved in the approval of the project.
“If it went through me, it would be rejected immediately. The city officials who issued the permit should have exercised prudence. They should have been more thorough,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.
“What has happened to our sense of respect for each other. There is a line we should not cross in measuring our own self-respect,” Puyat’s son Victor told Rappler.
RAPPLER EXCLUSIVE: Victor Puyat, son of the late Senate president Gil Puyat, slams the viral “Gil Tulog” street signs that were posted in various parts of Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City. The signs have since been taken down, Friday, July 26, as ordered by Makati Mayor Abby… pic.twitter.com/i8XoMq3vYF
“Our name is not to be violated by reasons that are financial, political, or otherwise,” he added.
Meanwhile, great granddaughter Erika Puyat Lontok responded in a Facebook post, saying, “Besmirching my late great grandfather’s name to sell freaking melatonin is so disrespectful.”
Grandson Sander Puyat Joson also exclusively told Rappler, “While the ad is clearly a joke, it is a distasteful one and disrespects the honorable name of our grandfather.” He also asked those responsible for it to adhere to the standards of the Ad Standards Council and take action to correct “their error in judgement.”
Eagle-eyed Makati residents and social media users saw on Thursday, July 25 signs along various parts of Gil Puyat Avenue changed to “Gil Tulog Ave. (formerly Gil Puyat).”
It’s real. Hmm i wonder who put this up there 🧐 pic.twitter.com/ecvwSEtLsN
The change was done as part of an advertising campaign by supplement brand Wellspring to promote its melatonin gummies. As of writing, the post on the campaign was still on Wellspring’s Instagram account, but has been deleted on Facebook.
While some netizens were humored by the street signs, others pointed out that the campaign was “disrespectful” to the legacy of former Senate president Gil Puyat, to which the road was named after.
since pinatulog na nila ang gil puyat ibig sabihin ba non kakamutin na nila ang makati pic.twitter.com/sW8W7JCSvr
So apparently the temp change from Gil Puyat to Gil Tulog is just a marketing tactic from a melatonin brand “W.” Lumusot to sa Makati LGU? For what price? Not considering the disrespect to former Sen. Gil Puyat and possible confusion to new makati visitors and motorists? pic.twitter.com/7MlUW5frzV
renaming "Gil Puyat" to "Gil Tulog" just for a marketing tactic is beyond disrespectful. shame on the organization and committees for approving this clout-chasing phenomenon.
Binay extended her apologies to the Puyat family for the fiasco. Wellspring also apologized to the Makati City government and the Puyat family in a separate statement Friday evening, saying it “made a misstep” in its campaign.
Gil Puyat served as senator from 1951 until 1972. He was the last Senate president before late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared martial law. He died on March 23, 1980.
Gil Puyat Avenue was renamed from Buendia Avenue through Batas Pambansa Blg. 312 on November 14, 1982. — Rappler.com
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LIST: The people gunning for the Senate in 2025 | Dwight de Leon | 27/07/2024 10:30 | UPPER CHAMBER. The Senate plenary floor in August 2020.
Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines – The filing of candidacy in October for the 2025 elections is fast approaching, and politicians seeking to be part of the Senate have begun announcing their intention to run.
Rappler compiles a list of names whose candidacies were confirmed by them, by their relatives, or by their party mates.
Also part of this running list are politicians who are keeping their cards close to their chest, but whose names are being floated for the 2025 senatorial polls.
(Updated as of Friday, July 26)
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Partido Federal ng Pilipinas has formally signed an alliance with Lakas, Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), and National Unity Party (NUP), but has yet to unveil the administration slate. Nacionalista Party is also set to join the coalition, as per one ranking member, but has yet to ink an agreement with PFP.
Other names from smaller parties, including those considered to be the opposition, have also thrown their hat into the ring.
– with reports from Dwight de Leon/Rappler.com
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BINI moves ‘Grand BINIverse’ concert dates after fans ask for postponement | Russell Ku | 27/07/2024 10:02 | Metrophoto Brands
MANILA, Philippines — P-pop girl group BINI is moving its much-awaited Grand BINIverse concert to November 16 and 17 at the Araneta Coliseum, its agency Star Music PH announced on Friday, July 26.
The concert was initially scheduled for October 4. The new date also extends the concert to a two-day show and will fall on the day that BINI will mark the first year since it released its breakout hit “Pantropiko.”
Ticket prices and seat plan for the upcoming concert have yet to be announced.
#BINI :🚨 Grand BINIverse Alert! 🚨Hi BL♾️! The #GrandBINIverse in Araneta Coliseum will be moved to November 16 and 17, 2024!Two eyyy-pic dates for our grand gathering with our best girls!🤙🤙We will keep you posted about the ticket details! #BINIversayangHulyo pic.twitter.com/2wS8zH7ROW
The move comes as BINI’s fans, also known as Blooms, took to social media and trended the hashtag #PostponeGrandBiniverse as they worry for the group’s health due to its loaded schedule.
Blooms said that the BINI members are “overworked” and should not worry about how the fans would react to a postponement as “they’ve already established their name” in the music industry. They added that the Blooms are always willing to wait for the right time to watch a BINI concert.
As of writing, the hashtag remains one of the top five trending Philippine topics on X.
we will wait always for our girls. all we want for now is for their mental and physical health to be prioritized above all. jho, hindi kami mawawala, magpagaling ka muna, magpahinga muna kayo. mahal namin kayong walo, palagi. #PostponeGrandBiniverse pic.twitter.com/13pITlaCei
it breaks me that they still worry about people's interest in them fading. of all the uncertain things in this world, one thing's for sure— bini, will always receive the same excitement from your blooms, if not more. #PostponeGrandBiniversepic.twitter.com/sS8CfVLzwd
the girls are clearly overworked. please let them breathe and have enough rest after their overseas events. after all, they’ve already established their name—the hype won’t die down that easily. they deserve at least a month-long break. please. #PostponeGrandBiniverse
we just want the girls to have enough rest,regain their strengths and to prioritize their health pls 🙁 #PostponeGrandBiniverse pic.twitter.com/YSkyMDI6VH
to the management or whoever reads this, please understand that these tags are not an 'attack', and we are not angry. we are just concerned about the girls' health and their personal time. we can always wait for them because they are worth the wait.#PostponeGrandBiniverse
#PostponeGrandBiniverse pic.twitter.com/mH7YbXXLyT
Since BINI rose to popularity with “Pantropiko” and “Salamin, Salamin,” the group has done multiple activities nonstop such as a sold-out three-day BINIVERSE show at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City, a regional concert tour, and endorsements with big brands such as Shopee and Jollibee, among others.
In between its activities, BINI also released its latest single “Cherry On Top” on July 11.
The group is set to perform at KCON LA in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 27, as part of the pre-show of the “M Countdown” stage and will visit Canada in August as part of its BINIVERSE tour.
Dubbed as the “Nation’s Girl Group,” BINI made its official debut in June 2021. They are composed of Jhoanna, Maloi, Stacey, Aiah, Colet, Gwen, Mikha, and Sheena.
The group is known for its songs “Na Na Na,” “I Feel Good,” “Lagi,” “Huwag Muna Tayong Umuwi,” “Karera,” and “Salamin, Salamin.” BINI became the first Filipino act to enter Spotify’s Global Top Artists chart and top the platform’s Philippine Daily Top Artists chart. – Rappler.com
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LOOK: BINI to perform at KCON Los Angeles 2024 | Ysa Abad | 14/07/2024 13:05 | BINI poses on the stage after their performance in Alpas, La Union, Thursday, May 30
Gelo Gonzales/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Eyyyy, the Nation’s Girl Group is going international! KCON USA announced on Sunday, July 14, that P-pop girl group BINI is part of its lineup of performers.
The “Pantropiko” hitmakers will be performing for the pre-show of the “M Countdown” stage on July 27. As of writing, a final time for the group’s set has yet to be announced.
[#KCONLA2024] SPECIAL LINEUP: 𝐁𝐈𝐍𝐈JUL 27 (SAT) 𝗠 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗡 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗪*Artist lineup and the event schedule may be subject to change or cancel under certain circumstances✨Let’s #KCON!🎟️ https://t.co/oLTGWrRcwK pic.twitter.com/TOElMYOFPk
Following the announcement, several BINI members took to social media to express their excitement.
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 https://t.co/H9Trd5VAiG
I’M SO EXCITED #BINI https://t.co/YrtwfotY1x
Organized by South Korean entertainment giant CJ E&M, KCON is an annual music festival that aims to bring K-pop to a wider global reach. Outside of the United States, it also held stops in Japan, Australia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, France, and Mexico, among others.
For this year’s KCON LA, it will run from July 26 to 28 at the Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles Convention Center, and Gilbert Lindsay Plaza. The “M Countdown” stage is one of the four stages available for the music festival, alongside “KCON Stage,” “Meet & Greet,” and “Showcase.”
According to KCON USA, the acts who will be performing at the “M Countdown” main show on July 27 include ENHYPEN, g.o.d, Jo Yuri, ME:I, NMIXX, and TWS. Other confirmed performers for the festival also include big K-pop acts SHINee’s Taemin, HYOLYN, Jeon Somi, NCT 127, Zico, and rising groups BOYNEXTDOOR, STAYC, Kep1er, and more.
Meanwhile, this is the latest feat for BINI, who’ve been gaining traction with their songs “Pantropiko,” and “Salamin, Salamin.”
In June, the eight-piece act was the most-searched musical act on YouTube Philippines, even surpassing international popstars Taylor Swift and Beyonce. They also reached seven million monthly listeners on Spotify, making history as the first and lone Filipino act to enter the platform’s Global Top Artists Chart.
BINI recently concluded their three-night sold out BINIverse concert at the New Frontier Theater from June 28 to 30. They will also have regional stops in Baguio, Cebu City, and General Santos City; and international stops in Canada, as well an encore concert at the Araneta Coliseum on October 4.
Dubbed as the “Nation’s Girl Group,” BINI made its official debut in June 2021. They are composed of Jhoanna, Maloi, Stacey, Aiah, Colet, Gwen, Mikha, and Sheena.
The group is known for songs “Na Na Na,” “Lagi,” “Huwag Muna Tayong Umuwi,” and “Cherry On Top.” – Rappler.com
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BINI moves ‘Grand BINIverse’ concert dates after fans ask for postponement | Russell Ku | 27/07/2024 10:02 | Metrophoto Brands
MANILA, Philippines — P-pop girl group BINI is moving its much-awaited Grand BINIverse concert to November 16 and 17 at the Araneta Coliseum, its agency Star Music PH announced on Friday, July 26.
The concert was initially scheduled for October 4. The new date also extends the concert to a two-day show and will fall on the day that BINI will mark the first year since it released its breakout hit “Pantropiko.”
Ticket prices and seat plan for the upcoming concert have yet to be announced.
#BINI :🚨 Grand BINIverse Alert! 🚨Hi BL♾️! The #GrandBINIverse in Araneta Coliseum will be moved to November 16 and 17, 2024!Two eyyy-pic dates for our grand gathering with our best girls!🤙🤙We will keep you posted about the ticket details! #BINIversayangHulyo pic.twitter.com/2wS8zH7ROW
The move comes as BINI’s fans, also known as Blooms, took to social media and trended the hashtag #PostponeGrandBiniverse as they worry for the group’s health due to its loaded schedule.
Blooms said that the BINI members are “overworked” and should not worry about how the fans would react to a postponement as “they’ve already established their name” in the music industry. They added that the Blooms are always willing to wait for the right time to watch a BINI concert.
As of writing, the hashtag remains one of the top five trending Philippine topics on X.
we will wait always for our girls. all we want for now is for their mental and physical health to be prioritized above all. jho, hindi kami mawawala, magpagaling ka muna, magpahinga muna kayo. mahal namin kayong walo, palagi. #PostponeGrandBiniverse pic.twitter.com/13pITlaCei
it breaks me that they still worry about people's interest in them fading. of all the uncertain things in this world, one thing's for sure— bini, will always receive the same excitement from your blooms, if not more. #PostponeGrandBiniversepic.twitter.com/sS8CfVLzwd
the girls are clearly overworked. please let them breathe and have enough rest after their overseas events. after all, they’ve already established their name—the hype won’t die down that easily. they deserve at least a month-long break. please. #PostponeGrandBiniverse
we just want the girls to have enough rest,regain their strengths and to prioritize their health pls 🙁 #PostponeGrandBiniverse pic.twitter.com/YSkyMDI6VH
to the management or whoever reads this, please understand that these tags are not an 'attack', and we are not angry. we are just concerned about the girls' health and their personal time. we can always wait for them because they are worth the wait.#PostponeGrandBiniverse
#PostponeGrandBiniverse pic.twitter.com/mH7YbXXLyT
Since BINI rose to popularity with “Pantropiko” and “Salamin, Salamin,” the group has done multiple activities nonstop such as a sold-out three-day BINIVERSE show at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City, a regional concert tour, and endorsements with big brands such as Shopee and Jollibee, among others.
In between its activities, BINI also released its latest single “Cherry On Top” on July 11.
The group is set to perform at KCON LA in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 27, as part of the pre-show of the “M Countdown” stage and will visit Canada in August as part of its BINIVERSE tour.
Dubbed as the “Nation’s Girl Group,” BINI made its official debut in June 2021. They are composed of Jhoanna, Maloi, Stacey, Aiah, Colet, Gwen, Mikha, and Sheena.
The group is known for its songs “Na Na Na,” “I Feel Good,” “Lagi,” “Huwag Muna Tayong Umuwi,” “Karera,” and “Salamin, Salamin.” BINI became the first Filipino act to enter Spotify’s Global Top Artists chart and top the platform’s Philippine Daily Top Artists chart. – Rappler.com
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Maria Ressa to Benilde Class of 2024: You’re firefighters, ‘architects of a new world’ | Glenda Gloria | 27/07/2024 9:49 | MANILA, Philippines – Noting that they are the “warriors in a battle for the soul of our nation,” Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa on Saturday, July 27, challenged Class 2024 of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde to turn the many crises facing the Philippines into opportunities “for innovation, for leadership, for change.”
In her commencement address held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City, Ressa thanked the De La Salle University (DLSU) for standing by Rappler at the height of the attacks against it by the previous Duterte administration, “when saying the right thing gets you punished.” What DLSU, College of Saint Benilde (CSB), and Rappler learned during those years, she added, is that “doing the right thing is the right thing.” Ressa also served for six years as member of the Board of Trustees at DLS-CSB.
“You are not just the graduates of Class of 2024, you are warriors in a battle for the soul of our nation,” Ressa told the thousands of graduates gathered at the PICC. “And we need you – what Benilde brings together, right brain, left brain — your idealism, your passion and creativity, your unwavering commitment to what’s right. The qualities that Benilde has helped inspire in you.”
Ressa noted the challenges facing the Philippines today — corruption, inequality, climate change, disinformation. She said Class of 2024 can, and should, turn these challenges into opportunities.
In a fast-changing, anxious world, Ressa asked the graduates to heed the golden rule: “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This “pushes us away from fear, anger and hate, from tribalism, from US against THEM.”
“The more contentious the issue, the more we need to lower the temperature,” Ressa said.
What needs to be done is to rebuild. “You are a generation with more access to information, more tools for connection, and more potential for impact than any before you,” she said. “But we are handing you a world on fire. Remember that you’re not victims of that fire. You are the firefighters, the architects of a new world rising from the ashes.” – Rappler.com
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Go Team Philippines! Snap up these cool Paris Olympics merch | delfin.dioquino editor | 26/07/2024 20:31 | adidas
MANILA, Philippines – There are many ways to show support for Team Philippines as it competes in the Paris Olympics.
One of them is through wearing the same cool gear.
Adidas, the official outfitter of the Philippine Olympic Committee for the Paris Games, released a set of fan merchandise that includes track suits, shirts, and cap.
Inspired by the Philippines’ official Olympic outfits, each piece features a custom logo that resembles the Philippine Eagle.
Adidas said a portion of the merchandise sales will go to the POC Athlete Incentive Fund.
The Philippines is sending its biggest Olympic delegation in over three decades as 22 athletes represent the country in its 100th year of participation in the Summer Games.
Boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, and Eumir Marcial hope to deliver medals once again, while pole vaulter EJ Obiena and gymnast Carlos Yulo are also expected to make the podium. – Rappler.com
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Back in Paris: 100 years of Philippines’ participation in the Olympics | jpcruz0306 | 29/06/2024 11:15 | David Castuciano/Rappler
It was 1924 when the first Filipino athlete stepped into the Olympic arena and waved the Philippine flag in Paris.
A century later, a larger and stronger Filipino contingent has returned to the French capital to raise our flag on the world stage once again.
“This year marks a historic milestone – our centennial anniversary of competing in the Summer Olympics. We’re incredibly proud to be among Asia’s first and Southeast Asia’s trailblazing Olympians,” Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said in a Facebook post.
“Let’s use this ‘Philippine Olympics 100 Years’ as a springboard for future success. We are ‘Proudly Pinoy’ with a strong Olympic Legacy. Let’s continue the journey together towards POC in Paris!” he added.
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Philippines’ participation in the Olympics, Rappler takes a look back on some of the most memorable highlights from our nation’s Olympic history.
The Philippines’ first and sole delegate to the 1924 Paris Olympics was David Nepomuceno, a sprinter from Albay. He competed in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash, but he failed to secure a medal.
Nepomuceno’s coach was Regino Ylanan, a Filipino athlete and sports administrator. He is also the founder of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
During this period, the Philippines was still under American rule or classified as an insular territory.
Despite this, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) acknowledged the Philippines as an independent participant, a distinction not afforded to Hawaii, which competed as part of the American team during the same Olympiad, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) said.
According to the NHCP, the Philippine team was under the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (PAAF), which was attached to the American Olympic Association (now known as the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee). Manuel L. Quezon, then Senate president, served as the PAAF president.
This also explains why during the 1924 Olympics the Philippine flag was paraded under the US flag.
In 1929, the International Olympic Committee officially recognized the PAAF as the country’s national Olympic committee. The PAAF was renamed the Philippine Olympic Committee in 1975.
Teofilo Yldefonso earned the Philippines’ first Olympic medal when he won bronze in swimming in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. He was also the first Southeast Asian to win in the Olympics.
In the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, he secured another bronze. However, his performance in the 200-meter breaststroke in the 1936 Berlin Olympics saw him finish at seventh place.
Born in Piddig, Ilocos Norte, Yldefonso was hailed as the “Father of the Modern Breaststroke” for his distinctive swimming technique, the Philippine Veterans Office (PVO) said in an article.
During World War II in 1942, he was one of many Filipino and American soldiers who endured the Bataan Death March.
According to family accounts, the PVO reported that Yoshi Tsuruta, Yldefonso’s longtime swimming rival and friend, discovered that the Filipino swimmer was held as a prisoner in a camp in Capas, Tarlac. Tsuruta had crossed paths with Yldefonso in the 1928 and 1932 Olympics, where the Japanese swimmer won back-to-back gold medals.
According to PVO, Tsuruta worked to secure Yldefonso’s freedom, but unfortunately, it was too late.
Yldefonso died at the age of 39 at the concentration camp, in the arms of his younger brother Teodoro, who was a medical corps worker.
Like many others, Yldefonso, a war hero, was buried in a mass grave in Tarlac, and his remains were never recovered.
The first silver medal in the Philippines’ Olympic history was won by boxer Anthony N. Villanueva in the featherweight category of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Boxing ran in Villanueva’s blood, as his father, José Luis, had won a bronze medal in the bantamweight division of the 1932 Olympics. Anthony joined the Philippine national team in 1962 after clinching his only Philippine amateur title.
In the 1964 Olympics, Villanueva triumphed over Giovanni Girgenti of Italy by split decision, Tamar Ben Hassan of Tunisia by majority decision, and knocked out Piotr Gutman of Poland, earning his place in the semifinals against American favorite Charlie Brown. Villanueva secured a 4-1 victory in the semifinals but lost the final to Soviet Stanislav Stepashkin by split decision.
His professional boxing career was short-lived, ending with a record of 1 win and 3 losses (KO 2). He also ventured into acting, with little success after three films. Later, he worked as a security guard at the Philippine consulate in New York, before returning to the Philippines in 1988.
Villanueva experienced hardships and made several attempts to sell his Olympic silver medal, but prospective buyers consistently turned him down.
At the age of 69, Villanueva died in his sleep on May 13, 2014 in Cabuyao, Laguna.
It was also in Tokyo where the Philippines snatched its historic first-ever gold medal.
Hidilyn Diaz dominated the women’s 55-kilogram class in the 2020 Tokyo Games – moved to 2021 due to the COVID pandemic – by lifting 97kg in the snatch and an Olympic record 127kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 224kg, also an Olympic record.
Prior to the Tokyo Games, Diaz won silver during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. She also competed in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics but failed to make a podium finish. (From wildcard to champion: Hidilyn Diaz in the last 4 Olympics)
Tokyo is also cherished by the Philippines, as it was in this city during the 1964 Olympics that the country fielded its largest contingent of athletes – 66 in total, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) reported.
The year 2021 was a landmark year for Philippine sports, with the country bringing home a record-breaking four medals, the largest haul in its history.
Besides Diaz’s gold, silver medals were won by boxers Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, and Eumir Marcial claimed a bronze.
This year, at least 18 athletes are bound for the Paris Olympics, among them are EJ Obiena (athletics), Carlos Yulo (gymnastics), and Elreen Ando (weightlifting). Marcial, Paalam, and Petecio are also returning to the Olympics stage, which will open on July 26, 2024.
Currently, the Philippines has 14 Olympic medals on its chest, according to a PCIJ report.
As we celebrate a century of Olympic achievements, what new triumphs will our athletes bring home from Paris? – Rappler.com
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Choices and changes: De Lima shares 5 life lessons with UP Baguio graduates | Herbie G | 26/07/2024 16:11 | CELEBRATE. Former senator Leila de Lima celebrates her first month of 'unconditional freedom,' addressing graduating students at the University of the Philippines Baguio.
Screengrab from UP Baguio livestream
BAGUIO, Philippines – “I can only surmise that most of you have followed my personal travails as a politician and public servant, and that I have somehow gained a certain amount of sympathy from the constituency of this university.”
The warmth in her voice providing a stark contrast to the a heavy downpour outside on Wednesday, July 24, former senator Leila de Lima celebrated addressed the academics and graduating students of the University of the Philippines Baguio in the first month of her unconditional freedom.
A local court on June 24 cleared her of all the remaining charges of conspiracy to commit drug trading, a ruling that gave her unconditional freedom after nearly seven years of arbitrary detention which started during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. The charges against her turned out to be fabricated, with witnesses recanting and claiming they made up stories against her under pressure from Duterte, whom she fiercely criticized for his brutal “war on drugs.”
De Lima said she had worried that the graduation ceremony would be called off because of the bad weather, but was glad that it pushed through. It was the same day that the enhanced southwest monsoon and Typhoon Carina unleashed its fury in many parts of the country, including Baguio in the Cordillera region.
“This is my first time here in UP Baguio, and let me be the first to congratulate you, the Class of 2024 of the University of the Philippines Baguio,” de Lima began, her voice resonating with warmth.
The UP community, she acknowledged, was among those who supported and sympathized with her during her detention.
Reflecting on her connections to the North, De Lima shared how her ties with it were misconstrued, leading to what she saw as her political persecution.
“Unfortunately, my most popular link to the North, aside from lawyering for reformist politicians like former Isabela governor Grace Padaca when I was still an election law practitioner, is actually a case of red-tagging,” she said.
De Lima said she was targeted for red-tagging because of her blood ties with the wife of the late Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). Sison’s wife Juliet is De Lima’s distant paternal relative.
“I am the least to be a communist. I am a progressive human rights defender who believes in people empowerment and social justice, and my record as a public servant will bear that out,” the ex-senator said.
De Lima shared five lessons from her experiences, hoping to inspire the graduates as they prepared to embark on new journeys.
“No matter how isolated or lonely or fettered you feel in your choices, the immutable fact of life is that you are never alone,” she said.
De Lima recalled how her family and friends supported her during her darkest moments, proving that human compassion and empathy are powerful forces.
She said even in the most challenging times, there is always a community ready to support and uplift.
“There is this line in the last Star Wars movie that goes like this: ‘They hope to defeat us by making us believe that we are alone.’ In life, defeat only comes when you start believing that you are alone. The good news is that being alone is not the natural state of human existence,” she said.
De Lima added, “The bad news is that a lot of us still believe that it is. For myself, it was in the most ironic of circumstances that the realization came to me. It was in involuntary physical isolation – the most isolated I have ever been in my entire life – that I felt solidarity and communion with others.”
“Every human life matters. This might seem unnecessary to point out because it is self-evident. But it turns out that every now and then we need to be reminded that human life is sacred,” she said.
De Lima emphasized the importance of valuing life, especially in the context of Duterte’s extrajudicial killings during the drug war.
“We witnessed a dark period when almost all of us lost our marbles and thought of nothing but our own entitlement to live while others should die. That is the exact opposite of the essence of community. The essence of community tells us that no one is truly alone. As you are human, as long as you are human, even in your worst situations, you will always have an intimate unit of society you can rely on for compassion and comfort,” she said.
“Sometimes, all it takes and all that is needed is for one person’s voice to be heard,” De Lima said, comparing it to the iconic image of a man standing in front of tanks in Tiananmen Square.
She encouraged the graduates to speak out against injustice, even when it is unpopular.
De Lima said, “In those moments, standing alone in the Senate and House hearings, I reminded our nation that murder is murder and that whatever lofty end or goal one professed would achieve, one can never justify going against the very foundation of God’s law and the law of humanity: ‘Thou shall not kill,’” A single person can always make a difference, no matter the odds. Your voice matters. And it could be that one single voice, though silenced, might eventually prove to be the only voice of reason.”
“There is hope for this country,” de Lima declared.
She spoke of the potential for transformation, even when the path seems difficult. Her own journey from imprisonment to acquittal demonstrated that change, although slow, is possible.
“The turnaround in public opinion in the six-year drug war is an example that things can still change for the better. In the same Congress where I was crucified, Duterte and his men are now the ones being investigated for the killings they committed in the drug war. Imagine that,” she said.
De Lima added, “Small victories will always matter. Change will be slow. It will not be revolutionary or cathartic. It will never be instantaneous. The key to change lies in persistent and dedicated effort.”
“The hope of change for the better largely lies in the choices that the best and brightest of our people will make,” she said.
De Lima urged the graduates to make decisions that contribute to positive change, whether they choose to stay in the Philippines or seek opportunities abroad.
She said, “I worry that someday in the future, a generation from now, you will regret the choice that you made. I hope that you do not become like those in our generation and the generation after us who are so disappointed in the lack of progress for half a century that they regret not migrating the first chance that they had.”
De Lima said, “For my generation and the generation that followed us, staying was a difficult struggle. Your generation will have its own challenges. If you choose to stay, just remember some of the lessons I shared with you today. You will not be alone and you can make a difference.”
De Lima’s speech, filled with poignant reflections and inspiring messages, was warmly received by the graduates, eliciting laughter, sighs, and tears. She concluded by celebrating her own recent victory.
“Today on your graduation day, I am celebrating the first month of my unconditional freedom. In this, my second life, I renew that choice long ago to stay and fight for this country,” she said. — Rappler.com
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HIGHLIGHTS, RESULTS: Team Philippines, 2024 Paris Olympics – July 27 | Jasmine Payo | 27/07/2024 15:15 | MANILA, Philippines – Team Philippines kicks off its Paris Olympics campaign on Saturday, July 27, as gymnast Carlos Yulo and rower Joanie Delgaco open their respective bids.
Carlos Yulo gets three medal chances as he advances to the individual all-around, floor exercise, and vault finals following the conclusion of the men’s artistic gymnastics qualification.
Yulo placed second in floor exercise with 14.766 points, sixth in vault with an average of 14.683 points, and ninth in the all-around with a total of 83.631 points.
In the other apparatuses, Yulo ranked 19th in parallel bars, 27th in horizontal bar, 40th in pommel horse, and 49th in still rings.
Full story here.
Carlos Yulo is on track to advance to the men’s all-around final as he ranks eighth through two of the three qualification subdivisions with a total of 83.631 points.
The top 24 – with a maximum of two per country – will reach the all-around final.
He also hopes to reach two apparatus finals as he sits at second in floor exercise and sixth in vault, with the top eight (maximum of two per country) qualifying for the medal round.
Carlos Yulo tallies a respectable 13.466 points in horizontal bar to wrap up the men’s all-around qualification.
Carlos Yulo displays consistency in one of his pet events as he scores 14.533 in parallel bars.
Yulo improves on the 13.466 points he scored in the same apparatus in the Tokyo Games.
Carlos Yulo amasses 14.8 and 14.566 points in his two vaults as he propels himself into contention for a spot in the finals.
With an average of 14.683 points, Yulo currently ranks fourth in the apparatus behind Great Britain’s Harry Hepworth (14.766), Croatia’s Aurel Benovic (14.733), and Great Britain’s Jake Jarman (14.699).
In the Tokyo Olympics, Yulo reached the vault final and narrowly missed a medal as he finished fourth.
Carlos Yulo misses the cut for the final of still rings after garnering 13.0 points in the men’s all-around qualification.
He finished with 14.0 points in the same apparatus in the Tokyo Games.
Carlos Yulo earns 13.066 points in pommel horse in the men’s all-around qualification.
That means he will miss the final of the apparatus, with only the top eight – a maximum of two per country – advancing.
Still, his score is a major improvement to the 11.833 points he recorded in pommel horse in the Tokyo Games as Yulo aims to make the all-around final.
Carlos Yulo lets out a loud roar, seemingly satisfied after a stellar floor exercise performance in the men’s all-around qualification.
He nets 14.766 points to put himself in prime position of making the top eight and reaching the final.
Currently, only Great Britain’s Jake Jarman has a better score with 14.966 points, while defending champion Artem Dolgopyat is behind with 14.466 points.
Joanie Delgaco missed out on an outright quarterfinal berth in the women’s single sculls after placing fourth in Heat 2.
Delgaco clocked 7:56.26 to finish behind the Netherlands’ Karolien Florijin (7:36.90), Switzerland’s Aurelia-Maxima Katharina Janzen (7:41.15), and Slovenia’s Nina Kostanjsek (7:46.30).
Only the top three from each of the six heats advanced to the quarterfinals.
But Delgaco can still reach the quarterfinals through the repechage set on Sunday, July 28.
Full story here.
Here’s the schedule on Day 1, Manila time:
Delgaco is the first to see action among the Philippines’ 22 qualified athletes when she competes in the women’s single sculls heats.
Then hours later, Yulo takes center stage in the men’s artistic gymnastics all-around qualification with hopes of reaching as many apparatus finals as possible as he eyes medals in his pet events floor exercise and vault.
CENTENNIAL TEAM 🇵🇭Flag bearers Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio lead Team Philippines in the #Paris2024 opening ceremony as the country celebrates 100 years of Olympic participation.Photo from Reuters pic.twitter.com/hYbzgfferu
– Rappler.com
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2024 Paris Olympics: Meet Team Philippines | Jasmine Payo | 26/07/2024 22:35 | MANILA, Philippines – After the Philippines’ historic four-medal romp in the Tokyo Games, 22 Filipino athletes look to match, or even surpass, the country’s record run in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Weightlifting superstar Hidilyn Diaz, who captured the country’s breakthrough Olympic gold, won’t be back, but boxing medalists Nesthy Petecio (silver), Carlo Paalam (silver), and Eumir Marcial (bronze) return to spearhead the Philippines’ campaign, as EJ Obiena (athletics) and Carlos Yulo (gymnastics) also stand as medal contenders.
Here’s the elite roster vying for more glory on the world’s biggest sporting stage:
– Rappler.com
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LOOK: Philippine Olympic centennial team revels in Paris opening ceremony | delfin.dioquino editor | 27/07/2024 6:10 | REPRESENT. Athletes of Team Philippines are seen on a boat along the River Seine during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France.
Aytac Unal/Anadolu/Reuters
MANILA, Philippines – One hundred years of Olympic participation has brought the Philippines back to Paris, France, where it made its debut in the Summer Games a century ago.
The Philippines’ centennial team basked in that distinction as Filipino bets brought out their best smiles and infectious energy in the first-of-its-kind opening ceremony on Friday, July 26 (Saturday, July 27, Manila time).
Led by boxers Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio who shared the flag bearing duties, members of Team Philippines beamed with pride when the country got introduced during the parade of nations staged along the River Seine.
For the first time in Olympic history, organizers held the opening ceremony outside a stadium, with thousands of athletes from 206 participating countries on board dozens of boats.
Also present for the Philippines were boxer Hergie Bacyadan, gymnasts Emma Malabuyo, Aleah Finnegan, and Levi Jung-Ruivivar, swimmers Kayla Sanchez and Jarod Hatch, hurdlers Lauren Hoffman and John Cabang Tolentino, and fencer Samantha Catantan.
They wore barongs designed by Francis Libiran.
Half of the Philippines’ 22-athlete cast missed the opening ceremony, with some still in training and others gearing up for Day 1 of the Olympic competitions.
Rower Joanie Delgaco and gymnast Carlos Yulo get the ball rolling on Saturday as they eye a promising start for the Philippines’ campaign.
The United States, the overall champion in the last three Olympics, has the biggest delegation with 594 athletes followed by host France (572) and Australia (460). – Rappler.com
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‘Violated’: Puyat family says ‘Gil Tulog’ signs for marketing stunt crossed the line | Russell Ku | 26/07/2024 11:48 | GIL TULOG. Photo of controversial 'Gil Tulog' signs posted at various parts of Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City on July 25, 2024.
Wellspring's Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – The Makati City government took down on Friday, July 26, the viral “Gil Tulog” street signs posted along Gil Puyat Avenue.
Makati Mayor Abby Binay said in a statement on Friday that the move to change the street signs did not reach her office, adding that she has reprimanded city officials involved in the approval of the project.
“If it went through me, it would be rejected immediately. The city officials who issued the permit should have exercised prudence. They should have been more thorough,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.
“What has happened to our sense of respect for each other. There is a line we should not cross in measuring our own self-respect,” Puyat’s son Victor told Rappler.
RAPPLER EXCLUSIVE: Victor Puyat, son of the late Senate president Gil Puyat, slams the viral “Gil Tulog” street signs that were posted in various parts of Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City. The signs have since been taken down, Friday, July 26, as ordered by Makati Mayor Abby… pic.twitter.com/i8XoMq3vYF
“Our name is not to be violated by reasons that are financial, political, or otherwise,” he added.
Meanwhile, great granddaughter Erika Puyat Lontok responded in a Facebook post, saying, “Besmirching my late great grandfather’s name to sell freaking melatonin is so disrespectful.”
Grandson Sander Puyat Joson also exclusively told Rappler, “While the ad is clearly a joke, it is a distasteful one and disrespects the honorable name of our grandfather.” He also asked those responsible for it to adhere to the standards of the Ad Standards Council and take action to correct “their error in judgement.”
Eagle-eyed Makati residents and social media users saw on Thursday, July 25 signs along various parts of Gil Puyat Avenue changed to “Gil Tulog Ave. (formerly Gil Puyat).”
It’s real. Hmm i wonder who put this up there 🧐 pic.twitter.com/ecvwSEtLsN
The change was done as part of an advertising campaign by supplement brand Wellspring to promote its melatonin gummies. As of writing, the post on the campaign was still on Wellspring’s Instagram account, but has been deleted on Facebook.
While some netizens were humored by the street signs, others pointed out that the campaign was “disrespectful” to the legacy of former Senate president Gil Puyat, to which the road was named after.
since pinatulog na nila ang gil puyat ibig sabihin ba non kakamutin na nila ang makati pic.twitter.com/sW8W7JCSvr
So apparently the temp change from Gil Puyat to Gil Tulog is just a marketing tactic from a melatonin brand “W.” Lumusot to sa Makati LGU? For what price? Not considering the disrespect to former Sen. Gil Puyat and possible confusion to new makati visitors and motorists? pic.twitter.com/7MlUW5frzV
renaming "Gil Puyat" to "Gil Tulog" just for a marketing tactic is beyond disrespectful. shame on the organization and committees for approving this clout-chasing phenomenon.
Binay extended her apologies to the Puyat family for the fiasco. Wellspring also apologized to the Makati City government and the Puyat family in a separate statement Friday evening, saying it “made a misstep” in its campaign.
Gil Puyat served as senator from 1951 until 1972. He was the last Senate president before late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared martial law. He died on March 23, 1980.
Gil Puyat Avenue was renamed from Buendia Avenue through Batas Pambansa Blg. 312 on November 14, 1982. — Rappler.com
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LOOK: Philippine Olympic centennial team revels in Paris opening ceremony | delfin.dioquino editor | 27/07/2024 6:10 | REPRESENT. Athletes of Team Philippines are seen on a boat along the River Seine during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France.
Aytac Unal/Anadolu/Reuters
MANILA, Philippines – One hundred years of Olympic participation has brought the Philippines back to Paris, France, where it made its debut in the Summer Games a century ago.
The Philippines’ centennial team basked in that distinction as Filipino bets brought out their best smiles and infectious energy in the first-of-its-kind opening ceremony on Friday, July 26 (Saturday, July 27, Manila time).
Led by boxers Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio who shared the flag bearing duties, members of Team Philippines beamed with pride when the country got introduced during the parade of nations staged along the River Seine.
For the first time in Olympic history, organizers held the opening ceremony outside a stadium, with thousands of athletes from 206 participating countries on board dozens of boats.
Also present for the Philippines were boxer Hergie Bacyadan, gymnasts Emma Malabuyo, Aleah Finnegan, and Levi Jung-Ruivivar, swimmers Kayla Sanchez and Jarod Hatch, hurdlers Lauren Hoffman and John Cabang Tolentino, and fencer Samantha Catantan.
They wore barongs designed by Francis Libiran.
Half of the Philippines’ 22-athlete cast missed the opening ceremony, with some still in training and others gearing up for Day 1 of the Olympic competitions.
Rower Joanie Delgaco and gymnast Carlos Yulo get the ball rolling on Saturday as they eye a promising start for the Philippines’ campaign.
The United States, the overall champion in the last three Olympics, has the biggest delegation with 594 athletes followed by host France (572) and Australia (460). – Rappler.com
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SCHEDULE: Team Philippines in 2024 Paris Olympics | delfin.dioquino editor | 22/07/2024 21:24 | MANILA, Philippines – Twenty-two brave athletes represent the Philippines in the Paris Games as the country celebrates its 100th year of participation in the Olympics.
Sending its biggest Olympic delegation in over three decades, the Philippines hopes to exceed its historic campaign in the previous Tokyo Games, where it won a breakthrough gold on top of two silvers and one bronze.
Here is the schedule of Filipino Olympians, Philippine time:
Joanie Delgaco (women’s single sculls)
Carlos Yulo (men’s artistic gymnastics)
Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, Levi Jung-Ruivivar (women’s artistic gymnastics)
Aira Villegas (women’s 50kg)
Nesthy Petecio (women’s 57kg)
Eumir Marcial (men’s 80kg)
Hergie Bacyadan (women’s 75kg)
Carlo Paalam (men’s 57kg)
Samantha Catantan (women’s individual foil)
Kiyomi Watanabe (women’s -63kg)
Kayla Sanchez (women’s 100m freestyle)
Jarod Hatch (men’s 100m butterfly)
EJ Obiena (men’s pole vault)
Lauren Hoffman (women’s 400m hurdles)
John Cabang Tolentino (men’s 110m hurdles)
Bianca Pagdanganan, Dottie Ardina (women’s individual stroke play)
John Ceniza (men’s 61kg)
Elreen Ando (women’s 59kg)
Vanessa Sarno (women’s 71kg)
– Rappler.com
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Pampanga now under state of calamity; agricultural losses reach P308 million | Joann Manabat - CMS | 26/07/2024 20:32 | STILL FLOODED. Some of the villages in Pampanga remain flooded even as the weather has since improved with cloudy skies prevailing.
Pampanga PIO
PAMPANGA, Philippines – The province of Pampanga was placed under a state of calamity on Friday, July 26, after nonstop rain in the past week submerged several villages in floodwater ,
“The Sangguniang Panlalawigan has declared a state of calamity. Its aim is for the local governments to better respond using their disaster response funds,” Governor Dennis Pineda said.
A price freeze on basic necessities is also in effect.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan unanimously approved Resolution No. 8667 in a special session following an assessment of the impact of the bad weather on the localities.
“The adverse effects of Tropical Cyclone Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon have resulted in the displacement of families, loss of livelihoods, and disruption of basic services in the province,” the resolution read.
Based on the report by the provincial risk reduction management council (PDRRMC), the total agricultural damage has reached P308.18 million.
The breakdown of the losses is as follows:
At present, 215 villages across 15 localities, including Pampanga’s capital, San Fernando City, have been grappling with heavy flooding.
Approximately around 1,623 families or around 6,744 individuals were transferred to evacuation sites in their respective barangays, while others stayed with their relatives.
Nearly 50,000 relief goods have also been distributed to the impacted barangays.
In the highly urbanized Angeles City, which is independent from the province, 48 families or some 270 individuals remain at the main evacuation center in Barangay Mining. – Rappler.com
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Back in Paris: 100 years of Philippines’ participation in the Olympics | jpcruz0306 | 29/06/2024 11:15 | David Castuciano/Rappler
It was 1924 when the first Filipino athlete stepped into the Olympic arena and waved the Philippine flag in Paris.
A century later, a larger and stronger Filipino contingent has returned to the French capital to raise our flag on the world stage once again.
“This year marks a historic milestone – our centennial anniversary of competing in the Summer Olympics. We’re incredibly proud to be among Asia’s first and Southeast Asia’s trailblazing Olympians,” Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said in a Facebook post.
“Let’s use this ‘Philippine Olympics 100 Years’ as a springboard for future success. We are ‘Proudly Pinoy’ with a strong Olympic Legacy. Let’s continue the journey together towards POC in Paris!” he added.
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Philippines’ participation in the Olympics, Rappler takes a look back on some of the most memorable highlights from our nation’s Olympic history.
The Philippines’ first and sole delegate to the 1924 Paris Olympics was David Nepomuceno, a sprinter from Albay. He competed in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash, but he failed to secure a medal.
Nepomuceno’s coach was Regino Ylanan, a Filipino athlete and sports administrator. He is also the founder of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
During this period, the Philippines was still under American rule or classified as an insular territory.
Despite this, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) acknowledged the Philippines as an independent participant, a distinction not afforded to Hawaii, which competed as part of the American team during the same Olympiad, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) said.
According to the NHCP, the Philippine team was under the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (PAAF), which was attached to the American Olympic Association (now known as the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee). Manuel L. Quezon, then Senate president, served as the PAAF president.
This also explains why during the 1924 Olympics the Philippine flag was paraded under the US flag.
In 1929, the International Olympic Committee officially recognized the PAAF as the country’s national Olympic committee. The PAAF was renamed the Philippine Olympic Committee in 1975.
Teofilo Yldefonso earned the Philippines’ first Olympic medal when he won bronze in swimming in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. He was also the first Southeast Asian to win in the Olympics.
In the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, he secured another bronze. However, his performance in the 200-meter breaststroke in the 1936 Berlin Olympics saw him finish at seventh place.
Born in Piddig, Ilocos Norte, Yldefonso was hailed as the “Father of the Modern Breaststroke” for his distinctive swimming technique, the Philippine Veterans Office (PVO) said in an article.
During World War II in 1942, he was one of many Filipino and American soldiers who endured the Bataan Death March.
According to family accounts, the PVO reported that Yoshi Tsuruta, Yldefonso’s longtime swimming rival and friend, discovered that the Filipino swimmer was held as a prisoner in a camp in Capas, Tarlac. Tsuruta had crossed paths with Yldefonso in the 1928 and 1932 Olympics, where the Japanese swimmer won back-to-back gold medals.
According to PVO, Tsuruta worked to secure Yldefonso’s freedom, but unfortunately, it was too late.
Yldefonso died at the age of 39 at the concentration camp, in the arms of his younger brother Teodoro, who was a medical corps worker.
Like many others, Yldefonso, a war hero, was buried in a mass grave in Tarlac, and his remains were never recovered.
The first silver medal in the Philippines’ Olympic history was won by boxer Anthony N. Villanueva in the featherweight category of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Boxing ran in Villanueva’s blood, as his father, José Luis, had won a bronze medal in the bantamweight division of the 1932 Olympics. Anthony joined the Philippine national team in 1962 after clinching his only Philippine amateur title.
In the 1964 Olympics, Villanueva triumphed over Giovanni Girgenti of Italy by split decision, Tamar Ben Hassan of Tunisia by majority decision, and knocked out Piotr Gutman of Poland, earning his place in the semifinals against American favorite Charlie Brown. Villanueva secured a 4-1 victory in the semifinals but lost the final to Soviet Stanislav Stepashkin by split decision.
His professional boxing career was short-lived, ending with a record of 1 win and 3 losses (KO 2). He also ventured into acting, with little success after three films. Later, he worked as a security guard at the Philippine consulate in New York, before returning to the Philippines in 1988.
Villanueva experienced hardships and made several attempts to sell his Olympic silver medal, but prospective buyers consistently turned him down.
At the age of 69, Villanueva died in his sleep on May 13, 2014 in Cabuyao, Laguna.
It was also in Tokyo where the Philippines snatched its historic first-ever gold medal.
Hidilyn Diaz dominated the women’s 55-kilogram class in the 2020 Tokyo Games – moved to 2021 due to the COVID pandemic – by lifting 97kg in the snatch and an Olympic record 127kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 224kg, also an Olympic record.
Prior to the Tokyo Games, Diaz won silver during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. She also competed in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics but failed to make a podium finish. (From wildcard to champion: Hidilyn Diaz in the last 4 Olympics)
Tokyo is also cherished by the Philippines, as it was in this city during the 1964 Olympics that the country fielded its largest contingent of athletes – 66 in total, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) reported.
The year 2021 was a landmark year for Philippine sports, with the country bringing home a record-breaking four medals, the largest haul in its history.
Besides Diaz’s gold, silver medals were won by boxers Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, and Eumir Marcial claimed a bronze.
This year, at least 18 athletes are bound for the Paris Olympics, among them are EJ Obiena (athletics), Carlos Yulo (gymnastics), and Elreen Ando (weightlifting). Marcial, Paalam, and Petecio are also returning to the Olympics stage, which will open on July 26, 2024.
Currently, the Philippines has 14 Olympic medals on its chest, according to a PCIJ report.
As we celebrate a century of Olympic achievements, what new triumphs will our athletes bring home from Paris? – Rappler.com
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Choices and changes: De Lima shares 5 life lessons with UP Baguio graduates | Herbie G | 26/07/2024 16:11 | CELEBRATE. Former senator Leila de Lima celebrates her first month of 'unconditional freedom,' addressing graduating students at the University of the Philippines Baguio.
Screengrab from UP Baguio livestream
BAGUIO, Philippines – “I can only surmise that most of you have followed my personal travails as a politician and public servant, and that I have somehow gained a certain amount of sympathy from the constituency of this university.”
The warmth in her voice providing a stark contrast to the a heavy downpour outside on Wednesday, July 24, former senator Leila de Lima celebrated addressed the academics and graduating students of the University of the Philippines Baguio in the first month of her unconditional freedom.
A local court on June 24 cleared her of all the remaining charges of conspiracy to commit drug trading, a ruling that gave her unconditional freedom after nearly seven years of arbitrary detention which started during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. The charges against her turned out to be fabricated, with witnesses recanting and claiming they made up stories against her under pressure from Duterte, whom she fiercely criticized for his brutal “war on drugs.”
De Lima said she had worried that the graduation ceremony would be called off because of the bad weather, but was glad that it pushed through. It was the same day that the enhanced southwest monsoon and Typhoon Carina unleashed its fury in many parts of the country, including Baguio in the Cordillera region.
“This is my first time here in UP Baguio, and let me be the first to congratulate you, the Class of 2024 of the University of the Philippines Baguio,” de Lima began, her voice resonating with warmth.
The UP community, she acknowledged, was among those who supported and sympathized with her during her detention.
Reflecting on her connections to the North, De Lima shared how her ties with it were misconstrued, leading to what she saw as her political persecution.
“Unfortunately, my most popular link to the North, aside from lawyering for reformist politicians like former Isabela governor Grace Padaca when I was still an election law practitioner, is actually a case of red-tagging,” she said.
De Lima said she was targeted for red-tagging because of her blood ties with the wife of the late Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). Sison’s wife Juliet is De Lima’s distant paternal relative.
“I am the least to be a communist. I am a progressive human rights defender who believes in people empowerment and social justice, and my record as a public servant will bear that out,” the ex-senator said.
De Lima shared five lessons from her experiences, hoping to inspire the graduates as they prepared to embark on new journeys.
“No matter how isolated or lonely or fettered you feel in your choices, the immutable fact of life is that you are never alone,” she said.
De Lima recalled how her family and friends supported her during her darkest moments, proving that human compassion and empathy are powerful forces.
She said even in the most challenging times, there is always a community ready to support and uplift.
“There is this line in the last Star Wars movie that goes like this: ‘They hope to defeat us by making us believe that we are alone.’ In life, defeat only comes when you start believing that you are alone. The good news is that being alone is not the natural state of human existence,” she said.
De Lima added, “The bad news is that a lot of us still believe that it is. For myself, it was in the most ironic of circumstances that the realization came to me. It was in involuntary physical isolation – the most isolated I have ever been in my entire life – that I felt solidarity and communion with others.”
“Every human life matters. This might seem unnecessary to point out because it is self-evident. But it turns out that every now and then we need to be reminded that human life is sacred,” she said.
De Lima emphasized the importance of valuing life, especially in the context of Duterte’s extrajudicial killings during the drug war.
“We witnessed a dark period when almost all of us lost our marbles and thought of nothing but our own entitlement to live while others should die. That is the exact opposite of the essence of community. The essence of community tells us that no one is truly alone. As you are human, as long as you are human, even in your worst situations, you will always have an intimate unit of society you can rely on for compassion and comfort,” she said.
“Sometimes, all it takes and all that is needed is for one person’s voice to be heard,” De Lima said, comparing it to the iconic image of a man standing in front of tanks in Tiananmen Square.
She encouraged the graduates to speak out against injustice, even when it is unpopular.
De Lima said, “In those moments, standing alone in the Senate and House hearings, I reminded our nation that murder is murder and that whatever lofty end or goal one professed would achieve, one can never justify going against the very foundation of God’s law and the law of humanity: ‘Thou shall not kill,’” A single person can always make a difference, no matter the odds. Your voice matters. And it could be that one single voice, though silenced, might eventually prove to be the only voice of reason.”
“There is hope for this country,” de Lima declared.
She spoke of the potential for transformation, even when the path seems difficult. Her own journey from imprisonment to acquittal demonstrated that change, although slow, is possible.
“The turnaround in public opinion in the six-year drug war is an example that things can still change for the better. In the same Congress where I was crucified, Duterte and his men are now the ones being investigated for the killings they committed in the drug war. Imagine that,” she said.
De Lima added, “Small victories will always matter. Change will be slow. It will not be revolutionary or cathartic. It will never be instantaneous. The key to change lies in persistent and dedicated effort.”
“The hope of change for the better largely lies in the choices that the best and brightest of our people will make,” she said.
De Lima urged the graduates to make decisions that contribute to positive change, whether they choose to stay in the Philippines or seek opportunities abroad.
She said, “I worry that someday in the future, a generation from now, you will regret the choice that you made. I hope that you do not become like those in our generation and the generation after us who are so disappointed in the lack of progress for half a century that they regret not migrating the first chance that they had.”
De Lima said, “For my generation and the generation that followed us, staying was a difficult struggle. Your generation will have its own challenges. If you choose to stay, just remember some of the lessons I shared with you today. You will not be alone and you can make a difference.”
De Lima’s speech, filled with poignant reflections and inspiring messages, was warmly received by the graduates, eliciting laughter, sighs, and tears. She concluded by celebrating her own recent victory.
“Today on your graduation day, I am celebrating the first month of my unconditional freedom. In this, my second life, I renew that choice long ago to stay and fight for this country,” she said. — Rappler.com
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HIGHLIGHTS, RESULTS: Team Philippines, 2024 Paris Olympics – July 27 | Jasmine Payo | 27/07/2024 15:15 | MANILA, Philippines – Team Philippines kicks off its Paris Olympics campaign on Saturday, July 27, as gymnast Carlos Yulo and rower Joanie Delgaco open their respective bids.
Carlos Yulo gets three medal chances as he advances to the individual all-around, floor exercise, and vault finals following the conclusion of the men’s artistic gymnastics qualification.
Yulo placed second in floor exercise with 14.766 points, sixth in vault with an average of 14.683 points, and ninth in the all-around with a total of 83.631 points.
In the other apparatuses, Yulo ranked 19th in parallel bars, 27th in horizontal bar, 40th in pommel horse, and 49th in still rings.
Full story here.
Carlos Yulo is on track to advance to the men’s all-around final as he ranks eighth through two of the three qualification subdivisions with a total of 83.631 points.
The top 24 – with a maximum of two per country – will reach the all-around final.
He also hopes to reach two apparatus finals as he sits at second in floor exercise and sixth in vault, with the top eight (maximum of two per country) qualifying for the medal round.
Carlos Yulo tallies a respectable 13.466 points in horizontal bar to wrap up the men’s all-around qualification.
Carlos Yulo displays consistency in one of his pet events as he scores 14.533 in parallel bars.
Yulo improves on the 13.466 points he scored in the same apparatus in the Tokyo Games.
Carlos Yulo amasses 14.8 and 14.566 points in his two vaults as he propels himself into contention for a spot in the finals.
With an average of 14.683 points, Yulo currently ranks fourth in the apparatus behind Great Britain’s Harry Hepworth (14.766), Croatia’s Aurel Benovic (14.733), and Great Britain’s Jake Jarman (14.699).
In the Tokyo Olympics, Yulo reached the vault final and narrowly missed a medal as he finished fourth.
Carlos Yulo misses the cut for the final of still rings after garnering 13.0 points in the men’s all-around qualification.
He finished with 14.0 points in the same apparatus in the Tokyo Games.
Carlos Yulo earns 13.066 points in pommel horse in the men’s all-around qualification.
That means he will miss the final of the apparatus, with only the top eight – a maximum of two per country – advancing.
Still, his score is a major improvement to the 11.833 points he recorded in pommel horse in the Tokyo Games as Yulo aims to make the all-around final.
Carlos Yulo lets out a loud roar, seemingly satisfied after a stellar floor exercise performance in the men’s all-around qualification.
He nets 14.766 points to put himself in prime position of making the top eight and reaching the final.
Currently, only Great Britain’s Jake Jarman has a better score with 14.966 points, while defending champion Artem Dolgopyat is behind with 14.466 points.
Joanie Delgaco missed out on an outright quarterfinal berth in the women’s single sculls after placing fourth in Heat 2.
Delgaco clocked 7:56.26 to finish behind the Netherlands’ Karolien Florijin (7:36.90), Switzerland’s Aurelia-Maxima Katharina Janzen (7:41.15), and Slovenia’s Nina Kostanjsek (7:46.30).
Only the top three from each of the six heats advanced to the quarterfinals.
But Delgaco can still reach the quarterfinals through the repechage set on Sunday, July 28.
Full story here.
Here’s the schedule on Day 1, Manila time:
Delgaco is the first to see action among the Philippines’ 22 qualified athletes when she competes in the women’s single sculls heats.
Then hours later, Yulo takes center stage in the men’s artistic gymnastics all-around qualification with hopes of reaching as many apparatus finals as possible as he eyes medals in his pet events floor exercise and vault.
CENTENNIAL TEAM 🇵🇭Flag bearers Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio lead Team Philippines in the #Paris2024 opening ceremony as the country celebrates 100 years of Olympic participation.Photo from Reuters pic.twitter.com/hYbzgfferu
– Rappler.com
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2024 Paris Olympics: Meet Team Philippines | Jasmine Payo | 26/07/2024 22:35 | MANILA, Philippines – After the Philippines’ historic four-medal romp in the Tokyo Games, 22 Filipino athletes look to match, or even surpass, the country’s record run in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Weightlifting superstar Hidilyn Diaz, who captured the country’s breakthrough Olympic gold, won’t be back, but boxing medalists Nesthy Petecio (silver), Carlo Paalam (silver), and Eumir Marcial (bronze) return to spearhead the Philippines’ campaign, as EJ Obiena (athletics) and Carlos Yulo (gymnastics) also stand as medal contenders.
Here’s the elite roster vying for more glory on the world’s biggest sporting stage:
– Rappler.com
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LOOK: Philippine Olympic centennial team revels in Paris opening ceremony | delfin.dioquino editor | 27/07/2024 6:10 | REPRESENT. Athletes of Team Philippines are seen on a boat along the River Seine during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France.
Aytac Unal/Anadolu/Reuters
MANILA, Philippines – One hundred years of Olympic participation has brought the Philippines back to Paris, France, where it made its debut in the Summer Games a century ago.
The Philippines’ centennial team basked in that distinction as Filipino bets brought out their best smiles and infectious energy in the first-of-its-kind opening ceremony on Friday, July 26 (Saturday, July 27, Manila time).
Led by boxers Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio who shared the flag bearing duties, members of Team Philippines beamed with pride when the country got introduced during the parade of nations staged along the River Seine.
For the first time in Olympic history, organizers held the opening ceremony outside a stadium, with thousands of athletes from 206 participating countries on board dozens of boats.
Also present for the Philippines were boxer Hergie Bacyadan, gymnasts Emma Malabuyo, Aleah Finnegan, and Levi Jung-Ruivivar, swimmers Kayla Sanchez and Jarod Hatch, hurdlers Lauren Hoffman and John Cabang Tolentino, and fencer Samantha Catantan.
They wore barongs designed by Francis Libiran.
Half of the Philippines’ 22-athlete cast missed the opening ceremony, with some still in training and others gearing up for Day 1 of the Olympic competitions.
Rower Joanie Delgaco and gymnast Carlos Yulo get the ball rolling on Saturday as they eye a promising start for the Philippines’ campaign.
The United States, the overall champion in the last three Olympics, has the biggest delegation with 594 athletes followed by host France (572) and Australia (460). – Rappler.com
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‘Violated’: Puyat family says ‘Gil Tulog’ signs for marketing stunt crossed the line | Russell Ku | 26/07/2024 11:48 | GIL TULOG. Photo of controversial 'Gil Tulog' signs posted at various parts of Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City on July 25, 2024.
Wellspring's Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – The Makati City government took down on Friday, July 26, the viral “Gil Tulog” street signs posted along Gil Puyat Avenue.
Makati Mayor Abby Binay said in a statement on Friday that the move to change the street signs did not reach her office, adding that she has reprimanded city officials involved in the approval of the project.
“If it went through me, it would be rejected immediately. The city officials who issued the permit should have exercised prudence. They should have been more thorough,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.
“What has happened to our sense of respect for each other. There is a line we should not cross in measuring our own self-respect,” Puyat’s son Victor told Rappler.
RAPPLER EXCLUSIVE: Victor Puyat, son of the late Senate president Gil Puyat, slams the viral “Gil Tulog” street signs that were posted in various parts of Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City. The signs have since been taken down, Friday, July 26, as ordered by Makati Mayor Abby… pic.twitter.com/i8XoMq3vYF
“Our name is not to be violated by reasons that are financial, political, or otherwise,” he added.
Meanwhile, great granddaughter Erika Puyat Lontok responded in a Facebook post, saying, “Besmirching my late great grandfather’s name to sell freaking melatonin is so disrespectful.”
Grandson Sander Puyat Joson also exclusively told Rappler, “While the ad is clearly a joke, it is a distasteful one and disrespects the honorable name of our grandfather.” He also asked those responsible for it to adhere to the standards of the Ad Standards Council and take action to correct “their error in judgement.”
Eagle-eyed Makati residents and social media users saw on Thursday, July 25 signs along various parts of Gil Puyat Avenue changed to “Gil Tulog Ave. (formerly Gil Puyat).”
It’s real. Hmm i wonder who put this up there 🧐 pic.twitter.com/ecvwSEtLsN
The change was done as part of an advertising campaign by supplement brand Wellspring to promote its melatonin gummies. As of writing, the post on the campaign was still on Wellspring’s Instagram account, but has been deleted on Facebook.
While some netizens were humored by the street signs, others pointed out that the campaign was “disrespectful” to the legacy of former Senate president Gil Puyat, to which the road was named after.
since pinatulog na nila ang gil puyat ibig sabihin ba non kakamutin na nila ang makati pic.twitter.com/sW8W7JCSvr
So apparently the temp change from Gil Puyat to Gil Tulog is just a marketing tactic from a melatonin brand “W.” Lumusot to sa Makati LGU? For what price? Not considering the disrespect to former Sen. Gil Puyat and possible confusion to new makati visitors and motorists? pic.twitter.com/7MlUW5frzV
renaming "Gil Puyat" to "Gil Tulog" just for a marketing tactic is beyond disrespectful. shame on the organization and committees for approving this clout-chasing phenomenon.
Binay extended her apologies to the Puyat family for the fiasco. Wellspring also apologized to the Makati City government and the Puyat family in a separate statement Friday evening, saying it “made a misstep” in its campaign.
Gil Puyat served as senator from 1951 until 1972. He was the last Senate president before late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared martial law. He died on March 23, 1980.
Gil Puyat Avenue was renamed from Buendia Avenue through Batas Pambansa Blg. 312 on November 14, 1982. — Rappler.com
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SCHEDULE: Team Philippines in 2024 Paris Olympics | delfin.dioquino editor | 22/07/2024 21:24 | MANILA, Philippines – Twenty-two brave athletes represent the Philippines in the Paris Games as the country celebrates its 100th year of participation in the Olympics.
Sending its biggest Olympic delegation in over three decades, the Philippines hopes to exceed its historic campaign in the previous Tokyo Games, where it won a breakthrough gold on top of two silvers and one bronze.
Here is the schedule of Filipino Olympians, Philippine time:
Joanie Delgaco (women’s single sculls)
Carlos Yulo (men’s artistic gymnastics)
Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, Levi Jung-Ruivivar (women’s artistic gymnastics)
Aira Villegas (women’s 50kg)
Nesthy Petecio (women’s 57kg)
Eumir Marcial (men’s 80kg)
Hergie Bacyadan (women’s 75kg)
Carlo Paalam (men’s 57kg)
Samantha Catantan (women’s individual foil)
Kiyomi Watanabe (women’s -63kg)
Kayla Sanchez (women’s 100m freestyle)
Jarod Hatch (men’s 100m butterfly)
EJ Obiena (men’s pole vault)
Lauren Hoffman (women’s 400m hurdles)
John Cabang Tolentino (men’s 110m hurdles)
Bianca Pagdanganan, Dottie Ardina (women’s individual stroke play)
John Ceniza (men’s 61kg)
Elreen Ando (women’s 59kg)
Vanessa Sarno (women’s 71kg)
– Rappler.com
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Pampanga now under state of calamity; agricultural losses reach P308 million | Joann Manabat - CMS | 26/07/2024 20:32 | STILL FLOODED. Some of the villages in Pampanga remain flooded even as the weather has since improved with cloudy skies prevailing.
Pampanga PIO
PAMPANGA, Philippines – The province of Pampanga was placed under a state of calamity on Friday, July 26, after nonstop rain in the past week submerged several villages in floodwater ,
“The Sangguniang Panlalawigan has declared a state of calamity. Its aim is for the local governments to better respond using their disaster response funds,” Governor Dennis Pineda said.
A price freeze on basic necessities is also in effect.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan unanimously approved Resolution No. 8667 in a special session following an assessment of the impact of the bad weather on the localities.
“The adverse effects of Tropical Cyclone Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon have resulted in the displacement of families, loss of livelihoods, and disruption of basic services in the province,” the resolution read.
Based on the report by the provincial risk reduction management council (PDRRMC), the total agricultural damage has reached P308.18 million.
The breakdown of the losses is as follows:
At present, 215 villages across 15 localities, including Pampanga’s capital, San Fernando City, have been grappling with heavy flooding.
Approximately around 1,623 families or around 6,744 individuals were transferred to evacuation sites in their respective barangays, while others stayed with their relatives.
Nearly 50,000 relief goods have also been distributed to the impacted barangays.
In the highly urbanized Angeles City, which is independent from the province, 48 families or some 270 individuals remain at the main evacuation center in Barangay Mining. – Rappler.com
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738 public schools unable to start classes on July 29 | Acor Arceo | 26/07/2024 20:20 | EVACUEES. People take shelter in a school temporarily converted into an evacuation center following heavy rain from the enhanced southwest monsoon, in Marikina City on July 24, 2024.
Lisa Marie David/Reuters
MANILA, Philippines – A total of 738 public schools in four regions will not be able to begin classes on Monday, July 29, in the wake of severe flooding and landslides caused by the southwest monsoon or habagat.
The southwest monsoon, which was enhanced by Typhoon Carina (Gaemi), affected much of Luzon in the past few days. It also brought heavy rain to parts of Mindanao in mid-July.
On Friday, July 26, the Department of Education (DepEd) said majority of the 738 public schools that cannot start the new academic year on Monday are in Central Luzon, with 442.
Around a fourth, or 206, are in Metro Manila. The capital region is among the areas that have been placed under a state of calamity.
Eighty-six are in the Cordillera Administrative Region and four are in Soccsksargen.
DepEd data also show 64 public schools are still being used as evacuation centers as of Friday, out of the 425 in total that temporarily housed evacuees.
At least 246 public schools were flooded.
The disaster came barely a week since Education Secretary Sonny Angara assumed his post, taking over from Vice President Sara Duterte, who resigned from the DepEd.
In a post on X on Thursday, July 25, Angara rejected the idea of postponing the opening of classes for all public schools.
“Last year, students missed up to 53 class days out of the 180-day school year…. We should take advantage of every day to learn because we don’t want a repeat of the learning loss which has already occurred,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Finance (DOF) said on Friday that the Bureau of the Treasury will file a claim under the National Indemnity Insurance Program for the repair and reconstruction of damaged public schools.
The DepEd will be able to use the insurance payout for 45 public schools in eight regions that sustained damage worth at least P308.5 million, added the DOF. – Rappler.com
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EXCLUSIVE: Puyat family files complaint vs ad agency suspected of doing ‘Gil Tulog’ signs | jreyes0314 | 26/07/2024 17:52 | MANILA, Philippines – The family of Gil Puyat has filed a formal complaint against the advertising agency believed to be behind the viral “Gil Tulog Ave.” signs in Makati City. On behalf of the clan, Victor Puyat, the late Senate president’s son, filed the complaint with the Ad Standards Council (ASC) of the Philippines on Friday, July 26.
“This is a total disrespect to my father Sen. Gil J. Puyat and to our family,” Victor wrote in his complaint letter to the ASC, a copy of which was sent exclusively to Rappler. The family requested that the ad agency not be named publicly.
Victor said the marketing campaign — done to promote the melatonin brand Wellspring — goes against Section 1 of Article IV of the Ad Standards Council’s Code of Ethics. The provision states that “advertisements shall not directly or indirectly disparage, ridicule, criticize, or attack any natural or juridical person, group of persons, or any sector of society based on gender, social, cultural or economic status, religion, ethnicity, physical, intellectual and psychological state or appearance, age, race, or nationality.”
Puyat said that he and his family want the ad agency in question to be “suspended or banned” from the ASC, adding that it had already been suspended in the past for other controversial ads.
He also said that by defacing public property, the ad agency disregarded Batas Pambansa 312, which states that Buendia Avenue in both Pasay City and Makati City shall be renamed to Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue. The provision took effect on November 14, 1982.
Meanwhile, Sander Puyat Joson, grandson of the late former Senate president, told Rappler that the Puyat family was “overwhelmed and grateful” for the netizens who had been calling for respect for Gil J. Puyat.
“While the ad is clearly a joke, it is a distasteful one and disrespects the honorable name of our grandfather. We ask that the responsible brand and agency adhere to the standards of the Ad Standards Council. We hope that the brand and ad agency also take affirmative actions to rectify their error in judgment,” Joson said.
Earlier on Friday, Victor Puyat sent Rappler a handwritten letter, where he expressed his dismay over the “Gil Tulog Ave.” signs that momentarily replaced the original “Gil Puyat” signs in Makati City.
RAPPLER EXCLUSIVE: Victor Puyat, son of the late Senate president Gil Puyat, slams the viral “Gil Tulog” street signs that were posted in various parts of Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City. The signs have since been taken down, Friday, July 26, as ordered by Makati Mayor Abby… pic.twitter.com/i8XoMq3vYF
“There is a line we should not cross, so we can maintain our own self-respect, and for everyone else. Our name is not to be violated by reasons that are financial, political, or otherwise,” he wrote.
Makati City Mayor Abby Binay also issued a statement on the morning of Friday, July 26. She said the permit application for putting up the “Gil Tulog Ave.” signs did not reach her office. She also ordered that the signs be taken down. — Rappler.com
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[OPINYON] Tungkol sa naging viral na social media conjecture | Miriam Grace Go | 26/07/2024 13:00 | Kailangan ko nang isulat ang tungkol sa pambihirang paksang ito.
Sige, isipin ’nyo nga, kailan huling nagkaroon ng viral post sa social media tungkol sa mathematics? I mean, iyong mathematics na hindi nakabatay sa presyo ng bigas, o sa liit ng suweldo ng karaniwang obrero kumpara sa kaniyang gastusin, o sa halaga ng pagkakautang ng bansa natin across regimes. O kung magkano kada araw ang nilustay mula sa daang milyong pisong intelligence fund, halimbawa.
Oo, matematika ang mga itong dapat unawain din natin, pero may uri ng mathematics na kamakailan ay nag-viral, pero ngayon ay tinanggal na ng mismong sumulat. Pero dahil nag-virtal, naglipana na rin ang kaniyang sulat sa mga sulok ng social media.
Isang nagpakilalang guro sa pampublikong paaralan sa lalawigan ng Quezon ang sumulat sa ating Pangulo. Ayon sa sulat ni Danny Calcaben, isang high school teacher, natuklasan na niya ang sagot sa dalawa sa pinakamatandang conjecture o problema ng matematika sa kasaysayan ng mundo: ang Goldbach’s conjecture at ang twin prime conjecture.
Ayon sa kaniyang liham, makatutulong sa cryptography ang kaniyang natuklasang formula na maaaring magpalakas sa “internet security” na kamakailan nga ay pansamantalang umabala sa marami sa atin.
Ang ikinababahala ng sumulat, na siyang dahilan mismo ng pagsulat, ay baka kopyahin o i-plagiarize ang kaniyang gawa para maangkin ng iba dahil, ayon sa kaniya, “such achievement would secure a lasting place in the history of mathematics.” Sino nga naman ang hindi gugustuhing maitala ang pangalan sa kasaysayan ng matematika?
Dahil marahil sa kawalan ng tiwala sa proseso ng academic conferences and journals, idagdag pa ang naglipanang credit-grabbing saanmang sektor at industriya, sinulatan niya ang Pangulo dahil sa paniniwalang ang suporta nito “could ensure that this discovery is both recognized and protected as an invaluable asset to [our] nation’s scientific legacy.”
Idinamay din ng letter-sender ang kalunos-lunos na kalagayan ng edukasyon ng ating bansa kung pagbabatayan ang resulta ng Programme for International Student Assessment o PISA, kung saan nangulelat ang bansa natin pagdating sa creative thinking. Ayon sa gurong mula sa San Narciso, Quezon, maaari raw maging “redeeming factor” ng bansa natin ang kaniyang natuklasan. Kung paano mare-redeem ng natuklasan niyang mathematical formula, hindi na niya tinalakay. Marami siyang hindi tinalakay sa kaniyang sulat.
Bukod sa pagsaling-pusa ko sa Math Olympiad noong high school sa Valenzuela at sa galing at diskarte sa pagbabadyet ng suweldo, at pagkukuwenta ng interes ng mga loan ko, wala akong malalim na kaalaman hinggil sa mathematical conjectures na diumano ay tinutugunan ni Calcaben matapos ang halos dalawang dekada. Sinubukan kong unawain ang Goldbach conjecture. Wa epek. Hanggang spelling lang ako ng “Goldbach.” Kaya hindi tungkol dito ang palalawigin ko.
From a marketing and communication standpoint, effective ang ginawa ni Calcaben na sulatan ang Pangulo at gawing public, thereby shareable, ang sulat niya. Nag-viral. Bago tanggalin, may mahigit 100,000 reax at mahigit 30,000 shares ang mismong sulat. Puwera pa ang usap-usapan sa X (formerly Twitter) at sa Reddit. Marami na rin naglabas ng kanilang pananaw, lalo na iyong nakakalaam hinggil sa proseso ng pagpapatunay sa isang natuklasang mathematical formula.
Kaya nga batay sa dami ng nag-share, mukhang marami ang nagkainteres bigla sa mathematics, at least sa loob pa lang ng tatlong araw. May matutuhan dapat ang Department of Education o DepEd sa sulat ni Calcaben kung paano patataasin ang interes ng sambayanan sa mathematics.
Marami sa mga komento ang masaya sa nangyari; proud sa tapang, malasakit, at talino ng guro. Mayroon din namang nagdududa at nagkokomento ng mga tamang gawin para mapatunayan ang kaniyang sinasabing mathematical formula. Hindi ko alam kung may isa o dalawa man lang sa mga nag-share o nag-comment ang may kapasidad unawain ang dalawang conjectures.
Habang isinusulat ko ito, katatapos lang ng Pangulo sa kaniyang ikatlong State of the Nation Address. Dagsa ang balita hinggil sa kaniyang sinabi at hindi sinabi. May nagpakalat ng pekeng video na nag-viral din to spoil the SONA party.
Marami na ang nagsuri sa veracity ng ulat ng Pangulo hinggil sa estado ng ating bansa. Kung mababalitaan naman ng Pangulo itong sulat ni Calcaben bukas o sa makalawa, lalo’t hindi siya abala, malamang ipapasa din niya ito sa Department of Science and Technology o sa UP Institute of Mathematics o sa kung anong ahensiyang may kinalaman sa proteksiyon ng copyright at patent. Last I heard, wala pang presidential adviser on mathematical affairs.
Ang conjecture ni Calcaben tungkol sa Goldbach conjecture, na-solve na raw niya. It’s all just a matter of protecting his findings sa mga magnanakaw at plagiarist o infringer o research supervisor o principal o kung anuman ang tawag sa mang-aangkin ng gawa ng iba sa loob at labas ng DepEd. And social media people rallied behind the teacher. Eh paano nga kung manakaw ang ideya? Paano kung angkinin ng iba?
Ang gustong mangyari ng ating math teacher, proteksiyonan at maibigay sa kaniya ang credit sakali mang — sana nga! — tama ang kaniyang ginawa. Kaya nga’t sabi niya sa dulo ng kaniyang sulat sa Pangulo, “I am humbly asking for your support to ensure that this discovery is protected and shared appropriately.” Natupad na ang “shared appropriately” kahit hindi pa napapatunayan ang kawastuhan ng kaniyang natuklasan. Isang araw, hindi ako magtataka kung magte-trending sa social media ang #ProtectTeacherDanny at #GoldbachConjectureNoMore.
Sa isang bansang dahop sa positibong pagkilala sa mundo, madaling pakalatin ang ganitong balita. Bakit nga naman hindi, kahit ba hindi maintindihan ng maraming nag-share ang conjecture, lalo na ang solution, ang mahalaga “such achievement would secure a lasting place in the history of mathematics.”
Kaakibat ng usaping ito ang tatlong puntong nais kong bigyan ng pansin. Una, ang isyu ni Calcaben sa pangambang manakaw ang kaniyang natuklasan. Sa isang mundong kaydali nang maglagay ng time stamp sa kahit anong ideya o likha, madaling mapatutunayan ni Calcaben na siya ang orihinal na may akda. Kung may modipikasyon sa kaniyang ideya, madali nang matutukoy kung nagmula ang orihinal na ideya sa kaniya.
Tutal ay nag-viral ang kaniyang liham, mas napapanahong isalang ni Calcaben ang kaniyang formula sa mas tamang platform: ang academic journal at kumperensiya. Ito ang aking ikalawang punto at palagay ko ay mas mabigat na isyu. Higit sa proteksiyon sa pagnanakaw ng gawa niya, ang mas mahirap ay ang patunayang tama ang ginawa. Hindi ito masosolusyonan ng reels sa socmed. O demo teaching. Mapapatunayan ito kapag sumailalim sa maraming pagsusuri ng mathematicians. Isailalim sa proseso. Ihanda sa puna o pintas at panlalait. O, malay natin, masigabong palakpakan.
Hindi ang mag-viral ni ang basbas ng Pangulo ang magde-determine ng kawastuhan ng kaniyang gawa. At sa isang highly technical na mundo ng matematika, you don’t call the shots kung paano patutunayang tama ang bunga ng pinagpuyatan mo. Noong gabing mag-viral ang sulat, sinubukan kong magbasa ng balita at article tungkol sa mga mathematician na nagpanukala ng sagot sa Goldbach conjecture. Hinanap ko rin kung may mga nauna nang artikulo si Calcaben sa mga journals. O kung naging awtoridad man lang siya sa alinmang usapin ng matematika, huwag na sa bansa, kahit sa rehiyon man lang. Wala akong nabasa maliban sa isang memo mula sa DepEd Division of Quezon.
Ikatlo at huling punto hinggil sa sulat ay ang kakayahan natin palaganapin ang kahit anong isyung magbibigay sa atin ng positibong pagkilala. Kapag nakakakita ng posibilidad ng #PinoyPride, umaatake tayo, sometimes to a fault.
Dahil isa tayo sa nangunguna sa pagkonsumo ng social media, gasgas na teknik na ng kahit sinong content creator ang Pinoy-baiting — ang lumikha ng content na either pumupuri o pumupuna sa ating kultura at sa mga kababayan natin para dagsain ang content at magkaroon na mataas na engagement para pagkakitaan.
Hindi ko maiwasang hindi maalala ang kababayan nating “nag-imbento” ng flourescent lamp, si Agapito Flores. Matagal na panahong naging bahagi siya ng kuwento ng kagalingan ng mga Filipino. Pinanghawakan ng marami hanggang sa magmistulang totoo. Huwag naman sanang maging bagong Agapito Flores si Calcaben.
Either may nakakubling henyo sa ladlaran ng DepEd o manipestasyon lang din talaga ito kung bakit tayo mahina sa kahit anong panukat ng karunungan at comprehension. At least consistent tayong mataas sa social media engagement that sometimes we take pride in it. — Rappler.com
Associate professor ng seminar in new media, writing for new media, at creative writing sa Faculty of Arts and Letters at sa Graduate School ng University of Santo Tomas si Joselito D. De Los Reyes, PhD. Siya rin ang program coordinator ng BA Creative Writing program ng nasabing unibersidad. Recipient siya ng 2020 Philippine Normal University Gawad Sulo for Eminent Alumni in the Field of Teacher Education.
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EXCLUSIVE: Puyat family files complaint vs ad agency suspected of doing ‘Gil Tulog’ signs | jreyes0314 | 26/07/2024 17:52 | MANILA, Philippines – The family of Gil Puyat has filed a formal complaint against the advertising agency believed to be behind the viral “Gil Tulog Ave.” signs in Makati City. On behalf of the clan, Victor Puyat, the late Senate president’s son, filed the complaint with the Ad Standards Council (ASC) of the Philippines on Friday, July 26.
“This is a total disrespect to my father Sen. Gil J. Puyat and to our family,” Victor wrote in his complaint letter to the ASC, a copy of which was sent exclusively to Rappler. The family requested that the ad agency not be named publicly.
Victor said the marketing campaign — done to promote the melatonin brand Wellspring — goes against Section 1 of Article IV of the Ad Standards Council’s Code of Ethics. The provision states that “advertisements shall not directly or indirectly disparage, ridicule, criticize, or attack any natural or juridical person, group of persons, or any sector of society based on gender, social, cultural or economic status, religion, ethnicity, physical, intellectual and psychological state or appearance, age, race, or nationality.”
Puyat said that he and his family want the ad agency in question to be “suspended or banned” from the ASC, adding that it had already been suspended in the past for other controversial ads.
He also said that by defacing public property, the ad agency disregarded Batas Pambansa 312, which states that Buendia Avenue in both Pasay City and Makati City shall be renamed to Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue. The provision took effect on November 14, 1982.
Meanwhile, Sander Puyat Joson, grandson of the late former Senate president, told Rappler that the Puyat family was “overwhelmed and grateful” for the netizens who had been calling for respect for Gil J. Puyat.
“While the ad is clearly a joke, it is a distasteful one and disrespects the honorable name of our grandfather. We ask that the responsible brand and agency adhere to the standards of the Ad Standards Council. We hope that the brand and ad agency also take affirmative actions to rectify their error in judgment,” Joson said.
Earlier on Friday, Victor Puyat sent Rappler a handwritten letter, where he expressed his dismay over the “Gil Tulog Ave.” signs that momentarily replaced the original “Gil Puyat” signs in Makati City.
RAPPLER EXCLUSIVE: Victor Puyat, son of the late Senate president Gil Puyat, slams the viral “Gil Tulog” street signs that were posted in various parts of Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City. The signs have since been taken down, Friday, July 26, as ordered by Makati Mayor Abby… pic.twitter.com/i8XoMq3vYF
“There is a line we should not cross, so we can maintain our own self-respect, and for everyone else. Our name is not to be violated by reasons that are financial, political, or otherwise,” he wrote.
Makati City Mayor Abby Binay also issued a statement on the morning of Friday, July 26. She said the permit application for putting up the “Gil Tulog Ave.” signs did not reach her office. She also ordered that the signs be taken down. — Rappler.com
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PCG braces for the worst despite 7-day target to finish oil siphoning | Iya Gozum | 26/07/2024 22:25 | RAPID RESPONSE. Members of the Philippine Coast Guard at work to contain the oil spill after MT Terranova capsized and submerged off Limay, Bataan.
Philippine Coast Guard
MANILA, Philippines – Amid tempered optimism that siphoning operations may be finished within seven days, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it is still preparing for the worst-case scenario after oil tanker MT Terranova sank off the waters of Limay, Bataan.
“There’s nothing to worry about, but we would not be complacent,” PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armando Balilo said in Filipino on Friday, July 26.
“We are still preparing for the worst-case scenario to address the potential negative impact to the marine environment,” he added.
In the worst-case scenario, oil spill would reach vicinity waters of Parañaque, Manila, Navotas, Bulacan, and Pampanga.
The PCG had set a target of finishing oil siphoning within seven days. Balilo previously said that operations can be done quickly because MT Terranova sank in shallow waters.
“Based on studies of our MEP (Marine Environmental Protection) personnel, considering that the ship sank 34 meters deep, siphoning can be completed within seven days,” Balilo said.
On Friday, PCG officials met with representatives from shipowner Shogun Ships Company Incorporated and contracted salvor Harbor Star Shipping Services for the timeline of siphoning operations.
En route to Iloilo, MT Terranova was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank 3.6 nautical miles from Lamao point in Limay, Bataan. One crew member died in the maritime incident, while 16 crew members were rescued.
Balilo, in a DZBB radio interview on Friday night, said they are hopeful that equipment would come in during the weekend so oil siphoning could start promptly. They are also waiting for another ship where extracted oil will be contained.
The PCG spokesperson said it will continue monitoring for the next days if industrial fuel oil will leak.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has instructed its regional office to conduct water sampling, and results have yet to be released to the press.
The Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines Diliman (UP MSI) and the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) are working with the PCG to “generate maps indicating potential oil landing sites along the coast, helping to identify and prioritize areas for effective response and cleanup,” Charina Repollo, physical oceanographer at UP MSI, told Rappler.
Repollo said these results will be shared with the DENR to guide the agency in the assessment of the oil spill’s impact to mangroves and coral reefs.
“Given the amount of oil that may potentially spill, immediate response is crucial,” Repollo said in a mix of Filipino and English.
Rapid response would include “oil siphoning to prevent further spillage, deploying booms for containment, skimming to recover oil from the water, and using dispersants to help break down the oil into smaller droplets, promoting natural biodegradation,” Repollo added. – Rappler.com
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Leadership transition: Robina Gokongwei to step down as CEO of Robinsons Retail | gdecastro0289 | 26/07/2024 17:25 | TRANSITION. Robina Gokongwei-Pe is relinquishing leadership of Robinsons Retail to Stanley Co starting January 1, 2025.
Leanne Jazul/Robinsons Retail
MANILA, Philippines – After nearly 30 years at the helm of Robinsons Retail Holdings Incorporated (RRHI), Robina Gokongwei-Pe will be stepping down as chief of the Gokongwei group’s retail arm effective January 1, 2025.
Gokongwei-Pe, 63, also known for being the biggest supporter of the formerly doormat UAAP college basketball team UP Fighting Maroons, was appointed president and chief operating officer (COO) of Robinsons Retail in 1997, and took on the job as chief executive officer (CEO) in 2018.
She is the eldest daughter of the late Filipino tycoon, industrialist John Gokongwei, who passed away in 2019 at 93.
Gokongwei-Pe started working as a lowly receiving clerk in Robinsons Department Store’s stock room because her father wanted her to know the whole retail business. “How will you be able to do your job at the top later if you don’t know what people down there are doing?” he told her daughter. His son Lance Gokongwei’s first job was putting price tags on women’s bras. Lance is now CEO of conglomerate JG Summit Holdings Incorporated, one of the largest employers in the Philippines.
As the Gokongweis’ Robinsons Malls chain was growing in the nineties, an urban legend went around about a “half-human, half-snake creature” – supposedly Gokongwei-Pe’s “twin” – that stalked shoppers in the ladies’ dressing rooms of Robinsons Galleria in Ortigas. She would shoot down the story in 1991, saying she would give the mall to whoever could show the creature.
She would make light of the urban legend decades later with the renovated Robinsons Galleria Ortigas posting a photo of her with a plush toy snake around her neck.
For everyone wondering about the "snake", we're giving you some rare photos of Madam Robina with her twin. 🐍😂 pic.twitter.com/vO7tokQo5c
Replacing Gokongwei-Pe by next year is Stanley Co, 47, a Gen X who assumed the role of COO last August 2023. He is not related to the Gokongweis.
Co is an alumnus of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) where he finished his degree in Commerce in 1998. He also has an MBA from De La Salle University (DLSU) in Manila.
Gokongwei-Pe will transition to being the chairman of Robinsons Retail, replacing her brother Lance Gokongwei. Mr. Gokongwei will become board adviser of RRHI also by January 1, 2025. Their uncle, James Go, will stay as vice chairman of RRHI.
Robinsons Retail is one of the largest Philippine retail companies. It includes Robinsons Supermarket, Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Appliances, and Southstar Drug stores accessible in the Gokongwei family’s Robinsons Malls, the second-largest mall chain in the country.
It also has under its wing international brands such as Handyman Do it Best, True Value, Toys “R” Us, Daiso Japan, Pet Lovers Centre, and No Brand, and beauty brands Benefit, Shiseido, and Clé de Peau Beaute.
In one of the biggest retail takeovers in the Philippines, Robinsons Retail bought 100% of grocery chain Rustans Supercenter Incorporated from Dairy Farm Group/Mulgrave Corporation in 2018.
Co has been with Robinsons Retail for 21 years. He joined the company’s DIY business unit in 2003 and became the group’s general manager in 2008. Twelve years later, he assumed the post of managing director of the retail firm’s food segment.
“With Stanley at the helm, drawing on his years of extensive experience and service to the company, I am confident that Robinsons Retail will continue to deliver long-term value for our customers, partners, and the communities we serve. I would also like to thank Lance for his sterling example as chairman, and I hope to fulfill his role as well as he has,” Gokongwei-Pe said.
Her brother Lance said: “A commitment to continuous improvement and a dynamism to embrace change are key attributes of a good leader. Stanley embodies these qualities and his vision for Robinsons Retail aligns perfectly with the Company’s long-term goals. We, the Board of Directors, have no doubt that Stanley will usher in sustained growth and innovation for the Company. We thank Robina for her years of service as President and CEO, and look forward to her continued guidance as Chairman.”
Co said he was honored by the appointment.
“Leading Robinsons Retail into a new, dynamic chapter is a tremendous honor and responsibility. I hope to continue building on our strong foundation as a trusted partner of choice as we unlock a future brimming with exciting possibilities and joyful shopping experiences,” said Co.
The leadership transition was approved during Robinsons Retail’s board meeting on July 25, Thursday.
Robinsons Retail recorded a core net income of P5.64 billion in 2023, up by 1.5% from the year prior.
Robinsons Retail’s supermarket business contributed the biggest to the company’s revenues, accounting for 56% while drugstores contributed 17% or a combined 73%, nearly three-fourth of revenues. Gross revenues reached P193 billion in 2023 from P179 billion in 2022.
On Tuesday, July 30, Robinsons Retail reported that its core net earnings increased by 15% in the second quarter of 2024 to P1.5 billion.
Net income in the second quarter went up by 33.7%, from P1.3 billion in 2023 to P1.8 billion in 2024.
“We continue to generate earnings growth by focusing on controllable factors such as opening stores in strategic locations, enhancing our merchandise mix, and streamlining costs. We are confident that we can sustain the earnings momentum in the latter half of the year as we accelerate store openings, while moderating inflation should be a boon for consumer spending”, Gokongwei-Pe said on Tuesday.
Robinsons Retail had a total of 2,401 stores comprising 755 food stores, 1,082 drugstores, 49 department stores, 224 DIY stores, 291 specialty stores, and over 2,100 franchised stores of drug store TGP, as of June 30, 2024. – Rappler.com
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Swimmer Kayla Sanchez out to honor roots in Olympic stint for Philippines | delfin.dioquino editor | 26/07/2024 21:23 | Kayla Sanchez Instagram page
MANILA, Philippines – Swimmer Kayla Sanchez is back on the Olympic stage, but she carries a different flag this time around.
Sanchez will compete for the Philippines in the Paris Olympics three years after helping Canada win a pair of medals in the Tokyo Games as she hopes to honor her roots.
“It has always been on my mind being able to represent the Philippines,” the 23-year-old Sanchez told PlayItRight TV. “It is a part of my heritage.”
Born in Singapore to Filipino parents Noel and Susana, Sanchez and her family moved to Canada, where she started swimming at the age of four initially as a weekly activity until she got better and took the sport more seriously.
Sanchez boasts of a long list of credentials highlighted by a women’s 4x100m freestyle silver and a women’s 4x100m medley bronze in Tokyo, making her the only multiple Olympic medalist out of the 22 Filipino bets in Paris.
Her other accolades include three golds in the short course and two silvers in the long course editions of the World Aquatics Championships, two silvers in the Commonwealth Games, and two bronzes in the Pan Pacific Championships.
For Sanchez, her success in swimming would not be possible without her parents, who not only provided her support but also served as role models when it came to putting in the work.
“I learned from my parents to be very hardworking. My parents worked a lot,” said Sanchez.
“They were also a big part of the decision for me moving to the Philippines. I want to represent their country and make them proud.”
Opting to make the nationality switch in 2022, Sanchez completed a one-year residency before she debuted for the Philippines in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, last year.
There, Sanchez came close to becoming the first Filipino swimmer to win an Asian Games medal since 1998, finishing fifth in the women’s 100m freestyle and sixth in the women’s 50m backstroke.
She currently owns the Philippine records in those two categories plus another one in the women’s 50m freestyle.
While coming from a diverse background, Sanchez is as Filipino as it gets.
Sanchez said she enjoys the company of relatives, loves Filipino food, and is in the process of learning how to speak fluent Tagalog.
“This will be so special for me because both my parents and my whole family is Filipino. I’ve grown up very Filipino – the Filipino parties, karaoke, Filipino ulams (viands),” Sanchez told Radyo Sports Pilipinas.
“I think this time, now that I finally get to represent the flag, it is going to be very special for me and my family.”
Qualifying for the Olympics alongside Filipino-American Jarod Hatch through the universality rule, Sanchez will see action in the women’s 100m freestyle, with the goal of reaching at least the semifinals.
Sanchez said she wants to inspire young Filipino swimmers and make them believe that they can also excel on the world stage.
“I’m just super excited because it is the Filipino flag that gets to advance, not just me, it is all of the Philippines. If I can do that for the country, it will be such an honor,” said Sanchez. – Rappler.com
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Puyat family files complaint vs ad agency for ‘Gil Tulog’ signs | The wRap | Jaira Roxas | 26/07/2024 22:50 | Here are today’s headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:
The family of Gil Puyat files a formal complaint against the ad agency behind the viral ‘Gil Tulog Ave’ signs in Makati City. The avenue is named after the former Senate president Gil Puyat who served as senator from 1951 to 1972.
The Philippine Coast Guard hopes to finish siphoning operations of the oil spill in Limay, Bataan in seven days. MT Terranova capsized and eventually sank 1:10 am on Thursday, July 25.
In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US Vice President Kamala Harris pushes for a Gaza ceasefire, striking a tougher tone than President Joe Biden.
Saboteurs strike France’s TGV high-speed train network in a series of attacks ahead of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday, July 26. Hundreds of thousands of people are left stranded at rail stations.
Filipinos competing in the Paris Olympics will wear barongs designed by Francis Libiran in the opening ceremony. The embroidery is inspired by the Pintados warriors, depicting fierceness in battle. – Rappler.com
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2024 Paris Olympics: Meet Team Philippines | Jasmine Payo | 26/07/2024 22:35 | MANILA, Philippines – After the Philippines’ historic four-medal romp in the Tokyo Games, 22 Filipino athletes look to match, or even surpass, the country’s record run in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Weightlifting superstar Hidilyn Diaz, who captured the country’s breakthrough Olympic gold, won’t be back, but boxing medalists Nesthy Petecio (silver), Carlo Paalam (silver), and Eumir Marcial (bronze) return to spearhead the Philippines’ campaign, as EJ Obiena (athletics) and Carlos Yulo (gymnastics) also stand as medal contenders.
Here’s the elite roster vying for more glory on the world’s biggest sporting stage:
– Rappler.com
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Go Team Philippines! Snap up these cool Paris Olympics merch | delfin.dioquino editor | 26/07/2024 20:31 | adidas
MANILA, Philippines – There are many ways to show support for Team Philippines as it competes in the Paris Olympics.
One of them is through wearing the same cool gear.
Adidas, the official outfitter of the Philippine Olympic Committee for the Paris Games, released a set of fan merchandise that includes track suits, shirts, and cap.
Inspired by the Philippines’ official Olympic outfits, each piece features a custom logo that resembles the Philippine Eagle.
Adidas said a portion of the merchandise sales will go to the POC Athlete Incentive Fund.
The Philippines is sending its biggest Olympic delegation in over three decades as 22 athletes represent the country in its 100th year of participation in the Summer Games.
Boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, and Eumir Marcial hope to deliver medals once again, while pole vaulter EJ Obiena and gymnast Carlos Yulo are also expected to make the podium. – Rappler.com
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Choices and changes: De Lima shares 5 life lessons with UP Baguio graduates | Herbie G | 26/07/2024 16:11 | CELEBRATE. Former senator Leila de Lima celebrates her first month of 'unconditional freedom,' addressing graduating students at the University of the Philippines Baguio.
Screengrab from UP Baguio livestream
BAGUIO, Philippines – “I can only surmise that most of you have followed my personal travails as a politician and public servant, and that I have somehow gained a certain amount of sympathy from the constituency of this university.”
The warmth in her voice providing a stark contrast to the a heavy downpour outside on Wednesday, July 24, former senator Leila de Lima celebrated addressed the academics and graduating students of the University of the Philippines Baguio in the first month of her unconditional freedom.
A local court on June 24 cleared her of all the remaining charges of conspiracy to commit drug trading, a ruling that gave her unconditional freedom after nearly seven years of arbitrary detention which started during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. The charges against her turned out to be fabricated, with witnesses recanting and claiming they made up stories against her under pressure from Duterte, whom she fiercely criticized for his brutal “war on drugs.”
De Lima said she had worried that the graduation ceremony would be called off because of the bad weather, but was glad that it pushed through. It was the same day that the enhanced southwest monsoon and Typhoon Carina unleashed its fury in many parts of the country, including Baguio in the Cordillera region.
“This is my first time here in UP Baguio, and let me be the first to congratulate you, the Class of 2024 of the University of the Philippines Baguio,” de Lima began, her voice resonating with warmth.
The UP community, she acknowledged, was among those who supported and sympathized with her during her detention.
Reflecting on her connections to the North, De Lima shared how her ties with it were misconstrued, leading to what she saw as her political persecution.
“Unfortunately, my most popular link to the North, aside from lawyering for reformist politicians like former Isabela governor Grace Padaca when I was still an election law practitioner, is actually a case of red-tagging,” she said.
De Lima said she was targeted for red-tagging because of her blood ties with the wife of the late Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). Sison’s wife Juliet is De Lima’s distant paternal relative.
“I am the least to be a communist. I am a progressive human rights defender who believes in people empowerment and social justice, and my record as a public servant will bear that out,” the ex-senator said.
De Lima shared five lessons from her experiences, hoping to inspire the graduates as they prepared to embark on new journeys.
“No matter how isolated or lonely or fettered you feel in your choices, the immutable fact of life is that you are never alone,” she said.
De Lima recalled how her family and friends supported her during her darkest moments, proving that human compassion and empathy are powerful forces.
She said even in the most challenging times, there is always a community ready to support and uplift.
“There is this line in the last Star Wars movie that goes like this: ‘They hope to defeat us by making us believe that we are alone.’ In life, defeat only comes when you start believing that you are alone. The good news is that being alone is not the natural state of human existence,” she said.
De Lima added, “The bad news is that a lot of us still believe that it is. For myself, it was in the most ironic of circumstances that the realization came to me. It was in involuntary physical isolation – the most isolated I have ever been in my entire life – that I felt solidarity and communion with others.”
“Every human life matters. This might seem unnecessary to point out because it is self-evident. But it turns out that every now and then we need to be reminded that human life is sacred,” she said.
De Lima emphasized the importance of valuing life, especially in the context of Duterte’s extrajudicial killings during the drug war.
“We witnessed a dark period when almost all of us lost our marbles and thought of nothing but our own entitlement to live while others should die. That is the exact opposite of the essence of community. The essence of community tells us that no one is truly alone. As you are human, as long as you are human, even in your worst situations, you will always have an intimate unit of society you can rely on for compassion and comfort,” she said.
“Sometimes, all it takes and all that is needed is for one person’s voice to be heard,” De Lima said, comparing it to the iconic image of a man standing in front of tanks in Tiananmen Square.
She encouraged the graduates to speak out against injustice, even when it is unpopular.
De Lima said, “In those moments, standing alone in the Senate and House hearings, I reminded our nation that murder is murder and that whatever lofty end or goal one professed would achieve, one can never justify going against the very foundation of God’s law and the law of humanity: ‘Thou shall not kill,’” A single person can always make a difference, no matter the odds. Your voice matters. And it could be that one single voice, though silenced, might eventually prove to be the only voice of reason.”
“There is hope for this country,” de Lima declared.
She spoke of the potential for transformation, even when the path seems difficult. Her own journey from imprisonment to acquittal demonstrated that change, although slow, is possible.
“The turnaround in public opinion in the six-year drug war is an example that things can still change for the better. In the same Congress where I was crucified, Duterte and his men are now the ones being investigated for the killings they committed in the drug war. Imagine that,” she said.
De Lima added, “Small victories will always matter. Change will be slow. It will not be revolutionary or cathartic. It will never be instantaneous. The key to change lies in persistent and dedicated effort.”
“The hope of change for the better largely lies in the choices that the best and brightest of our people will make,” she said.
De Lima urged the graduates to make decisions that contribute to positive change, whether they choose to stay in the Philippines or seek opportunities abroad.
She said, “I worry that someday in the future, a generation from now, you will regret the choice that you made. I hope that you do not become like those in our generation and the generation after us who are so disappointed in the lack of progress for half a century that they regret not migrating the first chance that they had.”
De Lima said, “For my generation and the generation that followed us, staying was a difficult struggle. Your generation will have its own challenges. If you choose to stay, just remember some of the lessons I shared with you today. You will not be alone and you can make a difference.”
De Lima’s speech, filled with poignant reflections and inspiring messages, was warmly received by the graduates, eliciting laughter, sighs, and tears. She concluded by celebrating her own recent victory.
“Today on your graduation day, I am celebrating the first month of my unconditional freedom. In this, my second life, I renew that choice long ago to stay and fight for this country,” she said. — Rappler.com
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Climate change causing more change in rainfall, fiercer typhoons, scientists say | Victor Barreiro Jr. | 26/07/2024 10:59 | MARIKINA FLOOD. Rescuers assist residents on a boat along a flooded road following heavy rains brought by Typhoon Gaemi, in Marikina City, Metro Manila, Philippines, July 24, 2024.
Lisa Marie David/Reuters
SINGAPORE – Climate change is driving changes in rainfall patterns across the world, scientists said in a paper published on Friday, July 26, which could also be intensifying typhoons and other tropical storms.
Taiwan, the Philippines, and then China were lashed by the year’s most powerful typhoon this week, with schools, businesses, and financial markets shut as wind speeds surged up to 227 kilometers per hour (141 miles per hour). On China’s eastern coast, hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated ahead of landfall on Thursday.
Stronger tropical storms are part of a wider phenomenon of weather extremes driven by higher temperatures, scientists say.
Researchers led by Zhang Wenxia at the China Academy of Sciences studied historical meteorological data and found about 75% of the world’s land area had seen a rise in “precipitation variability” or wider swings between wet and dry weather.
Warming temperatures have enhanced the ability of the atmosphere to hold moisture, which is causing wider fluctuations in rainfall, the researchers said in a paper published by the Science journal.
“(Variability) has increased in most places, including Australia, which means rainier rain periods and drier dry periods,” said Steven Sherwood, a scientist at the Climate Change Research Centre at the University of New South Wales, who was not involved in the study.
“This is going to increase as global warming continues, enhancing the chances of droughts and/or floods.”
Scientists believe that climate change is also reshaping the behavior of tropical storms, including typhoons, making them less frequent but more powerful.
“I believe higher water vapor in the atmosphere is the ultimate cause of all of these tendencies toward more extreme hydrologic phenomena,” Sherwood told Reuters.
Typhoon Gaemi, which first made landfall in Taiwan on Wednesday, was the strongest to hit the island in eight years.
While it is difficult to attribute individual weather events to climate change, models predict that global warming makes typhoons stronger, said Sachie Kanada, a researcher at Japan’s Nagoya University.
“In general, warmer sea surface temperature is a favourable condition for tropical cyclone development,” she said.
In its “blue paper” on climate change published this month, China said the number of typhoons in the Northwest Pacific and South China Sea had declined significantly since the 1990s, but they were getting stronger.
Taiwan also said in its climate change report published in May that climate change was likely to reduce the overall number of typhoons in the region while making each one more intense.
The decrease in the number of typhoons is due to the uneven pattern of ocean warming, with temperatures rising faster in the western Pacific than the east, said Feng Xiangbo, a tropical cyclone research scientist at the University of Reading.
Water vapor capacity in the lower atmosphere is expected to rise by 7% for each 1 degree Celsius increase in temperatures, with tropical cyclone rainfall in the United States surging by as much as 40% for each single degree rise, he said. – Rappler.com
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[OPINION] From ‘Puyat’ to ‘Tulog’: Clout-chasing street signs disrespected history | Miriam Grace Go | 26/07/2024 19:05 | There has been a buzz on Philippine social media recently about the supposedly humorous changing of the street name Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue to Gil Tulog Avenue. It’s a pun for the Filipino words “puyat,” which means sleepless or not having enough sleep, and “tulog,” which means asleep.
There is nothing fun about the stunt, really, given the deep significance of the street’s name. Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue is a tribute to the former Philippine Senate president Gil J. Puyat, a figure of historical importance in Philippine politics. The new name, Gil Tulog Avenue, tampers with this tribute and undermines the respect we owe to our public memory spaces.
I even asked my friend living in Makati if this news was real. Unfortunately, my friend confirmed it by taking a video as proof. We laughed at first, but then I became speechless after a few seconds of verifying. I searched for more details because changing street names in the Philippines is complicated and needs the authorities’ approval. The naming and renaming of public places in the country must be approved through a proclamation, legislation, or city ordinances. Then, I stumbled upon some posts online suggesting this might be a marketing strategy for a melatonin product, given the connection between the new street name and the product’s purpose of inducing sleep, potentially increasing its sales.
As someone who majored in history, specializes in public memory and memory spaces, and shares the name with former Philippine Senate president Gil J. Puyat, I can’t help but comment on this matter.
As a child, I was often teased because of my first name. Whenever I introduced myself, the name Gil Puyat would always come up. In fact, that was how the man’s name sparked my curiosity. I’m sure many other Filipinos, also named Gil, have had a similar experience that has piqued their interest. This personal connection makes this news even more poignant and underscores our need to preserve and respect our public memory spaces.
Gil J. Puyat started his public service as a senator in 1951 and served until 1973. He became the Senate president from 1967 to 1972, making him the last Senate president before Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. declared martial law in the country. As a legislator, he was known for reforming how public works funds were managed.
Before becoming a senator, and given his impressive academic background and early exposure to the business world, he was named dean of the College of Business Administration of the University of the Philippines at 33. He was recognized by various organizations, making him a champion in business, civics, and charity.
To honor Puyat, Buendia Avenue in Makati (pronounced by most Filipino commuters and bus conductors as “Bwenja”), which hosts business and educational institutions and other notable landmarks, was renamed two years after his death on March 23, 1980. Through Batas Pambansa Blg. 312, Buendia Avenue (named after Nicolas Buendia, a former senator and Katipunero from Bulacan) was changed to Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue on November 14, 1982.
As of this writing, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay has apologized to the people and the family of the former Senate president, and instructed that the “Gil Tulog” signs be taken down. She said the application for a permit to replace those street signs did not reach her office — or she would have rejected it — and emphasized that the city officials who issued the permit should have exercised prudence on this matter.
Although this might be an amusing story for some, it shouldn’t be. Street names are more than just signages. They are considered repositories of a city or country’s history, culture, and collective memory. This straightforward change of the street name from Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue to Gil Tulog Avenue easily erases a significant part of our memory. It undermines the respect we owe to our public memory spaces. It shows how easily history, represented by public spaces such as streets, can be swiftly erased and changed in the country for social media clout.
This should not be taken lightly, especially when our historical memory has been continuously challenged. Our street names are not just random labels. They are living testaments to our past, present, and future, connecting us to our roots and shaping our collective identity as Filipinos.
In a world full of pranks and clouts, we must respect and preserve our public memory spaces, leaving them untouched by this nonsense gimmick. It’s time to know our boundaries on pranks and jokes and appreciate our spaces of public memory. These spaces hold significance, not just for the name, and we must be responsible for protecting and taking them seriously.
After this blunder, I hope the city officials who approved the new name will sleep well tonight, knowing they have learned the importance of their responsibility towards our public memory spaces. — Rappler.com
Gil D. Turingan has a history degree from the University of the Philippines-Diliman. He is currently based in Bangkok, specializing in public memory and memory spaces. He will receive his PhD this October at Chulalongkorn University. His doctoral thesis, successfully defended last November 2023, focuses on the importance of public monuments in the discourse of democracy and student movement in Thailand.
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[OPINION] Marcos delivered a SONA applauded by critics. It’s all about contrasts. | Glenda Gloria | 29/07/2024 18:01 | The President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 22 opened strong and meandered in the middle. But boy, what a closer.
It was delivered with the proper pause between words to make it more compelling, with each word enunciated clearly, rhythm and body gestures to emphasize firmness and resolve. The voice control, gestures, and enunciation eerily resembled his late father’s. Boomers were having flashbacks.
And it was strong enough to make even his critics stand up and applaud.
He gave them what they wanted to hear: a ban, effective immediately, on the recently controversial POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators).
As expected, television primetime news led with the POGO ban. The dailies bannered the presidential directive the following day. The ban trended on social media.
It didn’t matter if offshore gaming is remotely related to inflation, the public’s most urgent concern. You try to get the applause and the money shot whenever you can.
If the President was bothered by the recent Pulse Asia survey where his trust rating slid further, it didn’t show.
Released five days before the SONA, Pulse Asia’s second quarter survey showed that trust in the President dropped to 52% from 57% in March (It has been dropping since the third quarter of last year, but I haven’t heard anyone describe it as a “free fall”). As with all previous surveys, inflation worries is causing the drop in public trust.
The President and his speechwriters did give the public what they wanted to hear. He tackled inflation at the start of the speech. Better to get the inconvenient part out of the way, and score points with the opening statement:
“The hard lesson of this last year has made it very clear that whatever current data proudly bannering our country as among the best performing in Asia means nothing to a Filipino who is confronted by the price of rice at 25 to 65 pesos per kilo.”
Great! So far, so good.
“Totoo, pwersa ng merkado – sa ating bansa at maging sa buong daigdig – ang syang nagdidikta ng presyo. Bunsod ito, halimbawa, ng gyera, problema sa supply, at pwersa ng kalikasan, tulad ng El Niño na nararanasan din sa ibang bansa. Subalit hindi na ito mahalagang alalahanin ng ating mga kababayang nabibigatan sa presyo ng bigas.”
Translation: I can’t control prices. Blame conflict, supply woes, nature, climate change. Why blame me?
What followed the strong opener was a narration, over 30 paragraphs by my count, of government efforts to boost agricultural productivity, included perhaps in the hope of boring the public out of their worry over prices.
It’s all about headlines. A headline that says, “We are doing our best,” or “High prices beyond our control” won’t be flattering. That’s why inflation was pushed right at the beginning. No one will remember the opener, especially with a speech lasting more than an hour. Everyone will remember a strong closer.
To control the narrative, and get the money shot, the speech needed to end strong. Hands down, the POGO ban was the obvious choice.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s far from a perfect speech. It falls short of the Contrast-Rhyme- Echo-Alliteration-Metaphor formula, attributed to to Winston Churchill, or his admonition that a speech should be poetry, written as “rhymeless, meterless verse.”
Of all presidential speeches, the SONA is the trickiest to pull off. Inaugurals are written for history, all soaring rhetoric before an adoring public. The SONA is of the moment, as boring as an annual report, delivered before the political and business elite but transmitted by mass media to a doubtful, if not hostile public.
Given the political backdrop, the speech is more than adequate. It served its purpose: to draw a contrast between the President and his predecessor.
The tracking shot of the President walking alone from the holding room to the plenary hall sought to project youthful vitality, the fitness to carry the burden of office that is his alone to bear (He is not the first to use this visual device. Russian President Vladimir Putin used a long tracking shot on one of his many inaugurals). The image of a youthful looking, smiling President stands in contrast with former president Rodrigo Duterte, the de facto opposition leader, who appears in a viral video unable to walk without help.
There is also the contrast with the previous administration’s controversial legacies: the drug war, Chinese intrusion in the West Philippine Sea, and POGOs. By invoking these three Duterte legacies at the end of his speech, the President framed the choice in the midterm elections: Do you want to go back to the way it was, or do you want to complete the journey with me?
Will he succeed? We will have to wait until May 2025. – Rappler.com
Joey Salgado is a former journalist, and a government and political communications practitioner. He served as spokesperson for former vice president Jejomar Binay.
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I appreciate Joey Salgado’s insightful analysis. PBBM’s 3rd SONA effectively highlighted the contrast between him and his predecessor. It also revealed the hypocrisy of some politicians who applauded Duterte’s EJK-based drug war speech but also supported PBBM’s “bloodless” version. Additionally, it was a strategic decision for both Former President Digong Duterte and VP Sara Duterte not to attend the SONA. Digong didn’t want to be compared, and Sara’s lack of Confidential Funds is already affecting her 2028 presidential ambition.
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Nesthy Petecio begins golden quest in Paris Olympics vs Indian | delfin.dioquino editor | 29/07/2024 22:12 | WINNER. Nesthy Petecio in action for the Philippines in the Boxam Elite Tournament in Spain.
Federacion Espau00f1ola de Boxeo Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – It might be the final Olympics for Filipina boxer Nesthy Petecio.
And she hopes to end it at the top of the podium as Petecio looks to complete her unfinished business after settling for a silver medal in the Tokyo Games three years ago.
Petecio begins her golden quest in the Paris Olympics against India’s Jaismine Lamboria when they lock horns in the round of 32 of the women’s 57kg class at the North Paris Arena on Tuesday, July 30.
“I want to exit boxing on a high note. I want to leave the sport by making history,” said Petecio in Filipino in June.
While the Philippines won 8 of its 14 Olympic medals overall in boxing, no Filipino boxer has struck gold.
Petecio and the rest of the national boxing team, which includes Carlo Paalam, Eumir Marcial, Aira Villegas, and Hergie Bacyadan, aim to change that.
But achieving that goal does not come easy despite the absence of Japan’s Sena Irie, who retired from the sport a year after besting Petecio for the gold in Tokyo.
If Petecio manages to overcome Lamboria, she will face European Games titlist Amina Zidani of France in the round of 16.
Also in the same bracket are Italy’s Irma Testa and Kazakhstan’s Karina Ibragimova, who went one-two in the previous IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships.
Drawn in the other bracket is top seed and two-time world titlist Lin Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei.
The boxing team got off to a promising start as Villegas advanced to the round of 16 of the women’s 50kg division after a unanimous decision win over Morocco’s Yasmine Mouttaki.
Marcial (men’s 80kg), Paalam (men’s 57kg), and Bacyadan (women’s 75kg) begin their campaigns in the coming days. – Rappler.com
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Chinese fugitive caught in Benguet house linked to Harry Roque | Lian Buan | 29/07/2024 20:08 | CHINESE? Senator Risa Hontiveros says Khuon Moeurn is a false identity being used by a Chinese fugitive.
Sourced photo
MANILA, Philippines – The man caught in a house in Tuba, Benguet, on Saturday, July 27, was not Cambodian but a Chinese fugitive, according to Senator Risa Hontiveros.
“The Cambodian passport held by the man is fake. He’s really Chinese and as per our Chinese informant, he’s a red notice fugitive, very high-level, and he has already defrauded 100,000 people,” Hontiveros said on Monday, July 29, as the Senate continued its inquiry into illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).
The Bureau of Immigration executed a mission order to raid a house in Barangay Poblacion in Tuba, Benguet, on Saturday. The BI said it was acting on information that one of the house occupants was a Chinese woman who is a person of interest in the Bamban, Tarlac POGO investigation. The BI found instead a supposed Cambodian, Khuon Moeurn, and a Chinese woman named Wang Keping, neither of whom was the target of the operation.
Moeurn is really Sun Liming, who, Rappler has learned, is on the red notice list of the Interpol for financial fraud in China over internet P2P business. Sun Liming is known as an expert in how to develop apps, which could have been used for scamming operations, according to Presidential Anti Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) chief Gilbert Cruz.
Harry Roque, who was spokesperson for former president Rodrigo Duterte, confirmed to the Senate that he “has interest” in the Tuba house. It is owned by a corporation called PH2, which is owned by Roque’s family corporation, Biancham Holdings and Trading. Roque said, however, that the house has been leased to a Chinese national named Wan Yun.
Roque told a House panel on Wednesday, July 31, that he has since found out that his lessee is in a relationship with Moeurn/Sun Liming. The lease contract was signed in January 2024, said Roque.
“Tinirahan ko po ‘yan nung ako po’y umalis ng gobyerno, and I do have an interest in the corporation that owns it. Pero wala po sa akin ang possession ng bahay na ‘yan,” said Roque.
(I once lived in that house when I left the government, and I do have an interest in the corporation that owns it. But I do not have possession of that house.)
When BI agents got there, they apprehended a man carrying a supposed Cambodian passport, who turned out to be Chinese. They also apprehended the female Chinese who was with him for allegedly harboring an illegal alien.
The BI confirmed to the Senate that their personnel neither had a search nor arrest warrant during the raid, which Roque continuously pointed out as a violation of constitutional rights.
This shows the quandary of law enforcement in cracking down on POGO suspects. If they apply for a warrant, they risk a leak or waiting too long that the suspects already flee. But if they conduct an operation without a warrant, they court legal trouble.
“Nang sinabi nila na sinalakay ang bahay ko at may mga wanted na mga POGO bosses doon, eh ako po’y talagang nag-conclude na meron talagang pilit na naninira sa akin (When they said my house was raided because there were wanted POGO bosses there, I concluded that there really was a demolition job against me),” Roque said during the Senate hearing, which got heated between him and Hontiveros.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian had to intervene and tell Roque that if he “disrespects” Hontiveros one more time, “I will cite you in contempt.”
Biancham was incorporated by Roque, his wife Mylah, his former law firm partner Joel Butuyan, and two others. Roque’s former assistant, Alberto Rodulfo “AR” dela Serna, was a qualifying stockholder. It means that these were stockholders with minimal shares, and tapped only to comply with the requirement that there should be five stockholders. Roque said that because a one-person corporation is now allowed, he is on his way to buying out everybody in Biancham.
Dela Serna is the aide whom Roque sponsored for a visa to Europe in 2023. Dela Serna was present in Monday’s hearing and he said his visa documents were found in the Lucky South 99 POGO in Porac, Pampanga, because he used to be a boarder there while attending a flying school in the province.
Dela Serna said he did not know that there was a POGO there, and that he lodged for free because he requested Katherine Cassandra Li Ong or Cassy Li Ong to be able to board rent-free. Prompted by Hontiveros’ interpellation, Dela Serna said he knew Ong through Roque.
Ong may be the next most hunted after Bamban Mayor Alice Guo. Ong, who is now in Singapore according to the BI, is an owner of a POGO called Xinsheng which preceded Lucky South. For Lucky South, Ong appears in some Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) documents as having transacted for them.
It was also Ong who got Roque as a lawyer for Whirlwind Corporation, the real estate firm that leased its Porac compound to Lucky South. Roque maintained he is a lawyer only for Whirlwind, and not for the Lucky South POGO even though an organizational chart names him as legal representative.
According to Pagcor chief Alejandro Tengco, Ong had said before that the fee meant to be remitted to Pagcor by Lucky South, totaling $900,000, had been pocketed by their consultant, Dennis Cunanan.
Cunanan is a former government official who had been convicted for his role in the pork barrel scam. He is the common link for the Porac and Bamban POGOs.
On Monday, Cunanan appeared in the Senate for the first time, where he confirmed that he consulted for the two POGOs, but denied that he pocketed the Pagcor fee.
“If that happened, there are only two things that can happen to me: either I am dead by now, or two, I may have a court case already happening,” said Cunanan. Senator Jinggoy Estrada paid much attention to Cunanan because the latter testified against him during the pork barrel scam trial.
Roque is still linked to the accusation against Cunanan. It was the former presidential spokesperson who had accompanied Ong to meet with Pagcor’s Tengco to complain that Cunanan had not been remitting Lucky South’s fees. Roque said this did not mean he lawyered for Lucky South because he just accompanied Ong to a meeting with Pagcor.
Hontiveros said, “Ayaw ‘nyo mang aminin na abogado kayo ng POGO, malinaw na abogado kayo ng taga-areglo ng POGO.” (While you may not want to admit that you’re a lawyer for a POGO, it is clear that you are a lawyer for a POGO fixer.)
Hontiveros pointed out that Lucky South was already raided as early as 2022. The senator asked Roque why he would want to be involved in a POGO that already has a shady record.
“Wala naman akong nalaman na na-raid sila noon dahil nakilala ko sila matapos ang eleksiyon noong 2022,” said Roque.
(I did not know they were raided because I met them after the elections in 2022.)
During the House hearing on Wednesday, a Pagcor executive revealed that aside from facilitating a meeting, Roque also made at least six calls on behalf of Ong. Never was Whirlwind mentioned in these conversations, only Lucky South, said Pagcor’s offshore gaming department assistant vice president, Jessa Fernandez.
Despite this, Roque invoked his strict definition of a client-lawyer relationship, which is one that exists only on contract — the one he has with Whirlwind. Lawmakers spent time pointing out that someone as prominent as Roque who deals with Pagcor on behalf of a POGO representative, “by common sense,” may be a form of using “political influence.” – Rappler.com
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Siphoning MT Terranova oil to start after 14 leaking valves sealed – PCG | Iya Gozum | 29/07/2024 19:11 | OIL SPILL. Members of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) respond to a maritime incident involving Motor Tanker Terra Nova that capsized and eventually submerged 3.6 nautical miles east off Lamao Point in Limay, Bataan, on July 25, 2024. The distressed vessel was carrying 1.4 metric tons of industrial fuel oil with Iloilo as its port of destination.
Philippine Coast Guard
MANILA, Philippines – Siphoning of industrial fuel oil from the sunken MT Terranova may start as soon as Tuesday, July 30, Lieutenant Commander Michael John Encina told reporters on Monday, July 29.
Encina said the 14 leaking valves of the submerged tanker have been closed on Monday. Siphoning would start as soon as all valves, including the ones without leaks, are sealed.
“That will be the main activity of our operation tomorrow: the siphoning process,” Encina said in a mix of Filipino and English.
“So technically the salvor will siphon 300,000 liters of IFO (industrial fuel oil) to float MT Terranova. Hence after that, we can bring the vessel near the shoreline so we can do other measures to avert the oil spill.”
Even valves without leaks must be sealed too because when the vessel lifts as the oil is siphoned out, they might open, Encina explained.
Siphoning may last from five to seven days. Encina said a conservative estimate would be 10 days. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) had earlier set a 7-day target last week. PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said earlier in a radio interview on Monday morning that 15 valves were yet to be sealed.
The contracted salvor for this oil spill response is Harbor Star, under a no-cure, no-pay contract with ship owner Shogun Ships Company Incorporated.
En route to Iloilo, MT Terranova was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank 3.6 nautical miles from Lamao point in Limay, Bataan. One crew member died in the maritime incident, while 16 other crew were rescued. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources estimated that 11,000 fisherfolk from Bataan will be affected under the worst-case scenario.
Reports of oil slick sightings have come in from Bulacan and Cavite, two provinces where scientists have forecast the oil to spread.
Aside from capping the valves, the PCG had deployed oil spill booms to contain spread. They have also started to make improvised booms from coconut husks.
However, oil spill booms only work in calm sea conditions, Natalie Kirk, a representative from non-government organization International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited (ITOPF) said during a meeting with concerned government officials in Pampanga province on Monday, July 29.
“So if we have rough weather…it doesn’t work. And at best, the estimates are that we can recover about 10 to 20% of the oil spilt using containment and recovery,” said Kirk.
The ITOPF representative said the most effective way of responding to the oil spill is to concentrate on the salvage efforts and in removing the oil from the vessel. – Rappler.com
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Amid Alice Guo’s mounting controversy, Bamban residents unsure who to trust anymore | Joann Manabat - CMS | 29/07/2024 19:47 | A QUIET TOWN. Bamban, Tarlac remains a second-class municipality with 15 barangays across 39,000 hectares.
Joann Manabat/Rappler
TARLAC, Philippines – Residents of Bamban, Tarlac, have mixed sentiments about the mounting controversy about their mayor, Alice Guo, has found herself in, and they say they are in a state of just wanting to pick up the pieces for their town but not knowing exactly how.
Guo, a first-term mayor, was ordered arrested by the Senate last July 13 for failing to attend the past hearings, where her connection to illegal offshore gaming operations, run by convicted Chinese criminals and used for trafficking, scams, and money laundering was uncovered.
On Monday, July 29, she was a no-show at the Senate again. On the same day, the Office of the Solicitor General asked a Manila court to unseat her as mayor for not being a Filipino citizen.
To be sure, most of the residents that Rappler got to talk to in a recent visit to Bamban had good words for their suspended mayor Guo as a responsive, proactive leader. They fear that with her vice mayor, Leonardo Anunciacion — a former mayor — now acting as local chief executive, the progress will be set back once more.
But then, they said, can they trust Guo again? And all their politicians for that matter?
Tricycle driver Ver said they had lost interest in their public officials, noting that the return of Anunciacion may also bring Bamban back to the old times of slow progress and development.
“Mas metahimik na ngeni. Nung dati tahimik keni, mas lalu pa ngeni. Balamu migising kami pero milako la gana reng tau. Ing mayor mi ngeni, mayor mi ne kanita anya balamu magbalik na ke na naman king dati kanini,” Ver told Rappler in Kapampangan language on Thursday. “Masanting la mu papakit keng mumuna. Makalako la mu rin gana.”
(It’s more quiet now. If it was quiet before, it’s much more now. It’s like people here woke up but without enthusiasm. Our mayor now had been our mayor before already. It’s like we have gotten back to how we were before. They only show good things at the start. We’ve lost that enthusiasm.)
High school students from Santo Niño Academy, Bea and Citi, shared Ver’s observations, and acknowledged Guo’s past contributions in addressing community needs.
“She used to always have things to do in Bamban, but now that she has been suspended, it has become a bit boring. When we had ¥power interruption, she was able to solve such problems immediately. But since she was suspended, it seems the focus has been taken away from such things. Brownouts have been frequent with just a little rain. Even wifi is affected,” the school girls said in Filipino.
“Since Guo was elected, my family and I have always looked at her posts and updates on social media. Now it seems that our family has lost trust in her and her party,” Bea said.
“It’s like we can’t trust her anymore because so much has been revealed about her. We don’t know if her intentions for Bamban are good or not,” Citi added.
Acting Vice Mayor Erdy Timbang called the situation a “wake-up call” for public officials and residents alike to rebuild their town after all that happened.
Timbang was the only councilor who did not sign the Letter of No Objection (LONO0 that the local government issued and which Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated used to get a permit from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation previously before it went illegal.
The Baofu compound, where Zun Yuan was raided by law enforcers, belonged to Guo before she became mayor. She claims to have sold it. It is located right behind the municipal hall of Bamban. Before she ran for mayor in 2022, Guo was the one who lobbied with the local council to issue a LONO.
“People are now reluctant to discuss it, perhaps out of dismay, like something hidden has been suddenly exposed,” Timbang told Rappler.
Timbang said the priority projects now include attracting business and investments to generate jobs and revenue, like the poultry dressing plant. Students will continue to receive school supplies at the start of classes, he added.
“This transition period has been challenging, but we are focused on stabilizing the administration,” he said.
Timbang took on the role of acting vice mayor with Leonardo Anunciacion as the acting mayor on June 4.
Guo, business permit licensing officer Edwin Ocampo, and legal officer Adden Sigua have been placed under a six-month preventive suspension since May 31 by the Office of the Ombudsman for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service. Guo’s former accountant, Nancy Gamo, is already under the Senate custody following her arrest last July 14.
For her absence, Guo cited severe exhaustion and trauma following earlier proceedings and the numerous legal cases filed against her. In a statement posted on her Facebook account on Thursday, July 18, she again denied her involvement in various crimes related to POGOs, including alleged threats to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.
“I appeal to them (senators) to focus their attention on these problems instead of continuously threatening me with arrest and accusing me of being complicit in various Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO)-related crimes, which are untrue and unfounded. I assure the public and Sen. Win Gatchalian that I do not pose any threat to him or to anyone. I categorically deny any involvement in the death threats received by Sen. Win Gatchalian. I have no capacity, much less intent, to cause any harm against anyone,” her statement read.
Barangay Sto. Niño Kagawad Ronald Manalo said some barangay officials remain supportive of Guo despite the controversy and the lies she had been caught telling.
“Whatever we read or whatever’s on the news, we are fed up. We got sick and tired of all of it. They (senators) no longer feel sorry for Guo. It’s better that she won’t show up anymore because we just feel sorry for her. If she shows up, she will only get arrested,” Manalo said in Kapampangan.
“Even with all the lies they said she was saying, we only say one thing — that even if she’s Chinese, she is for the people. We are still for the mayor. You can expect that her name will still be mentioned in the campaigns and during the elections, I tell you.”
Barangay Sto. Niño is the neighboring village of Barangay Anupul, where the vast POGO compound is located and was found to be a hub for criminal activities. — Rappler.com
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View from Manila: Did PH and China pass the test on Ayungin this time? | Bea Cupin | 29/07/2024 19:03 | AGROUND. An aerial view shows the BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, March 9, 2023.
Reuters
MANILA, Philippines – There was a bit of trepidation in the final week of July as the Philippine military’s Western Command geared up for an overdue resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal, where the rusting BRP Sierra Madre stands as a makeshift military outpost and symbol of Filipino ingenuity and stubbornness.
The mission on Saturday, July 27, went on incident-free, albeit with a number of Chinese vessels keeping watch of the Philippines’ ML Lapu-Lapu and BRP Cape Engaño (four from the China Coast Guard, three from its Navy, two Chinese Maritime Militia ships).
But a furious exchange of words happened between the Philippines and China over the “provisional agreement” (or arrangement) that was meant to bring tensions down in the first place.
The Philippine has repeatedly said that it did not agree to China’s ask of prior notification and on-board inspection of vessels during resupply missions. Beijing is insisting that these were part of the terms of the agreement.
The exchange of notes has not been made public. The chances that it would ever be made public are slim, even as its existence has been announced and broadcast during a gather of foreign ministers in Laos for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
The July 27 resupply mission has been seen as a test of more than a month of efforts — among diplomats and defense and security officials — to make sure tensions go down, and that no longer would an ax or knife be wielded before Philippine soldiers in the South China Sea.
The arrangement (or agreement) has clearly worked, even as Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Teresita Daza scored her Chinese counterparts on Sunday, July 28, for having “mischaracterized” the Philippine resupply mission.
“Instead of acknowledging how two countries were able to manage differences in order to avoid miscalculation and misunderstanding, the Spokesperson chose to misrepresent what has been agreed between the Philippines and China regarding RORE (rotation and resupply) missions in Ayungin Shoal,” said Daza.
She added: “Let us make it absolutely clear: the understanding between the Philippines and China was concluded in good faith, with the explicit agreement that it will not prejudice national positions. It is not helpful to keep giving false notions about what has been agreed on and how they were implemented.”
The veteran diplomat closed her Sunday statement by saying: “The Philippines will remain committed to the peaceful settlement of disputes, including through dialogue and consultation, and will honor the understanding on RORE missions. We expect China will also adhere to the understanding as negotiated.”
Government sources from the Philippines are adamant that Manila did not give in to Beijing’s asks, based on its so-called “principled positions.”
Why does China continue to insist otherwise? Could it just be navigating how this recent arrangement with the Philippines is perceived by its citizens? After all, it might not look good for a superpower to have said yes to terms that were not to its overwhelming advantage.
After Saturday’s smooth mission to Ayungin, it’s a less tense West Philippine Sea that the United States’ Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are walking into when they visit Manila for the fourth 2+2 joint ministerial meeting on Tuesday, July 30, with their Philippine counterparts Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and Defense Secretary GIlberto Teodoro.
No major agreements are expected to be signed during this meeting, although the treaty-allies are expected to sign the General Security of Military Information Agreement by the end of the year — another landmark in bilateral ties that have gone on “hyperdrive.”
South China Sea issues will likely be discussed.
Blinken is coming off a blitz around the Indo-Pacific, including a 2+2 meeting alongside Austin in Japan with their Japanese counterparts (who were recently in Manila for the Philippine-Japan 2+2 and the signing of the Reciprocal Access Agreement).
In Tokyo, the US announced plans to upgrade its military command based in Japan into a “joint force headquarters with expanded missions and operational responsibilities.” Austin, Blinken, Japan Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko, and Defense Minister Kihara Minoru said in a joint statement that the upgrade of US Forces Japan will be implemented alongside Japan’s plans to establish a joint command for its Japan Self-Defense Forces by March 2025.
The two countries, through their ministers, also called China the “greatest strategic challenge” in the region. The Philippines would certainly agree. – Rappler.com
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IN PHOTOS: Classes begin for public school students in the Philippines | Acor Arceo | 29/07/2024 17:00 | FIRST DAY. Hundreds of students attend the first day of classes at the Guadalupe Elementary School in Cebu City on July 29, 2024.
Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Around 20 million students began classes in public schools nationwide on Monday, July 29, the start of academic year 2024-2025.
The opening of classes pushed through except for more than 900 schools in areas that were worst-hit by rain from the southwest monsoon or habagat. Schools in areas where local government units declared class suspensions for Monday were also unable to open.
Here are some photos from the first day of school:
– Rappler.com
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In Cebu school, teachers adopt ICT for ‘digital native’ learning | jsitchon0312 | 29/07/2024 17:10 | DIGITAL. Marigondon Elementary School teacher Mary Ann Crescencio uses an interactive display board to help teach mathematics and shapes to her Grade 1 students, in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, on July 29, 2024.
John Sitchon/Rappler
CEBU, Philippines – Six-year-old Rhenz Angelo delos Santos is happy to be back in school after a whole summer of watching YouTube videos and playing games on his mother’s smartphone.
On the first day of class, the grade schooler at Marigondon Elementary School in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, wanted to play with his friends and learn more about how wheels on cars work.
“My father is an engineer. I want to be like him and also be a firefighter when I’m older,” Rhenz told Rappler on Monday, July 29.
Rhenz is still in first grade but already has a good grasp of how the internet works.
He shared that he often connects his mother’s smartphone to their television at home in order to watch videos of his idols like American YouTuber and entrepreneur James Stephen “Jimmy” Donaldson or more commonly known as “MrBeast.”
Rhenz told Rappler that he plans to create his own social media account when he is older to talk with his friends online.
As classes officially begin for the academic year 2024 to 2025, students like Rhenz find themselves taking on science and mathematics with more vigor because teachers have begun utilizing new technologies.
In Rhenz’s class, teacher Mary Ann Crescencio uses an interactive display board (IDB) with touchscreen capabilities to help students learn about shapes and colors.
Some students were already familiar with touchscreen technology and showed little to no difficulty in describing geometric figures while counting the figures one by one.
“We have to acknowledge that the children now are digital natives…we have to adapt 21st-century skills and because of that, we have to integrate information and communication technologies (ICTs),” Crescencio said in a mix of English and Cebuano.
According to the teacher, children who underwent modular learning during the pandemic were “passive” in learning but when ICTs were added into their daily lessons during their face-to-face sessions, students were motivated and active.
At Marigondon Elementary, students were tested for their aptitudes in science, mathematics, and the arts.
“Most of them are screened and undergo reading and oral interviews and multiple-intelligence tests where they show their talents,” Crescencio told Rappler.
Rhenz’s class belongs to the special science class category. Each of the special science classes has an interactive display board to augment the delivery of lessons and specific science subjects, including ICT laboratory lessons, to help nurture the pupils’ skills in science-related fields.
As early as Grade 1, Crescencio said, the students are taught the basics on using computers.
However, Marigondon Elementary School Principal Marichu Ligan told Rappler that the number of ICT equipment in the school is not enough for the students enrolled.
Ligan shared that the school has around 6,300 students enrolled and 123 classrooms as of writing. She added that they expect to see more students since some have yet to complete the enrolment process.
Despite the low number of ICT equipment, the principal assured that all of their students can still borrow the available laptops and tabs in their laboratories. – Rappler.com
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Amid Alice Guo’s mounting controversy, Bamban residents unsure who to trust anymore | Joann Manabat - CMS | 29/07/2024 19:47 | A QUIET TOWN. Bamban, Tarlac remains a second-class municipality with 15 barangays across 39,000 hectares.
Joann Manabat/Rappler
TARLAC, Philippines – Residents of Bamban, Tarlac, have mixed sentiments about the mounting controversy about their mayor, Alice Guo, has found herself in, and they say they are in a state of just wanting to pick up the pieces for their town but not knowing exactly how.
Guo, a first-term mayor, was ordered arrested by the Senate last July 13 for failing to attend the past hearings, where her connection to illegal offshore gaming operations, run by convicted Chinese criminals and used for trafficking, scams, and money laundering was uncovered.
On Monday, July 29, she was a no-show at the Senate again. On the same day, the Office of the Solicitor General asked a Manila court to unseat her as mayor for not being a Filipino citizen.
To be sure, most of the residents that Rappler got to talk to in a recent visit to Bamban had good words for their suspended mayor Guo as a responsive, proactive leader. They fear that with her vice mayor, Leonardo Anunciacion — a former mayor — now acting as local chief executive, the progress will be set back once more.
But then, they said, can they trust Guo again? And all their politicians for that matter?
Tricycle driver Ver said they had lost interest in their public officials, noting that the return of Anunciacion may also bring Bamban back to the old times of slow progress and development.
“Mas metahimik na ngeni. Nung dati tahimik keni, mas lalu pa ngeni. Balamu migising kami pero milako la gana reng tau. Ing mayor mi ngeni, mayor mi ne kanita anya balamu magbalik na ke na naman king dati kanini,” Ver told Rappler in Kapampangan language on Thursday. “Masanting la mu papakit keng mumuna. Makalako la mu rin gana.”
(It’s more quiet now. If it was quiet before, it’s much more now. It’s like people here woke up but without enthusiasm. Our mayor now had been our mayor before already. It’s like we have gotten back to how we were before. They only show good things at the start. We’ve lost that enthusiasm.)
High school students from Santo Niño Academy, Bea and Citi, shared Ver’s observations, and acknowledged Guo’s past contributions in addressing community needs.
“She used to always have things to do in Bamban, but now that she has been suspended, it has become a bit boring. When we had ¥power interruption, she was able to solve such problems immediately. But since she was suspended, it seems the focus has been taken away from such things. Brownouts have been frequent with just a little rain. Even wifi is affected,” the school girls said in Filipino.
“Since Guo was elected, my family and I have always looked at her posts and updates on social media. Now it seems that our family has lost trust in her and her party,” Bea said.
“It’s like we can’t trust her anymore because so much has been revealed about her. We don’t know if her intentions for Bamban are good or not,” Citi added.
Acting Vice Mayor Erdy Timbang called the situation a “wake-up call” for public officials and residents alike to rebuild their town after all that happened.
Timbang was the only councilor who did not sign the Letter of No Objection (LONO0 that the local government issued and which Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated used to get a permit from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation previously before it went illegal.
The Baofu compound, where Zun Yuan was raided by law enforcers, belonged to Guo before she became mayor. She claims to have sold it. It is located right behind the municipal hall of Bamban. Before she ran for mayor in 2022, Guo was the one who lobbied with the local council to issue a LONO.
“People are now reluctant to discuss it, perhaps out of dismay, like something hidden has been suddenly exposed,” Timbang told Rappler.
Timbang said the priority projects now include attracting business and investments to generate jobs and revenue, like the poultry dressing plant. Students will continue to receive school supplies at the start of classes, he added.
“This transition period has been challenging, but we are focused on stabilizing the administration,” he said.
Timbang took on the role of acting vice mayor with Leonardo Anunciacion as the acting mayor on June 4.
Guo, business permit licensing officer Edwin Ocampo, and legal officer Adden Sigua have been placed under a six-month preventive suspension since May 31 by the Office of the Ombudsman for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service. Guo’s former accountant, Nancy Gamo, is already under the Senate custody following her arrest last July 14.
For her absence, Guo cited severe exhaustion and trauma following earlier proceedings and the numerous legal cases filed against her. In a statement posted on her Facebook account on Thursday, July 18, she again denied her involvement in various crimes related to POGOs, including alleged threats to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.
“I appeal to them (senators) to focus their attention on these problems instead of continuously threatening me with arrest and accusing me of being complicit in various Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO)-related crimes, which are untrue and unfounded. I assure the public and Sen. Win Gatchalian that I do not pose any threat to him or to anyone. I categorically deny any involvement in the death threats received by Sen. Win Gatchalian. I have no capacity, much less intent, to cause any harm against anyone,” her statement read.
Barangay Sto. Niño Kagawad Ronald Manalo said some barangay officials remain supportive of Guo despite the controversy and the lies she had been caught telling.
“Whatever we read or whatever’s on the news, we are fed up. We got sick and tired of all of it. They (senators) no longer feel sorry for Guo. It’s better that she won’t show up anymore because we just feel sorry for her. If she shows up, she will only get arrested,” Manalo said in Kapampangan.
“Even with all the lies they said she was saying, we only say one thing — that even if she’s Chinese, she is for the people. We are still for the mayor. You can expect that her name will still be mentioned in the campaigns and during the elections, I tell you.”
Barangay Sto. Niño is the neighboring village of Barangay Anupul, where the vast POGO compound is located and was found to be a hub for criminal activities. — Rappler.com
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How to dry your books after a typhoon, according to experts | Ysa Abad | 29/07/2024 15:07 | MANILA, Philippines – After several areas were submerged because of Typhoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon, archivist and librarian Ronie Von Varona shared tips on how to salvage your books that have been drenched from flooding or rainwater.
“As an archivist/librarian, I guess this is my own little way of helping those na naapektuhan ng malakas na ulan at pagbaha these past few days. it may not be much but I hope it helps those na may personal libraries sa bahay. Para maging guided sila sa proper procedure ng pagpapatuyo ng mga libro nila,” Varona wrote on Facebook.
(As an archivist/librarian, I guess this is my own little way of helping those who were affected by heavy rains and flooding these past few days. It may not be much but I hope it helps those who have personal libraries at home, so they can be guided on the proper procedure of drying their books.)
Varona summarized guides from several official libraries for what to do in this situation. Here’s an expanded rundown of steps you’d need to take to restore your personal collection:
According to the Northeast Document Conservation Center, you must first identify the source of the water that damaged your books before you begin the restoration process.
If the water that wet your books came from a contaminated area, like a sewage pipe or a water source that may have been exposed to animal feces, do not handle the restoration process yourself. Instead, contact a professional.
First, identify which books you want to prioritize. This step is all up to you. You can choose to salvage first your favorite collection or the books you love most. After that, categorize them according to the severity of the damage.
You can split the books up according to these categories, which each require different methods of restoration:
Their level of wetness determines the first steps of drying, which will be discussed in the following steps.
Create a workspace with a table top covered with a piece of plastic then with several layers of absorbent paper to absorb excess water.
Do not open the books as wet books are delicate and prone to tearing easily. In your work surface, support the spine, cover, and pages properly to not allow the books to bend.
Meanwhile, if there are large amounts of mud or soil on the books, you can start by removing it first before you get to drying the books themselves. To remove the mud, close it shut under running water or submerge it in a pail of water.
The Preservation Division of the University of Michigan strongly advises against rubbing and brushing the book. Instead, gently use a sponge or rag in a daubing manner. Never attempt to open the book while under running water or submerged.
Make sure to remove traces of wet absorbent paper on the drying area of your work surface.
Then, place the thoroughly damaged book closed on its head with an absorbent paper or sponge under it for absorption. Avoid fanning the pages open. For all books, aside the clay-coated ones, opt to place paper towels or unprinted newsprint between the cover and text block for faster water absorption.
Once moderately dry, carefully lay the book down and insert sheets every 20-30 pages. For clay-coated books, the sheets should be inserted after each page to avoid any clamping. Remember to remove the sheets when they’re wet enough to replace and be mindful of using too many of them as it can cause permanent distortion of the books. Turn the books from one side when the sheets are replaced.
At this point, the books will be dampened so you can stand them again on their head (top edge) and open the books by slightly fanning the pages. Do not force open the books, let it dry and open widely on its own.
This process can take several days or a few weeks. You can escalate it by pressing the books under the weight of clean and heavy things such as other books or a brick.
For the pamphlets or small paperbacks, hang them in a fishing line or a clothesline without letting the air tear the pages. Once dry, flatten the paper by using some paper weights.
If immediate air drying is not feasible, you can buy yourself some time by freezing them. By doing so, your books can safely stay frozen from weeks to months.
First, wrap the books with paper towels or unprinted newsprint and then seal the wrapped book in a freezer bag. Make sure to label it. When freezing a large batch, use a cardboard box and lay them flat on their sides or spines down.
Using the coldest temperature available in your freezer, use a plastic bag to separate your books from other contents, avoiding any contamination. – with reports from Fore Esperanza/Rappler.com
Fore Esperanza is a Rappler intern. She’s taking up English language studies at the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology.
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[OPINION] From the frontline, to our new DepEd chief Angara | Miriam Grace Go | 29/07/2024 17:00 | Guia Abogado/Rappler
Dear Mr. Secretary:
When I first heard about your name as one of the candidates to succeed Vice President Sara Duterte as Department of Education secretary, my honest initial reaction was, “Pulitiko na naman” (It’s a politician again). Just like everyone else, I would have wanted someone who was a teacher for many years or who established a career and reputation as an education leader in a highly respected learning institution. These were the ideal qualities and backgrounds we were eyeing for our leadership.
As I further scanned a pubmat featuring your credentials, a detail saying you served as chair of the Senate finance committee made me think that, “Hey, he might be fit for the job because he might find ways to raise our salary!” I also thought that, as a senator, you would have access to your colleagues in the higher chamber, where you can personally push for the raise in teachers’ salary.
Of course, I would be a hypocrite if I wouldn’t request for a competitive raise. The raise means the government according high respects for a reputable profession, apart from keeping excellent and dedicated teachers from leaving the classroom for administrative promotion or for a teaching stint abroad.
But what captured my attention were the laws on education and student welfare that you principally authored, and your thrust in reforming Philippine education by authoring the 2nd Congressional Commission on Education Act (EDCOM 2) and leading the working group as one of its commissioners. These impressive and rich credentials beneficial to Philippine education made you a qualified successor.
As you possess both pro-education legislative credentials and financial management experience, I think you are in a position to understand our request for raising support for quality teaching — more than raising our economic welfare — based on the situation on the frontline.
I am saddened that the purposeful and propitious nature of assessment of learning outcomes is hampered by the prevalence of academic integrity issues. In my almost a decade of serving on the frontline, a myriad of students have been caught committing cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of scholastic fraud. I should know this because I have been handling writing and reading classes in senior high school, where students are prone to submit written works from online sources or from websites offering AI-generated outputs. I have listened to similar concerns from some of our colleagues and it seems like integrity issues become part of our regular conversations.
The pandemic school years’ set-up slapped us with the unfortunate proliferation of cheating, as “online kopyahan” still reverberates in my memory. In post-pandemic school years, the dilemma remains and even more challenging to address with the accessibility of artificial intelligence. A highly reliable AI checker of students’ outputs or any technological solutions isn’t available yet as a countermeasure.
Last May, during the heights of moving up, graduation, and recognition rites in our schools, netizens took notice of the “unusual” high number of academic excellence (honor) awardees. They pointed out that these were inconsistent with the country’s poor ratings in various international education assessments. As someone working from within the public education sector and who has encountered academic integrity issues among our learners, I can’t help but to agree with the netizens. Even academic excellence awardees, in my experience, were positively identified committing dishonesty in written outputs, quizzes, and even in major exams.
One of the priority areas in the Year 1 Report is the Measurement of Learning Outcomes (Priority Area No. 6). The report cited the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) regarding the vital role of assessments in “[developing] students’ capacity to reason, think critically and creatively, and apply concepts from different disciplines to address real-world problems.” These 21st century skills are actually what Filipino learners lacked in previous PISA assessments. However, none from the report and from the list of what to look forward to in its Year 2 report have noticed with substantial discussion the teacher-initiated or classroom assessment concerns where academic integrity issue is subsumed.
How can our learners perform well in international assessments when results of teacher-initiated assessments in the classroom are possibly unreliable because they are rigged? Mr. Secretary, teacher-initiated assessments are crucial since they target the formation of competencies (formative test) and evaluation of students’ learning after the instruction (summative test), thereby serving as platforms where wide array of concepts, critical and creative thinking skills of our learners are being developed and sharpened. When done and supported properly, our learners’ performance in teacher-related assessments may translate to improving or satisfactory results in the international assessments.
It is in this sense that I appeal to you, Mr. Secretary, to heed our call to make use of DepEd resources in hiring more support staff and guidance counselling personnel to work with teachers in addressing and preventing learner’s scholastic and behavioral concerns, including academic integrity. EDCOM 2 Year 1 reported a whopping 50 ancillary tasks designated to us. To say that it is a lot is an understatement.
Support personnel can certainly take the clerical or ancillary tasks shouldered by teachers through the years so we can devote quality time in preparing for our lessons and in intensive assessment, checking, and scrutiny of our students’ outputs. If we eye to all together reap the considerable impacts of assessment, as stressed by NCEE, and address integrity issues, the upcoming EDCOM 2 reports must cover and look closely at academic integrity issues in teacher-initiated assessments and arrive at recommendations to DepEd to address its underlying alarming concerns.
Meanwhile, I welcome the current review of the SHS curriculum which I think is needed and timely. Most of our students have experienced burn out as they deal with 7 to 10 subjects per semester that include their major/specialization subjects and research subject which are apparently challenging in nature at their end. The subjects are unable to unlock students’ maximum potential and inculcate its optimum competencies among learners due to its congested roster. When I interviewed some learners about their reason of violating academic integrity, many of them replied with bombardment of tasks due to simultaneous demands from their subjects, while others are simply being irresponsible.
With your background as author and one of the commissioners of Congressional Education Commission 2, and your track record in crafting crucial laws for the welfare of Filipino learners, Secretary Angara, you might care to ensure their academic welfare by checking the overloading of our students’ school work due to congested line-up and quantity of subject areas that turn out as root causes of their burn-out and their commission of academic dishonesty. May your leadership, with assistance from our curriculum designers and policy makers, help our teachers in creating a healthy and enjoyable schooling experience for our children.
With all the points I made about academic integrity issues among our learners, I propose, Mr. Secretary, to institutionalize it in our agency by creating a DepEd Order separate from Batas Pambansa Blg. 232 (Chapter III, Section 15) and DepEd Order no. 40 s. 2012, Section 9) to underscore its importance, create preventive programs, campaigns, interventions, and disciplinary actions, targeting students and parents. Teachers, meanwhile, as implementers, shall be trained for assessment of students’ output, specifically on checking the authenticity, employment of preventive measures, and for exercising due process in subjecting a student violator under disciplinary actions.
The institutionalization is a big step forward from a mere memorandum from our agency’s former undersecretary (2021) accentuating academic integrity if not only through the prevalence of “online kopyahan” during the pandemic school years where cheating was reported notorious among learners in accomplishing tasks and modular activities in their distance learning modality.
In the school where I teach, I sat down with our school head to seek her approval for launching an academic integrity program following the reported cheating in the previous school years, with the most recent incidents during the final examination last school year. She gave me the green light on this proposal that initially constitutes a Tapatan Conference with students, their parents, and teachers which aims to raise awareness about academic dishonesty, explain its different forms and enumerate its ill effects. Part also of this conference is raising awareness of the consequences and corresponding disciplinary actions. In my experience, a few of the students involve in academic integrity issue are unaware of committing such violation.
The Tapatan Conference will be followed up by Honor Code or Pledge signing by students and parents to concretize their commitment of observing academic integrity. I have not seen so much of this in Philippine schools, except from few private tertiary learning institutions. Honor Code system is observed in plethora of schools in the U.S. including Stanford. According to a study, codified reminders of ethical principles in the honor code system “serve to prime honest behavior and deter cheating in students” (Grym & Liljander, 2017). Additionally, honor code existence in schools proved a reduction of academic dishonesty incidents involving students (Melendez 1985: McCabe et al. 2002).
I suggest, Mr. Secretary, to integrate the Tapatan Meeting and Honor Code signing in institutionalizing academic integrity in our agency. Besides, holding these two does not demand so much from our agency’s financial coffer.
Mr. Secretary, I ‘m sure you are aware that you will be leading the biggest department with one of the biggest predicaments. I have shared to you our challenges that torment our delivery of quality work. One is, of course, raising our salary. Who wouldn’t like a raise? Of course, we like and we need it. We would be hypocrite if we say otherwise. Aside from that, however, we also want to raise the quality of teaching to protect our learners from moral degradation and from learning poverty.
We wish you to be steadfast in continuing your advocacy for our students, teachers, and Philippine education as you have shown as a legislator. On our end, we commit to work with you hand-in-hand, side-by-side, with due support from your leadership.
Sincerely,JeffreyPublic School Teacher, DepEd Bataan
— Rappler.com
Jeffrey C. Gliban, 31, is a public school teacher and student publication adviser at Limay Senior High School in Bataan. He is studying for his graduate degree at the University of Santo Tomas.
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In House hearing, PNP chief struggles comparing drug wars of Duterte, Marcos | Dwight de Leon | 29/07/2024 18:37 | TOP COP. Philippine National Police chief Francisco Marbil delivers a speech as the PNP and the Philippine-Chinese Charitable Association ink a partnership for police medical aid on July 23, 2024.
PNP
In the most recent House session probing the extrajudicial killings under former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil was asked to differentiate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s anti-narcotics campaign from that of his predecessor.
Again and again, lawmakers prodded him, but the country’s top cop appeared to struggle answering the questions clearly.
Lawmakers were like pulling teeth.
Bukidnon Representative Jonathan Keith Flores asked: are you going after drug war suspects with the same ferocity as the previous administration?
“Police operation is non-stop. It’s continuous, it’s a joint effort with PDEA [Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency] and all government agencies against illegal drugs,” Marbil said.
Flores rephrased the question: how would you compare police operations in the first two years of the Marcos administration with the first two years of the previous administration?
“There’s no comparison, because I don’t know what happened to the volume of drugs before,” Marbil replied. “Our target now is supply reduction, so our operations are bigger when the number of drugs to be seized are higher.”
Flores tried again: would you consider the number of deaths under the Duterte administration a serious concern?
“We have to follow the rule of law,” Marbil answered, an off-tangent response that prompted a show of exasperation from the Mindanaoan lawmaker, who quipped that he was asking the police chief questions that were simple. “He was giving me general answers.”
Another Mindanaoan congressman took a stab at extracting categorical answers from Marbil.
“Is it safe to assume that there is a substantial change in the (drug war) implementation? Because there’s no point in changing the Double Barrel if it’s effective. There’s no point of replacing Tokhang if it’s effective. So why the sudden change? What’s the realization?” Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong asked.
“What we do in police operations are the same,” Marbil said, but subsequently contradicted himself… sort of. “But how we handle police operations, how we enter homes and implement search warrants, we have become careful, because we really want to avoid unnecessary gunfight.”
Adiong followed up: so was the previous administration successful in its illegal drug campaign, considering you’re deviating from that strategy?
“Whatever the problem was before, I have no idea, because that’s not my time, but what we do now is what we see as the better solution. But what my solution right now might be different from the next PNP (chief),” Marbil replied.
“I commend you for changing the gears, even if you don’t give me a straight answer,” Adiong told Marbil.
Marbil wasn’t born yesterday, and he has been in service for three decades. He has held key posts in the PNP, such as the chief of the Eastern Visayas regional police, and head of the PNP Highway Patrol Group.
That’s why his imprecise answers may leave some spectators curious: was he intentionally sidestepping the questions, or is he just not the best communicator?
Lawmakers in that hearing, after all, were already asking leading questions, with the apparent end goal of commending the present administration for its anti-drug strategy.
Also, it’s not like President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is shy about distancing himself from the drug policy of his predecessor-turned-political nemesis. In his State of the Nation Address last week, he even said extermination “was never” part of its strategy to address the proliferation of illegal narcotics. It’s a night-and-day contrast from Duterte, who in foul-mouthed tirades would boast about his shoot-to-kill order against drug suspects.
Somewhere in Marbil’s messy answers were attempts to articulate the government’s current strategy. He said suspects were being shot more frequently on the foot instead of critical areas, thereby resulting in fewer deaths. He also said that the PNP’s focus is on reducing supply, rather than arresting individuals.
But just to be clear: the anti-narcotics campaign under Marcos is not at all bloodless.
An independent watchdog said there were still 701 drug-related killings during the first two years of the Marcos administration, down from the nearly 20,000 during the same period of the Duterte administration.
A prior commitment prompted Marbil to leave the hearing earlier than the other guests, so it might take another event before he gets asked why Marcos’ recalibrated anti-drug campaign still resulted in hundreds of deaths. – Rappler.com
* All quotes in Filipino were translated into English, and some were shortened for brevity.
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PH judoka Kiyomi Watanabe eyes better showing in Olympic return | delfin.dioquino editor | 29/07/2024 19:02 | JUDOKA. Kiyomi Watanabe in action in the 2017 Paris Grand Slam.
IJF.org
MANILA, Philippines – Filipina-Japanese judoka Kiyomi Watanabe targets a better showing after her Olympic debut three years ago ended in mere seconds.
The Philippines’ lone judo bet in the Paris Games, Watanabe begins her campaign on Tuesday, July 30, against China’s Tang Jing in the round of 32 of the women’s -63kg class at the Grand Palais Ephemere.
Watanabe hopes to redeem herself following a heartbreaking campaign in the Tokyo Olympics, where she lost to Spain’s Cristina Cabana Perez via ippon in just 38 seconds in her opening match.
But standing in her way is a formidable foe in Tang, who is ranked No. 22 in the world and won silver in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, last year.
Watanabe also bagged an Asian Games silver in the 2018 edition, although she is tipped as the underdog ranked 70 spots lower than Tang.
Both Watanabe and Tang qualified for the Olympics by clinching the two continental quota spots allocated for Asia.
The first female to represent the Philippines in Olympic judo, Watanabe notched another feat as just the third Filipino judoka to compete in multiple editions of the Summer Games.
John Baylon and Jerry Dino were the last to achieve the feat when they donned the national colors in the 1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
A dominant force in the region, the 27-year-old Watanabe ruled the Southeast Asian Games for four straight editions from 2013 to 2019. – Rappler.com
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Cebu fuel firm Topline seeks ‘niche market’ in growing motorcycle industry | jsitchon0312 | 29/07/2024 16:06 | FUEL. Topline CEO Eugene Erik Lim says their subsidiary Light Fuels is developing "Express" stations which cater to the niche market brought by the rising number of motorcycle and light commercial vehicles in Metro Cebu and Central Visayas.
John Sitchon/Rappler
CEBU, Philippines – Cebu-based fuel solutions provider Topline Business Development Corporation has set its eyes on the niche market created by the rising number of motorcycle and light commercial vehicle (LCV) users in Central Visayas.
Established in 2013, Topline’s main business ventures took root in Cebu’s real estate and leasing industry. In 2017, the company embarked on fuel supply and distribution for clients in construction, transportation, mining, agriculture, and other commercial sectors.
Since then, Topline has registered a 53% compounded annual growth in fuel sold, starting from 2.8 million liters of diesel fuel, used by their commercial and industrial clients, in 2017 to more than 56 million liters in 2023.
Topline President and CEO Eugene Erik Lim said in a media briefing on Friday, July 26 the company had “bullish” growth for its 11th year in commercial fuel trade and depot operations, evidenced by a 33% increase in gross revenue at P2.8 billion in 2023 from P2.1 billion in 2022.
Now, Topline is seeking to grab market share from the major fuel distributors by focusing on motorcycle users’ demand for gasoline.
“We’re seeing a lot of increase, an uptick for motorcycles, and not only for motorcycles but also LCVs but again 68% of road users here in Central Visayas or Metro Cebu are motorcycles,” Lim said.
Lim referred to 2023 data from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Central Visayas which recorded at least 1.2 million motorcycle vehicles in the region.
Recent data from LTO Central Visayas showed that the agency released 287,502 plates for motorcycles and 200,739 plates for 4-wheeled vehicles from June 2023 to May 2024.
Lim added that the Visayas has seen an exponential growth in fuel consumption.
Based on data from the Department of Energy, the entire Visayas had a share of 14.09% of the national demand for petroleum products from January 2023 to June 2023 – a slight increase from its 13.59% market share from January 2022 to June 2022.
The Philippine Statistics Authority, in an April 2024 report, stated that Central Visayas was the fastest growing region in the country in 2023.
The main contributors to the 2023 growth were wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, transportation and storage, and accommodation and food service activities.
The Topline CEO said they’re hoping to tap into the niche market brought by LCVs and motorcycles.
Based on statistics from the ASEAN Automotive Federation, the country has seen a steady 0.5% growth in its overall motorcycle and scooter sales at 685,314 units sold between January 2024 and May 2024 from 682,035 motorcycle and scooter units sold from January 2023 to May 2023.
For 2024, the company is expanding its fuel service stations managed by the company’s subsidiary, Light Fuels Corporation, via the opening of 7 Light Fuels service stations and two Light Fuels “Express” service stations in Cebu.
The first service station was opened in 2023 along A.C. Cortes Avenue in Mandaue City.
In a presentation, Lim showed a 3D rendering of the Express stations that are specifically designed for two-wheelers and/or small vehicles. He stated that it would come equipped with motorcycle washing stations and charging areas for electric vehicles.
“It’s a niche market we’re targeting for this one…When we designed it, it’s really geared towards road-users, motorcycle drivers and LCVs,” Lim said. – Rappler.com
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MVP Group scales up digital payments presence with Multipay, Bayad Center | gdecastro0289 | 29/07/2024 17:48 | LEADER. PLDT chairman and CEO Manny Pangilinan.
Ralf Rivas/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Manuel Pangilinan’s MVP Group is increasing its presence in the country’s digital payment solutions by acquiring Multipay Corporation and a 10% stake in Bayad Center.
In a stock exchange filing on Monday, July 29, PLDT Incorporated said DigiCo will acquire the two companies. DigiCo is a collaboration co-owned by PLDT, Manila Electric Company (Meralco), and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC).
The announcement did not disclose how much each transaction would cost.
“These companies will improve the payment experience for the Filipino consumer and provide partners with integrated solutions,” said Pangilinan, who happens to be DigiCo’s chairman.
With the agreement, DigiCo is set to acquire 100% of Multipay, which PLDT views as a strategic addition to its arsenal considering Multipay’s reach and partnerships with billers and other digital payment channels.
Bills provider Bayad Center, on the other hand, will help connect the group with over 800 utility, financial, and other billers through over 104,000 touchpoints.
Both deals are still subject to approval for closing conditions.
PLDT hopes Multipay and Bayad Center’s online and offline payment solutions will be interconnected with payment systems within the MVP Group such as Paymaya.
DigiCo chief commercial officer Kat Luna-Abelarde said DigiCo plans to “leverage its expertise and resources to support Bayad’s and Multipay’s growth trajectory while exploring and unlocking synergies in the MVP Group.”
“This is the latest milestone on our journey to drive new, innovation-led growth, and is aligned with the MVP Group’s support for the government’s overall digitalization push, particularly financial inclusion for Filipinos across the nation,” she said.
“Multipay has come a long way, and we are confident that DigiCo will be in the best position to take Multipay to even greater heights,” said Multisys CEO Victor Tria.
On the part of Bayad, its CEO Lawrence Ferrer said: “For 18 years, Bayad has served the Filipino public through accessible, reliable, and impactful payment solutions. Our success is a testament to the unwavering trust placed in us by billing institutions, payment channels and the Filipino public.” – Rappler.com
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PH judoka Kiyomi Watanabe eyes better showing in Olympic return | delfin.dioquino editor | 29/07/2024 19:02 | JUDOKA. Kiyomi Watanabe in action in the 2017 Paris Grand Slam.
IJF.org
MANILA, Philippines – Filipina-Japanese judoka Kiyomi Watanabe targets a better showing after her Olympic debut three years ago ended in mere seconds.
The Philippines’ lone judo bet in the Paris Games, Watanabe begins her campaign on Tuesday, July 30, against China’s Tang Jing in the round of 32 of the women’s -63kg class at the Grand Palais Ephemere.
Watanabe hopes to redeem herself following a heartbreaking campaign in the Tokyo Olympics, where she lost to Spain’s Cristina Cabana Perez via ippon in just 38 seconds in her opening match.
But standing in her way is a formidable foe in Tang, who is ranked No. 22 in the world and won silver in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, last year.
Watanabe also bagged an Asian Games silver in the 2018 edition, although she is tipped as the underdog ranked 70 spots lower than Tang.
Both Watanabe and Tang qualified for the Olympics by clinching the two continental quota spots allocated for Asia.
The first female to represent the Philippines in Olympic judo, Watanabe notched another feat as just the third Filipino judoka to compete in multiple editions of the Summer Games.
John Baylon and Jerry Dino were the last to achieve the feat when they donned the national colors in the 1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
A dominant force in the region, the 27-year-old Watanabe ruled the Southeast Asian Games for four straight editions from 2013 to 2019. – Rappler.com
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MVP Group scales up digital payments presence with Multipay, Bayad Center | gdecastro0289 | 29/07/2024 17:48 | LEADER. PLDT chairman and CEO Manny Pangilinan.
Ralf Rivas/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Manuel Pangilinan’s MVP Group is increasing its presence in the country’s digital payment solutions by acquiring Multipay Corporation and a 10% stake in Bayad Center.
In a stock exchange filing on Monday, July 29, PLDT Incorporated said DigiCo will acquire the two companies. DigiCo is a collaboration co-owned by PLDT, Manila Electric Company (Meralco), and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC).
The announcement did not disclose how much each transaction would cost.
“These companies will improve the payment experience for the Filipino consumer and provide partners with integrated solutions,” said Pangilinan, who happens to be DigiCo’s chairman.
With the agreement, DigiCo is set to acquire 100% of Multipay, which PLDT views as a strategic addition to its arsenal considering Multipay’s reach and partnerships with billers and other digital payment channels.
Bills provider Bayad Center, on the other hand, will help connect the group with over 800 utility, financial, and other billers through over 104,000 touchpoints.
Both deals are still subject to approval for closing conditions.
PLDT hopes Multipay and Bayad Center’s online and offline payment solutions will be interconnected with payment systems within the MVP Group such as Paymaya.
DigiCo chief commercial officer Kat Luna-Abelarde said DigiCo plans to “leverage its expertise and resources to support Bayad’s and Multipay’s growth trajectory while exploring and unlocking synergies in the MVP Group.”
“This is the latest milestone on our journey to drive new, innovation-led growth, and is aligned with the MVP Group’s support for the government’s overall digitalization push, particularly financial inclusion for Filipinos across the nation,” she said.
“Multipay has come a long way, and we are confident that DigiCo will be in the best position to take Multipay to even greater heights,” said Multisys CEO Victor Tria.
On the part of Bayad, its CEO Lawrence Ferrer said: “For 18 years, Bayad has served the Filipino public through accessible, reliable, and impactful payment solutions. Our success is a testament to the unwavering trust placed in us by billing institutions, payment channels and the Filipino public.” – Rappler.com
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[OPINION] From the frontline, to our new DepEd chief Angara | Miriam Grace Go | 29/07/2024 17:00 | Guia Abogado/Rappler
Dear Mr. Secretary:
When I first heard about your name as one of the candidates to succeed Vice President Sara Duterte as Department of Education secretary, my honest initial reaction was, “Pulitiko na naman” (It’s a politician again). Just like everyone else, I would have wanted someone who was a teacher for many years or who established a career and reputation as an education leader in a highly respected learning institution. These were the ideal qualities and backgrounds we were eyeing for our leadership.
As I further scanned a pubmat featuring your credentials, a detail saying you served as chair of the Senate finance committee made me think that, “Hey, he might be fit for the job because he might find ways to raise our salary!” I also thought that, as a senator, you would have access to your colleagues in the higher chamber, where you can personally push for the raise in teachers’ salary.
Of course, I would be a hypocrite if I wouldn’t request for a competitive raise. The raise means the government according high respects for a reputable profession, apart from keeping excellent and dedicated teachers from leaving the classroom for administrative promotion or for a teaching stint abroad.
But what captured my attention were the laws on education and student welfare that you principally authored, and your thrust in reforming Philippine education by authoring the 2nd Congressional Commission on Education Act (EDCOM 2) and leading the working group as one of its commissioners. These impressive and rich credentials beneficial to Philippine education made you a qualified successor.
As you possess both pro-education legislative credentials and financial management experience, I think you are in a position to understand our request for raising support for quality teaching — more than raising our economic welfare — based on the situation on the frontline.
I am saddened that the purposeful and propitious nature of assessment of learning outcomes is hampered by the prevalence of academic integrity issues. In my almost a decade of serving on the frontline, a myriad of students have been caught committing cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of scholastic fraud. I should know this because I have been handling writing and reading classes in senior high school, where students are prone to submit written works from online sources or from websites offering AI-generated outputs. I have listened to similar concerns from some of our colleagues and it seems like integrity issues become part of our regular conversations.
The pandemic school years’ set-up slapped us with the unfortunate proliferation of cheating, as “online kopyahan” still reverberates in my memory. In post-pandemic school years, the dilemma remains and even more challenging to address with the accessibility of artificial intelligence. A highly reliable AI checker of students’ outputs or any technological solutions isn’t available yet as a countermeasure.
Last May, during the heights of moving up, graduation, and recognition rites in our schools, netizens took notice of the “unusual” high number of academic excellence (honor) awardees. They pointed out that these were inconsistent with the country’s poor ratings in various international education assessments. As someone working from within the public education sector and who has encountered academic integrity issues among our learners, I can’t help but to agree with the netizens. Even academic excellence awardees, in my experience, were positively identified committing dishonesty in written outputs, quizzes, and even in major exams.
One of the priority areas in the Year 1 Report is the Measurement of Learning Outcomes (Priority Area No. 6). The report cited the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) regarding the vital role of assessments in “[developing] students’ capacity to reason, think critically and creatively, and apply concepts from different disciplines to address real-world problems.” These 21st century skills are actually what Filipino learners lacked in previous PISA assessments. However, none from the report and from the list of what to look forward to in its Year 2 report have noticed with substantial discussion the teacher-initiated or classroom assessment concerns where academic integrity issue is subsumed.
How can our learners perform well in international assessments when results of teacher-initiated assessments in the classroom are possibly unreliable because they are rigged? Mr. Secretary, teacher-initiated assessments are crucial since they target the formation of competencies (formative test) and evaluation of students’ learning after the instruction (summative test), thereby serving as platforms where wide array of concepts, critical and creative thinking skills of our learners are being developed and sharpened. When done and supported properly, our learners’ performance in teacher-related assessments may translate to improving or satisfactory results in the international assessments.
It is in this sense that I appeal to you, Mr. Secretary, to heed our call to make use of DepEd resources in hiring more support staff and guidance counselling personnel to work with teachers in addressing and preventing learner’s scholastic and behavioral concerns, including academic integrity. EDCOM 2 Year 1 reported a whopping 50 ancillary tasks designated to us. To say that it is a lot is an understatement.
Support personnel can certainly take the clerical or ancillary tasks shouldered by teachers through the years so we can devote quality time in preparing for our lessons and in intensive assessment, checking, and scrutiny of our students’ outputs. If we eye to all together reap the considerable impacts of assessment, as stressed by NCEE, and address integrity issues, the upcoming EDCOM 2 reports must cover and look closely at academic integrity issues in teacher-initiated assessments and arrive at recommendations to DepEd to address its underlying alarming concerns.
Meanwhile, I welcome the current review of the SHS curriculum which I think is needed and timely. Most of our students have experienced burn out as they deal with 7 to 10 subjects per semester that include their major/specialization subjects and research subject which are apparently challenging in nature at their end. The subjects are unable to unlock students’ maximum potential and inculcate its optimum competencies among learners due to its congested roster. When I interviewed some learners about their reason of violating academic integrity, many of them replied with bombardment of tasks due to simultaneous demands from their subjects, while others are simply being irresponsible.
With your background as author and one of the commissioners of Congressional Education Commission 2, and your track record in crafting crucial laws for the welfare of Filipino learners, Secretary Angara, you might care to ensure their academic welfare by checking the overloading of our students’ school work due to congested line-up and quantity of subject areas that turn out as root causes of their burn-out and their commission of academic dishonesty. May your leadership, with assistance from our curriculum designers and policy makers, help our teachers in creating a healthy and enjoyable schooling experience for our children.
With all the points I made about academic integrity issues among our learners, I propose, Mr. Secretary, to institutionalize it in our agency by creating a DepEd Order separate from Batas Pambansa Blg. 232 (Chapter III, Section 15) and DepEd Order no. 40 s. 2012, Section 9) to underscore its importance, create preventive programs, campaigns, interventions, and disciplinary actions, targeting students and parents. Teachers, meanwhile, as implementers, shall be trained for assessment of students’ output, specifically on checking the authenticity, employment of preventive measures, and for exercising due process in subjecting a student violator under disciplinary actions.
The institutionalization is a big step forward from a mere memorandum from our agency’s former undersecretary (2021) accentuating academic integrity if not only through the prevalence of “online kopyahan” during the pandemic school years where cheating was reported notorious among learners in accomplishing tasks and modular activities in their distance learning modality.
In the school where I teach, I sat down with our school head to seek her approval for launching an academic integrity program following the reported cheating in the previous school years, with the most recent incidents during the final examination last school year. She gave me the green light on this proposal that initially constitutes a Tapatan Conference with students, their parents, and teachers which aims to raise awareness about academic dishonesty, explain its different forms and enumerate its ill effects. Part also of this conference is raising awareness of the consequences and corresponding disciplinary actions. In my experience, a few of the students involve in academic integrity issue are unaware of committing such violation.
The Tapatan Conference will be followed up by Honor Code or Pledge signing by students and parents to concretize their commitment of observing academic integrity. I have not seen so much of this in Philippine schools, except from few private tertiary learning institutions. Honor Code system is observed in plethora of schools in the U.S. including Stanford. According to a study, codified reminders of ethical principles in the honor code system “serve to prime honest behavior and deter cheating in students” (Grym & Liljander, 2017). Additionally, honor code existence in schools proved a reduction of academic dishonesty incidents involving students (Melendez 1985: McCabe et al. 2002).
I suggest, Mr. Secretary, to integrate the Tapatan Meeting and Honor Code signing in institutionalizing academic integrity in our agency. Besides, holding these two does not demand so much from our agency’s financial coffer.
Mr. Secretary, I ‘m sure you are aware that you will be leading the biggest department with one of the biggest predicaments. I have shared to you our challenges that torment our delivery of quality work. One is, of course, raising our salary. Who wouldn’t like a raise? Of course, we like and we need it. We would be hypocrite if we say otherwise. Aside from that, however, we also want to raise the quality of teaching to protect our learners from moral degradation and from learning poverty.
We wish you to be steadfast in continuing your advocacy for our students, teachers, and Philippine education as you have shown as a legislator. On our end, we commit to work with you hand-in-hand, side-by-side, with due support from your leadership.
Sincerely,JeffreyPublic School Teacher, DepEd Bataan
— Rappler.com
Jeffrey C. Gliban, 31, is a public school teacher and student publication adviser at Limay Senior High School in Bataan. He is studying for his graduate degree at the University of Santo Tomas.
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Negros Occidental town moves to thwart legal battle over palm oil project | Herbie G | 29/07/2024 14:38 | DISCUSS. Candoni, Negros Occidental Mayor Rey Ruiz (right) talks to lawyer Rey Gorgonio, counsel for the complaining farmers, regarding the palm oil plantation project right after a dialogue on Friday, July 26.
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NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Local officials of Candoni, Negros Occidental moved to avert a looming legal battle between a group of farmers and the Consunji group’s Hacienda Asia Plantations Incorporated (HAPI), over a P2-billion palm oil plantation project over fears it would result in the displacement of many families.
This came as lawyers of farming communities and the Gatuslao Agro-Forestry, Banana and Sugarcane Farmers’ Association (GABASFA) threatened to go to the Supreme Court to seek a Writ of Kalikasan against the project because it supposedly poses a threat to both the environment and food security.
Such a writ is a legal remedy aimed at protecting citizens’ right to a balanced and healthful ecology by preventing environmental damage through a court-issued order.
Candoni Mayor Rey Ruiz, who called the project a “blessing” for his impoverished town, said the local government was finding ways to draw a “win-win” solution and avoid a legal battle. He sat down in a dialogue with about 100 farmers from the villages of Agboy, Gatuslao, and Payawan, on Friday, July 26.
He told them he understood their concerns, and assured them that the local government would protect their interests.
“They just want their farms with planted with rice, corn, pineapple, and sugarcane not to be damaged by the project. They also do not want to be displaced,” Ruiz said.
HAPI holds a 25-year Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA) with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which gives it management control of 6,652 hectares of forest land in Candoni town.
HAPI is a joint venture between farmer Alfred Joseph Araneta and Sirawai Plywood and Lumber Corporation, a corporation wholly owned by the Consunji family. The firm is headed by Luz Consuelo Consunji.
Ruiz said he would bring the farmers’ concerns to HAPI, which is currently undertaking groundworks in the three barangays.
Ruiz said the P2-billion palm oil plantation project, the first in the province, would be a boon for the economic status of Candoni, presently a fourth-class municipality and one of the poorest localities in Negros Occidental.
In a statement, Araneta, HAPI director, said they have already started preparing 870,000 palm seedlings in their Candoni nursery in Barangay Gatuslao.
The palm seedlings were sourced from Costa Rica, Papua New Guinea, and Malaysia. After 10 to 12 months, they will be ready for planting, he said.
By 2026, Araneta said, a processing plant can be established in the town for palm oil production.
This early, however, HAPI has already employed some 300 farm workers from the host communities, he said. Each receives a daily wage of at least P440.
By 2025, said Araneta, HAPI will need 1,500 workers, and another 1,500 to come up with a total workforce.
Araneta said HAPI is the holder of a 2009 IFMA for the use of 6,652 hectares of forest land in Candoni for 25 years, renewable for another 25 years.
He said the firm also has an approved Comprehensive Development and Management Plan (CDMP) for the cultivation of oil palm.
According to Araneta, the area was used for logging operations by an American firm, Insular Lumber, in the 1960s but it has since left the property idle and abandoned without any reforestation.
The area has been unproductive for more than 60 years, according to Araneta.
The farmers’ lawyers, Wax Anawan and Rey Gorgonio, said they see no problem if the project would not displace families and affect their farms.
“Economically speaking, we understand the position of the local government of Candoni regarding this project. Our concern, however, is just for the protection of our clients against possible displacement and loss of their livelihoods,” Gorgonio told Rappler.
Gorgonio and Apawan pointed out that despite the IFMA, the 6,652 hectares are part of a forest land, which is owned by the state.
Some of the farmers, belonging to a indigenous peoples’ group, have been seeking a certificate of ancestral domain title (CADT) from the government which, if granted, would give them communal rights over the forest land. Many of them have claimed that they have been living and tilling farms in the area for decades.
“What my clients want is just simple respect for their communities and farmlots, which they inherited from their ancestors,” Gorgonio said.
The lawyers said the farmers were bent on going to court to question the issuance of the IFMA in favor of HAPI unless the concerns they raised were addressed.
Ruiz, meanwhile, said the DENR may need to step in unless the issues are resolved.
Araneta, who also serves as HAPI’s community affairs head, said the claims that farmers were displaced were misinformation.
“No crops or cultivated farms were damaged by the ongoing groundworks of HAPI in Candoni,” he said.
He said one family whose farm would be included in the road development has agreed to get compensated because the construction would affect 140 standing trees.
“There is no truth to the allegation that we are destroying farm lots. This is an outrageous claim since we are not doing it, and the project will not affect either the environment or food security,” Araneta said. – Rappler.com
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Pagcor: Internet Gaming Licensees covered by Marcos’ POGO ban | Lian Buan | 29/07/2024 13:40 | IGLs BANNED. Pagcor chief Alejandro Tengco says that Internet Gaming Licensees or IGLs are covered by the POGO ban, on July 29, 2025.
Screenshot from Senate livestream
MANILA, Philippines – The 44 Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs) are all covered by the presidential ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), said the chief of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).
“The ban is for all, very clear. Maliwanag po ang utos ng Pangulo, ‘I am ordering Pagcor to wind down.’ Ang iwa-wind down ko po ay ang existing, and that refers to the 44 IGLs,” Pagcor chief Alejandro Tengco told the Senate on Monday, July 29, during the continuation of the upper house’s inquiry into illegal POGOs.
(The order of the president was very clear: ‘I am ordering Pagcor to wind down.’ So we will wind down the existing ones, and that refers to the 44 IGLs.)
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the total ban on POGOs in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22, an announcement applauded even by the political opposition due to the sensational discoveries of corruption, trafficking and torture inside the POGO hubs. Marcos ordered to wind down all POGOs by the end of the year.
But the announcement was quickly marred by some confusion because POGOs have ceased to exist since 2023 when Pagcor renamed it IGL. There were no more POGOs to speak of since then, although the media, law enforcement, and Congress continued to use the term “POGO.” There were speculations that IGLs may not be covered by the ban.
“The mandate of the President is very clear, Pagcor is mandated to wind down the operations, in reference to even those who have license we have re-issued, I’m referring to the IGLs,” Tengco repeated.
The speculation was partly due to a 2023 news item that spread online. But the news item was precisely on the announcement of the renaming to IGLs in 2023, way before the SONA. “We really have to ignore those influence operations,” said Senator Risa Hontiveros.
Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said he believes that the ban covers IGLs. “Bagamat one-liner lang siya, maliwanag naman ang policy statement ang kanyang sinabi, without qualification that all POGOs are banned effective immediately (Although it was just a one-liner, the policy statement was clear, all POGOs are banned effectively immediately without qualification),” he said.
When Hontiveros asked if the all-out ban also covered offshore gaming operations inside economic zones and export processing zones, Guevarra said “ganun po ang dating sa amin (that’s what it seemed to us) that all POGOs are banned without classification.”
However, Tengco pointed out that the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) has its own charter and can issue its own licenses. CEZA, Tengco said, is unique among the other economic zones in that respect. Hontiveros said Pagcor should update the Senate on how CEZA’s charter can figure into Marcos’ all-out ban.
“Dun lang po ako nakakakita ng kumplikasyon (That’s the only area where I can see a complication), but we will see how we can cover,” said Tengco.
POGOs have been controversial since the term of former president Rodrigo Duterte, and there were close to 300 POGO licenses issued during his time. When Pagcor renamed POGOs to IGLs during the Marcos presidency, the licenses were cut down to only 44. All those operating without license, or the illegal POGOs, “are not under our jurisdiction,” said Tengco.
Tengco said there are around 32,000 IGL workers, and around 8,000 Business Process Outsourcing or BPO workers, or a total of 40,000 workers who will be displaced by the ban. Tengco said inter-agency meetings will begin this week, starting with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to make sure that the displaced workers have other job opportunities.
“I just got word that [Justice] Secretary Boying Remulla is calling for a meeting together with Pagcor, [i.e. with Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, Bureau of Immigration, and Department of Justice] so we could start formulating guidelines on how to deal with winding up of operations of all,” said Tengco.
Tengco said Pagcor will be giving a monthly report on the winding down operations. – Rappler.com
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Marcos admin seeks P10.2 billion in confidential, intel funds for 2025, none for VP Sara Duterte | Dwight de Leon | 29/07/2024 13:55 | ENTERING YEAR 3. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his third State of the Nation Address at the House of Representatives on July 22, 2024.
Lisa Marie David/Reuters
MANILA, Philippines – The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is requesting Congress a budget of P10.29 billion for confidential and intelligence expenses for 2025.
The proposal is around 16% lower than the P12.38 billion in secret funds that the national government received for the current year.
The amount in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for next year covers P5.92 billion in intelligence funds, and P4.37 billion in confidential funds.
“DBM received a request of P11.39 billion (across government agencies), including P5.22 billion in confidential funds, and P6.17 billion in intelligence funds, but we only approved P10.29 billion,” Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman explained during the ceremonial turnover of the proposal to the House of Representatives.
The Office of the President (OP) is requesting P4.56 billion in confidential and intelligence funds for 2025, exactly the same as what it received for the current year.
Pangandaman also provided the following breakdown of proposed intelligence fund for some agencies:
Pangandaman said the executive branch continued last year’s practice of removing secret funds from civilian agencies. Because of this, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) led by Sara Duterte will not be able to make intelligence and confidential expenses for 2025.
Confidential expenses, as per a 2015 joint circular, are those pertaining to surveillance activities in civilian government agencies, while intelligence expenses are those related to intel information-gathering activities of uniformed and military personnel that have direct impact on national security.
Confidential and intelligence funds are much more difficult to audit, because they are exempted from standard procedures of the Commission on Audit.
Last year’s budget deliberations put Vice President Duterte under a microscope, after it was discovered that the OVP spent P125 million in secret funds within 11 days in 2022. Her generalizations on how the money was exhausted also left the public wanting.
That controversy, against the political infighting within the administration alliance, eventually culminated in the House’s decision to deny her request for P650 million in confidential funds for 2024. – Rappler.com
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This lack of confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President has reportedly angered Vice President Sara Duterte. Consequently, she did not attend the State of the Nation Address on July 22, 2024. However, her decision not to attend demonstrates her outspoken discontent with President Bongbong Marcos.
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Philippine gov’t seeks to unseat Alice Guo as mayor ‘because she is Chinese’ | Lian Buan | 29/07/2024 11:27 | HOT SEAT. Mayor Alice Leal Guo answers questions from senators during the continuation of the public hearing on the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators facility in Bamban, Tarlac, on May 22, 2024.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine government has filed an application with a local court to unseat Alice Guo or Guo Ha Ping as mayor of Bamban, Tarlac because “she is not a Filipino citizen but a Chinese national.”
The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) filed a quo warranto petition on Monday, July 29, before the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) seeking to “declare as null and void” Guo’s 2022 proclamation as Bamban mayor.
Guo is embroiled in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) scandal for being co-owner of the real estate firm Baofu. Baofu leased its compound in Bamban to the shady POGO Hongsheng/Zun Yuan, which was found to have trafficked and tortured workers in a scam hub operation. Guo divested from Baofu when she ran, and then won as mayor of Bamban in 2022.
The OSG’s petition cites earlier evidence that Guo is the Chinese Guo Ha Ping who holds a Chinese passport, and appears in Philippine government’s visa application records as the daughter of two Chinese citizens Lin Wenyi and Guo Jian Zhong. Guo Ha Ping is registered in Philippine immigration records as having arrived in the Philippines in 1999 as a 9-year-old, contrary to her earlier testimony in the Senate that she was born here and grew up in a farm.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has also confirmed that the fingerprints on Guo Ha Ping’s records match Alice Guo’s fingerprints. “Even international law enforcement authorities use fingerprint identification, given that no two individuals, not even identical twins, have the same fingerprints. Neither do fingerprints change, even as an individual gets older, unless the deeper “basal” layer is destroyed or intentionally changed by plastic surgery,” said the OSG’s petition.
“Guo Hua Ping is not a Filipino citizen by birth or by naturalization,” said the OSG.
In the Philippines, the citizenship of the child follows the citizenship of the parents regardless if they were born in the country. This is the jus sanguinis principle, as opposed to other countries like the United States which follows jus soli or citizenship in the place where they were born.
“There is no factual basis to support respondent Guo Hua Ping’s Filipino citizenship. The inevitable conclusion that follows is that she is not a Filipino citizen, a mandatory requirement under Section 39 of [the local government code]. Thus, respondent Guo Hua Ping is illegally holding her position and must be ousted therefrom,” said the petition.
Quo warranto is a unique proceeding in the rules of court to unseat someone from public office on the basis of, among others, unlawful occupation. This was the same petition used to oust former chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, although Sereno’s was controversial because she was an impeachable official.
The OSG also earlier applied to cancel Guo’s Filipino birth certificate, based on irregular procedures to obtain a late registration. When the birth certificate is canceled, it would essentially remove Guo’s Filipino citizenship, and having no status in the Philippines, a deportation may follow after. But Philippine government officials said they would keep Guo in the Philippines to stand trial for the complaints filed against her.
There is currently a qualified trafficking complaint against Guo filed at the Department of Justice (DOJ). There is no court-issued warrant of arrest on that complaint yet. Guo has so far evaded the Senate-issued warrant of arrest for contempt.
The quo warranto proceeding would give Guo a chance to present her side to the court.
“You may be able to hide now, but you will not be able to hide forever,” said Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday as the Senate continued its POGO inquiry. – Rappler.com
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Budget cycle begins in Congress as DBM hands over proposed 2025 gov’t funding | Dwight de Leon | 29/07/2024 11:15 | FUNDING FOR 2025. Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman leads the executive branch in turning over the proposed 2025 budget to the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Martin Romualdez, on July 29, 2024.
House of Representatives
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) submitted to the House of Representatives on Monday morning, July 29, the proposed 2025 budget of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s economic managers.
The Marcos administration is seeking a funding of P6.352 trillion for 2025, which is 10.1% higher than the current year’s P5.768 trillion national budget.
The DBM’s briefer provides the following breakdown for priority sectors:
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman led the executive branch during Monday’s formal submission of the National Expenditure Program to the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The executive branch’s turnover of the proposal to Congress signals the start of the budget cycle in the legislative branch, with committee-level deliberations expected to kick off as early as next week.
Similar to the timetable in the past two years, House Speaker Martin Romualdez committed to have the budget approved by his chamber before it goes on break in October.
“We will make sure that enough funds will be allocated for social services and for programs that will sustain our economic growth,” he said in a statement on Sunday, July 28.
Last year’s budget debates in Congress put front and center Vice President Sara Duterte’s request for confidential funds for 2024, amounting to P650 million.
The controversy surrounding the Office of the Vice President’s swift disbursement of P125 million in confidential funds in 2022 eventually resulted in Congress’ denial of her request for secret funds for the current year. – Rappler.com
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LIVE UPDATES: Debates on the 2025 Philippine national budget | No author found | 29/07/2024 14:10 | Budget season has begun, as Congress receives the 2025 National Expenditure Program, containing the proposed P6.352-trillion budget for next year prepared by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s economic managers.
For the rest of the year, the House and the Senate will scrutinize the budget requests of all government agencies, looking into how they utilized the funds given to them for the current year, and interrogating agency heads about their 2025 budget proposals.
Both chambers of Congress will separately evaluate the proposals through various committee hearings and plenary sessions, and pass their own versions of the spending bill, after which select representatives will convene to reconcile disagreeing provisions of their approved measures. It will then be submitted to the President’s desk for his signature.
Follow the budget debates in Congress through this live blog.
For 2025, the executive branch is proposing a budget of P180.9 billion for transportation, which is a 144% increase from this year’s P73.9 billion. But why?
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman attributed the increase to railway projects, particularly North-South Commuter Railway project, phase 1 of the Metro Manila Subway project, and the MRT-3 rehabilitation project.
“Most of them are foreign-assisted projects. We already need to pay the government counterparts,” she said on Monday, July 29.
The Marcos administration is seeking a confidential and intelligence fund of P10.29 billion for 2025, a 16% decrease from this year’s CIF worth P12.38 billion, according to Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.
The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is seeking a national budget of P6.352 trillion for 2025.
The request is 10.1% higher than the current year’s P5.768 trillion national budget.
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Oil spill could affect 11,000 Bataan fisherfolk – BFAR | Iya Gozum | 29/07/2024 14:43 | SPILLED. A thick layer of oil can be seen across the water surface around four kilometers from the coastline in Hagonoy, Bulacan.
Noel Celis/Greenpeace
MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) estimated that in a worst-case scenario, the oil spill from the sunken MT Terranova will affect 11,000 fisherfolk in the Central Luzon province of Bataan engaged in capture fisheries with a combined income loss of P83.8 million per month.
Neil Kenneth Tibog, division chief of fisheries resource management in BFAR, presented this during a meeting in Pampanga province on Monday, July 29.
Aside from the damage to capture fisheries in Bataan, the oil spill could also affect 8,000 fisherfolk in Bulacan, another Central Luzon province north of Manila, with P63 million in monthly income loss.
The BFAR has estimated the economic loss to fisheries in Pampanga, also in Central Luzon, at P7.6 million per month.
As of writing, BFAR has not yet imposed a fishing ban in these areas.
“Right now, BFAR is not yet recommending any fishing ban,” BFAR spokesperson Nazer Briguera told Rappler in a text message.
“We are anchoring our decisions on the present situation. Only if necessary, the BFAR will recommend the fishing ban.”
Tibog said during the meeting on Monday that they have so far done only sensory evaluation of fish in wet markets in Bataan, checking if fish being sold smelled or tasted of oil.
“Fortunately naman po, mula po sa ating sensory analysis ay negative naman po ang nakita natin sa ating mga isda mula sa mga napagkuhanan po nating mga palengke sa lalawigan ng Bataan,” he said.
(Fortunately, from our sensory analysis, we got negative results from the fish we got from wet markets in Bataan.)
The BFAR official said they will subject fish samples for testing in a third-party laboratory to check for oil and grease contaminants.
Tracing for oil in fish could take two to three weeks, a constraint that was not lost on the BFAR. This was also the same problem that arose when MT Princess Empress sank off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro in February 2023. A fishing ban was imposed for months across Oriental Mindoro towns, stripping fisherfolk of their main source of livelihood causing nearly P5 billion in damage to fisheries in three regions.
Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor, who was present in the same meeting on Monday, called out BFAR for taking too long to complete its tests.
The governor said testing takes two to three weeks because of all the signatures needed from the “one who tested…to the signature of your [BFAR] director.”
“Paso na ‘yung result bago ‘nyo ilabas,” Dolor said. (The result is stale even before you release it.)
On July 25, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that MT Terranova capsized and submerged off Limay, Bataan. The oil tanker was en route to Iloilo and was carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil.
In the days that followed, the PCG deployed vessels and oil spill booms to contain the spill. Fifteen leaking valves have yet to be sealed before siphoning operations start. MT Terranova owner Shogun Ships has tapped Philippine maritime services provider Harbor Star to salvage the sunken tanker and help in the cleanup.
The Marine Science Institute (MSI) of the University of the Philippines released a bulletin on Sunday, July 28, forecasting that an oil slick will travel northwards to Bulacan and will affect coastal areas in the Cavite, south of Manila.
Through satellite imagery, the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) found an estimated surface area of 93.74 square kilometers covered in possible oil in Manila Bay.
Aerial photos and videos from non-government group Greenpeace Philippines taken on Sunday, July 28, showed that an oil sheen had reached Hagonoy, Bulacan. A team from Greenpeace and international organization Oceana went to the area following satellite photos in Karagatan Patrol.
“This was confirmed by barangay officials of Isla Tibaguin who saw oil when they went out to sea the night before to catch fish. They took videos of the oil slick,” the group said in a statement on Sunday. – Rappler.com
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[EDITORIAL] Evacuate. Donate. Forget. Repeat. | Lilibeth Frondoso | 29/07/2024 11:47 | Rappler
Ang insanity daw o kabaliwan ay ang paulit-ulit na paggawa ng isang bagay pero umaasang magdudulot ito ng ibang resulta. ‘Yan ang psyche natin taon-taon na dumarating ang bagyo o delubyo. Evacuate. Donate. Forget. Repeat.
Nang dumaan ang typhoon Gaemi (local name Carina) sa Pilipinas, pinalala nito ang epekto ng habagat kaya’t matindi ang rainfall na dinanas ng Metro Manila at mga karatig na probinsiya.
Ang lalim ng buntong hininga (na dinig sa microphone) ni Presidente Ferdinand Marcos Jr. habang nakikinig siya ng mga report tungkol sa mga binahang lugar. Puro general statistics kasi ang inirereport ng mga opisyal.
Ang sabi niya: “We need specific figures. That’s why I’m trying to assess the damage. I need to know how much help do they need. Each province is different, each region is different. This has to be a measured response simply because we cannot do anything otherwise.”
(Kailangan natin ng tiyak na mga datos. Kailangan kong malaman kung ano ang tulong na kailangan nila. Iba ang bawat probinsiya, iba ang bawat rehiyon. Dapat ay pinag-aaralang mabuti kung paano tutugon [sa sitwasyon], walang ibang paraan [ng pagtugon].)
May dahilan si Marcos na magsumikap sa disaster response. Ayon sa survey nitong Hunyo, 64% ng mga Pilipino ay “satisfied” sa pagresponde ng gobyerno sa kalamidad. Sa gitna ng dissatisfaction sa handling niya ng inflation at mataas na presyo ng mga bilihin, nais niya panatiliing masaya ang mamamayan sa handling niya ng disaster.
Lalo nang masakit para kay Marcos ang nagdaang kalamidad dahil sa katatapos lang na State of the Nation Address niya, ipinagmalaki niya na 5,500 flood control projects ang nakumpleto ng kanyang administrasyon. Anyare at Ondoy-levels daw ang baha?
Malinaw na hindi naging sapat ang paghahanda, Ginoong Marcos, at matinding test-run ang Habagat x Carina nitong Hulyo. Dead giveaway na walang abilidad magreport ang mga pinuno na nasa frontlines. Buking na wala silang abilidad na magsuri ng datos. At tila wala silang abilidad mangalap ng tamang datos.
Ang lalim din ng buntong-hininga ni NOAH Director Mahar Lagmay, na sirang plaka na sa paulit-ulit na pagsasabi sa lokal na mga pamahalaan na gamitin ang probabilistic data hazard maps sa pagpaplano para sa disaster. Isa ito sa mga dahilan bakit nangyayari ang mga trahedya tulad ng Kusiong landslide noong Oktubre 2022. (BASAHIN: Disaster in Kusiong landslides: How politics killed non-Moro IPs)
Lagi na lang na sa gitna o pagkatapos ng bagyo, kino-congratulate natin ang ating sarili dahil tumulong tayo sa mga nasalanta, na nag-donate o nag-volunteer tayo. Pero taon-taon na lang bang ganito?
Tila ang pinamatingkad na palatandaan na hindi sapat ang paghahanda: nakapanlulumo ang low utilization rate ng gobyerno ng budget nito, lalo na sa disaster mitigation.
Sa madaling salita, may pera, hindi ginastos. Hindi nailatag ang plano, o masyadong nabalahaw ng burukrasya. O walang kakayahang mamuno. At simula pa lamang ang Carina, dahil higit 20 bagyo taon-taon ang bumibisita sa Pilipinas — lalo pa ngayon at panahon ng La Niña.
Ayon sa pananaliksik ng Rappler, 1/5 ng Metro Manila ay high-risk flood zones. Isa lamang sa 100 na evacuation facilities ang permanent shelters. 60 sa 100 na evacuation center ay paaralan o basketball court.
Sabi ng sumakabilang buhay na si Jesse Robredo, na nagkamit ng Ramon Magsaysay award dahil sa pagpapalakad niya sa Naga City, hindi pagmomobilisa para sa malakas na ulan o bagyo ang kahulugan ng “disaster preparedness.” Ang tunay na paghahanda ay “disaster-proofing.”
Available na ang makabagong siyensiya at data analytics upang makalap, suriin, at ma-identify ang mga problema na unique sa bawat rehiyon. Kailangan lang ng mga eksperto, scientist, at tamang liderato na mamumuno.
Kaya, Pangulong Marcos, fire and hire — kung ‘di mo gustong bumagsak din ang approval ratings mo sa disaster response.
Ilang bagyo, lindol, at pagputok ng bulkan pa ang daraanan ng mga Pilipino bago tayo magiging “disaster-proof?” – Rappler.com
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Magiging “disaster-proof” lang tayo kung magiging “corruption-proof” din tayo.
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Fil-Am fencer Lee Kiefer keeps women’s foil gold in Paris Olympics | delfin.dioquino editor | 29/07/2024 14:01 | ECSTATIC. Lee Kiefer of United States celebrates after winning her gold medal bout against Lauren Scruggs of United States in women's foil in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Albert Gea/REUTERS
PARIS, France – Filipino-American Lee Kiefer and Lauren Scruggs gave the United States gold and silver in the women’s foil on Sunday, July 28, as France had another night of frustration in its quest for a Paris Olympics fencing title with Japan’s Koki Kano winning the epee final.
Kiefer, who was the first American to win an Olympic foil gold when she triumphed three years ago in Tokyo, retained the title with a comfortable 15-6 victory over her younger teammate Scruggs in the final at the stunning Grand Palais venue.
“It’s insane,” said 30-year-old Kiefer, whose mother Teresa traces her roots to Tagum City in Davao del Norte, Philippines. “These three years have been so short and so long at the same time. Every day it’s been a freaking battle and I have so many people to thank for helping me get here on this day, in this moment.
“It’s absolutely historical,” she added. “Lauren fenced amazing this whole season and she deserves all this respect.”
Scruggs, 21, stunned Italian favorite Arianna Errigo in the quarterfinals to reach the Olympic final at the first attempt.
“I’m super happy, you know,” said a tearful Scruggs, the first Black American fencer to win an Olympic medal in a women’s individual event.
“Of course you always want to win but I still got a medal.”
Later, France failed to deliver a gold medal for the second day in a row, with Yannick Borel losing painfully 15-9 to Kano.
Borel’s defeat was reminiscent of Hong Kong’s Vivian Kong victory against France’s Auriane Mallo-Breton in the women’s epee event on Saturday, July 27.
Despite a partisan crowd at the Grand Palais cheering him on, Borel lost the first two touches and never managed to recover.
“Yannick is very strong,” said Kano, a team gold medalist in Tokyo in 2021. “I can win, I won – I’m very happy.”
Mohamed Elsayed of Egypt was awarded epee bronze after a tough bout with Hungary’s Tibor Andrasfi, winning 8-7 in the last second of sudden death.
It was an all North American podium in the women’s foil event, with Canada’s Eleanor Harvey winning bronze.
“I feel like I’m in a dream,” Harvey told reporters. – Rappler.com
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Fil-Am fencer Lee Kiefer keeps women’s foil gold in Paris Olympics | delfin.dioquino editor | 29/07/2024 14:01 | ECSTATIC. Lee Kiefer of United States celebrates after winning her gold medal bout against Lauren Scruggs of United States in women's foil in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Albert Gea/REUTERS
PARIS, France – Filipino-American Lee Kiefer and Lauren Scruggs gave the United States gold and silver in the women’s foil on Sunday, July 28, as France had another night of frustration in its quest for a Paris Olympics fencing title with Japan’s Koki Kano winning the epee final.
Kiefer, who was the first American to win an Olympic foil gold when she triumphed three years ago in Tokyo, retained the title with a comfortable 15-6 victory over her younger teammate Scruggs in the final at the stunning Grand Palais venue.
“It’s insane,” said 30-year-old Kiefer, whose mother Teresa traces her roots to Tagum City in Davao del Norte, Philippines. “These three years have been so short and so long at the same time. Every day it’s been a freaking battle and I have so many people to thank for helping me get here on this day, in this moment.
“It’s absolutely historical,” she added. “Lauren fenced amazing this whole season and she deserves all this respect.”
Scruggs, 21, stunned Italian favorite Arianna Errigo in the quarterfinals to reach the Olympic final at the first attempt.
“I’m super happy, you know,” said a tearful Scruggs, the first Black American fencer to win an Olympic medal in a women’s individual event.
“Of course you always want to win but I still got a medal.”
Later, France failed to deliver a gold medal for the second day in a row, with Yannick Borel losing painfully 15-9 to Kano.
Borel’s defeat was reminiscent of Hong Kong’s Vivian Kong victory against France’s Auriane Mallo-Breton in the women’s epee event on Saturday, July 27.
Despite a partisan crowd at the Grand Palais cheering him on, Borel lost the first two touches and never managed to recover.
“Yannick is very strong,” said Kano, a team gold medalist in Tokyo in 2021. “I can win, I won – I’m very happy.”
Mohamed Elsayed of Egypt was awarded epee bronze after a tough bout with Hungary’s Tibor Andrasfi, winning 8-7 in the last second of sudden death.
It was an all North American podium in the women’s foil event, with Canada’s Eleanor Harvey winning bronze.
“I feel like I’m in a dream,” Harvey told reporters. – Rappler.com
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Quad foreign ministers decry dangerous South China Sea actions | Victor Barreiro Jr. | 29/07/2024 10:31 | QUAD FOREIGN MINISTERS. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa pose as they attend a Quad Ministerial Meeting at Iikura Guest House in Tokyo, Japan July 29, 2024.
Issei Kato/Reuters
TOKYO, Japan – Foreign ministers from Australia, India, Japan and the United States said on Monday, July 29, they were seriously concerned about intimidating and dangerous maneuvers in the South China Sea and pledged to bolster maritime security in the region.
The joint statement came after talks between the so-called ‘Quad’ countries in Tokyo, attended by Australia’s Penny Wong, India’s Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japan’s Yoko Kamikawa, and Antony Blinken from the US.
They also followed security discussions between Tokyo and Washington on Sunday where the allies labelled China the “greatest strategic challenge” facing the region.
“We are seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas and reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion,” the ministers said in the statement, which did not directly mention China.
They also expressed serious concern about the militarization of disputed features and coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea, including dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels.
Chinese vessels have repeatedly clashed with Philippine ships around the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in recent months, although the two countries reached a provisional agreement earlier this month that aims to ease tensions.
The Quad group said they were working on a series of initiatives to maintain “the free and open maritime order” including working with partners to bolster domain awareness and a plan to set up a new maritime legal dialogue.
“We are charting a course for a more secure and open Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean region by bolstering maritime security and domain awareness,” Blinken said in remarks to reporters after the meeting.
“It means strengthening the capacity of partners across the region to know what’s happening in their own waters,” he added.
He said the US would continue to work with its partners to ensure freedom of navigation and the unimpeded flow of lawful maritime commerce.
The US announced plans on Sunday for a major revamp of its military command in Japan to deepen coordination with its ally’s forces.
It was among several measures taken to address what the US and Japan said was an “evolving security environment,” noting various threats from China including its increasingly muscular maritime activities in the East and South China Seas.
“Uncertainty surrounding the international order as well as the international situation has been increasing with Russia continuing its aggression in Ukraine, attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the East China Sea and South China Sea, and the launch of ballistic missiles by North Korea,” Japan’s Kamikawa said after the talks.
Kamikawa highlighted the need to build up cybersecurity capability and provide training opportunities in maritime security to protect and develop prosperity in Indo-Pacific.
After leaving Tokyo, Blinken and Austin will hold security talks with another Asian ally, the Philippines, as the Biden administration seeks to counter an increasingly bold China.
Blinken met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Laos on Saturday and repeated that Washington and its partners want to maintain a “free and open Indo-Pacific”, according to a US readout of the meeting. – Rappler.com
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Pagcor: Internet Gaming Licensees covered by Marcos’ POGO ban | Lian Buan | 29/07/2024 13:40 | IGLs BANNED. Pagcor chief Alejandro Tengco says that Internet Gaming Licensees or IGLs are covered by the POGO ban, on July 29, 2025.
Screenshot from Senate livestream
MANILA, Philippines – The 44 Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs) are all covered by the presidential ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), said the chief of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).
“The ban is for all, very clear. Maliwanag po ang utos ng Pangulo, ‘I am ordering Pagcor to wind down.’ Ang iwa-wind down ko po ay ang existing, and that refers to the 44 IGLs,” Pagcor chief Alejandro Tengco told the Senate on Monday, July 29, during the continuation of the upper house’s inquiry into illegal POGOs.
(The order of the president was very clear: ‘I am ordering Pagcor to wind down.’ So we will wind down the existing ones, and that refers to the 44 IGLs.)
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the total ban on POGOs in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22, an announcement applauded even by the political opposition due to the sensational discoveries of corruption, trafficking and torture inside the POGO hubs. Marcos ordered to wind down all POGOs by the end of the year.
But the announcement was quickly marred by some confusion because POGOs have ceased to exist since 2023 when Pagcor renamed it IGL. There were no more POGOs to speak of since then, although the media, law enforcement, and Congress continued to use the term “POGO.” There were speculations that IGLs may not be covered by the ban.
“The mandate of the President is very clear, Pagcor is mandated to wind down the operations, in reference to even those who have license we have re-issued, I’m referring to the IGLs,” Tengco repeated.
The speculation was partly due to a 2023 news item that spread online. But the news item was precisely on the announcement of the renaming to IGLs in 2023, way before the SONA. “We really have to ignore those influence operations,” said Senator Risa Hontiveros.
Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said he believes that the ban covers IGLs. “Bagamat one-liner lang siya, maliwanag naman ang policy statement ang kanyang sinabi, without qualification that all POGOs are banned effective immediately (Although it was just a one-liner, the policy statement was clear, all POGOs are banned effectively immediately without qualification),” he said.
When Hontiveros asked if the all-out ban also covered offshore gaming operations inside economic zones and export processing zones, Guevarra said “ganun po ang dating sa amin (that’s what it seemed to us) that all POGOs are banned without classification.”
However, Tengco pointed out that the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) has its own charter and can issue its own licenses. CEZA, Tengco said, is unique among the other economic zones in that respect. Hontiveros said Pagcor should update the Senate on how CEZA’s charter can figure into Marcos’ all-out ban.
“Dun lang po ako nakakakita ng kumplikasyon (That’s the only area where I can see a complication), but we will see how we can cover,” said Tengco.
POGOs have been controversial since the term of former president Rodrigo Duterte, and there were close to 300 POGO licenses issued during his time. When Pagcor renamed POGOs to IGLs during the Marcos presidency, the licenses were cut down to only 44. All those operating without license, or the illegal POGOs, “are not under our jurisdiction,” said Tengco.
Tengco said there are around 32,000 IGL workers, and around 8,000 Business Process Outsourcing or BPO workers, or a total of 40,000 workers who will be displaced by the ban. Tengco said inter-agency meetings will begin this week, starting with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to make sure that the displaced workers have other job opportunities.
“I just got word that [Justice] Secretary Boying Remulla is calling for a meeting together with Pagcor, [i.e. with Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, Bureau of Immigration, and Department of Justice] so we could start formulating guidelines on how to deal with winding up of operations of all,” said Tengco.
Tengco said Pagcor will be giving a monthly report on the winding down operations. – Rappler.com
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LOOK: SB19’s Pablo is the newest ‘The Voice Kids PH’ coach | Ysa Abad | 29/07/2024 11:00 | COACH PABLO. GMA Network announces the newest coach for 'The Voice Kids Philippines'.
GMA's Twitter
MANILA, Philippines – Pablo of P-pop powerhouse SB19 has joined the panel of coaches for the upcoming season of The Voice Kids Philippines.
The Philippines’ top broadcasting company GMA Network made the announcement on Saturday, July 27. “Get ready for an epic season filled with incredible talent and unforgettable moments for our young artists,” it wrote, alongside a photo of the four coaches.
In an interview with GMA, Pablo shared that he’s grateful to be chosen as one of the coaches.
“I’m happy kasi nandito po ako sa stage in life na gusto ko po talagang i-share ‘yung knowledge ko,” he said. (I’m happy because I’m at the stage in my life that I want to share my knowledge.)
WE WANT YOU, #TVKCoachPablo! 🤩 Welcoming Pablo of SB19 as the newest superstar coach on #TheVoiceKids! Get ready for an epic season filled with incredible talent and unforgettable moments for our young artists. ⭐🎤#TVKNewCoachReveal pic.twitter.com/2UgfYlBOhS
Pablo will be joining his fellow member Stell, as well as returning coaches Julie Anne San Jose and Billy Crawford in the mentors line-up. This will be the first time for the SB19 leader to be part of the show’s judging panel.
Notably, Stell, Julie Anne, and Billy were all part of the roster of coaches for the first season of The Voice Generations, which aired in 2023. The three were joined by Chito Miranda, but the Parokya ni Edgar vocalist announced in June that he’ll step down on his coaching duties to focus more on his band.
Meanwhile, the newest edition of The Voice Kids Philippines will be the first season under GMA Network.
The singing competition was previously under ABS-CBN, which acquired the franchise in 2013. The Kapamilya network had a total of ten editions – two for the regular/adult versions, two for the teens versions, and five for the kids versions – before announcing in May their last episode. ABS-CBN lost its broadcast franchise in 2020 leading to thousands of jobs lost, financial losses, and the company shifting to being a content provider instead, including to GMA.
As of writing, GMA has yet to announce the premiere date for its The Voice Kids Philippines. Dingdong Dantes will be hosting the show. – Rappler.com
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[OPINION] To the residents of sinking Metro Manila, is there relief? | Glenda Gloria | 29/07/2024 9:55 | Typhoon Carina did not make landfall. Yet, it enhanced the southwest monsoon, which affected Metro Manila and Central Luzon. Carina was not in the category of Super Typhoon Yolanda, but it still left people dead, homes ruined and, millions suffering.
It is a fact that the City of Manila is sinking. However, it is also a fact that there are cities in the world which are worse off. They are doing far better in keeping floods in check. It’s true that there are many reasons why our streets are easily flooded. But it’s difficult to ignore that at the heart of this accelerating disaster is the destruction of something Filipinos hold dear — Manila Bay.
The COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to untold suffering. It also gave cover to unthinkable graft (such as the Pharmally scam). We have since discovered that while the rest of the country was locked up, a group of officials and corporates were busy wrecking the National Patrimony. A single reclamation project can destroy entire segments of sea life. Manila Bay is plagued by several. It happened under the watch of former president Rodrigo Duterte. That man once announced he won’t allow a single reclamation. By the end of his term, as Filipinos began flocking back to CCP and other areas, we were all flabbergasted by what we saw. Manila Bay as we knew it was practically buried.
As Carina’s floods subsided, the proponents of reclamation cautioned senators and the Department of Public Works and Highways against using the destruction of Manila Bay as a “scapegoat.” They say, “flooding has many causes, so let’s study those first.” A reasonable soundbite. But what it really means is, let’s get everyone mired in years of “studies” while we quietly finish our reclamations.
Carina is just the start of the typhoon season. There’s little debate on what needs fixing first. While fighting floods involves multiple solutions, dumping trillions of tons of sand in Manila Bay isn’t one of them. It’s certainly not helping things. We can unclog every estero, and dredge every river but, ultimately, those waters need a natural basin to flow out to. Where is that basin now?
Why sacrifice history, environment?
Businessmen and some economists argue that reclamations have benefits. Oh, no one doubts that there are billions upon billions to be made. But this is Manila Bay we are talking about. It’s where ordinary Filipinos built a childhood of memories. To developers it might just be another opportunity for “unlocking value” (read: profits). But to the public, it’s a place for dates, family weekends, or for intrepid high schoolers the “unscheduled” field trip. The country needs money, true. But how many times do we have to sacrifice society, history and the environment on its Altar?
More importantly, for whose economic benefit are the millions of Filipinos really making these sacrifices for? It’s a fair question to ask because the damage caused by reclamations will result in massive government spending for decades. As some senators pointed out, for 2024 the government needed more than P260 Billion for “flood mitigation.” Taxpayers, who already sacrificed Manila Bay, will be asked to pay for this every year. And with more reclamations, these costs will rise as fast as the floods. Ultimately, whatever the government earns from the reclamations will just be offset by increased spending to mitigate its effects.
It’s not just the government that stands to be shortchanged. Property values decrease because of frequent flooding. “Flood free” homes are either too far away or much more expensive. With the damage from Carina, insurance premiums (for houses and cars) will increase as insurance companies adjust to the higher risk. Eventually, even luxury “commercial estates” become unpalatable, forcing residents and tenants to move elsewhere.
On December 18, 2008, the Supreme Court ruled (G.R. 171947-48) that 13 government agencies must clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila Bay. Officials were ordered to “restore and maintain its waters to SB level to make them fit for swimming, skin-diving, and other forms of contact recreation.”
Perhaps it is time for the officials concerned to explain to the High Court what induced them to unleash more than 20 reclamations instead.
Beyond that, there are strands of litigation in several countries where environmentally destructive entities are deemed liable for the damage their activities cause others. So far, the type of litigation in the Philippines has been “tame,” even forgiving in comparison — content with simply stopping environmental degradation. The frustration following Carina however, demonstrates that we are reaching a tipping point. When even mere squalls wreak havoc and put our cities to a halt, those who suffer the effects will begin to seek relief, not just against officials but against private interests.
Courts in other countries have employed concepts like “polluter pays,” “absolute liability,” “public trust” or “community rights” (which doesn’t require proof injury). Though a similar legal framework for liability exists in the Philippines (based on a quick legal survey), it has not yet been tested in the context of Manila Bay and the accelerating floods. What we have is a decision approving one reclamation project (GR 208702, 2021). Significantly in his dissent there, Senior Associate Justice Leonen warned that, “flood levels will be expected to rise from 0.23 meters to 0.27 meters once the reclamation project begins.” Justice Lazaro-Javier was even more pointed, “These disasters have come and gone. They are a reality. We have all been witnesses to them.”
In Resident Marine Mammals v Reyes, G.R. No 180771 (2015), the Supreme Court held that any Filipino citizen is “a steward of nature” and may sue to enforce environmental laws. Although the Supreme Court once ruled (Mosqueda v PBGEA, 2016) that environmental principles can’t be imposed “based on anxiety or emotion”, it’s difficult to dismiss the repeated suffering of millions as mere emotional concerns.
And with the 2008 Supreme Court decision protecting Manila Bay still standing, it would be unwise to dismiss the grievance of Marikenyos and Bulakenyos as baseless.
Before we reach that point, the President can decisively put an end to these reclamations. Like EJKs, the anti-WPS pivot, and POGOs, the destruction of Manila Bay is another legacy of his predecessor that saddles him with problems. It would be wise to be rid of them before his opponents use these floods as proof of ineptness. He will be fighting a powerful lobby but, millions of Filipinos will thank him.
In 2008, when the Manila Bay ruling came out a lot of naysayers questioned its practicality. Sixteen years later, it’s clear that the Supreme Court got it right. Things will not get better until Manila Bay is healed. One way or another, it’s time to listen to the wisdom of the courts. – Rappler.com
John Molo is a partner in Mosveldtt Law and a Board member of the Philippine Bar Association. He chairs the political law cluster of the UP College of Law and has argued before the Philippine Supreme Court and international tribunals. He is the coordinator (accountability layer) for #FactsFirstPh and speaks on disinformation across the region.
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President Marcos Jr. is indeed fighting a powerful lobby, which I doubt he has the courage to oppose, especially when the 2025 elections are coming and considering the 2028 Presidential Election, too. He may not run for any position in 2028, but he has to give importance to the ambition of his cousin Speaker Martin Romualdez. Secondly, he used his Political Patronage and Disinformation machinery to deceive the Filipino People about the true effects of these reclamations.
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Philippine gov’t seeks to unseat Alice Guo as mayor ‘because she is Chinese’ | Lian Buan | 29/07/2024 11:27 | HOT SEAT. Mayor Alice Leal Guo answers questions from senators during the continuation of the public hearing on the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators facility in Bamban, Tarlac, on May 22, 2024.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine government has filed an application with a local court to unseat Alice Guo or Guo Ha Ping as mayor of Bamban, Tarlac because “she is not a Filipino citizen but a Chinese national.”
The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) filed a quo warranto petition on Monday, July 29, before the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) seeking to “declare as null and void” Guo’s 2022 proclamation as Bamban mayor.
Guo is embroiled in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) scandal for being co-owner of the real estate firm Baofu. Baofu leased its compound in Bamban to the shady POGO Hongsheng/Zun Yuan, which was found to have trafficked and tortured workers in a scam hub operation. Guo divested from Baofu when she ran, and then won as mayor of Bamban in 2022.
The OSG’s petition cites earlier evidence that Guo is the Chinese Guo Ha Ping who holds a Chinese passport, and appears in Philippine government’s visa application records as the daughter of two Chinese citizens Lin Wenyi and Guo Jian Zhong. Guo Ha Ping is registered in Philippine immigration records as having arrived in the Philippines in 1999 as a 9-year-old, contrary to her earlier testimony in the Senate that she was born here and grew up in a farm.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has also confirmed that the fingerprints on Guo Ha Ping’s records match Alice Guo’s fingerprints. “Even international law enforcement authorities use fingerprint identification, given that no two individuals, not even identical twins, have the same fingerprints. Neither do fingerprints change, even as an individual gets older, unless the deeper “basal” layer is destroyed or intentionally changed by plastic surgery,” said the OSG’s petition.
“Guo Hua Ping is not a Filipino citizen by birth or by naturalization,” said the OSG.
In the Philippines, the citizenship of the child follows the citizenship of the parents regardless if they were born in the country. This is the jus sanguinis principle, as opposed to other countries like the United States which follows jus soli or citizenship in the place where they were born.
“There is no factual basis to support respondent Guo Hua Ping’s Filipino citizenship. The inevitable conclusion that follows is that she is not a Filipino citizen, a mandatory requirement under Section 39 of [the local government code]. Thus, respondent Guo Hua Ping is illegally holding her position and must be ousted therefrom,” said the petition.
Quo warranto is a unique proceeding in the rules of court to unseat someone from public office on the basis of, among others, unlawful occupation. This was the same petition used to oust former chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, although Sereno’s was controversial because she was an impeachable official.
The OSG also earlier applied to cancel Guo’s Filipino birth certificate, based on irregular procedures to obtain a late registration. When the birth certificate is canceled, it would essentially remove Guo’s Filipino citizenship, and having no status in the Philippines, a deportation may follow after. But Philippine government officials said they would keep Guo in the Philippines to stand trial for the complaints filed against her.
There is currently a qualified trafficking complaint against Guo filed at the Department of Justice (DOJ). There is no court-issued warrant of arrest on that complaint yet. Guo has so far evaded the Senate-issued warrant of arrest for contempt.
The quo warranto proceeding would give Guo a chance to present her side to the court.
“You may be able to hide now, but you will not be able to hide forever,” said Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday as the Senate continued its POGO inquiry. – Rappler.com
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Budget cycle begins in Congress as DBM hands over proposed 2025 gov’t funding | Dwight de Leon | 29/07/2024 11:15 | FUNDING FOR 2025. Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman leads the executive branch in turning over the proposed 2025 budget to the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Martin Romualdez, on July 29, 2024.
House of Representatives
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) submitted to the House of Representatives on Monday morning, July 29, the proposed 2025 budget of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s economic managers.
The Marcos administration is seeking a funding of P6.352 trillion for 2025, which is 10.1% higher than the current year’s P5.768 trillion national budget.
The DBM’s briefer provides the following breakdown for priority sectors:
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman led the executive branch during Monday’s formal submission of the National Expenditure Program to the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The executive branch’s turnover of the proposal to Congress signals the start of the budget cycle in the legislative branch, with committee-level deliberations expected to kick off as early as next week.
Similar to the timetable in the past two years, House Speaker Martin Romualdez committed to have the budget approved by his chamber before it goes on break in October.
“We will make sure that enough funds will be allocated for social services and for programs that will sustain our economic growth,” he said in a statement on Sunday, July 28.
Last year’s budget debates in Congress put front and center Vice President Sara Duterte’s request for confidential funds for 2024, amounting to P650 million.
The controversy surrounding the Office of the Vice President’s swift disbursement of P125 million in confidential funds in 2022 eventually resulted in Congress’ denial of her request for secret funds for the current year. – Rappler.com
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Japanese kickboxer Anpo surprises Pacquiao as exhibition ends in draw | Jasmine Payo | 28/07/2024 23:01 | ACTION-PACKED. Manny Pacquiao unleashes a punch against Rukiya Anpo during their exhibition bout.
Wendell Alinea/MP Promotions
TOKYO, Japan – Eager to please the packed crowd, Manny Pacquiao flashed his brilliance in the last round of his exhibition bout against Rukiya Anpo on Sunday night, July 28, in the Super Rizin 3 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Pitted against a 6-footer who has ballooned to over 180 pounds on fight night, Pacquiao had to dig deep in his arsenal to land the punches that hardly affected the onrushing Anpo, who wasn’t even born when the 45-year-old Pacquiao turned pro in 1995.
Anpo, a champion kickboxer with no boxing match on his resume, caught Pacquiao’s attention when he flicked a right jab to the face of the sport’s only eight-division world champion.
Pacquiao tried to bore in but got tagged by a long shot and then an uppercut as he ducked.
Emboldened, Anpo applied more pressure and connected to the liver, which Pacquiao countered with a body shot. Pacquiao failed to throw a flurry as the much-longer Anpo easily moved away.
Anpo came out firing jabs in the first minute of the third and final round, then traded heavy shots with Pacquiao, rocking the all-time great with an overhand and going for the kill.
Pacquiao, however, finally came through with a bunch of punches, many of which landed before the final bell.
Being an exhibition, there were no official scores, but the fight which drew 48,000 fans, was declared a draw.
Far from his devastating form, Pacquiao, who declared that he was just 60 percent for the bout, fought a catchweight of 152 pounds, complimented the 28-year-old Anpo.
“He’s strong and fights well even though he lacks experience. He’s also way bigger than me,” said Pacquiao, who entered the ring at 154 pounds.
Elated by his performance, Anpo said “I really want to finish him off but he’s tough.”
Although it was his first boxing fight, Anpo bared that he has been training in boxing for the last few years and was glad to prove wrong predictions that he’d get knocked out.
“His (Pacquiao) punches weren’t really heavy. I’m having fun, I feel like I’m on a roll,” said Anpo.
According to Pacquiao, the fight was a “good tune-up” and made him realize that he has a lot of things to work on if he is to resume fighting in October or November.
Pacquiao will take the flight back to the Philippines early Monday, July 29. – Rappler.com
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MEDAL TALLY: Paris Olympics 2024 | delfin.dioquino editor | 27/07/2024 19:35 | MANILA, Philippines – The biggest names in all of sports vie for Olympic glory as they seek to bring their countries honor in the 33rd edition of the Summer Games in Paris, France.
Gold, silver, and bronze medals in 329 events across 32 sports are up for grabs, with breaking – or breakdancing – making its Olympic debut.
With 22 athletes in tow, Team Philippines aims to surpass its historic haul of one gold, two silvers, and one bronze in the previous Tokyo Olympics.
The United States, which boasts of the biggest delegation with 594 athletes, looks to maintain its dominance after claiming the overall championship in the last three editions.
Perennial contenders China, Great Britain, Japan, and host France also aim to make a splash.
Here is the medal tally:
– Rappler.com
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#WalangPasok: Class suspensions, Monday, July 29, 2024 | Acor Arceo | 29/07/2024 8:16 | MANILA, Philippines – Some areas suspended classes for Monday, July 29, either due to rain from the southwest monsoon or to give residents more time to recover from recent floods and landslides.
The areas listed below are aside from the public schools identified by the Department of Education as unable to start classes on Monday.
This list will be updated once local or national authorities make announcements.
– Rappler.com
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Ashoka | npabloashoka | 29/07/2024 9:29 | In his 2024 SONA, President Marcos called public school teachers the foundation of our educational system and national learning recovery. He announced benefit packages and upskilling programs for teachers to improve Filipino learners’ literacy, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
The President and newly-appointed Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara must not forget teachers’ professional development in implementing comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) to ensure learners’ competitiveness is not undermined.
Many teens still hold dangerous misconceptions about sexual health, believing, for instance, that drinking bleach cures sexually transmitted infections and jumping after sex prevents pregnancy. This situation exacerbates our country’s soaring teen pregnancy rates. Over 400 Filipino girls aged 19 and below give birth daily!
The problem isn’t a lack of policy. The 2012 Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law (RH Law) and a 2018 DepEd memo mandate reproductive health concepts in public school curricula. The new Matatag K to 10 curriculum includes topics like genital care, healthy boundaries, communication, and sexual and reproductive health rights as early as Grade 4.
However, implementing CSE is challenging. In 2022, only 1.1 out of 32 million learners received CSE, according to the UN Population Fund. This shortfall stems from a lack of budget, guidance, and teacher training. Many teachers simply lack confidence because they did not study sex ed topics formally.
Also, in a predominantly Catholic country, conservative beliefs persist. Many fear that sex ed leads to promiscuity, but studies show that it leads to more cautious sexual behavior. Young people delay sex when they know the consequences.
In the past 15 years, Roots of Health, an organization I lead in Puerto Princesa, has educated 100,000 learners about their bodies, sexual health, and reproductive rights. Our services helped reduce unplanned and teen pregnancies in the city, contrasting with regional and national trends. With 27 million Filipino learners vulnerable to early parenthood, government efforts must be intensified.
Adolescent childbearing leads to poor health outcomes for mother and child and limits education and employment opportunities, impacting future generations. This imposes significant social and opportunity costs on the government. Economically, preventing teenage pregnancies is essential.
Young girls often engage in risky sexual behavior due to peer influence and personal challenges, while many boys see early sexual activity as a rite of passage. As CSE covers body autonomy, consent, healthy relationships, and wellbeing, it helps address mental health issues, unhealthy relationship power dynamics, and gender-based violence. Humanely, providing young people with this information saves lives.
Roots of Health has also trained 6,700 public school teachers in Palawan who see the value of CSE. But a recent DepEd memo requires them to stick to basic education and categorizes our activities as disruptions. This limits our in-school CSE sessions and teacher trainings.
Fortunately, in 2021, we launched the I CHOOSE #MalayaAkongMaging online campaign, creating a safe space for young people to learn about puberty topics in Tagalog. We have published hundreds of materials – articles, artwork, videos, and games – on malayaako.ph and the ICHOOSE Facebook page which has over 25 million subscribers. A chatbot answers questions 24/7 and directs users to relevant content.
These platforms offer young people credible information and destigmatize learning about taboo topics that are already very much part of their lives. In schools, adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) coordinators and peer navigators link learners to resources like I CHOOSE.
We welcome the President’s focus on digital learning and we await progress on DepEd’s plan to integrate existing youth-centered platforms on mental health, ASRH, and overall health. But both offline and online efforts require funds, training support, and political will. If the President and the Secretary are serious about improving teacher competencies and increasing learners’ competitiveness, DepEd should earmark funds for full CSE implementation in the next budget cycle.
We urge Secretary Angara to build on the successes of the RH Law and the CSE memo by leading the agency in the holistic formation of learners. Filipino youth deserve accurate information about their bodies and the guidance to make decisions that allow them to thrive. Empowering young people to take control of their lives will benefit the entire country now and in the future.
Amina Evangelista Swanepoel is the executive director of Roots of Health which provides free sexual and reproductive health education and services in Palawan. She has been an Ashoka Fellow since 2017.
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Aira Villegas topples Moroccan foe to ace first test in Paris Olympics | delfin.dioquino editor | 29/07/2024 4:28 | WINNER. Boxer Aira Villegas of Philippines celebrates winning her fight against Yasmine Mouttaki of Morocco in the round of 32 of the women's 50kg division in 2024 Paris Olympics.
Peter Cziborra/REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines – For a boxer debuting in the Olympics, Aira Villegas entered the ring with an unusual swag.
And she backed it up with her prowess as Villegas toppled Morocco’s Yasmine Mouttaki via unanimous decision in their women’s 50kg round of 32 bout in the Paris Olympics on Sunday, July 28 (Monday, July 29, Manila time).
The five judges scored it 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 in favor of Villegas, who kicked off the campaign of the Philippine boxing team.
With the result still in the balance after the first two rounds, Villegas sealed the deal with cleaner shots in the final salvo, including a well-timed left straight to the head inside the last 10 seconds.
Mouttaki, a bronze medalist in the last IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, won just the second round as she got the boot.
Villegas arranged a round of 16 clash with second seed Roumaysa Boualam of Algeria on Thursday, August 1 (Friday, August 2, Manila time), as she hopes to inch closer to a prized medal.
The pride of Tacloban City needs just two more wins to clinch a medal, with the semifinalists guaranteed of at least a bronze.
Competing for the Philippines in the coming days are Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, and Hergie Bacyadan. – Rappler.com
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#WalangPasok: Class suspensions, Monday, July 29, 2024 | Acor Arceo | 29/07/2024 8:16 | MANILA, Philippines – Some areas suspended classes for Monday, July 29, either due to rain from the southwest monsoon or to give residents more time to recover from recent floods and landslides.
The areas listed below are aside from the public schools identified by the Department of Education as unable to start classes on Monday.
This list will be updated once local or national authorities make announcements.
– Rappler.com
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As classes open, southwest monsoon affects western part of Luzon | Acor Arceo | 29/07/2024 7:30 | PHILIPPINE WEATHER. Satellite image as of July 29, 2024, 4:30 am.
PAGASA
MANILA, Philippines – The western portion of Luzon will have scattered rain and thunderstorms due to the southwest monsoon or habagat on Monday, July 29, when nearly all of the 45,000 public schools in the Philippines will begin their classes for academic year 2024-2025.
Scattered rain and thunderstorms are expected in the Ilocos Region, Benguet, Abra, Zambales, and Bataan. The rain will be moderate to heavy at times.
Flash floods and landslides are possible, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned in a briefing early Monday.
Meanwhile, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, the rest of the Cordillera Administrative Region, and the rest of Central Luzon will have isolated rain showers or thunderstorms, still due to the southwest monsoon. Thunderstorms can be severe.
At least 979 public schools will be unable to start classes on Monday — almost half of them in Central Luzon — after the southwest monsoon triggered floods and landslides in the past week. The southwest monsoon was enhanced by Typhoon Carina (Gaemi).
Some local government units suspended classes for Monday as well, citing rain from the southwest monsoon or continuing recovery efforts.
The rest of the country could also have isolated rain caused by localized thunderstorms on Monday.
PAGASA also continues to monitor the low pressure area (LPA) inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility.
The LPA was located 220 kilometers northeast of Aparri, Cagayan, as of 3 am on Monday.
PAGASA Weather Specialist Obet Badrina said the LPA is currently in an environment that is not conducive for tropical cyclone development.
The weather bureau’s early Monday forecast shows the trough or extension of the LPA is no longer bringing scattered rain and thunderstorms to the eastern portion of the country. – Rappler.com
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