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Beatdowns continue: Puerto Rico thrashes winless Gilas Boys by 45 in FIBA U17 World Cup | jisaga0269 | 02/07/2024 23:07 | LEAGUES APART. Gilas Boys' Wacky Ludovice attempts a jump shot over the Puerto Rico defense in the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – The Gilas Pilipinas under-17 team remained winless in the FIBA U17 World Cup after suffering yet another lopsided defeat, this time at the hands of Puerto Rico, 98-53, on Tuesday, July 2, at the Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul, Turkiye (Turkey).
In contrast to their first two outings, where Gilas Boys were immediately put away by their opponents in just the opening period, the Filipinos actually got off to a great start against Puerto Rico with a 24-16 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Gilas Boys were firing from all cylinders in the first 10 minutes of the ball game, shooting an efficient 8-of-13 field goal clip, including a near-perfect 5-of-6 mark from the two-point area.
Unfortunately, the Philippines failed to sustain its fiery start as Puerto Rico turned things around in the second frame and outscored Gilas Boys, 32-6, for a 48-30 edge at halftime.
Gilas Boys never got back to within single digits the rest of the way as the Puerto Ricans cruised to their first win of the tournament and handed the Filipinos – coached by Josh Reyes – their third loss in as many games.
Jordan Dill spearheaded Puerto Rico’s balanced attack with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while Vincent Stewart posted a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Jahrel Vigo, Rogny Santiago, and Justin Roman, meanwhile, all had 10 markers each for the Puerto Ricans.
For the first time in three matches, two players scored in double figures for Gilas Boys, with Joaquin Ludovice finishing with 13 and Kurt Velasquez tallying 11 on a combined 8-of-26 shooting.
CJ Amos – who led Gilas Boys’ furious start – dropped all his 8 points in the first quarter, while Bonn Daja chipped in 7 markers.
After a fourth-place finish in Group A, the Philippines hopes to pull off an improbable upset when it goes up against world No. 1 USA in the Round of 16 on Wednesday, July 3.
The Americans are coming off a historic 146-62 thrashing of China on Tuesday, setting a new record for most points scored in an U17 World Cup game.
The winners in the Round of 16 move up to the quarterfinals, while the losers fall to the classification games.
Puerto Rico 98 – Dill 15, Stewart 11, Vigo 10, Santiago R. 10, Roman 10, Santiago M. 9, Quinones 7, Cruz 6, Rosa 6, Montes 6, Pino 4, Colon 4.
Philippines 53 – Ludovice 13, Velasquez 10, Amos 8, Daja 7, Banal 3, Chua 3, Alegre 3, Gomez de Liaño 3, Diao 2, Morales 1, Williams 0, Arejola 0.
Quarters: 16-24, 48-30, 78-34, 98-53.
– Rappler.com
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Rich get richer again: PBA approves Blackwater-TNT trade for Rey Nambatac | jisaga0269 | 02/07/2024 12:56 | FRIEND TURNED FOE. Rey Nambatac in action for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – The Blackwater franchise is once again responsible for boosting a Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) team in the PBA as the league approved on Tuesday, July 2, a trade that will send star guard Rey Nambatac to the TNT Tropang Giga for reserves Kib Montalbo and Jewel Ponferada.
TNT is also throwing in a 2028 second-round pick to the Bossing, who will be gutted with star power anew just a few weeks removed from a promising 2024 Philippine Cup campaign that netted them a 3-0 start before fizzling out to a 4-7 finish.
The Tropang Giga, meanwhile, are getting a shot in the arm with Nambatac, a do-it-all floor general who averaged 11.1 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in his last conference with Blackwater.
The flagship MVP franchise is coming off a lackluster 2023-2024 season for their lofty standards, finishing eighth out of 12 in the Commissioner’s Cup, and fourth in the Philippine Cup via a first-round playoffs exit at the hands of Rain or Shine.
With more titles in sight, TNT is acquiring Nambatac in exchange for Montalbo, who recently averaged 3.4 points and 2.1 assists in the Philippine Cup, and Ponferada, who normed 4.5 points and 2.3 boards in the same conference.
Nambatac joins a star-studded Tropang Giga core led by Calvin Oftana, Roger Pogoy, Jayson Castro, and Kelly Williams, while Blackwater will lean on the likes of Christian David, Troy Rosario, Rey Suerte, and RK Ilagan with their star guard gone. – Rappler.com
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Ex-Shiga veteran Kiefer Ravena finds new Japan B. League home, signs with Yokohama | jisaga0269 | 02/07/2024 21:50 | ON A ROLL. Shiga Lakes guard Kiefer Ravena in action in the Japan B. League.
Japan B. League
MANILA, Philippines – After three years with the Shiga Lakes, Kiefer Ravena is moving to another Japan B. League team, signing with the Yokohama B-Corsairs on a two-year deal.
“Unfortunately, we had different directions…. I made a move,” said Ravena during Strong Group Athletics-Pilipinas’ media day on Tuesday, July 2.
“It’s my first time going back to Tokyo and staying there [with] Yokohama,” he added.
Ravena, who played with the Shiga franchise from 2021 to 2024, experienced the highs and lows of B. League play, having his team relegated to Division 2, and helping raise his team back to Division 1 by winning the B2 crown.
He posted averages of 12.4 points, 5.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals during his final campaign with the Lakes.
The 30-year-old guard had also been named as one of the league’s Asia All-Stars during the Japan B. League All-Star Weekend in 2024.
“Hopefully I can bring the same luck that I was able to bring Shiga last year to the next season,” said the former Ateneo Blue Eagle.
Ravena, along with Gilas Pilipinas teammate Rhenz Abando, former San Miguel import Chris McCullough, and RJ Abarrientos, among others, are gearing up for the upcoming William Jones Cup in Taipei.
The annual single round-robin tournament will be held from July 13 to 21, featuring teams such as the Ukrainian national squad, and the Chinese Taipei A and B delegations. – Rappler.com
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Find openings in government via CSC job portal | clescudero0258 | 02/07/2024 15:23 | The following is a press release from the Civil Service Commission.
Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairperson Karlo Nograles encouraged job seekers interested in public sector positions to explore opportunities through the CSC Job Portal, available at csc.gov.ph/career.
He highlighted the portal’s significance in offering aspiring government employees detailed information and easy access to a wide range of job openings within the public sector.
“Patuloy ang pagdami ng mga oportunidad sa trabaho sa gobyerno dahil laging may pangangailangan para sa mga mahuhusay at tapat na kawani na magbibigay ng dekalidad na serbisyo publiko. Ang CSC Job Portal ay isang madaling paraan upang makita ang mga bakanteng posisyon sa iba’t ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan sa lahat ng rehiyon ng Pilipinas,” said Nograles.
(Job opportunities in government continue to increase since there’s always a need for skilled and loyal employees who can give quality public service. The CSC Job Portal is an easy way to see vacant positions in different government agencies in all regions in the Philippines.)
In accordance with CSC Resolution No. 2000221 dated February 4, 2020, the CSC has implemented a unified platform for publishing vacant government positions on the CSC website.
National government agencies, local government units, and state universities and colleges are required to submit their lists of authorized first, second, and third level vacant positions in both electronic and printed formats to the concerned CSC Field Office (FO). The electronic copy is forwarded to the CSC Regional Office for publication on the CSC website, while the printed copy is displayed on the bulletin board of the CSC FO.
Applicants can use the job portal’s filters such as position title, agency name, and region to search for available positions.
Aside from the position title and place of assignment, the job postings also indicate the salary or job grade; the qualification standards that need to be met by the applicant, such as eligibility, education, training, work experience, and competency; the documents to be submitted; and instructions on how to apply.
Nograles reminded jobseekers that all job applications or questions should be directed to the agency concerned. He also advised applicants to carefully review the qualification standards and competencies required for each position, emphasizing that eligibility alone does not guarantee a permanent appointment.
“The government is not only the biggest employer nationally or locally, it also provides the opportunity for Filipinos to attain security of tenure. We encourage qualified Filipinos, including our fresh graduates, job shifters, and civil service eligibles to join the civil service and contribute to our nation’s development,” Nograles added. – Rappler.com
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Cebu Pacific picks Airbus for biggest aircraft order in PH history | lkyu0285 | 02/07/2024 17:14 | AIRBUS. Cebu Pacific receives a brand-new A320 neo plane assembled in Tianjin, China.
Lance Spencer Yu/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – It’s official: Cebu Pacific has chosen Airbus to supply up to 152 aircraft in what will become the largest aircraft order in Philippine history.
The low cost carrier signed a binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the European aerospace giant for the purchase of up to 152 A321neo aircraft for $24 billion, or P1.4 trillion based on list prices.
Cebu Pacific has some wiggle room to tweak its final purchase order based on market demand, given that the MOU covers firm orders for up to 102 A321neo planes, along with purchase rights for 50 A320neo Family aircraft.
“The order is designed to provide Cebu Pacific with maximum flexibility to adapt fleet growth to market conditions, with the ability to switch between the A321neo and A320neo,” Cebu Pacific chief executive officer Michael Szucs said in a Philippine Stock Exchange disclosure on Tuesday, July 2.
The new planes will also be powered with Pratt and Whitney GTF engines. Cebu Pacific has long used engines from the the American manufacturer, although in 2023, supply chain problems involving Pratt and Whitney forced Cebu Pacific and other airlines to ground their planes due to “faulty” engines. (READ: What’s causing the rise in flight cancellations and delays?)
The purchase agreement is expected to be finalized by the third quarter of 2024. Although it could take years for the planes to be fully delivered, by 2035, the Gokongwei-owned airline could quadruple the aircraft deployed in its regional hubs across the Philippines. In the first quarter of 2024, Cebu Pacific successfully rode the surge in holiday and international travel to more than double its net income compared to Q1 2023.
Cebu Air, the parent company of Cebu Pacific, had a total of 87 aircraft in its operating fleet as of March 31, 2024. It leases 20 Airbus CEO planes, 30 Airbus NEO planes, and 2 ATR 72-600 planes, while it owns 11 Airbus CEO planes, 10 Airbus NEO planes, 12 ATR 72-600 planes, and 2 ATR 72-500 planes.
Cebu Pacific’s decision to go with Airbus for its massive aircraft order comes just as Airbus’ rival Boeing struggles with declining plane deliveries and concerns surrounding safety standards, especially after a mid-air panel blowout during an Alaska Airlines flight. In late May, Saudia also picked Airbus for Saudi Arabia’s largest-ever plane order, according to a CNN report. – Rappler.com
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Jollibee Group acquires majority stake in Korea’s Compose Coffee for $340 million | Ralf Rivas | 02/07/2024 17:06 | MANILA, Philippines – Filipino global food chain Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) is acquiring 70% of Compose Coffee, among South Korea’s most popular low cost coffee stores.
JFC said it acquired the shares for $340 million (around P20 billion). Private equity firms Titan Dining II LP and Elevation Equity Partners Korea Limited retain 5% and 25% of Compose Coffee, respectively.
Compose Coffee is the fastest growing coffee chain in South Korea, with 2,470 franchised stores. It boasts the largest in-house coffee roasting plant in Korea, which enables it to distribute specialty beans at low cost.
The company, with V of BTS as brand ambassador, also boasts of a debt-free balance sheet, “superior cash returns and excellent profitability margins.”
JFC said Compose Coffee is the biggest acquisition in terms of number of stores, bringing the group’s total store network closer to 10,000 stores. More than 66% of JFC’s stores are already outside the Philippines.
Compose Coffee and its roasting facility JMCF Co. Ltd. were founded in Busan in 2014. The brand was named South Korea’s favorite coffee shop at the 2023 Korea’s Most Loved Brand Awards, an event organized by Forbes Korea and sponsored by South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT and Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy.
“The business that Compose Coffee has built in the past 10 years is impressive and we are excited to play a major role in its next phase of growth. We believe that Compose Coffee is a compelling strategic fit for JFC and is on track to becoming the largest, fastest growing and leading value coffee player in South Korea,” said JFC chairman Tony Tan Caktiong. – Rappler.com
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Dave Ildefonso follows in father Danny’s footsteps, declares for PBA draft | jisaga0269 | 02/07/2024 20:57 | KBL STINT. Dave Ildefonso in action.
Suwon KT Sonicboom
MANILA, Philippines – With two days to spare before the deadline, Dave Ildefonso expressed his intention to join the upcoming PBA Rookie Draft on Tuesday, July 2.
The son of former PBA MVP Danny Ildefonso said he is returning to local hoops after not receiving any new overseas offers.
“I didn’t have offers from abroad, and [playing in the PBA] has been a dream of mine,” said Ildefonso during Strong Group Athletics-Pilipinas’ media day in Mandaluyong City.
“Ever since my father played in the PBA, I want to follow his footsteps and try to achieve what he achieved. I will apply for this upcoming draft, but I don’t know if I could still submit, that’s the problem,” he added, referring to the Thursday, July 4, 5 pm deadline.
Ildefonso, who exhausted his playing years with Ateneo following the Blue Eagles’ UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball title win over UP, played in limited minutes with Korean Basketball League team Suwon KT.
During his second and final season with the team, he averaged 4.4 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.7 turnovers in 10.6 minutes.
Suwon KT replaced Ildefonso with Fil-Italian guard Dalph Panopio, a former Gilas Pilipinas prospect, as its Asian import.
“As a player, if you know you’re not being used much in the last season of your contract, you begin to think of what’s next in the future…. Plan A, Plan B…what will I do if I got signed?” said Ildefonso.
“If I won’t get signed, what’s next? We were trying to negotiate [for a return], but the team went in a different direction with Dalph, which is, I think, a much better fit for them.”
If he had his way, Ildefonso mentioned that he would like to be drafted by Converge, where his dad coaches as an assistant, Rain or Shine with brother Shaun, or San Miguel, where he would be the second Ildefonso to wear a Beermen jersey.
Danny, who played from 1998 to 2013 under the San Miguel Beermen franchise, won eight PBA titles, three Finals MVPs, two league MVPs, and five Best Player of the Conference awards, cementing his legacy as one of the best ever. – Rappler.com
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Despite own China tightrope, Vatican backs int’l law in Manila-Beijing row | Paterno Esmaquel II | 02/07/2024 19:24 | TOP DIPLOMAT. Archbishop Paul Gallagher, secretary for relations with states of the Holy See, answers questions from the media during a press conference at the Diamond Hotel, July 2, 2024.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Vatican’s top diplomat, in a historic trip to Manila, called on parties in the West Philippine Sea dispute to abide by international law, even as the Catholic Church is walking its own China tightrope.
Archbishop Paul Gallagher, secretary for relations with states of the Holy See, discussed the West Philippine Sea and a range of issues with his Filipino counterpart, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, at a five-star hotel overlooking Manila Bay on Tuesday, July 2.
For more than an hour, Manalo and Gallagher held a working lunch with key officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Apostolic Nunciature, after which they held a press conference at Diamond Hotel in Pasay City.
Manalo’s prepared statement to the media, and Gallagher’s response to a reporter’s question, referred to the sea row in generic diplomatic terms.
Gallagher and Manalo’s discussion on the West Philippine Sea was significant, however, because it was the first time the Vatican publicly addressed the Asian maritime dispute.
It was the first time, too, that a Vatican foreign minister was visiting Manila in the 73 years of diplomacy between the Holy See and the Philippines, Asia’s biggest Catholic-majority country.
In a press conference, Manalo said he and Gallagher “exchanged views on regional and international issues including developments in the West Philippine Sea, South China Sea, Ukraine, and Gaza.”
“We noted our shared perspective that amid the various international challenges and conflicts, the international community must be united in preserving a world where differences are resolved peacefully and on the basis of international law,” said Manalo, a 71-year-old career diplomat who helped engineer the Philippines’ foreign policy even at the time Manila sued Beijing in 2013.
Gallagher, 70, himself an old hand in the Vatican diplomatic service, emphasized the Holy See’s consistent position on situations of conflict, as he addressed a journalist’s question about the Vatican’s stance on the West Philippine Sea.
The diplomatic service of the Vatican, which is a city-state aside from being the spiritual center of Catholics, is known for its nonpartisan voice that pushes for peace in the world’s danger zones. At the United Nations, the Holy See enjoys a “permanent observer” status “by its own choice,” so that it can “maintain absolute neutrality in specific political problems.”
Gallagher – who has served as the Vatican’s foreign minister for the past 10 years, and was assigned to the Philippines in the 1990s – said that “the position of the Holy See is quite clear.”
“In such circumstances, such situations of conflict whatever they are, first of all, every effort must be made that any differences and conflicts are resolved peacefully. We would encourage parties in conflict to abide by international law and to pursue ways of resolving difficulties and problems with the best interests of all involved,” he added.
In the context of the West Philippine Sea dispute, “international law” is an accepted reference to the 2016 arbitral tribunal victory of the Philippines against China over the West Philippine Sea. The Hague ruling rejects China’s claim over the West Philippine Sea and recognizes the Philippines’ exclusive rights over these waters.
China refuses to recognize the Hague ruling.
The Vatican itself is navigating a delicate relationship with China over the appointment of Catholic bishops in the communist country.
In the Catholic Church, only the Pope as successor of Saint Peter can appoint bishops anywhere in the world – but China, under the repressive Chinese Communist Party, refuses to recognize papal authority. This has forced many Chinese Catholics to attend underground churches instead of the ones sanctioned by the state.
The Vatican struck a controversial accord with China in 2018, and renewed it in 2020 and 2022, over the appointment of Catholic bishops. The complete details of the agreement “were never made public, but Francis has claimed he has final say in the bishop appointment process,” wrote the National Catholic Reporter.
Conservative Catholics criticized the agreement as a sellout to China, but the Vatican defended it as an imperfect means to hold some form of dialogue with Chinese authorities for the good of all Chinese Catholics.
Critics have also noted how China fails to honor commitments – likewise a chief complaint by Filipinos engaged in negotiations with China.
In March 2023, Gallagher told EWTN that the 2018 agreement was “not the best deal possible” and that Vatican diplomats have been “negotiating improvements.”
“Obviously, the objective is to get the best deal possible, which certainly this agreement is not the best deal possible because of the other party: They were only prepared to go so far and to agree to certain things. But that was what was possible at the time,” Gallagher said in his EWTN interview.
In April 2023, however, China broke the deal by installing Shanghai Bishop Joseph Shen Bin without the Vatican’s knowledge and consent. Three months later, in July 2023, Pope Francis formally recognized the Chinese bishop’s installation for the “greater good” of Catholics in Shanghai. – with reports from Reuters/Rappler.com
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Zamboanga mayor suspends business permit of fireworks firm after deadly blast | Herbie G | 02/07/2024 16:50 | AFTERMATH. The aftermath of the explosion of a firecracker warehouse in Zamboanga City on June 29, 2024.
Zamboanga City Mayor John Dalipe
ZAMBOANGA, Philippines – Mayor John Dalipe has suspended the business permit of a company whose stockpile of firecrackers exploded on Saturday, June 29, killing five people and injuring 38 others.
Dalipe issued the order on Monday, July 1, suspending the business permit of Jonathan Chua, the owner of Next Step Fireworks Shoppe. The explosion occurred in a warehouse at Marquez Drive, Barangay Tetuan, Zamboanga City.
Until the suspension order, Chua was the only holder of a permit to engage in such a business in Zamboanga.
Superintendent Christopher Morales, the Bureau of Fire Protection’s (BFP) Zamboanga City Fire District marshal, said they have yet to determine the cause of the explosion.
Morales reported that the explosion and subsequent fire caused an estimated P62.5 million in property damage. A warehouse and a residential house were destroyed, while 15 other structures were damaged.
Dr. Elmeir Apolinario, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief, said on Tuesday, July 2, that 30 of the 38 wounded victims sustained minor injuries, while the remaining eight were critically injured.
“Their injuries are not life-threatening,” Apolinario said.
Morales recommended the imposition of a total ban on the sale and use of firecrackers in Zamboanga City to prevent similar incidents in the future.
However, officials said the city council needs to amend the existing ordinance that allows the use of fireworks for entertainment purposes, subject to terms and conditions.
Personnel from the BFP, CDRRMO, Explosive Ordnance Demolition, military’s Task Force Zamboanga, Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources, City Engineer’s Office, and the village council of Tetuan conducted clearing operations at the blast site to pave the way for the opening of the area to civilians and motorists, including nearby residents.
They retrieved several boxes of drenched pyrotechnics from the blast site and brought them to Barangay Muti for proper disposal.
Meanwhile, Dalipe said he would order the City Engineer’s Office, police, and village officials to inspect all warehouses and storage facilities in Zamboanga City to ensure they operate in accordance with existing laws. – Rappler.com
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Marcos approves P6.3-trillion budget proposal for 2025 | Dwight de Leon | 02/07/2024 16:19 | CHIEF EXECUTIVE. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who chairs the National Economic and Development Authority Board, presides over a meeting in Malacañang in April 2024.
Presidential Communications Office
MANILA, Philippines – The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is seeking a national budget of P6.352 trillion for 2025.
A press release from the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said Marcos approved the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) Fiscal Year 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP) during a Cabinet meeting in Malacañang on Tuesday, July 2.
The request is 10.1% higher than the current year’s P5.768 trillion national budget.
According to a Malacañang press release, the sector that gets the lion’s share of the budget proposal is education, in accordance with the 1987 Constitution.
Also top priorities of the government are the sectors of public works, health, interior and local government, and defense, the PCO added.
Based on a DBM briefer, the administration also wants to prioritize infrastructure development, human capital development, food security, enterprise development, research and development, digital transformation of the government, climate-smart and disaster-resilient development, and a comprehensive devolution strategy for 2025.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman previously said that the executive branch targets to submit the proposed budget to Congress on July 29, a week after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Congress is tasked to scrutinize the proposed national budget, going through the House first before the Senate.
Once the budget bill hurdles both chambers, the president signs it into law, called the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the fiscal year.
It is usually during the budget season in Congress that government agencies get evaluated on how they utilized their current budget, and what they want to achieve with their funding request for the succeeding year.
Last year’s budget deliberations centered on the swift disbursement of Vice President Sara Duterte’s confidential funds in 2022. The controversy resulted in the House’s denial of her request for confidential funds for 2024. – Rappler.com
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Bersamin, Chinese envoy meet as POGO-linked crimes under scrutiny | Dwight de Leon | 02/07/2024 19:53 | MEETING. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin meets with Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian on July 2, 2024, discussing how to strengthen their partnership to fight organized crime.
Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission
MANILA, Philippines – China reaffirmed to the Marcos administration its cooperation with the government’s crackdown on Philippine offshore gaming operators, which comes on the heels of a Senate probe into allegations that a mayor with POGO ties is an asset of Beijing.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin met with Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian on Tuesday, July 2, and the two parties discussed how to “strengthen their partnership” in the fight against organized crime.
“China expressed its appreciation for the recent actions taken by Philippine law enforcement authorities to counter illegal offshore gambling and to rescue several Chinese nationals,” the PAOCC press release read. “The Chinese embassy in the Philippines has been actively collaborating and maintaining open communication channels with their Philippine counterparts throughout this process.”
“The strengthened cooperation between China and the Philippines sends a clear message to criminal syndicates operating across borders that their malicious activities will not be tolerated nor allowed to undermine the security and stability of these nations,” it added.
China urged the Philippines in June to put an end to offshore gambling, which it called a “social ill” that encourages crimes of kidnapping, human trafficking, and murder.
POGOs sprouted across the Philippines beginning 2016, and grew exponentially in the succeeding years, as operators took advantage of liberal gaming laws under the administration of Rodrigo Duterte. Many POGO operators are run by Chinese nationals, as gambling in their home country is banned.
In the past year, Beijing helped Manila shut down five POGO hubs and repatriate a thousand Chinese individuals.
Scrutiny against POGO operators has intensified as the Senate investigates Alice Guo, the suspended mayor of Bamban, Tarlac. According to government documents, Guo was at one point a major shareholder of Baofu Land Development, owner of the property where a POGO hub operated in her municipality.
Senator Risa Hontiveros also believes Guo was planted by China to infiltrate local politics in the Philippines.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) later confirmed that the mayor’s fingerprints matched with those of Guo Hua Ping, who arrived in the Philippines from China in 2003.
“She is a Chinese national masquerading as Filipino citizen to facilitate crimes being committed by POGO,” Hontiveros had said.
Prior to the NBI bombshell, Guo insisted she was not a Chinese spy, and denied allegations of involvement in money laundering, human trafficking, and kidnapping schemes.
She had also written to Bersamin, requesting a fair investigation into her life. – Rappler.com
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‘Much-improved choice’: Groups, lawmakers hail Angara’s appointment as DepEd chief | Bonz Magsambol | 02/07/2024 16:52 | File photo of Senator Sonny Angara
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Education groups welcomed the appointment of Senator Sonny Angara as the new secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), with the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) saying that he is a “much-improved choice.”
“ACT has known Senator Angara to be open to dialogues with teachers’ unions and organizations and consistent in his stand for increasing the salaries and improving the benefits of teachers, as well as addressing some problems of the education system,” the biggest teachers’ group said in a statement on Tuesday, July 2.
ACT also took a potshot at Vice President Sara Duterte, who had red-tagged their members when she was DepEd chief. (READ: Sara Duterte brings red-tagging to DepEd)
“ACT hopes that Sen. Angara will remain to be amicable, different from his red-tagger predecessor. We anticipate seeing him asserting some of his progressive stance on education concerns even if they run counter to the administration’s policies that only exacerbate the education crisis,” the group said.
ACT noted that Angara will assume the DepEd leadership at a time when the Philippine education system is facing an unprecedented learning crisis.
He inherits a gargantuan problem in the education sector, including the poor performance of Filipino students in global education assessments. A World Bank report showed that 9 in 10 Filipino students aged 10 are struggling to read simple text.
“Game-changing measures are urgently needed to overturn the decline of our country’s education quality and to sufficiently capacitate the education system to perform its role in nation-building,” ACT said.
The Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), which was among those that recommended Angara’s appointment as DepEd chief, noted that the senator “authored landmark legislations in education including the Free College Law and the Free Kindergarten Law” and “He has “also served as the chairman of the Senate committee on youth, where he pushed for greater opportunities for the youth to participate in policy-making and nation-building.”
In a statement congratulating Angara, the Makati Business Club (MBC) cited the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s latest Program for International Assessment Report (PISA), where the Philippines ranked last among Association of Southeast Asian Nation members in the areas of science, reading, and mathematics.
“These results highlight the urgent need for an experienced leader who will be able to transform and revive the Philippine education system. A well educated population is key to creating a competitive workforce that will be able to keep up with rapid technological developments given the acceleration of artificial intelligence,” MBC said.
“MBC looks forward to working with Senator Angara and wishes him all the best in this critical role, to ensure that elementary and high school principals and teachers are equipped with the literacy, technical, and character skills needed to prepare Filipino children and youth to meet the challenges of the future,” it added.
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) said that it would have been ideal for an educator or a member of the academic sector to get the top DepEd post – especially as there are “many qualified individuals” who meet this critera – but it respects President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to tap Angara for the post.
“As we have previously stated, we are willing to work with whoever takes the role to improve the agency and education sector. To start, we hope that the incoming secretary engages with stakeholders, especially teachers. He will encounter significant challenges, but addressing these can lead to substantial progress in our education system,” TDC said.
“Senator Angara will face formidable challenges in DepEd, and we stand ready to cooperate to overcome these for the education sector’s benefit. But, we vow to be vigilant in preventing any attempt to use DepEd for partisan politics. For now, we welcome the Senator to the Department and request a meeting with him at his earliest convenience,” it added.
TDC also presented 10 “critical areas” that Angara would have to immediately attend to, ranging from support for legislation proposing salary increases for teachers, to revising “the curriculum to align with our socio-cultural context and reinstate Philippine history in high school.”
Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros said that Angara is “one of the most qualified and acceptable DepEd Secretaries among education reform advocates.”
“Bilang nakasama at nakatrabaho, mula sa Kamara hanggang sa Senado (As someone who has worked with him, from the House to the Senate), Senator Sonny’s work as legislator and as member of EDCOM 2 speaks volumes of his commitment and aspiration for a better education sector,” she said in a statement
As EDCOM 2 commissioner, Angara promised a comprehensive review of the K to 12 program.
Senate President Chiz Escudero, who had endorsed Angara’s appointment to Marcos last week, said: “Secretary Angara’s task ahead is indeed gargantuan, but I have full confidence in his ability to lead the DepEd with excellence and integrity. His proven track record in legislative work, particularly in education reform, uniquely positions him to address the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”
Senator Migz Zubiri said that Angara “is more than qualified to head our most important agency, with the biggest share in the national budget no less.”
“Senator Sonny brings to the DepEd his brilliant fiscal mind, being a former chair of the Senate finance panel, and his heart for our youth, being part of the EDCOM II,” Zubiri said.
Angara’s Senate term ends in 2025. Escudero had said that there might be no need to replace Angara since his term is ending in less than a year anyway. – Rappler.com
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President Marcos Jr. has appointed a political ally to lead the DepEd. Senator Angara, a politician, is being questioned whether he will bring “politics” into DepEd, similar to what VP Sara has done. Being an experienced legislator but not a DepEd bureaucrat raises concerns. In any case, this situation is seen as evidence that the Political Patronage System is functioning effectively in our government.
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Tensions rise in Cagayan de Oro as group protests vs LWUA, water district manager | Herbie G | 02/07/2024 16:18 | PROTEST. A resident joins the protest organized by the Bantay Tubig Movement on Tuesday, July 2, in front of the Cagayan de Oro Water District’s main office.
Franck Dick Rosete/Rappler
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Tensions rose on Tuesday, July 2, as a group led by a former city councilor protested, demanding the removal of the interim manager of the Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) and calling for the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) to stay out of the public utility’s affairs.
Protesters, including several barangay officials, took to the streets with banners bearing anti-LWUA messages and seeking the removal of COWD interim manager Fermin Jarales. One banner read that the LWUA “is not welcome in Cagayan de Oro.”
The street protest, staged by the group Bantay Tubig Movement (BTM), came several days after the COWD’s interim board approved a cease-and-desist order against the utility’s sidelined general manager due to his alleged continuous interference despite the LWUA takeover of the water district.
City hall night market team head Enrico Salcedo, a former city councilor and BTM convenor, said the street protest was launched to pressure COWD’s interim officials to rescind or rid the firm’s contract with its primary supplier of provisions, which they see as onerous.
Protesters said the interim officials have not acted on their call to address the COWD’s 2017 contract with the Manny V. Pangilinan-controlled Cagayan de Oro Bulk Water Incorporated (COBI).
On June 18, BTM submitted a manifesto, signed by 17,228 residents, to the COWD to protest a clause in the contract that allows COBI to adjust its water rate every three years. Salcedo’s group said the provision was disadvantageous to the COWD and the city’s water consumers.
Jarales, however, said the COWD’s interim board has been deliberating on the contract and is now addressing the financial aspects of the 2017 agreement after establishing its position on the legal aspect.
“Once our report is finished, it will be presented to them for consultation,” Jarales said.
The LWUA, the regulator of public water utilities in the provinces, took over the COWD on May 29, following the order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for it to intervene after a water supply crisis briefly gripped Cagayan de Oro. The crisis stemmed from an unresolved debt dispute of over P400 million between the COWD and COBI.
The problem resulted in a temporary supply disconnection on May 14.
A cease-and-desist order, issued on Friday, June 28, directed COWD’s sidelined general manager, Engineer Antonio Young, to stop discharging the functions of a general manager.
Young was prohibited from interfering in the COWD’s operations and administration, including the signing of documents and checks.
The engineer was also barred from entering the COWD office and other facilities unless authorized by Jarales.
The COWD interim board’s drastic move came after its members were informed that Young had allegedly been presenting himself as the COWD’s functioning general manager despite the LWUA takeover.
Jarales alleged that there was an instance when a document couldn’t be signed due to a resolution passed by the sidelined COWD board because employees were instructed to follow no one but Young. In a May 29 press conference, Young confirmed that the board issued the resolution.
A day later, however, Jarales issued a memorandum directing all COWD employees to report only to the interim board and general manager following the takeover. He asked the workers to maintain their professionalism and prevent any sabotage.
“In the interim period, it is the interim management that will handle the operation of COWD,” Jarales told Rappler in an interview on Monday, July 1.
On June 25, Jarales issued another memorandum, directing Young to perform tasks he was authorized to do in a work-from-home setting, an order which the sidelined manager questioned before the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) and Civil Service Commission (CSC).
Based on Jarales’ order, Young’s new working arrangement was implemented to prevent him from carrying out unauthorized actions.
Rappler sought comment from Young, but he declined to give a statement, following his lawyer’s advice.
Earlier, however, Young said he couldn’t just abandon his post despite the LWUA takeover, adding that he was still awaiting the response of the OGCC.
Young also pointed out in a previous interview that working from home would not be possible for him because it would hamper the operations of the water district. He said he remained the authorized COWD signatory.
The COWD’s interim officials warned that they would be compelled to “take the appropriate action” against Young if he forced the issue. – Rappler.com
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PH, China mull resumption of Duterte-era joint coast guard committee | Bea Cupin | 02/07/2024 20:02 | CHINESE HARASSMENT. The China Coast Guard brandishes weapons, uses sirens, and threatens Filipino soldiers already moored alongside the BRP Sierra Madre during a June 17, 2024 resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal.
Armed Forces of the Philippines
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines and China discussed the “possible resumption” of a Duterte-era Joint Coast Guard Committee (JCGC), during a bilateral meeting on issues in the South China Sea.
Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong met in Manila on Tuesday, July 2, for the 9th meeting of the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea.
“Noting recent incidents in the South China Sea, both sides recognized that there is a need to restore trust, rebuild confidence, and create conditions conducive to productive dialogue and interaction,” said the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
It’s the first BCM meeting since China Coast Guard (CCG) personnel blocked, harassed, towed, and boarded Philippine Navy rubber boats during a military resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal on June 17.
“The two sides discussed their respective positions on Ayungin Shoal and affirmed their commitment to de-escalate tensions without prejudice to their respective positions,” the DFA said.
Manila and Beijing said there was “substantial progress on developing measures to manage the situation at sea, but significant differences remain.”
“Both sides agreed to continue discussions to find a mutually-acceptable resolution to the issues,” the statement added.
In a separate statement, China said the BCM meeting was a “candid and constructive exchange of views…on handling the situation at Ren’ai Jiao.” Ren’ai Jiao is what China calls Ayungin Shoal.
In a statement released by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Beijing insisted that it has “sovereignty” over the Spratlys, including Ayungin Shoal. The ministry said they “[urged] the Philippine side to stop maritime infringement and provocation at once” and to “abide by the provisions of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC)” and “return to the right track of properly handling disputes through dialogue and consultation.”
Beijing also said it urged Manila to “promote the easing and cooling down of the maritime situation, and stabilize China-Philippines relations from further deterioration.”
The JCGC was established as a result of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the CCG signed during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s state visit to China in October 2016.
Manila and Beijing also signed an “Arrangement on Improving Philippines-China Maritime Communication Mechanisms” and “agreed to discuss further how to operationalize this mechanism,” the DFA said.
The two countries also agreed to “continued discussions on the possibility of convening an academic forum among scientists and academics on marine scientific and technological cooperation.”
This would not be the first time for the Philippines and China to emphasize possible cooperation between its two coast guards during a BCM.
In the 8th BCM meeting hosted by Shanghai in January 2024, the two countries promised to improve “maritime communication mechanism” not just between diplomats but between their respective coast guards.
Likewise, discussions to improve communication mechanism in general are also not new. Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Beijing and Manila agreed to establish a hotline of sorts, to manage tensions in the South China Sea. But the DFA itself noted that in instances where tensions rose, China either did not pick up the phone or was slow to respond.
Tensions in the West Philippine Sea, or parts of the South China Sea that include the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), have gone up in the past year or so, particularly in flashpoints like Ayungin Shoal and Scarborough Shoal. – Rappler.com
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2 Chinese linked to Porac POGO sued for human trafficking | Jairo Bolledo | 02/07/2024 20:23 | COMPLAINTS. Department of Justice prosecutors receive the complaints filed against two Chinese connected with the Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) in Porac, Pampanga on July 2, 2024.
Sourced photo
MANILA, Philippines – The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), along with civilians, filed criminal complaints against two Chinese connected with a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) in Porac, Pampanga for various offenses, including human trafficking and kidnapping.
On Tuesday, July 1, Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors received the complaints filed by the PAOCC and unspecified complainants against Qin Ren Gou, 37, originally from Hunan province, China, and Jiang Shi Guang, 41, from Heibei province. The two Chinese face the following criminal complaints:
The Chinese sued were related to Lucky South 99, the controversial POGO “checked” by the PAOCC and other Philippine authorities in early June. Workers from the said POGO claimed to have been trafficked and tortured. The two respondents are currently under the PAOCC’s custody.
DOJ prosecutors explained they cannot disclose yet the names of the civilian complainants, who are Chinese, due to security concerns. Complainants claimed they were restrained to a bed frame, kept locked for several days, and was beaten.
Tangled connections
The events in the controversial POGO in Porac, Pampanga have attracted the public’s attention due to the personalities involved and corruption within government.
Dennis Cunanan, a convicted pork barrel scam player, was allegedly hired by Lucky South 99 to run its corporate communications and government relations arm. The operation against the Porac POGO also opened the discussion of a possible leak within government since some foreigners were caught leaving before PAOCC even reached the area to conduct a “welfare check.”
The latest complaints were the second set of suits filed in relation to POGOs. Last month, Philippine authorities also filed a qualified trafficking complaint against Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, Cunanan, and 12 others, in relation to their alleged ties to Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated. The said POGO, located within Guo’s jurisdiction, was raided in March over alleged human trafficking.
Aside from her alleged ties with the illegal POGO, Guo is also in hot water over her real identity and citizenship. During Senate probes, lawmakers flagged Guo’s shady background. Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros even raised the question of whether Guo was an “asset” planted by China to infiltrate local politics. The mayor also claimed in one of the public hearings that she couldn’t remember basic details about her life.
The National Bureau of Investigation recently confirmed that the fingerprints of Guo and Guo Hua Ping, the Chinese woman suspected to be her true identity, had matched. This is evidence against the local official, which could be used to prove that she may be Chinese and not Filipino. – Rappler.com
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Gilas prospect AJ Edu continues Japan journey, signs with Nagasaki after Toyama stint | jisaga0269 | 02/07/2024 18:46 | KEY COG. Filipino import AJ Edu in action with Toyama in the Japan B. League.
Japan B. League
MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas prospect AJ Edu is set to continue his career with the Japan B. League, signing with the Nagasaki Velca on Tuesday, July 2, at the conclusion of his stint with the Toyama Grouses.
This marks the 6-foot-10 forward’s second stop in his budding professional career, one year after linking up with Toyama – fellow Gilas star Dwight Ramos’ former team. Nagasaki, in turn, was Gilas gunner Jordan Heading’s former squad.
Edu now joins a team that marked a rapid ascent in the B. League ranks since its formation in 2020. After setting a Division 3 winning percentage record of 93% off a 42-3 season romp in 2021, the Velca were elevated to Division 2 in 2022 before rising to Division 1 this year.
The 24-year-old highflyer is expected to further boost Nagasaki’s contention bid after standing out in his rookie season with averages of 13.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.7 blocks.
Edu, however, is currently out of commission with a torn meniscus. He is set to miss Gilas’ Olympic Qualifying Tournament bid in Riga, Latvia, which starts on Thursday, July 4. – Rappler.com
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Results, schedule: 2024 FIVB Women’s Challenger Cup | jisaga0269 | 02/07/2024 17:40 | Volleyball World
MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos will again be treated to world-class volleyball as the 2024 FIVB Challenger Cup kicks off in Manila on Thursday, July 4, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, with games running until Sunday, July 7.
Hosted a few minutes away from the site of the 2024 Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Challenge Cup, the world-level Challenger Cup will serve as a qualifier for the 2025 Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL), and features a formidable eight-team field, including star-studded Alas Pilipinas.
Including the world No. 55 Philippines, all Challenger Cup teams are must-see attractions as half the participants are within the world’s top 20, bannered by No. 13 Belgium.
The Challenger Cup immediately starts with the quarterfinals, as all eight countries face off in a series of do-or-die matches, followed by the knockout semifinals and the winner-take-all final.
Here is the schedule of the four-day tournament, with results to follow as they become available.
– Rappler.com
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UP shores up frontline anew, taps one-and-done Quentin Millora-Brown | jisaga0269 | 02/07/2024 14:34 | VETERAN. Quentin Millora-Brown (42) handles the ball.
UP OASD
MANILA, Philippines – The UP Fighting Maroons continue to strengthen their lineup ahead of the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament, tapping 6-foot-10 Filipino-American big man Quentin Millora-Brown on Tuesday, July 2.
Immediately eligible to play as a one-and-done recruit, Millora-Brown is expected to fill in the gargantuan shoes of former league MVP Malick Diouf, who graduated after back-to-back silver-medal finishes in Seasons 85 and 86.
A well-traveled college standout, Millora-Brown suited up for Citadel last year for his senior season and averaged 11.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.5 blocks. This comes after a three-year stint in Vanderbilt and a rookie season in Rice University.
“His entry to our team is another big thing because he can help step up from the loss of Malick,” said UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde in Filipino in a release.
Millora-Brown is tabbed to stand out in an already crowded Maroons frontline featuring the likes of Nigerian Dikachi Udodo, Francis Lopez, Sean Alter, Aldous Torculas, Gani Stevens, Mark Belmonte, and Seven Gagate.
UP, the newly crowed Filoil preseason champion, is once again one of the top contenders for Season 87 alongside defending champion La Salle. – Rappler.com
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The Philippine Senate: From statesmen to showmen | jpcruz0306 | 02/07/2024 16:30 | David Castuciano/Rappler
“There is one dream that we all Filipinos share: that our children may have a better life than we have had. To make this country, our country, a nation for our children,” former senator and human rights activist Jose Diokno said.
“I am not a dove nor am I a hawk. I am a Kalaw, a truly Filipino bird,” former senator Eva Kalaw said, opposing the dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos and the US for wanting to send Filipino troops to the Vietnam War.
“Independence, like freedom, is never granted. It is always asserted and affirmed. Its defense is an everyday endeavor – sometimes in the field of battle, oftentimes in the contest of conflicting wills and ideas. It is a daily struggle that may never end – for as long as we live,” former Senate president Jovito Salonga wrote.
These are some of the pronouncements of great Filipino statesmen from the past.
Of late, however, the Senate has been mired in controversy, if not protracted drama. Seemingly stripped of the formality of statesmanship, senators danced and sang, while one dared groom his mustache during a hearing. In the previous Congress, one senator was even caught playing a game on his iPad while in session.
From the 8th Congress after the EDSA People Power revolution all the way to the 19th Congress, Rappler analyzed demographic trends and patterns including hometowns, gender, age, education, and professions. Have these factors affected the composition of the Senate?
The data showed that since the 8th Congress, most of the senators came from Luzon, specifically Metro Manila, a vote-rich region. Only a few came from Mindanao and the Visayas.
Ateneo political science department chair and professor Carmel Abao attributes this to the proximity of candidates from the capital region to the seat of power, giving them the advantage of having more resources and networks to launch their national campaigns.
Regions like Calabarzon and Central Luzon – also vote-rich – have frequently seen their candidates in the Senate. Abao noted that campaigning in the Visayas and Mindanao is more challenging due to logistical and population density issues.
The large number of senators coming from Manila, according to University of the Philippines political science professor Jean Franco, also affects the discussions and priorities in the Senate, which tend to be national in focus.
She noted, however, that the lower chamber, where district representatives are elected and which represents mostly local issues, balances the agenda of the chambers.
With the current dominance of senators from Metro Manila, Franco also hopes for more diverse representation across other regions of the Philippines, reminiscent of the time when senators were elected by district under the Jones Law.
Enacted by the US Congress, the Jones Law aimed to promote autonomy for the Philippines which was colonized by the Americans. It established the Philippine legislature, which comprises the Senate and the House of Representatives. This bicameral Congress governed the country from October 1916 to November 1935.
Despite comprising nearly half the Philippines’ population, women remain underrepresented in the Senate.
Abao and Franco both said that the dominance of men in the Senate reflects a societal preference for male leaders over females.
“The Congress and Senate reflect our society’s gender inequality. It’s still a system that’s favorable to men,” Abao said.
There has been a gradual increase in female representation, but women senators remain a minority, and the country has yet to see a female Senate president.
The 18th and current 19th Congresses had the highest number of women senators in history, with seven seats occupied by women. These milestones, however, have not translated into substantive policy advancements for women, Franco and Abao said.
Many women senators, they noted, hail from political dynasties or are associated with influential male politicians like Makati’s Jejomar Binay, the late Renato Cayetano of Taguig–Pateros–Muntinlupa, former president Ferdinand E. Marcos of Ilocos Norte, and Manuel Villar of Las Piñas–Muntinlupa.
Incumbent Senator Grace Poe, meanwhile, is the adopted daughter of the late Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces, former king and queen, respectively, of the national box office. Fernando Poe Jr. ran for president in 2004 but lost to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in an election marred by allegations of cheating, most notably the infamous “Hello Garci” scandal.
Historical data on senators since the 8th Congress also show a trend of more senior lawmakers in terms of age. From the 8th to the 12th Congress, senators aged 50 to 59 dominated the upper chamber. Starting the 13th Congress, however, the Senate saw an influx of relatively younger legislators in their 40s.
In the 15th and 16th Congresses, there were at least seven and eight senators, respectively, who were “senior citizens.” By the 18th Congress, however, there were again at least 11 senators in their 50s.
The two scholars attributed the success of elder politicians to their long-established national presence, as well as their capacity to launch a national campaign.
In the 19th Congress, most of the senators, eleven in total, are in their 50s. Six senators are in their 60s, while another six are in their 40s.
The eldest senator in the present chamber is Cynthia Villar, 73, while the youngest is her son, Mark, at 45. Fifteen out of the 24 senators are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964. The other nine senators belong to Generation X, born between 1966 and 1980.
The minimum age to be a senator in the Philippines is 35 years old.
Given the low number of young lawmakers, Franco said that “young people should push for representation in the Senate.” The median age of the Philippine population is 24.5 years old, the youngest in the region, according to the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office report in 2021.
The Philippines does not have a stringent educational requirement for aspiring senators or elected officials in general. The 1987 Constitution says that as long as you can read and write, you’re good to go.
Despite this, the majority of senators, especially during the 8th Congress, have held post-graduate degrees, mostly in law. This trend continued up to the current 19th Congress.
Abao, however, said that the high educational background of senators has not produced “evidence-based policymaking.”
“To what extent do they utilize available knowledge in their decision-making? Because that’s not very obvious,” she said.
Without naming names, Abao pointed out that some lawmakers, for example, have used the Bible to argue against the reproductive health law in a secular setting and have relied on personal experiences in discussions on divorce.
“Formal education is necessary but not sufficient. Someone might have extensive formal education but lack rootedness in society and empathy for the people affected by their policies,” she said. In other words, knowledge that is rooted in society, and which can be incredibly valuable, is not dependent on a college degree.
While many senators in the 19th Congress flexed their master’s and doctorate degrees from premier institutions, at least four senators did not complete college, among them, Lito Lapid, Imee Marcos, Bong Revilla Jr., and Raffy Tulfo.
Imee claims to have earned a degree from Princeton University, but the institution told Rappler previously in an email, that she did not finish her degree.
Other senators who made it to the Senate’s table despite not having college degrees were Anna Dominique “Nikki” M.L. Coseteng, journalist Francisco Tatad, actor-turned-politician Joseph E. Estrada, and incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. College degrees, however, are not the be-all and end-all of successful or meaningful legislation, much less success in life.
Tatad, an accomplished journalist, was barred from pursuing his degree at the University of Santo Tomas for allegedly “insulting” school authorities, the Varsitarian reported. Following this, he worked as a reporter for Agence France-Presse.
Meanwhile, Bongbong, like his sister, claimed to have a college degree from Oxford University, but clarified that the special diploma given to him in 1978 “was not a full graduate diploma.”
For Franco, who used to work in the Senate, the quality of legislation cannot be solely attributed to educational attainment. Senators have staff, a secretariat, a bill drafting division, and receive input from the executive and experts, she said.
Thus, a senator’s performance cannot be judged by bills alone. Wit can be tested when lawmakers defend their respective bills on the floor, she said.
Lawyers, celebrities
Throughout history, the Philippine Senate has been dominated by lawyers. During the 8th Congress,14 of the 24 Senate seats were occupied by lawyers.
Abao explained that this trend reflects the public perception that legal expertise fits well with legislative work.
She, however, noticed that the professional backgrounds of elected senators are not diverse enough to adequately mirror sectoral needs and interests. Based on the labor department’s February 2024 survey, the majority, or 60% of Filipinos worked in the service sector, 21% in agriculture, and 18% in the industry sector.
For Franco, one doesn’t have to be a lawyer to be a senator. Ideally, a senator, according to Franco, should also be a policy wonk, someone who understands the issues, and looks at laws based on evidence.
The Senate has also been a hub for “career politicians” – many of whom have transitioned from local to national roles. These include Imee Marcos, Joel Villanueva, Nancy Binay, Sherwin Gatchalian, and Miguel Zubiri. Many of them come from political dynasties.
Filipino voters, according to Franco, have a penchant for electing celebrity senators. Even in the 1950s, celebrities were elected, but their numbers surged post-1986 due to the restoration of media freedom after Marcos’ repressive Martial Law.
Abao said that the Senate, and politics in general, have become a retirement haven for aging celebrities.
“When you’re an older celebrity, your career path often leads to politics because it also relies on popularity. It’s easy to win an election if you’re a celebrity, so many of them [go that route],” Abao said in a mix of Filipino and English.
Under the 19th Congress, there are four from the action film industry who became senators: Lito Lapid, Bong Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada, and neophyte lawmaker Robin Padilla, who led the senatorial race in 2022, besting other longtime politicians.
Other previously elected celebrity senators are Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Ramon Revilla, Joseph Estrada, Nikki Coseteng, and Agapito “Butz” Aquino.
Former media personalities have also made their mark in the Senate. Notable examples include broadcast journalist Orlando “Orly” Mercado, writer Blas Ople, former diplomatic reporter Tatad, Raul Manglapus, and Noli de Castro of ABS-CBN.
In the 19th Congress, there are three of them: Senators Risa Hontiveros, Raffy Tulfo, and Loren Legarda.
Military representation in the Senate is not quite common. Among the select few who have transitioned from battlefield to the Senate are former commander of the AFP’s National Capital Region Defense Command Rodolfo “Pong” Biazon, Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II, and Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes IV.
There were also a couple of former policemen who made it to the Senate like Robert Barbers, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Alfredo Lim, and most recently Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
Few businessmen are present in the Senate. Under the 19th Congress, there’s the mother and son tandem of Cynthia and Manny Villar. Their family owns the Philippines’ biggest home builder, Vista Land. The family’s patriarch, Manny, who was recognized by Forbes as the richest Filipino in the country in 2024, also used to be Senate president.
Despite the educational backgrounds and professional qualifications of many senators, the quality of legislation and debate in the upper chamber has remained cause for concern.
As political analysts suggested, the Senate’s demographic trends highlight the exclusivity of the chamber and the need for more inclusive representation.
“Demographics should suggest inclusivity, age matters, gender matters, education matters to the extent that the discourse is evidence-based, as well as professional background,” Abao said.
“If you want better policy, I guess we should go for better inclusion, better representation, not just [be] dominated by political families,” the Ateneo professor added.
Abao emphasized that the capability and the causes championed by senators are what truly matter.
“Basta marunong kang makinig, marunong kang magsalita, marunong kang mag-isip, puwede kang maging senador basta may dala-dala ka,” she said. (As long as you know how to listen, speak, think, you can be a senator as long as you carry something with you.)
There aren’t too stiff requirements to be a senator in the Philippines. One can run for the Senate so long as an individual can read and write, is a registered voter, at least 35 years old on election day, a natural-born Filipino citizen, and a resident of the Philippines for at least two years immediately preceding the day of election.
While these criteria may seem less stringent compared to corporate jobs, the role of senators is crucial because decisions – from bills they file and vote for, to the issues they scrutinize – have a significant impact on the lives of thousands of people.
As the 2025 midterm elections approach, the question remains: What kind of senators will Filipinos elect? Will they continue to favor politicians in the traditional mold or will they opt for greater inclusivity and representation? – Rappler.com
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The trend of favoring traditional politicians is expected to continue. President Marcos Jr., a traditional politician proficient in high-tech disinformation and allegedly significant wealth of unknown origin, is anticipated to surround himself with like-minded individuals. Achieving greater inclusivity and representation seems unattainable unless a genuine and transformative social change occurs.
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La Mesa Ecopark reopens after 4-month closure | Iya Gozum | 02/07/2024 17:52 | La Mesa Ecopark, dubbed as Metro Manila's last green frontier, reopens to the public on Satuday, June 29.
MANILA, Philippines – The La Mesa Ecopark, the public park near the La Mesa Dam, reopened its gates on Saturday, June 29, four months after temporarily cosing down.
The reopening marks the completion of the first of a three-phase park redevelopment.
The ecopark and watershed are considered Metro Manila’s last green frontiers situated north of Metro Manila.
The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), Manila Water, and the Quezon City government, led the opening on Saturday, intending to promote watershed conservation, biodiversity preservation, forest protection, and climate action.
Located in Novaliches, the 33-hectare area hosts over 220 species of flora and fauna, according to an assessment done by the Center for Conservation Innovation PH.
“We would like to envision transforming the La Mesa Ecopark as a destination that offers experiential and environmental learning,” said Reginald Andal, executive director of Manila Water Foundation.
The first completed phase features the eco-academy hall, eco-view deck, souvenir shop, picnic areas, nipa huts, plant nursery, and food park.
Visitors can enjoy recreational activities such as guided bird watching, nature walking, forest paintball, wall climbing, rappelling, and archery tag.
Residents of Quezon City can enter for free with their QCitizen card while visitors from other cities can enter for a minimal fee of ₱20. Some facilities will have additional fees separate from the entrance fee.
As of now, the park will only accommodate a maximum of 1,000 reserved slots per day, made through MWF’s website. The management will not entertain walk-ins yet.
The park is open Tuesday to Sunday from 7 am to 4 pm. It is closed on Mondays for maintenance.
Phases 2 and 3 are set to be completed by 2025.
“This is not a small step. We’re awaiting phase 2 and phase 3 because that’s where the meat of the matter is—biodiversity,” said JV Emmanuel de Dios, president and chief executive officer of the Manila Water Company.
Phase 2 will include the lagoon suitable for recreational fishing activities, the Neptune garden, and Flower Hill. Phase 3 will include a forest area for hiking, trekking, and biking.
The opening ceremony also acknowledges the support of its recognition partners, Bloomberry Cultural Foundation, PAGCOR, Quezon City government, and Wilcon Depot honoring them with the ‘Kasangga ng Kalikasan’ award.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte proudly said they are the only city in the Philippines that belongs to the C40 Alliance of Global Cities for the Environment.
“Quezon City is really the trailblazer and the pioneer city in promoting climate action and sustaining the environment,” Belmonte said.
“We will nurture its natural beauty and ensure its rich biodiversity thrives for future generations,” she added.
Under the law, La Mesa Ecopark and La Mesa Watershed are under the joint authority of MWSS and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. These sites are used for intensive restoration, rehabilitation, and water quality monitoring.
Earlier this year, ABS-CBN Foundation ended its 25-year stewardship of the ecopark and the nature reserve. – Erika Sinaking/Rappler.com
Erika Sinaking is a Rappler intern from Adamson University. She is a third year student taking up Bachelor of Arts in Communication.
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Tara na! Top 10 destinations of Filipino travelers for 2024, according to Google | Steph Arnaldo | 02/07/2024 16:09 | TOURIST SPOTS. Caticlan, Manila, and Singapore are among the most popular travel destinations.
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MANILA, Philippines – Still unsure where to spend your next vacation leave? Take inspiration from fellow Filipino travelers and book your flight to these top-searched tourist destinations in the Philippines and around Asia!
Google has released a list of the top 10 most-searched destinations of Filipino travelers from June to August 2024, based on the query volumes on Google Flights.
According to Google’s data, the top three travel trends of the year so far include immersive cultural experiences. More travelers are seeking “enriching cultural exchanges,” and want to discover local cuisines. Local food tours are popular in the Asia-Pacific. More travelers are also looking for nature-based travel and sustainability, with many booking tree-planting activities.
Here are the top 10 travel destinations of Filipinos.
First on the list is the country’s chief city and capital! Google recommends Manila as the “perfect spot for families,” with historical and leisure sites like Fort Santiago and Luneta Park. Manila also houses the historical Walled City of Intramuros and the Casa Manila Museum, for history buffs and art enthusiasts to immerse in.
The National Museum is also a popular tourist site, showcasing collections of paintings, sculptures, and artifacts dating back to the 17th century. It is open to the public and free of charge.
Referred to as the gateway to Boracay’s finest beaches, Caticlan remains on the radar of beachgoers in the country. It is a barangay in Malay, Aklan, located at the northern tip of Panay Island and hosts one of two airports that serve as jump-off points to Boracay.
Boracay was one of Time‘s 50 World’s Greatest Places in 2022. Aside from enjoying its iconic sunsets and white-sand beach, travelers can enjoy a wide range of water activities, from snorkeling to riding a jet ski! There’s much more to indulge in here – good food, drinks, souvenirs, the island nightlife, and more.
Balancing tradition and modernity, the eclectic city of Tokyo is among the favorite tourist spots of Filipinos for good reason.
Google recommends visiting the world-famous Asakusa, where the more traditional vibe of Tokyo is preserved. Here you can visit the Buddhist temple Sensoji, craft shops, street food stalls, the mid-19th century Hanayashiki amusement park, and rent kimonos. Anime fans can also visit locations of their favorite series or movies, as well as the Ghibli Museum.
A maayo nga adlaw (good day) is promised in Cebu, the Visayas’ “Queen City of the South.” Cebu witnesses an influx of tourists in January during the Feast of Santo Niño or the Sinulog Festival. The city also boasts historic places like the Basilica de Santo Niño and Magellan’s Cross, and tourist draws like the Temple of Leah. For beach bums, Moalboal is a municipality in Cebu famous for its reef and dive sites and sardine run.
Cebu is also home to the famous lechon (roasted pig), tuslob buwa (rice dipped in pig brain and soy sauce mix), Carcar chicharon, and dried mangoes.
Visa-free Hong Kong is just a two-hour plane ride away from the Philippines.
Google suggests tourists visit Ngong Ping Plateau’s Tian Tan Buddha and Po Lin Monastery, founded by three monks in 1906. On the same island, you can ride one of Asia’s longest aerial cable car systems in Ngong Ping 360, taking you from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping with stunning views. Of course, a visit to Hong Kong Disneyland will entertain the inner child in you!
Bangkok is famous for its grand palaces, heritage sites, and temples. Tourists can visit the 18th-century Grand Palace and also various Buddhist temples like Wat Arun.
Shopping is all the rage here too, so pay a visit to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and Chatuchak Weekend Market, which is among the largest open-air markets in the world. Get a taste of Thailand’s famous delicacies – Pad Thai, Mango Sticky Rice, Thai Milk Tea, and more.
Singapore’s Changi Airport alone is a grand spectacle and has contributed to the Lion City’s seventh spot in the Google list.
Crowds can usually be found around the Singapore River to marvel at the Merlion, the half-mermaid, half-lion statue that spews water and stands at 8.6 meters and weighs 70 tons. Tourists can swim at the iconic infinity pool in Marina Bay Sands, where you can also catch a glimpse of the city’s skyline. Singapore’s Garden by the Bay is also a famous spot, as well as the city’s hawker centers for the best street food.
Taipei is Taiwan’s capital city and economic and cultural center. It is located at the eastern edge of the Eurasian tectonic plate, making it surprisingly mountainous for an island this small.
Taipei’s landmarks include its modern cosmopolitan architecture, Taipei 101, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Halls, and the natural beauty of Yangmingshan National Park and Nangang District Hiking Trail. Don’t miss the hot springs of Xinbeitou, where guests can soak in the benefits of the water’s minerals after a long walk on one of the city’s nature trails.
South Korea’s capital is not only the birthplace of K-pop, but it’s also a tourist haven of good food, nightlife, shopping centers, colorful dance clubs, and 24/7 cafes offering panoramic views of the city.
Filipinos love the beach, and with the country’s rising temperatures, who can blame them? Last but not the least is Mindanao’s own Del Carmen!
Del Carmen, a fifth-class municipality in Surigao del Norte, continues to draw tourists due to its natural beauty and lush scenery. It houses the country’s largest mangrove sanctuary, hectares of coconut trees, peaceful islands, and the Sugba Lagoon.
Del Carmen is also near Siargao’s famous landmarks like Guyam Island, Daku Island, and the Cloud 9 Surfing Area. – with reports from Fore Esperanza/Rappler.com
Fore Esperanza is a Rappler intern.
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Jollibee Group acquires majority stake in Korea’s Compose Coffee for $340 million | Ralf Rivas | 02/07/2024 17:06 | MANILA, Philippines – Filipino global food chain Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) is acquiring 70% of Compose Coffee, among South Korea’s most popular low cost coffee stores.
JFC said it acquired the shares for $340 million (around P20 billion). Private equity firms Titan Dining II LP and Elevation Equity Partners Korea Limited retain 5% and 25% of Compose Coffee, respectively.
Compose Coffee is the fastest growing coffee chain in South Korea, with 2,470 franchised stores. It boasts the largest in-house coffee roasting plant in Korea, which enables it to distribute specialty beans at low cost.
The company, with V of BTS as brand ambassador, also boasts of a debt-free balance sheet, “superior cash returns and excellent profitability margins.”
JFC said Compose Coffee is the biggest acquisition in terms of number of stores, bringing the group’s total store network closer to 10,000 stores. More than 66% of JFC’s stores are already outside the Philippines.
Compose Coffee and its roasting facility JMCF Co. Ltd. were founded in Busan in 2014. The brand was named South Korea’s favorite coffee shop at the 2023 Korea’s Most Loved Brand Awards, an event organized by Forbes Korea and sponsored by South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT and Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy.
“The business that Compose Coffee has built in the past 10 years is impressive and we are excited to play a major role in its next phase of growth. We believe that Compose Coffee is a compelling strategic fit for JFC and is on track to becoming the largest, fastest growing and leading value coffee player in South Korea,” said JFC chairman Tony Tan Caktiong. – Rappler.com
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‘Much-improved choice’: Groups, lawmakers hail Angara’s appointment as DepEd chief | Bonz Magsambol | 02/07/2024 16:52 | File photo of Senator Sonny Angara
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MANILA, Philippines – Education groups welcomed the appointment of Senator Sonny Angara as the new secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), with the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) saying that he is a “much-improved choice.”
“ACT has known Senator Angara to be open to dialogues with teachers’ unions and organizations and consistent in his stand for increasing the salaries and improving the benefits of teachers, as well as addressing some problems of the education system,” the biggest teachers’ group said in a statement on Tuesday, July 2.
ACT also took a potshot at Vice President Sara Duterte, who had red-tagged their members when she was DepEd chief. (READ: Sara Duterte brings red-tagging to DepEd)
“ACT hopes that Sen. Angara will remain to be amicable, different from his red-tagger predecessor. We anticipate seeing him asserting some of his progressive stance on education concerns even if they run counter to the administration’s policies that only exacerbate the education crisis,” the group said.
ACT noted that Angara will assume the DepEd leadership at a time when the Philippine education system is facing an unprecedented learning crisis.
He inherits a gargantuan problem in the education sector, including the poor performance of Filipino students in global education assessments. A World Bank report showed that 9 in 10 Filipino students aged 10 are struggling to read simple text.
“Game-changing measures are urgently needed to overturn the decline of our country’s education quality and to sufficiently capacitate the education system to perform its role in nation-building,” ACT said.
The Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), which was among those that recommended Angara’s appointment as DepEd chief, noted that the senator “authored landmark legislations in education including the Free College Law and the Free Kindergarten Law” and “He has “also served as the chairman of the Senate committee on youth, where he pushed for greater opportunities for the youth to participate in policy-making and nation-building.”
In a statement congratulating Angara, the Makati Business Club (MBC) cited the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s latest Program for International Assessment Report (PISA), where the Philippines ranked last among Association of Southeast Asian Nation members in the areas of science, reading, and mathematics.
“These results highlight the urgent need for an experienced leader who will be able to transform and revive the Philippine education system. A well educated population is key to creating a competitive workforce that will be able to keep up with rapid technological developments given the acceleration of artificial intelligence,” MBC said.
“MBC looks forward to working with Senator Angara and wishes him all the best in this critical role, to ensure that elementary and high school principals and teachers are equipped with the literacy, technical, and character skills needed to prepare Filipino children and youth to meet the challenges of the future,” it added.
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) said that it would have been ideal for an educator or a member of the academic sector to get the top DepEd post – especially as there are “many qualified individuals” who meet this critera – but it respects President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to tap Angara for the post.
“As we have previously stated, we are willing to work with whoever takes the role to improve the agency and education sector. To start, we hope that the incoming secretary engages with stakeholders, especially teachers. He will encounter significant challenges, but addressing these can lead to substantial progress in our education system,” TDC said.
“Senator Angara will face formidable challenges in DepEd, and we stand ready to cooperate to overcome these for the education sector’s benefit. But, we vow to be vigilant in preventing any attempt to use DepEd for partisan politics. For now, we welcome the Senator to the Department and request a meeting with him at his earliest convenience,” it added.
TDC also presented 10 “critical areas” that Angara would have to immediately attend to, ranging from support for legislation proposing salary increases for teachers, to revising “the curriculum to align with our socio-cultural context and reinstate Philippine history in high school.”
Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros said that Angara is “one of the most qualified and acceptable DepEd Secretaries among education reform advocates.”
“Bilang nakasama at nakatrabaho, mula sa Kamara hanggang sa Senado (As someone who has worked with him, from the House to the Senate), Senator Sonny’s work as legislator and as member of EDCOM 2 speaks volumes of his commitment and aspiration for a better education sector,” she said in a statement
As EDCOM 2 commissioner, Angara promised a comprehensive review of the K to 12 program.
Senate President Chiz Escudero, who had endorsed Angara’s appointment to Marcos last week, said: “Secretary Angara’s task ahead is indeed gargantuan, but I have full confidence in his ability to lead the DepEd with excellence and integrity. His proven track record in legislative work, particularly in education reform, uniquely positions him to address the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”
Senator Migz Zubiri said that Angara “is more than qualified to head our most important agency, with the biggest share in the national budget no less.”
“Senator Sonny brings to the DepEd his brilliant fiscal mind, being a former chair of the Senate finance panel, and his heart for our youth, being part of the EDCOM II,” Zubiri said.
Angara’s Senate term ends in 2025. Escudero had said that there might be no need to replace Angara since his term is ending in less than a year anyway. – Rappler.com
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President Marcos Jr. has appointed a political ally to lead the DepEd. Senator Angara, a politician, is being questioned whether he will bring “politics” into DepEd, similar to what VP Sara has done. Being an experienced legislator but not a DepEd bureaucrat raises concerns. In any case, this situation is seen as evidence that the Political Patronage System is functioning effectively in our government.
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The Philippine Senate: From statesmen to showmen | jpcruz0306 | 02/07/2024 16:30 | David Castuciano/Rappler
“There is one dream that we all Filipinos share: that our children may have a better life than we have had. To make this country, our country, a nation for our children,” former senator and human rights activist Jose Diokno said.
“I am not a dove nor am I a hawk. I am a Kalaw, a truly Filipino bird,” former senator Eva Kalaw said, opposing the dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos and the US for wanting to send Filipino troops to the Vietnam War.
“Independence, like freedom, is never granted. It is always asserted and affirmed. Its defense is an everyday endeavor – sometimes in the field of battle, oftentimes in the contest of conflicting wills and ideas. It is a daily struggle that may never end – for as long as we live,” former Senate president Jovito Salonga wrote.
These are some of the pronouncements of great Filipino statesmen from the past.
Of late, however, the Senate has been mired in controversy, if not protracted drama. Seemingly stripped of the formality of statesmanship, senators danced and sang, while one dared groom his mustache during a hearing. In the previous Congress, one senator was even caught playing a game on his iPad while in session.
From the 8th Congress after the EDSA People Power revolution all the way to the 19th Congress, Rappler analyzed demographic trends and patterns including hometowns, gender, age, education, and professions. Have these factors affected the composition of the Senate?
The data showed that since the 8th Congress, most of the senators came from Luzon, specifically Metro Manila, a vote-rich region. Only a few came from Mindanao and the Visayas.
Ateneo political science department chair and professor Carmel Abao attributes this to the proximity of candidates from the capital region to the seat of power, giving them the advantage of having more resources and networks to launch their national campaigns.
Regions like Calabarzon and Central Luzon – also vote-rich – have frequently seen their candidates in the Senate. Abao noted that campaigning in the Visayas and Mindanao is more challenging due to logistical and population density issues.
The large number of senators coming from Manila, according to University of the Philippines political science professor Jean Franco, also affects the discussions and priorities in the Senate, which tend to be national in focus.
She noted, however, that the lower chamber, where district representatives are elected and which represents mostly local issues, balances the agenda of the chambers.
With the current dominance of senators from Metro Manila, Franco also hopes for more diverse representation across other regions of the Philippines, reminiscent of the time when senators were elected by district under the Jones Law.
Enacted by the US Congress, the Jones Law aimed to promote autonomy for the Philippines which was colonized by the Americans. It established the Philippine legislature, which comprises the Senate and the House of Representatives. This bicameral Congress governed the country from October 1916 to November 1935.
Despite comprising nearly half the Philippines’ population, women remain underrepresented in the Senate.
Abao and Franco both said that the dominance of men in the Senate reflects a societal preference for male leaders over females.
“The Congress and Senate reflect our society’s gender inequality. It’s still a system that’s favorable to men,” Abao said.
There has been a gradual increase in female representation, but women senators remain a minority, and the country has yet to see a female Senate president.
The 18th and current 19th Congresses had the highest number of women senators in history, with seven seats occupied by women. These milestones, however, have not translated into substantive policy advancements for women, Franco and Abao said.
Many women senators, they noted, hail from political dynasties or are associated with influential male politicians like Makati’s Jejomar Binay, the late Renato Cayetano of Taguig–Pateros–Muntinlupa, former president Ferdinand E. Marcos of Ilocos Norte, and Manuel Villar of Las Piñas–Muntinlupa.
Incumbent Senator Grace Poe, meanwhile, is the adopted daughter of the late Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces, former king and queen, respectively, of the national box office. Fernando Poe Jr. ran for president in 2004 but lost to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in an election marred by allegations of cheating, most notably the infamous “Hello Garci” scandal.
Historical data on senators since the 8th Congress also show a trend of more senior lawmakers in terms of age. From the 8th to the 12th Congress, senators aged 50 to 59 dominated the upper chamber. Starting the 13th Congress, however, the Senate saw an influx of relatively younger legislators in their 40s.
In the 15th and 16th Congresses, there were at least seven and eight senators, respectively, who were “senior citizens.” By the 18th Congress, however, there were again at least 11 senators in their 50s.
The two scholars attributed the success of elder politicians to their long-established national presence, as well as their capacity to launch a national campaign.
In the 19th Congress, most of the senators, eleven in total, are in their 50s. Six senators are in their 60s, while another six are in their 40s.
The eldest senator in the present chamber is Cynthia Villar, 73, while the youngest is her son, Mark, at 45. Fifteen out of the 24 senators are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964. The other nine senators belong to Generation X, born between 1966 and 1980.
The minimum age to be a senator in the Philippines is 35 years old.
Given the low number of young lawmakers, Franco said that “young people should push for representation in the Senate.” The median age of the Philippine population is 24.5 years old, the youngest in the region, according to the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office report in 2021.
The Philippines does not have a stringent educational requirement for aspiring senators or elected officials in general. The 1987 Constitution says that as long as you can read and write, you’re good to go.
Despite this, the majority of senators, especially during the 8th Congress, have held post-graduate degrees, mostly in law. This trend continued up to the current 19th Congress.
Abao, however, said that the high educational background of senators has not produced “evidence-based policymaking.”
“To what extent do they utilize available knowledge in their decision-making? Because that’s not very obvious,” she said.
Without naming names, Abao pointed out that some lawmakers, for example, have used the Bible to argue against the reproductive health law in a secular setting and have relied on personal experiences in discussions on divorce.
“Formal education is necessary but not sufficient. Someone might have extensive formal education but lack rootedness in society and empathy for the people affected by their policies,” she said. In other words, knowledge that is rooted in society, and which can be incredibly valuable, is not dependent on a college degree.
While many senators in the 19th Congress flexed their master’s and doctorate degrees from premier institutions, at least four senators did not complete college, among them, Lito Lapid, Imee Marcos, Bong Revilla Jr., and Raffy Tulfo.
Imee claims to have earned a degree from Princeton University, but the institution told Rappler previously in an email, that she did not finish her degree.
Other senators who made it to the Senate’s table despite not having college degrees were Anna Dominique “Nikki” M.L. Coseteng, journalist Francisco Tatad, actor-turned-politician Joseph E. Estrada, and incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. College degrees, however, are not the be-all and end-all of successful or meaningful legislation, much less success in life.
Tatad, an accomplished journalist, was barred from pursuing his degree at the University of Santo Tomas for allegedly “insulting” school authorities, the Varsitarian reported. Following this, he worked as a reporter for Agence France-Presse.
Meanwhile, Bongbong, like his sister, claimed to have a college degree from Oxford University, but clarified that the special diploma given to him in 1978 “was not a full graduate diploma.”
For Franco, who used to work in the Senate, the quality of legislation cannot be solely attributed to educational attainment. Senators have staff, a secretariat, a bill drafting division, and receive input from the executive and experts, she said.
Thus, a senator’s performance cannot be judged by bills alone. Wit can be tested when lawmakers defend their respective bills on the floor, she said.
Lawyers, celebrities
Throughout history, the Philippine Senate has been dominated by lawyers. During the 8th Congress,14 of the 24 Senate seats were occupied by lawyers.
Abao explained that this trend reflects the public perception that legal expertise fits well with legislative work.
She, however, noticed that the professional backgrounds of elected senators are not diverse enough to adequately mirror sectoral needs and interests. Based on the labor department’s February 2024 survey, the majority, or 60% of Filipinos worked in the service sector, 21% in agriculture, and 18% in the industry sector.
For Franco, one doesn’t have to be a lawyer to be a senator. Ideally, a senator, according to Franco, should also be a policy wonk, someone who understands the issues, and looks at laws based on evidence.
The Senate has also been a hub for “career politicians” – many of whom have transitioned from local to national roles. These include Imee Marcos, Joel Villanueva, Nancy Binay, Sherwin Gatchalian, and Miguel Zubiri. Many of them come from political dynasties.
Filipino voters, according to Franco, have a penchant for electing celebrity senators. Even in the 1950s, celebrities were elected, but their numbers surged post-1986 due to the restoration of media freedom after Marcos’ repressive Martial Law.
Abao said that the Senate, and politics in general, have become a retirement haven for aging celebrities.
“When you’re an older celebrity, your career path often leads to politics because it also relies on popularity. It’s easy to win an election if you’re a celebrity, so many of them [go that route],” Abao said in a mix of Filipino and English.
Under the 19th Congress, there are four from the action film industry who became senators: Lito Lapid, Bong Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada, and neophyte lawmaker Robin Padilla, who led the senatorial race in 2022, besting other longtime politicians.
Other previously elected celebrity senators are Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Ramon Revilla, Joseph Estrada, Nikki Coseteng, and Agapito “Butz” Aquino.
Former media personalities have also made their mark in the Senate. Notable examples include broadcast journalist Orlando “Orly” Mercado, writer Blas Ople, former diplomatic reporter Tatad, Raul Manglapus, and Noli de Castro of ABS-CBN.
In the 19th Congress, there are three of them: Senators Risa Hontiveros, Raffy Tulfo, and Loren Legarda.
Military representation in the Senate is not quite common. Among the select few who have transitioned from battlefield to the Senate are former commander of the AFP’s National Capital Region Defense Command Rodolfo “Pong” Biazon, Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II, and Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes IV.
There were also a couple of former policemen who made it to the Senate like Robert Barbers, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Alfredo Lim, and most recently Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
Few businessmen are present in the Senate. Under the 19th Congress, there’s the mother and son tandem of Cynthia and Manny Villar. Their family owns the Philippines’ biggest home builder, Vista Land. The family’s patriarch, Manny, who was recognized by Forbes as the richest Filipino in the country in 2024, also used to be Senate president.
Despite the educational backgrounds and professional qualifications of many senators, the quality of legislation and debate in the upper chamber has remained cause for concern.
As political analysts suggested, the Senate’s demographic trends highlight the exclusivity of the chamber and the need for more inclusive representation.
“Demographics should suggest inclusivity, age matters, gender matters, education matters to the extent that the discourse is evidence-based, as well as professional background,” Abao said.
“If you want better policy, I guess we should go for better inclusion, better representation, not just [be] dominated by political families,” the Ateneo professor added.
Abao emphasized that the capability and the causes championed by senators are what truly matter.
“Basta marunong kang makinig, marunong kang magsalita, marunong kang mag-isip, puwede kang maging senador basta may dala-dala ka,” she said. (As long as you know how to listen, speak, think, you can be a senator as long as you carry something with you.)
There aren’t too stiff requirements to be a senator in the Philippines. One can run for the Senate so long as an individual can read and write, is a registered voter, at least 35 years old on election day, a natural-born Filipino citizen, and a resident of the Philippines for at least two years immediately preceding the day of election.
While these criteria may seem less stringent compared to corporate jobs, the role of senators is crucial because decisions – from bills they file and vote for, to the issues they scrutinize – have a significant impact on the lives of thousands of people.
As the 2025 midterm elections approach, the question remains: What kind of senators will Filipinos elect? Will they continue to favor politicians in the traditional mold or will they opt for greater inclusivity and representation? – Rappler.com
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The trend of favoring traditional politicians is expected to continue. President Marcos Jr., a traditional politician proficient in high-tech disinformation and allegedly significant wealth of unknown origin, is anticipated to surround himself with like-minded individuals. Achieving greater inclusivity and representation seems unattainable unless a genuine and transformative social change occurs.
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FACT CHECK: Imee Marcos did not resign from Senate | jpcruz0306 | 02/07/2024 16:00 | Claim: Senator Imee Marcos resigned from the Senate.
Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube video containing the claim has 30,668 views, 1,000 likes, and 164 comments as of writing. It was uploaded on June 16 by a channel with 117,000 subscribers.
The video’s title bears the claim: “OMG: Kinarma na! Imee gumawa ng ingay nag-resign na / Palasyo pugad ng kawatan kumpirmado PBBM.”
(OMG: Karma struck! Imee made a fuss, has already resigned. Palace is a nest of thieves, PBBM confirmed.)
The facts: The title and thumbnail of the YouTube video are clickbait. The video neither discussed the claim nor provided any evidence regarding Marcos’ supposed resignation.
Marcos remains on the list of senators of the 19th Congress. There are also no official statements released by the Marcos camp or any news reports about her alleged resignation.
Last May 23, Marcos took an oath before the Supreme Court as a new member of the Senate Electoral Tribunal, alongside her colleagues JV Ejercito, Nancy Binay, Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid, and Robinhood Padilla.
Marcoses and the Dutertes: The video only highlights the senator’s remarks last May, which were seemingly directed at her brother President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s claim that the previous Aquino and Duterte administrations had done nothing to rehabilitate areas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) more than 10 years ago.
In a May 24 press release, Senator Marcos refuted her brother’s claim and acknowledged the help of then-mayor Rodrigo Duterte and other individuals and organizations in the aftermath of Yolanda.
The senator had previously affirmed her staunch alliance with the Dutertes. In 2023, she spoke up to support former president Duterte who had allowed a hero’s burial for her father in 2016, and endorsed her inclusion in the PDP-Laban’s senatorial slate in 2019. Marcos recently reiterated her all-out support for Vice President Sara Duterte after the latter resigned from the Marcos Cabinet. (READ: Everything you need to know about Sara Duterte’s resignation from the Marcos Cabinet)
Marcos siblings: This is not the first time that Senator Marcos openly criticized her brother’s policies and statements, indicating an apparent rift between the siblings.
In 2022, Senator Marcos initially opposed the Maharlika wealth fund. She also joined a protest in September 2023 calling for the resignation of her brother’s then-finance chief, Benjamin Diokno, due to his economic policies.
Critics, however, dismiss the senator’s supposed opposition to the Marcos administration as a publicity stunt for her political agenda. – Shane Cameron/Rappler.com
Shane Cameron is a Rappler intern. She is studying Development Communication at the University of the Philippines Los Baños.
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. You may also report dubious claims to the #FactsFirstPH tipline by messaging Rappler on Facebook or Newsbreak via Twitter direct message. You may also report through our Viber fact check chatbot. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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Tensions rise in Cagayan de Oro as group protests vs LWUA, water district manager | Herbie G | 02/07/2024 16:18 | PROTEST. A resident joins the protest organized by the Bantay Tubig Movement on Tuesday, July 2, in front of the Cagayan de Oro Water District’s main office.
Franck Dick Rosete/Rappler
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Tensions rose on Tuesday, July 2, as a group led by a former city councilor protested, demanding the removal of the interim manager of the Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) and calling for the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) to stay out of the public utility’s affairs.
Protesters, including several barangay officials, took to the streets with banners bearing anti-LWUA messages and seeking the removal of COWD interim manager Fermin Jarales. One banner read that the LWUA “is not welcome in Cagayan de Oro.”
The street protest, staged by the group Bantay Tubig Movement (BTM), came several days after the COWD’s interim board approved a cease-and-desist order against the utility’s sidelined general manager due to his alleged continuous interference despite the LWUA takeover of the water district.
City hall night market team head Enrico Salcedo, a former city councilor and BTM convenor, said the street protest was launched to pressure COWD’s interim officials to rescind or rid the firm’s contract with its primary supplier of provisions, which they see as onerous.
Protesters said the interim officials have not acted on their call to address the COWD’s 2017 contract with the Manny V. Pangilinan-controlled Cagayan de Oro Bulk Water Incorporated (COBI).
On June 18, BTM submitted a manifesto, signed by 17,228 residents, to the COWD to protest a clause in the contract that allows COBI to adjust its water rate every three years. Salcedo’s group said the provision was disadvantageous to the COWD and the city’s water consumers.
Jarales, however, said the COWD’s interim board has been deliberating on the contract and is now addressing the financial aspects of the 2017 agreement after establishing its position on the legal aspect.
“Once our report is finished, it will be presented to them for consultation,” Jarales said.
The LWUA, the regulator of public water utilities in the provinces, took over the COWD on May 29, following the order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for it to intervene after a water supply crisis briefly gripped Cagayan de Oro. The crisis stemmed from an unresolved debt dispute of over P400 million between the COWD and COBI.
The problem resulted in a temporary supply disconnection on May 14.
A cease-and-desist order, issued on Friday, June 28, directed COWD’s sidelined general manager, Engineer Antonio Young, to stop discharging the functions of a general manager.
Young was prohibited from interfering in the COWD’s operations and administration, including the signing of documents and checks.
The engineer was also barred from entering the COWD office and other facilities unless authorized by Jarales.
The COWD interim board’s drastic move came after its members were informed that Young had allegedly been presenting himself as the COWD’s functioning general manager despite the LWUA takeover.
Jarales alleged that there was an instance when a document couldn’t be signed due to a resolution passed by the sidelined COWD board because employees were instructed to follow no one but Young. In a May 29 press conference, Young confirmed that the board issued the resolution.
A day later, however, Jarales issued a memorandum directing all COWD employees to report only to the interim board and general manager following the takeover. He asked the workers to maintain their professionalism and prevent any sabotage.
“In the interim period, it is the interim management that will handle the operation of COWD,” Jarales told Rappler in an interview on Monday, July 1.
On June 25, Jarales issued another memorandum, directing Young to perform tasks he was authorized to do in a work-from-home setting, an order which the sidelined manager questioned before the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) and Civil Service Commission (CSC).
Based on Jarales’ order, Young’s new working arrangement was implemented to prevent him from carrying out unauthorized actions.
Rappler sought comment from Young, but he declined to give a statement, following his lawyer’s advice.
Earlier, however, Young said he couldn’t just abandon his post despite the LWUA takeover, adding that he was still awaiting the response of the OGCC.
Young also pointed out in a previous interview that working from home would not be possible for him because it would hamper the operations of the water district. He said he remained the authorized COWD signatory.
The COWD’s interim officials warned that they would be compelled to “take the appropriate action” against Young if he forced the issue. – Rappler.com
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Still no white knight: Okada parent ends talks with Dennis Uy’s Emerald Bay casino resort | Ralf Rivas | 02/07/2024 13:02 | MANILA, Philippines – Dennis Uy still has no white knight to fund the stalled development of Emerald Bay casino in Cebu, after the parent company of Okada Manila officially walked away from discussions.
In a stock exchange filing on Tuesday, July 2, Uy’s PH Resorts (PHR) said they received a letter from Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment Inc. (TRLEI), one of the parent companies of Okada Manila, terminating the term sheet signed last December 8, 2023.
PHR confirmed that the two companies were in talks for TRLEI to acquire “significant majority ownership” of its subsidiaries, namely Lapulapu Leisure, Inc. and Lapulapu Land Corporation, the companies that operate the Emerald Bay Project. Originally, the parties intended to execute the definitive agreements under the term sheet in July 2024.
“[T]his development shall give PHR the opportunity to engage with other parties which have already expressed their keen interest in the Emerald Bay Project, but have been unable to formalize due to the restrictions under the TRLEI deal,” PHR president Raymundo Escalona said.
Escalona assured shareholders that the Cebu casino would materialize, as the company works towards another transaction, “be it an acquisition, joint venture, or otherwise, that will ensure the completion of the Emerald Bay Project.”
TRLEI is the third company to walk away from the deal.
In 2022, Enrique Razon’s Bloomberry Resorts signed a term sheet with PHR, which included other projects in Clark, Pampanga. The deal fell through 10 months later.
Shortly after the failed sale to Razon, PHR started talks with AppleOne Properties. Talks were terminated in December 2023.
Located in Mactan, Cebu, Emerald Bay was envisioned to be a premier integrated resort casino in the Visayas, offering 146 gaming tables, 729 electronic gaming machines, and 780 hotel rooms with five villas. – Rappler.com
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FAST FACTS: Gilas Pilipinas’ last shot at Paris Olympics | delfin.dioquino editor | 22/06/2024 16:35 | FAN FAVORITE. Justin Brownlee and Gilas Pilipinas wave to the crowd after winning over Hong Kong in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – It has been over five decades since the Philippines sent a basketball team to the Olympics in the 1972 Munich Games.
This group of Gilas Pilipinas hopes to end that drought as it sees action in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, Latvia, that will run from July 2 to 7.
It will be the Philippines’ last shot at the Paris Games after it failed to clinch an Olympic berth rewarded to the best Asian nation in the previous FIBA World Cup – a distinction that went to Japan.
Here are some fast facts about the Nationals’ road to the Olympics:
Formidable competition awaits the Filipinos in Riga as they face host and world No. 6 Latvia and No. 23 Georgia in Group A.
The 37th-ranked Philippines will play two games in as many days, with Latvia up first on Thursday, July 4, at 12 am, Manila time.
It will then be a quick turnaround for the Nationals as they play again in less than 24 hours against Georgia at 8:30 pm on July 4.
The two teams pose a significant challenge to the Filipinos, with Latvia and Georgia both making the last 16 of the World Cup, where the Philippines finished 24th.
Latvia even went as far as the quarterfinals, only losing by a single possession to eventual champion Germany, as it placed fifth.
Aside from the Philippines, Latvia, and Georgia, three more teams will take part in the OQT in Riga as Brazil, Cameroon, and Montenegro lock horns in Group B.
Brazil ranks 12th in the world, Montenegro is 17th, and Cameroon is 68th.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the crossover semifinals, where the No. 1 teams from Groups A and B will face the No. 2 squads in their opposite groups in a pair of knockout matches.
Winners of the semifinals face off in a do-or-die clash to determine which team will punch a ticket to the Paris Games.
Only the last team standing in Riga will qualify for the Olympics.
It is the same case in the other three OQT legs to be held simultaneously in Valencia, Spain; Piraeus, Greece; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Spain, Lebanon, Angola, Finland, Poland, and the Bahamas duke it out in Valencia; Greece, Slovenia, New Zealand, Croatia, Egypt, and Dominican Republic battle in Piraeus, and Puerto Rico, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, Bahrain, and Ivory Coast compete in San Juan.
The winners of the four OQT legs will complete the 12-team Olympic cast bannered by defending champion USA and host France, which disputed the gold medal in the previous Tokyo Games.
Canada, Germany, Serbia, South Sudan, Australia, and Japan also qualified. – Rappler.com
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Rappler Recap: Sonny Angara is new DepEd chief | Bonz Magsambol | 02/07/2024 15:30 | MANILA, Philippines – Senator Sonny Angara will replace Vice President Sara Duterte as secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), Malacañang announced on Tuesday, July 2.
Angara will assume the role on July 19, as Duterte ends her one-month transition following her resignation from the Marcos Cabinet.
Angara’s Senate term ends in 2025. What happens to his Senate seat?
Rappler’s Bonz Magsambol gives a recap of events leading to Angara’s appointment as DepEd chief. – Rappler.com
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UP shores up frontline anew, taps one-and-done Quentin Millora-Brown | jisaga0269 | 02/07/2024 14:34 | VETERAN. Quentin Millora-Brown (42) handles the ball.
UP OASD
MANILA, Philippines – The UP Fighting Maroons continue to strengthen their lineup ahead of the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament, tapping 6-foot-10 Filipino-American big man Quentin Millora-Brown on Tuesday, July 2.
Immediately eligible to play as a one-and-done recruit, Millora-Brown is expected to fill in the gargantuan shoes of former league MVP Malick Diouf, who graduated after back-to-back silver-medal finishes in Seasons 85 and 86.
A well-traveled college standout, Millora-Brown suited up for Citadel last year for his senior season and averaged 11.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.5 blocks. This comes after a three-year stint in Vanderbilt and a rookie season in Rice University.
“His entry to our team is another big thing because he can help step up from the loss of Malick,” said UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde in Filipino in a release.
Millora-Brown is tabbed to stand out in an already crowded Maroons frontline featuring the likes of Nigerian Dikachi Udodo, Francis Lopez, Sean Alter, Aldous Torculas, Gani Stevens, Mark Belmonte, and Seven Gagate.
UP, the newly crowed Filoil preseason champion, is once again one of the top contenders for Season 87 alongside defending champion La Salle. – Rappler.com
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Marcos gets cheers for NIR, jeers for inflation, rights concerns from Negros | Herbie G | 02/07/2024 11:43 | BACOLOD ADDRESS. President Marcos Jr. addresses a crowd during his visit in Bacolod City on June 27, 2024.
Negros Occidental PIO
BACOLOD, Philippines – The Marcos Jr. administration received mixed reactions on Negros Island as it entered its third year, with local leaders cheering the creation of the Negros Island Region (NIR) and activists jeering at its failure to address concerns about red-tagging, extrajudicial killings, and rising inflation.
The recent creation of the NIR marked a milestone, especially for local leaders who have long been pushing for it.
Even Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, who supported the 2022 presidential bid of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s strongest rival, former vice president Leni Robredo, was all praises for the current administration for the NIR creation shortly before the President concluded his second year in office.
“Thank you, Mr. President, for making the dream of One Negros a reality,” said Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez.
Marcos signed Republic Act 12000, paving the way for the rebirth of NIR, carving out Negros Occidental from Western Mindanao, and Negros Oriental and Siquijor from Central Visayas to form the new region.
The region was first established in 2015 by the late former president Benigno Simeon Aquino through Executive Order 183, but it was abolished by his successor, ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, two years later.
Although Duterte cited financial constraints as the basis for its abolition, it was widely perceived that it was his way of getting back at political leaders of the Negros provinces where he lost to former senator and interior secretary Mar Roxas in the 2016 presidential elections.
Frank Carbon, chief executive officer of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI), said the legislative creation of the NIR will serve as Marcos Jr.’s legacy for the Negrense people.
“With NIR, more investments will create more and better-paying jobs that will help eradicate poverty and insurgency,” Carbon said.
Negros Occidental 5th District Representative Dino Yulo said the NIR’s rebirth should pave the way for an inter-provincial road network that would impact the government’s efforts toward sustainable peace and order on Negros Island.
Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said NIR is a fulfilled promise of the President to the Negrenses, which he made during the 2022 presidential campaign.
“It means he (Marcos) never failed us,” Ferrer said.
The MBCCI and the General Alliance of Workers Association (GAWA), however, said much work still has to be done, and one is to provide a stable power supply in the NIR.
Carbon and GAWA’s secretary general, Wennie Sancho, said Negros’ quest for power security must be prioritized by Marcos as he embarks on his third year in office.
“The creation of NIR will be futile without a dependable, sustainable, and affordable power supply,” said Sancho, who is also one of the leaders of Power Watch Negros (PWN).
Carbon called for the creation of a regional power development council to address the unique power needs of the island.
He said, “We need to have our power development roadmap to come up with a viable and doable energy security program.”
Negros Island alone, he said, needs at least 300 megawatts (MW).
But as the island’s economy progresses, and to address the intermediate, peaking, ancillary, and surplus power needs, Carbon said as much as 450 MW needs to be generated.
Meanwhile, GAWA called on the Marcos Jr. administration and legislators to approve the proposed P100 across-the-board wage increase to help workers cope with rising inflation.
“A P100 daily pay hike for private sector workers is a significant benefit,” Sancho said.
The minimum wage in Negros Occidental is P480 a day, and Sancho said it was not enough given the recent inflation rates across the country.
Wilson Gamboa Jr., convenor of both Amlig Tubig and Amlig Kuryente in Bacolod City, said the Marcos Jr. administration failed to address inflation concerns, which aggravated the problem of rising poverty and hunger rates.
“Sad to say, almost everything now is beyond the reach of the poorest of the poor in Bacolod and Negros Occidental,” Gamboa said.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that inflation accelerated to 3.9% in May from 3.8% in April.
Add to that, Gamboa said, is the continuing corruption at all levels of government.
“Tapos, lingawon lang kita sa paayuda-ayuda (Then, we will just be entertained by the aid distribution),” he said.
Marcos was in Bacolod City on June 27, where he distributed cash aid of P10,000 each to 8,315 families adversely affected by the El Niño phenomenon. He also gave the Bacolod City government and Negros Occidental funds to help them with their El Niño disaster response efforts.
“The concern of the President for the Negrenses is truly felt. We can count on President Marcos to stand with us through challenges and triumphs alike,” said Lacson.
Human rights advocates on Negros Island, meanwhile, raised grave concerns over the series of killings of civilians and unarmed persons on Negros Island.
The Human Rights Advocates Negros (HRAN) said the killings were reminiscent of the situation in southern Negros during the first Marcos administration.
HRAN criticized the military, accusing it of justifying the violence by making it look like those who were killed were rebels who engaged soldiers.
The group cited as examples the deaths of Emaryn Pastedio, Christopher Ebarle, and Jose Caramihan in Barangay Pinapugasan, Escalante City, Negros Occidental, in February. HRAN said they were civilians killed on suspicion that they were members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
Worse, according to HRAN, the Marcos Jr. administration did not heed calls for the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and turned a blind eye to the red-tagging of people and groups critical of government policies. – Rappler.com
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Sonny Angara named as new education secretary | Bonz Magsambol | 02/07/2024 11:49 | Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. named Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara as the new secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), effective July 19.
Angara, whose Senate term was supposed to end in 2025, will replace Vice President Sara Duterte, who resigned as DepEd chief on June 19.
A press release from the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Tuesday, July 2, said Marcos made the announcement during a Cabinet meeting in Malacañang, although Angara was not present during the meeting.
“Sonny has agreed to take on the brief of the Department of Education,” Marcos said, as quoted by the PCO.
The PCO said key educational organizations had endorsed Angara for DepEd chief, including the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations and the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities.
Angara was also among those recommended by Philippine Business for Education to Marcos, along with Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Kiko Benitez, and Synergeia Foundation president Milwida Guevara.
“DepEd is arguably the most important department given the crucial role of education,” said Marcos.
In a statement on Tuesday, Angara thanked Marcos for choosing him to lead the DepEd.
“This significant responsibility is one I accept with humility and a profound sense of duty,” he said.
“I am committed to working with all sectors of society, including my predecessor, Vice President Sara Duterte, to ensure that every Filipino child has access to quality education. I look forward to building upon her accomplishments,” Angara added.
Marcos was supposed to announce his choice for DepEd chief over the weekend, but he said on Saturday, June 29, that he needed “more time” to choose, given the demands of the job and the “valid concerns” raised by various stakeholders.
Senate President Chiz Escudero had earlier endorsed Angara’s appointment as education secretary.
“I was one of the first, if not the first, to actually recommend him to become the DepEd secretary given his competence, given his track record, given his experience,” Escudero said in a chance interview with reporters on Monday, July 1.
Escudero earlier said, in response to questions, that there might be no need to replace Angara in the Senate since his term is ending in less than a year anyway. (READ: What happens when a lawmaker gets appointed to the Cabinet?)
“I think that it should not be filled up because holding a special election will incur cost. So I think we’ll just wait for his term to expire. There will only be 23 sitting senators,” the Senate President had said.
Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia said on Tuesday that Angara’s Senate seat will remain vacant “unless there is a call from the Senate to call for a special election.”
Angara inherits a gargantuan problem in the education sector, including the poor performance of Filipino students in global education assessments. A World Bank report showed that 9 in 10 Filipino students aged 10 are struggling to read simple text.
Angara, the son of the late Senate president and educator Edgardo Angara, began his political career as Aurora congressman from 2004 to 2013. During his time at the House of Representatives, he was also active in advocating for education and welfare of Filipino youth. He was a co-author of the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 or the K to 12 program in the lower chamber.
Angara was first elected as a senator in 2013. He authored bills concerning the education sector, among others. He was a commissioner of the Second Congressional Commission on Education or EDCOM 2, which aims to address education woes.
As EDCOM 2 commissioner, Angara promised a comprehensive review of the K to 12 program.
“The DepEd and EDCOM 2 will work hand-in-hand in reviewing the K to 12 program and come out with recommendations to improve the curriculum, which the DepEd has found to be congested, that some prerequisites of identified essential learning competencies are missing or misplaced, and that a significant number of learning competencies cater to high cognitive demands,” Angara said in his Manila Bulletin column in April 2023.
Under her watch, Sara Duterte began the review of the K to 12 curriculum amid growing clamor from the public to either revise it or scrap it. She had committed to make the program “relevant to produce competent, job-ready, active, and responsible citizens.” The review was not yet done at the time of her resignation.
Angara, a lawyer like the Vice President, earned his undergraduate degree in international relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1994. He obtained his law degree from the University of the Philippines College of Law in 2000 and his Master of Laws degree at Harvard Law School in 2003. – with a report from Dwight de Leon/Rappler.com
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What is required is simple enough – declutter the curriculum and a return to the basics – reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmetic and critical/creativity thinking. And ironically, Angara’s first huge task is to depoliticize DepED and tell all politicians to back off.
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Google Translate adds 110 new languages, including support for Hiligaynon, Bikol, Waray, and more | Victor Barreiro Jr. | 02/07/2024 14:22 | MANILA, Philippines – Google announced last Thursday, June 27, it added support for 110 new languages to Google Translate, thanks to some help from its PaLM 2 large language model.
While about a quarter of the 110 languages added were said to come from Africa, Google said it also added support for five Philippine languages: Bikol, Hiligaynon, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, and Waray. Google Translate supported translations for Tagalog (called Filipino on the service), Cebuano, and Ilocano prior to this.
Aside from this, Cantonese was also added as a highly-requested feature, alongside the Shahmukhi variety of Punjabi – the most spoken language in Pakistan – and the Papua New Guinean creole Tok Pisin.
Isaac Caswell, Google’s senior software engineer at Google Translate, said in a blog post that “PaLM 2 was a key piece to the puzzle.” PaLM 2 helped Google Translate to more efficiently learn languages which were closely related to each other.
“As technology advances, and as we continue to partner with expert linguists and native speakers, we’ll support even more language varieties and spelling conventions over time,” Caswell said.
The added language support brings the total number of languages Google can translate for users to 133, with a list of the added supported languages available here.
Users can take advantage of the new supported language translation options by visiting the service or downloading the respective Google Translate app for their device. – Rappler.com
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‘Blessed to be here’: Joakim Noah relishes first Manila visit | delfin.dioquino editor | 01/07/2024 15:30 | BIG MAN. Joakim Noah leads a Jr. NBA and WNBA clinic in Manila, Philippines.
NBA Philippines
MANILA, Philippines – The Filipinos’ incomparable passion for basketball once again captivated a visitor, this time former NBA big man Joakim Noah.
The two-time NBA All-Star stayed in the country for about a week, doing various activities like serving as a global liquor brand ambassador, playing pickup basketball, and teaching the next generation of Filipino hoopers.
“I didn’t get to see the professional leagues, but it was very interesting to see being out here and seeing how much the people in Manila really love basketball,” Noah told Rappler in an exclusive interview.
“There’s a real resilience and a competitive spirit. We even played a pickup game the other day. So I definitely felt that energy from the people,” he added.
“You could feel that basketball is really part of the culture.”
Noah, the 2014 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, is known mostly for his time with the Chicago Bulls, helping the team during a short revival of the franchise powered by Derrick Rose.
The Bulls, one of the more popular franchises in the Philippines owing to their six championships in the 1990s, continue to attract fans.
As soon as he arrived from a 30-hour flight, Noah received a warm welcome from Filipinos, with the 6-foot-11 center signing autographs and gamely posing for photos.
“I’m almost 40 years old and I haven’t played in a professional game in almost five years,” said Noah, who last played professionally with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2020.
“And to see that the people still know the Chicago Bulls from when I was playing there 10 years ago, I feel really blessed to be here.”
Noah concluded his stay in the Philippines by leading the joint Junior NBA and WNBA camp at the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong City on Sunday, June 30.
Guiding 50 teenage boys and girls, Noah was joined by Natalia Andre, an ex-pro basketball player herself.
Noah also led the unveiling of the refurbished CCP Bukaneg Court located just behind the main building of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City on Friday, June 28.
The court, renovated by French cognac distiller Hennessy, is part of the company’s global initiative dubbed “In the Paint.”
It was designed by local artist Kiefer “Kiefsix” Indiongco, who used indigenous elements in the color scheme. He also designed the Nike Courtyard in Taguig City, which was opened in 2023.
“[Noah’s] a huge cultural activist. He’s an art enthusiast himself. He does a lot of community work and authentic collaboration with us,” program head Pascale Kalambaie said.
“He does a lot of work in Africa, across the US and Asia as well, so he’s a great ambassador as well.” – Rappler.com
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WATCH: SB19 performs ‘GENTO’ in Japanese channel ‘The First Take’ | Ysa Abad | 02/07/2024 9:27 | SB19. The P-pop group appears in 'The First Take'
SB19
MANILA, Philippines – P-pop powerhouse SB19 has captured the attention of the international scene anew as they performed their hit single “GENTO” in the Japanese YouTube channel “The First Take.”
The group appeared on the channel’s 449th episode, which was released on Monday, July 1. Wearing casual ensembles in shades of green and blue, members Ken, Justin, Josh, Pablo, and Stell delivered an updated rendition of their 2023 song in just one take.
To note, “The First Take” channel is known for inviting singers and artists for a one-take-only performance.
“It was a true first take. So we were very nervous and overwhelmed, but it was fun and an amazing experience,” SB19 shared in a press statement.
Following their appearance, SB19 became the first Filipino act and Southeast Asian group to grace the music media outlet. Other international artists who previously performed in the channel include Harry Styles, Avril Lavigne, and K-pop acts BTS’ V, ITZY, and RIIZE.
The P-pop trailblazers said that they’re grateful for the opportunity to represent the Philippines in the said channel. “We are honored to showcase our music and culture to the world through ‘The First Take,’” they added.
“GENTO,” which is part of the group’s PAGTATAG! EP, has gained massive popularity since its release. In June 2023, “GENTO” made it to Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart, joining the ranks of hits by notable international artists such as Selena Gomez, BTS, Fifty Fifty, and ENHYPEN.
Numerous celebrities outside of the Philippines have also participated in the viral “GENTO” dance challenge on TikTok, which saw stars like Super Junior’s Eunhyuk, 2NE1’s Minzy, and the members of CRAVITY post their own takes on the trend.
SB19 made their debut in October 2018. Their hits include “Bazinga,” “Moonlight,” “Freedom,” “MAPA,” “Ilaw,” and “Alab,” among others.
In October 2023, SB19 announced the establishment of their label 1Z Entertainment, with the group’s leader Pablo serving as its chief executive officer. In December 2023, the group announced that it secured ownership of its group name and logo. – Rappler.com
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‘We want to play against the best’: Brownlee embraces daunting task in FIBA OQT | delfin.dioquino editor | 30/06/2024 18:41 | ALL SMILES. Justin Brownlee (32) and Kai Sotto (11) in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2024 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas needs to go through the eye of the needle if it wants to end a decades-long absence in the Olympics.
For Justin Brownlee, it is supposed to be like that.
The beloved naturalized player embraced the daunting task that awaits the Nationals in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament that will be staged in Riga, Latvia, from July 2 to 7 as they go up against a pair of top 25 squads.
Bunched in Group A with the Philippines are world No. 6 Latvia and No. 23 Georgia.
“It is going to be very tough for us but that is why we’re here. We want to play against the best in the world, and of course, if you want to be in the Olympics and qualify, you got to play with the best in the world,” Brownlee said.
“I think it is going to be a great experience for us and we’re definitely not going to take it lightly. We’re definitely going in there to win.”
Brownlee and the national team got a taste of the level of competition that is expected in the OQT as they tangled with world No. 15 Poland and No. 24 Turkey in a pair of tuneup games.
Although the Filipinos came out winless in those friendlies, they showed that they can go toe-to-toe with European squads.
Gilas Pilipinas gave the Turkish a scare before absorbing an 84-73 loss then fell short of a massive upset against a Polish side bolstered by NBA player Jeremy Sochan of the San Antonio Spurs in a nail-biting 82-80 defeat.
Foes in the OQT pose a tougher challenge.
Latvia – bannered by Charlotte Hornets forward Davis Bertains and former NBA players Rodion Kurucs and Dairis Bertans – aims to bank on its home advantage in its bid to reach the Olympics for the first time since 1936.
Meanwhile, Georgia shoots for a maiden Olympic appearance behind NBA players Goga Bitadze of the Orlando Magic and Sandro Mamukelashvili of the Spurs.
Brownlee, though, feels the Philippines is up to the task as it seeks to send a basketball team to the Olympics for the first time since 1972.
“No matter if they’re ranked higher than us, they put on their shoes just like we put on our shoes,” said Brownlee, who averaged 25.5 points and 4 rebounds against Turkey and Poland.
“We come in to represent the country in the right way, in the best way we can.” – Rappler.com
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Rich get richer again: PBA approves Blackwater-TNT trade for Rey Nambatac | jisaga0269 | 02/07/2024 12:56 | FRIEND TURNED FOE. Rey Nambatac in action for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – The Blackwater franchise is once again responsible for boosting a Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) team in the PBA as the league approved on Tuesday, July 2, a trade that will send star guard Rey Nambatac to the TNT Tropang Giga for reserves Kib Montalbo and Jewel Ponferada.
TNT is also throwing in a 2028 second-round pick to the Bossing, who will be gutted with star power anew just a few weeks removed from a promising 2024 Philippine Cup campaign that netted them a 3-0 start before fizzling out to a 4-7 finish.
The Tropang Giga, meanwhile, are getting a shot in the arm with Nambatac, a do-it-all floor general who averaged 11.1 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in his last conference with Blackwater.
The flagship MVP franchise is coming off a lackluster 2023-2024 season for their lofty standards, finishing eighth out of 12 in the Commissioner’s Cup, and fourth in the Philippine Cup via a first-round playoffs exit at the hands of Rain or Shine.
With more titles in sight, TNT is acquiring Nambatac in exchange for Montalbo, who recently averaged 3.4 points and 2.1 assists in the Philippine Cup, and Ponferada, who normed 4.5 points and 2.3 boards in the same conference.
Nambatac joins a star-studded Tropang Giga core led by Calvin Oftana, Roger Pogoy, Jayson Castro, and Kelly Williams, while Blackwater will lean on the likes of Christian David, Troy Rosario, Rey Suerte, and RK Ilagan with their star guard gone. – Rappler.com
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Rich get richer again: PBA approves Blackwater-TNT trade for Rey Nambatac | jisaga0269 | 02/07/2024 12:56 | FRIEND TURNED FOE. Rey Nambatac in action for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – The Blackwater franchise is once again responsible for boosting a Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) team in the PBA as the league approved on Tuesday, July 2, a trade that will send star guard Rey Nambatac to the TNT Tropang Giga for reserves Kib Montalbo and Jewel Ponferada.
TNT is also throwing in a 2028 second-round pick to the Bossing, who will be gutted with star power anew just a few weeks removed from a promising 2024 Philippine Cup campaign that netted them a 3-0 start before fizzling out to a 4-7 finish.
The Tropang Giga, meanwhile, are getting a shot in the arm with Nambatac, a do-it-all floor general who averaged 11.1 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in his last conference with Blackwater.
The flagship MVP franchise is coming off a lackluster 2023-2024 season for their lofty standards, finishing eighth out of 12 in the Commissioner’s Cup, and fourth in the Philippine Cup via a first-round playoffs exit at the hands of Rain or Shine.
With more titles in sight, TNT is acquiring Nambatac in exchange for Montalbo, who recently averaged 3.4 points and 2.1 assists in the Philippine Cup, and Ponferada, who normed 4.5 points and 2.3 boards in the same conference.
Nambatac joins a star-studded Tropang Giga core led by Calvin Oftana, Roger Pogoy, Jayson Castro, and Kelly Williams, while Blackwater will lean on the likes of Christian David, Troy Rosario, Rey Suerte, and RK Ilagan with their star guard gone. – Rappler.com
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Who’s Matatag? Meet the Palarong Pambansa 2024 mascot | clescudero0258 | 29/06/2024 13:38 | Have you seen the official mascot for the 2024 Palarong Pambansa?
It’s a blue bird named Matatag, wearing an athletic kit and carrying a torch. Inspired by the Cebu flowerpecker, the bird is endemic to the island province whose capital city is also the host of this year’s national tournament.
Matatag “symbolizes resilience and revival, mirroring the bird’s own story,” said a post on the Palarong Pambansa 2024 Facebook page.
The Cebu flowerpecker is marked critically endangered as of 2021 in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. It was first feared to be extinct in the 20th century, but then was rediscovered in 1992 in a forest patch near Tabunan, Cebu, according to research published in the Bird Conservation International journal.
Presence of the bird species has since been recorded by Bird Life International in the forests of Nug-as in Alcoy, Mount Lantos in Argao, and Dalaguete.
There remains to be 85-105 Cebu flowerpeckers as of 2005, with 60-70 of them mature, according to the international organization. The species’ population continues to be small, fragmented, and declining due to “catastrophic deforestation.”
Many conservation efforts have been organized to protect the Cebu flowerpecker population and restore forest habitats. In 2007, the Philippine government passed Republic Act 9486, establishing the Central Cebu Protected Landscape.
In the late 2010s, advocates launched the Cebu flowerpecker conservation project, organizing a series of activities for conservation awareness, research, capacity building, and habitat management.
“Matatag’s story reflects the daily struggles of athletes to balance sports and academics, building character, resilience, and strength to face life’s challenges,” said the Palarong Pambansa organizing committee.
“As we celebrate athletic excellence, Matatag also embodies the crucial message of ecological conservation, highlighting the urgent need to protect the critically endangered Cebu flowerpecker.” – Rappler.com
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Sonny Angara named as new education secretary | Bonz Magsambol | 02/07/2024 11:49 | Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. named Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara as the new secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), effective July 19.
Angara, whose Senate term was supposed to end in 2025, will replace Vice President Sara Duterte, who resigned as DepEd chief on June 19.
A press release from the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Tuesday, July 2, said Marcos made the announcement during a Cabinet meeting in Malacañang, although Angara was not present during the meeting.
“Sonny has agreed to take on the brief of the Department of Education,” Marcos said, as quoted by the PCO.
The PCO said key educational organizations had endorsed Angara for DepEd chief, including the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations and the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities.
Angara was also among those recommended by Philippine Business for Education to Marcos, along with Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Kiko Benitez, and Synergeia Foundation president Milwida Guevara.
“DepEd is arguably the most important department given the crucial role of education,” said Marcos.
In a statement on Tuesday, Angara thanked Marcos for choosing him to lead the DepEd.
“This significant responsibility is one I accept with humility and a profound sense of duty,” he said.
“I am committed to working with all sectors of society, including my predecessor, Vice President Sara Duterte, to ensure that every Filipino child has access to quality education. I look forward to building upon her accomplishments,” Angara added.
Marcos was supposed to announce his choice for DepEd chief over the weekend, but he said on Saturday, June 29, that he needed “more time” to choose, given the demands of the job and the “valid concerns” raised by various stakeholders.
Senate President Chiz Escudero had earlier endorsed Angara’s appointment as education secretary.
“I was one of the first, if not the first, to actually recommend him to become the DepEd secretary given his competence, given his track record, given his experience,” Escudero said in a chance interview with reporters on Monday, July 1.
Escudero earlier said, in response to questions, that there might be no need to replace Angara in the Senate since his term is ending in less than a year anyway. (READ: What happens when a lawmaker gets appointed to the Cabinet?)
“I think that it should not be filled up because holding a special election will incur cost. So I think we’ll just wait for his term to expire. There will only be 23 sitting senators,” the Senate President had said.
Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia said on Tuesday that Angara’s Senate seat will remain vacant “unless there is a call from the Senate to call for a special election.”
Angara inherits a gargantuan problem in the education sector, including the poor performance of Filipino students in global education assessments. A World Bank report showed that 9 in 10 Filipino students aged 10 are struggling to read simple text.
Angara, the son of the late Senate president and educator Edgardo Angara, began his political career as Aurora congressman from 2004 to 2013. During his time at the House of Representatives, he was also active in advocating for education and welfare of Filipino youth. He was a co-author of the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 or the K to 12 program in the lower chamber.
Angara was first elected as a senator in 2013. He authored bills concerning the education sector, among others. He was a commissioner of the Second Congressional Commission on Education or EDCOM 2, which aims to address education woes.
As EDCOM 2 commissioner, Angara promised a comprehensive review of the K to 12 program.
“The DepEd and EDCOM 2 will work hand-in-hand in reviewing the K to 12 program and come out with recommendations to improve the curriculum, which the DepEd has found to be congested, that some prerequisites of identified essential learning competencies are missing or misplaced, and that a significant number of learning competencies cater to high cognitive demands,” Angara said in his Manila Bulletin column in April 2023.
Under her watch, Sara Duterte began the review of the K to 12 curriculum amid growing clamor from the public to either revise it or scrap it. She had committed to make the program “relevant to produce competent, job-ready, active, and responsible citizens.” The review was not yet done at the time of her resignation.
Angara, a lawyer like the Vice President, earned his undergraduate degree in international relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1994. He obtained his law degree from the University of the Philippines College of Law in 2000 and his Master of Laws degree at Harvard Law School in 2003. – with a report from Dwight de Leon/Rappler.com
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What is required is simple enough – declutter the curriculum and a return to the basics – reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmetic and critical/creativity thinking. And ironically, Angara’s first huge task is to depoliticize DepED and tell all politicians to back off.
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Cash-strapped PNCC told to pay Malaysian firm seeking compensation since 1994 | Ralf Rivas | 02/07/2024 8:27 | MANILA, Philippines – A Malaysian firm seeking compensation for undelivered service obligations of the Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC) found further backing from the latest decision of the Commission on Audit (COA)
COA granted the claim of Asiavest Equity SDN BHD against PNCC for payment of a 1994 judgment award by the Pasig Regional Trial Court, amounting P174.5 million, as well as lawyer’s fees totaling P300,000.
PNCC is likely to pay up much more, possibly reaching over a billion, as COA stipulated that it should also pay interest of 12% per year from April 1994 to June 2013, and 6% annual interest from July 2013 until it is fully paid.
The issue stems from the deal struck between Asiavest and the Construction Development Corporation of the Philippines (which later transformed into PNCC), where they entered into a contract to build infrastructure in Pahang, Malaysia.
PNCC, backed by various bonds and guarantees from Asiavest, bagged four contracts, but failed to deliver. This prompted the state of Pahang to go after Asiavest’s performance bonds.
The Pahang government and Asiavest entered into a compromise agreement, with the latter paying up some 3.9 Malaysian ringgit.
Asiavest filed a case against PNCC before the Pasig Court in April 1994. PNCC was declared to be in default after it failed to answer the complaint despite being granted three extensions.
PNCC elevated the case up to the Supreme Court, which upheld the ruling in favor of Asiavest in 2016.
Despite this, PNCC still did not pay up, forcing Asiavest to file a petition before COA to compel the company to settle its obligations.
According to its website, PNCC has been struggling financially and has refrained from actively engaging in the construction business since 2002. It has instead focused on the operation and maintenance of its tollways
From 1987 to 2001, PNCC still implemented selected construction projects, but this resulted in losses.
According to its mission statement, it aims to achieve financial viability by 2025, and aims to be an “effective and capable partner of the government in tollroad and other related infrastructure development.” – Rappler.com
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No surprise: NCR wins 17th straight Palaro overall crown, Calabarzon regains 2nd | jisaga0269 | 16/07/2024 19:37 | UNDISPUTED. The National Capital Region athletes, coaches, and officials celebrate winning the Palarong Pambansa overall crown during the closing ceremony.
Jacqueline Hernandez/RAPPLER
CEBU, Philippines – National Capital Region (NCR) once again proved to be the supreme destination for the Philippines’ top young athletes after winning the Palarong Pambansa 2024 overall championship with a collection of 98 gold medals, 66 silvers, and 74 bronzes on Tuesday, July 16.
The country’s capital got its best haul from gymnasts Elaiza Yulo (5 golds) and Maxine Amira Bondoc (5), swimmers Sophia Garra (5) and Alessandra Therese Martin (5), all rising as some of the event’s most bemedalled athletes, while the NCR boys secondary basketball team also reclaimed the crown in a heated finale against Central Luzon.
Calabarzon, after a stunning defeat to resurgent powerhouse Western Visayas last year in Marikina City, rose back to its usual second place with a 57-51-53 gold-silver-bronze split, hiked by a 12 combined golds from just two phenomenal secondary level swimmers, top gold hauler TJ Amaro (7) and Jasmine Mojdeh (5).
Western Visayas, meanwhile, slipped back to third after barely missing Calabarzon with 56 golds, one of the last being a successful title redemption in girls secondary volleyball by Bacolod Tay Tung High School. The region also amassed 41 silvers and 41 bronzes.
Davao Region settled at a far fourth with 32 golds, 25 silvers, and 35 bronzes, as host Central Visayas claimed fifth with a 29-42-39 split.
Check the full list here: MEDAL TALLY: Palarong Pambansa 2024
Other notable results are Caraga’s 12th-place finish with 11 golds, a whopping 7 coming from wrestling alone.
Debutant guest “region” National Academy of Sports (NAS) also got a historic gold in taekwondo poomsae, on top of 5 silvers, and 2 bronzes, while the Philippine Schools Overseas (PSO) earned one bronze, also in taekwondo.
Meanwhile, Western Visayas ruled the para games tally with 24 golds, 21 silvers, and 14 bronzes, boasting a sizeable lead in all columns.
Calabarzon was a far second with a 13-9-9 split, while NCR completed the podium with 9 golds, 8 silvers, and 5 bronzes.
Manila claimed the top spot in the Top Performing School Division Offices, followed by Iloilo at second, and Pasig City at third.
Ilocos Norte now prepares for the 65th Palarong Pambansa in 2025, as the likes of Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc and Laoag City Mayor Michael Marcos Keon accepted the hosting responsibilities during the closing ceremony. – Rappler.com
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FACT CHECK: ‘DSWD cash aid for students’ video uses spliced news clip | Lorenz Pasion | 16/07/2024 18:05 | Claim: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced procedures for applying to its 2024-2025 educational cash assistance program for students, as reported by journalist Ivan Mayrina.
Why we fact-checked this: Videos on TikTok have been circulating the claim. One version of the post was shared by an account with 14,400 followers.
The beginning of the video features an audio clip of Mayrina reporting on the distribution of the supposed cash aid to students until September 24. This was accompanied by a graphic with text that reads: “May anak ka ba sa elementary, high school, at college? Isali mo na sa DSWD Scholarship Program S.Y. 2024-2025. Monthly allowance 10,000 pesos.” (Do you have a child in elementary, high school, or college? Enroll them in the DSWD Scholarship Program S.Y. 2024-2025. Monthly allowance P10,000).
Another version of the claim also included an application form for the supposed scholarship program, with the video’s narrator instructing applicants to submit their completed forms through the link.
The facts: In a post on its official Facebook account on July 14, the DSWD said that the account that posted the claim was spreading false information about the department’s cash aid, educational assistance, and scholarship programs.
“Ang mga account na ito ay ginagamit ang “educational assistance” ng DSWD upang makapangloko ng kapwa. Karaniwan sa mga videos nito ay ang mga pinagtahi-tahi na mga audio mula sa mga balita online. Hinahaluan din ng mga page na ito ng mga screen-recorded na balita upang magmukhang legit ang kanilang ipinapakalat,” the agency added.
(These accounts are using DSWD’s “educational assistance” to deceive others. Most of their videos are spliced audio clips from online news reports. These pages also mix in screen-recorded news reports to make their content appear legitimate.)
Spliced news clip: The misleading TikTok videos used a spliced report from Unang Balita, a segment of GMA Network’s daily morning program, Unang Hirit, to deceive viewers into believing the scholarship program is legitimate.
Uploaded on GMA Integrated News on August 19, 2022, the original video discussed the DSWD’s previous cash aid program for students, which offered financial assistance to indigent students from August to September 2022.
The TikTok video used an audio clip taken from the 0:00 to 0:10 mark of the original report, deliberately excluding the part where Mayrina mentioned the amount given by the DSWD which then ranged from P1,000 to P4,000.
Fake application form: The application form included in the misleading TikTok videos is also fake and not from the DSWD. The agency had said that it does not request any personal information online from those applying for “educational assistance” because it is prohibited under the Data Privacy Act.
The fake application link may be an attempt to steal personal information, as the link redirects to an unverified blog website, not to an official government website. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing)
The DSWD has also repeatedly advised those seeking educational assistance to apply for the Assistance to Crisis in Individual Situations program, which provides individuals or families in need with various types of aid, such as medical, burial, transportation, educational, food, or financial assistance.
Previous fact checks: Rappler has fact-checked several claims on cash grant schemes supposedly from the DSWD.
Official accounts: For official updates on DSWD programs and services, refer to its official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube accounts. – Larry Chavez/Rappler.com
Larry Chavez is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos dons 3 stars as newest Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary officer | Bea Cupin | 16/07/2024 19:08 | VOLUNTEER. First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos joins the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary as Auxiliary Vice Admiral on July 16, 2024.
Philippine Coast Guard
Liza Araneta-Marcos, lawyer and wife to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., just got a new title: Vice Admiral of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA), or the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)’s volunteer force.
The First Lady officially joined the PCGA’s Executive Squadron in a ceremony aboard the BRP Gabriela Silang on Tuesday, July 16, according to PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo.
She was bestowed the honorary rank of Auxiliary Vice Admiral, or a 3-star officer of the volunteer force.
“I join the PCG to inspire the men women of the organization as they fulfill its duty to the country,” said the First Lady, in a short release to media from Balilo.
Araneta-Marcos was joined by her son Vincent, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, and PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gavan, during her donning of rank.
The PCGA is a volunteer non-government organization that follows a “military structure” as it is attached to the PCG. One’s role as a PCGA member is rather vague – and will ultimately be up to an individual.
The PCGA counts as its members celebrity couple Gerald Anderson and Julia Barretto.
Balilo said Araneta-Marcos is the first First Lady to join the PCGA’s ranks.
Gavan, in a speech aboard the BRP Gabriela Silang, said the First Lady could help the PCGA since her “mere presence exudes strength and compassion that drive actions and inspire results,” according to a release from the PCG.
The PCG release added: “For her part, Auxiliary Vice Admiral Araneta-Marcos thanked Coast Guardians for ensuring maritime safety and maritime security, as well as upholding the country’s sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.”
But will she join PCG voyages to the West Philippine Sea, such as resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal? Balilo, responding to a media inquiry, said the First Lady didn’t say anything about it.
The PCGA is a separate entity from the PCG itself. The PCG, meanwhile, is among the frontline government agencies that’s had to deal with China’s growing aggression in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, particularly in the West Philippine Sea.
It’s the PCG that escorts vessels – be it civilian ships contracted by the Navy or vessels of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources – to flashpoints of Philippine-China tensions in the West Philippine Sea. – Rappler.com
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FACT CHECK: Post warning of strong earthquake links to shopping site | Lorenz Pasion | 16/07/2024 17:00 | Claim: Various Facebook posts warning of a looming earthquake “stronger than magnitude 8” contain links to a list of places susceptible to the quake.
Why we fact-checked this: Several posts are circulating on Facebook warning that the Philippines will experience a strong earthquake, citing Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Teresito Bacolcol. These posts contain links to supposed references providing more information about the looming quake.
On the Facebook page “Metro Headlines,” a July 15 post contained a link after the text “Mga lugar na dapat mag-ingat” (places that should exercise caution). As of writing, it has 6,100 reactions, 1,600 comments, and 17,000 shares.
The facts: The links in the Facebook post are clickbait and do not lead to credible references about the supposed earthquake warning.
Three posts from “Metro Headlines” link to products on e-commerce sites Shopee and Lazada, instead of the supposed list of danger zones or a source for the earthquake warning.
Other Facebook posts with similar inaccurate links pointing to products from online selling platforms came from pages like “Breaking News” (July 15), “Mayor Benjamin Magalong supporters” (July 12), “Trending Viral” (July 12), “trendnewsph” (July 12 and June 28), “Balitang Headline” (June 30), and “Surigao News Update” (June 28).
Magnitude 8 earthquake warning: The misleading Facebook posts falsely implied that the strong earthquake was imminent. Bacolcol indeed expressed the possibility of earthquakes stronger than magnitude 8 hitting the Philippines, but this should be placed in context: the Phivolcs director made the remarks following a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Taiwan last April. In this GMA News article dated April 4, 2024, Bacolcol explained that the Philippine Trench and Manila Trench are capable of generating magnitude 8.1 and magnitude 8.3 earthquakes, respectively.
The misleading posts cited Bacolcol to imply a prediction or forecast of a looming earthquake. However, Phivolcs has previously said that it is not yet possible to know when and where a future earthquake will hit. (READ: EXPLAINER: Is it possible to predict earthquakes?)
Related fact-checks: Rappler has fact-checked several claims about earthquakes before; the most recent article published on June 24, 2024 debunked a claim by self-proclaimed psychic Rudy Baldwin of an earthquake that will hit Metro Manila.
Rappler has also fact-checked several claims about inaccurate or bogus links, especially about job applications, government aid, and health products. – Percival Bueser/ Rappler.com
Percival Bueser is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. You may also report dubious claims to #FactsFirstPH tipline by messaging Rappler on Facebook or Newsbreak via Twitter direct message. You may also report through our Viber fact check chatbot. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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WATCH: A Catholic archbishop sails West Philippine Sea to pray for China | Paterno Esmaquel II | 16/07/2024 18:18 | MANILA, Philippines – Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas led a fluvial procession on Tuesday morning, July 16, to pray for peace in the face of China’s aggressive behavior in the West Philippine Sea.
The Marian prayer voyage was held off the coast of Barangay Cato in Infanta, Pangasinan, after a 6 am Mass led by Villegas and Alaminos Bishop Napoleon Sipalay Jr.
Villegas told Rappler they conducted the procession in parts of the West Philippine Sea, which China claims despite a 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling upholding the rights of the Philippines. Villegas led the recitation of the rosary and later stood beside an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was carried on the boat, as Tuesday was also the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
A video uploaded by Bryan Greg Arenas, one of the participants, showed that the procession lasted for more than an hour. Rappler obtained Arenas’ permission to use his video of the prayer voyage.
The procession was part of a prayer campaign recently launched by Villegas to pray for peace in the West Philippine Sea and the conversion of China.
“We are not anti-China. We are not racist,” Villegas said in his homily, speaking in a mix of English and Filipino. “We are one in brotherhood and sisterhood in the Philippines, but we also know the sufferings of our brothers and sisters in mainland China – oppression, truth manipulation, human rights abuses.”
“The war of ideologies and the battle of politics can be won by the brotherhood of peoples. Before there was government, there were only loving, patriotic citizens. We are the peace that we dream for the world,” he continued.
“The peace of the Philippines will not come from the hands of superpowers, but from the heart of God and the hand of the Immaculate Mother,” Villegas said. – Paterno R. Esmaquel II/Rappler.com
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[OPINION] For his 3rd SONA, Marcos needs to be a salesman. Can he pull it off? | Glenda Gloria | 16/07/2024 11:30 | President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 22, under circumstances that are inhospitable to rhetorical entreaties.
From 80% in June 2023, a month before his second SONA, the President’s approval rating tumbled a few months after, to 65% in September, over his administration’s perceived inability to stabilize prices, according to Pulse Asia. Since then, according to the polling firm, inflation has remained the top “urgent national concern.” The President’s approval and trust ratings have not bounced back.
But there is more at stake in this year’s SONA than the President’s approval ratings.
With the midterm elections set for next year and the pre-campaign positioning already in motion, the President needs to regain political capital, and quickly.
He is the unwritten candidate in the midterm ballot. The election results will shape his political future and define his legacy. This year’s SONA could be the most important speech of his entire political life.
Every president since 1986 has used the SONA as a platform for one-way communication. For the duration of the SONA, a sitting president has a nation captive to his or her voice and narrative. On live television, and across all media channels, the President gets to drumbeat achievements, make a pitch for pet legislation, and reframe losses as opportunities.
But President Marcos Jr. needs to do more than that.
He must cut through the fog of doubt and uncertainty over his capacity to lead. He must debunk the emerging narrative of a government adrift and a leadership out of touch, unable to alleviate the conditions of a public groaning from the unmitigated rise in the prices of prime commodities.
The rhetoric, delivery, and demeanor must convey a calm and level-headed temperament. They must inspire confidence, project certainty and strength. The last thing the President needs is to be seen as indifferent to the public’s plight, clueless after two years in power, and incapacitated by the demands of the presidency and the din of contrarian voices from the South.
But this SONA will also serve as the President’s opening salvo for the midterm elections. This will serve as his bully pulpit from which he can parry the blows from his critics and frame the choices in next year’s elections.
More than being a statesman, on that stage the President needs to be a salesman.
His sales pitch to the nation should strive to win back those who vacillate. It should rekindle the passion of 2022, and inspire his supporters to close ranks. The SONA speech must give them a reason to believe again, to continue buying in instead of opting out.
For this he could also resort to razzle-dazzle. His team can spice up the speech with elements of theater. A speech as big as this one needs to be a performance.
It’s not new.
In one of his SONAs, the late former president Fidel Ramos introduced the nation to Mang Pandoy, the face of the poor who received consultancies and dole-outs from his administration and died still poor. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo brought out three kids and weaved a story about them writing their wishes on “bangkang papel.” These paper boats, by some miracle, survived tugboats, water lilies, and the polluted waters of the Pasig, reaching Malacañang and Arroyo’s desk. The late former president Noynoy Aquino delivered every SONA with stylized Powerpoint presentations, with graphs, piecharts, and smiling faces while government services deteriorate. Brillante Mendoza’s crazy camera angles of former president Rodrigo Duterte disoriented viewers. On hindsight, these frames were accurate depictions of Duterte’s distortions of law and facts.
But we must caution that soaring rhetoric and props may not be enough.
If the speech intends to offer proof of empathy and competence, it must avoid the abstract. Realizations or takeaways should be prompted by actual positive experience with government interventions. These takeaways must be organic, authentic sentiments not forced or manufactured through media management or the echo chambers of social media. Words and fancy numbers cannot substitute for doing good or even better.
The latest Pulse Asia survey said the public wants the President to talk about his plans to fight inflation. But the work of convincing a skeptical public happens even before the SONA. At this time, his Cabinet, senior officials, and the entire government machinery should be softening the ground, rolling out programs to convince the public that the President is on the ball when it comes to inflation.
So far, the biggest story is from a government corporation and its ambitious plan to build a Taylor Swift-ready stadium in Clark. Someone didn’t get the memo. – 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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[Vantage Point] China’s silent invasion of the Philippines | Glenda Gloria | 16/07/2024 13:46 | What if I tell you that China could invade the Philippines without firing a single shot? That it doesn’t even need to escalate the smoldering trouble in the West Philippine Sea? And the much talked about Mutual Defense Treaty would be rendered inutile because it precisely requires armed aggression to trigger intervention from the United States?
By this time, it is no longer a secret how the People’s Republic of China salivates over global dominance and that, unfortunately, the Chinese government finds the Philippines a strategic puzzle piece to achieve its ambition.
An article published recently by Italian quarterly Eurasia Magazine observes that China now practically owns a country, the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos, by putting it in debt to the tune of $5.25 billion, a debt that the latter can only hope to repay by signing away to the former its most important national assets: railways, airports and seaports, even roads and bridges.
A fate worse than that was awaiting the Philippines, but for the fact that then-president Rodrigo Duterte had run out of time. His six-year, non-renewable term had expired in 2022. He tried to revise the Constitution with the express purpose of removing the prohibition against re-election, but failed due to strong opposition from the Filipino people.
If he had succeeded, Mr. Duterte would have delivered on his promise to turn the Philippines into a province of China.
Other developing countries owe China much more, among which are Pakistan, Angola, Sri Lanka,, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, Bangladesh, in hock for $26.60 billion, $20.98 billion, $8.84 billion, $6.82 billion, $6.69 billion, $6.08 billion, and $6.05 billion, respectively.
The Philippines, however, should take special interest in the trouble confronting Laos because that country is China’s close ally, which means that China does not spare even friendly countries from depredation. In fact it seems to prefer friendly countries as prey.
It is becoming increasingly clear that friendship with China is a liability.
Indebted to China for only $1.1 billion, the Philippines has avoided falling into the debt trap. But China has another ace up its sleeve. With Mr. Duterte’s acquiescence, it has flooded the Philippines with Chinese migrants from the mainland, both legal and illegal.
According to the Bureau of Immigration (BI), at least 100,000 Chinese have penetrated and now live in the county illegally, most of whom gained entry during Mr. Duterte’s presidency. The number of illegals is a conservative estimate, or it may have been deliberately under-reported by that government agency
The nation’s interest has been transfixed to the tale of “farm girl” Alice Guo who surreptitiously slipped into local politics and whose presence would have escaped notice save for the discovery of foreign nationals who absconded from their detention at her vast property in Bamban, Tarlac. Authorities later found out that her enclave was being used as a shelter for human trafficking. Ms. Guo is a vital sample of how Chinese nationals could gain entry and later settle here by taking advantage of the country’s corrupt bureaucracy. But Ms. Guo is just one in a multitude.
As early as February 2020, Senator Risa Hontiveros exposed a practice of BI officials and staff assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to escort illegals out of the airport for P10,000 each so that they would not have to go through the normal immigration processing.
The scheme was called “pastillas” because the bribe money was wrapped and rolled in a piece of paper, the way old folks did it when preparing that carabao milk-and-sugar concoction so popular in the old days.
Once the illegals have settled in, the next step is for them to acquire Philippine citizenship.
In the US, Russian spies become American citizens by assuming the birth certificates of persons who died in infancy or as children, preferably in Canada. With a stolen identity, the “spy” is able to obtain a Canadian passport, which enables him or her to enter the US, land a job, and, eventually, become an American citizen.
Illegal Chinese migrants to the Philippines have no patience or interest to go through such a costly and lengthy process. They just enter the country as tourists.
Once they are here, they file a late or delayed registration of birth with the civil registry, which then sends the document to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which issues upon request of the party concerned an authenticated birth certificate.
The birth certificate enables the Chinese nationals to apply for Philippine passports, which also allow them to buy land, skirting the prohibition against foreigners owning real estate in the country.
In April of this year, it’s been reported that Congressman Ace Barbers has called on the government to investigate how “fake Filipino nationals [all Chinese],who can’t even utter a single Filipino word, are [able to buy] huge tracts of lands near EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) sites, near major air and sea ports, and establish large numbers of warehouses and other business establishments.”
There are nine EDCA sites all over the country allowed under the Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the United States. Their apparent purpose is to counter China’s quest for dominance in South China Sea.
Now, to circle back to the late-birth registration issue.
The process is simple and straightforward enough for child applicants. It is a little more complicated for an adult. The applicants have to provide their school record – a requirement Ms. Guo, the embattled mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, skirted by claiming she was home-schooled.
Apparently, the civil registrar accepted the explanation, and let it go at that. For whatever reason or persuasion, it never occurred to the civil registrar that Ms. Guo could get a copy of the document from the Department of Education.
It turned out that Ms. Guo went to Grace Christian School in Quezon City for her elementary education, which explains her fluency in Tagalog.
A week ago, nearly 200 Chinese nationals were issued birth certificates by the civil registrar in Davao del Sur. The fact that the persons concerned could not speak a word of Tagalog or any of the Filipino languages or dialects was a red flag, but the civil registrar just did not care. The applicants may not even have bothered to appear personally to file their request.
Senator Win Gatchalian, citing a National Bureau of Investigation report, said the Chinese nationals paid P300,000 a pop for the fake documents.
The crime was uncovered when one of the Chinese nationals applied for a Philippine passport. An alert DFA employee discovered that the documents the man submitted were spurious.
According to the senator, hundreds of thousands of other Chinese nationals may have successfully manipulated the system, and that is only possible, he surmised, with the collusion of the PSA itself.
But what do these Chinese come to the Philippines for? Well, most of them are posing as migrants in search of a better life. Many Filipinos suspect, however, that these migrants constitute the communist nation’s advance invading force.
While they’re here, they take jobs away from Filipinos, thus exacerbating the country’s unemployment problem. They are absorbed in mining, telecommunications, and the construction industries, run by their compatriots, who are in the country legally, thanks to the relaxation of the rules on immigration made by the Duterte regime.
The more savvy (some say criminally minded) of these migrants find their way to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) companies.
Authorities say there are 34 POGOs, since renamed Internet Gaming Licensees (IGL) because of the unsavory reputation they have brought upon themselves, and some of them have thousands of employees each. That number does not include illegal operators. It is hard to believe that the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, which is supposed to monitor POGO operations, is not aware of their existence.
Vantage Point has been clear since it first dwelled on the issue that the government should ban POGO operations across the country. I find it odd that Duterte allowed it here despite strong objections from China where it is strictly prohibited.
Perhaps it is the specter of rising criminality which drove some our lawmakers to tighten the screws on POGO operations. Operatives of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) raided, one after the other, two such illegal POGO operation – one in Bamban, Tarlac, and the other in Porac, Pampanga.
The bigger of the two is Lucky South 99, which occupies 34 buildings on a ten-hectare Porac compound. However, the public fascination is centered on the Bamban facility, which is allegedly owned by Ms. Guo, against whom the Senate has recently issued an arrest warrant.
It is apparent that the change of name did nothing to improve the image of POGO or IGL operations in the country.
The PAOCC found them harboring criminals and undocumented aliens, running prostitution rings, and engaging in online scamming activities. Most disturbing of all, the police discovered instruments of torture, believed to have been used to punish employees who fell short of the work expected of them.
Rappler’s Kaycee Valmonte reported that residents of posh Ayala Alabang Village (AAV) are legally going after neighbors whom they suspect to be concealing individuals who are connected to POGOs. Residents bemoan incidents such as kidnapping and seeing armed bodyguards becoming the norm in the usually tranquil upscale village. Again, AAV is just one the of the thousands of subdivisions having similar problems, with smaller ones having no wherewithal to go after these illicit operations.
POGO or IGL has supporters in all branches of government, from local government officials to members of Congress, and, until Mr. Duterte left office, all the way up to the presidency itself.
There are also unverified reports of politicians’ “pilgrimage” to China whenever election season draws near. They trek there along with their families purportedly to unwind but in reality to allegedly solicit campaign funds. It’s about time that we should call out the immigration bureau and put it to task by monitoring the number of politicians going out to China whenever election fever nears.
But the pro-China elements in Philippine society are in the minority. A recent study made by the PEW Research Center shows only 16% of Filipinos have a favorable view of China.
In contrast, fully 78% expresses preference for the United States. It used to be 92%, according to the study, which means that the unrelenting propaganda mounted by then President Duterte against the Americans has made some headway.
Something tangible should be done.
The unwanted presence of hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals in the country, the high social costs of POGO operations, and the encroachment of China in the country’s territorial waters are substantial causes for alarm. We don’t want to wake up one day to see the communist nation’s flag, instead of the Philippine national flag, being hoisted in Malacañang, do we? – Rappler.com
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First, the government will not ban all POGOs in the country. President Marcos Jr. will likely implement a “selective treatment” on them. Only those who kowtow to his secret “directives” through a proxy will remain in this country. Second, regarding the Chinese “invasion,” President Marcos Jr. will likely not be afraid as long as China guarantees he will be the Governor of the latter’s new province. If this fails, he has a Plan B: a US helicopter to secure his family on their trip to Hawaii.
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HIGHLIGHTS: Philippines vs Malaysia – Jones Cup 2024 | Jasmine Payo | 17/07/2024 16:35 | MANILA, Philippines – Strong Group-Pilipinas opened the floodgates in the fourth quarter en route to an 89-54 thrashing of Malaysia to stay perfect in the Willam Jones Cup in Taiwan on Wednesday, July 14.
RJ Abarrientos and Dave Ildefonso picked up where Chris McCullough and Rhenz Abando left off, draining a pair of three-pointers in the final period as part of a 30-6 rally that allowed Strong Group to improve to 4-0.
McCullough netted 16 points, Abando tallied 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Ange Kouame put up 11 points and 10 rebounds in the win that saw Strong Group pull away after a nip-and-tuck battle in the first three quarters.
Malaysia still led 47-46 midway through the third frame before it fizzled out as Strong Group ended the game on a 43-7 run.
Abarrientos posted all-around numbers of 9 points, 12 assists, and 5 rebounds, while Ildefonso added 8 points, all coming in the fourth quarter.
After overcoming its biggest challenge yet in the 2024 William Jones Cup, Strong Group-Pilipinas looks to stretch its undefeated streak even further when it faces Malaysia on Wednesday, July 17.
The Filipinos gutted out an 82-74 come-from-behind win versus Ukraine on Monday, July 15, to stay perfect in the single round-robin tournament.
In that nail-biting affair, it was Chris McCullough and Kiefer Ravena who saved the day for Strong Group as they spearheaded a massive 15-2 run in the final three minutes to secure the hard-earned victory.
McCullough took care of business yet again for Strong Group as he sizzled for a game-high 28 points, while Ravena scored all his 10 points in the fourth quarter.
Jordan Heading also came to play for the Philippines as he dropped 24 points – 18 coming in the opening period alone.
As Strong Group goes for a 4-0 slate, expect its leading scorer McCullough to take charge anew for the Charles Tiu-mentored crew for the fourth consecutive outing.
The Filipinos will go up against a tough Malaysian side, which is also undefeated as of posting time with a 2-0 record.
Malaysia is led by high-scoring guard Chun Hong Ting, American import John Murry, and former Ateneo foreign student-athlete Joseph Obasa.
Game time is 5 pm. – Rappler.com
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9 of the top 10 passers of 2024 Shari’ah Bar exams are women | Jairo Bolledo | 16/07/2024 16:23 | BAR EXAMS. Shari'ah Bar exam takers line up during the first day of tests on April 28, 2024.
Supreme Court
MANILA, Philippines – Nine women landed in the top 10 passers of the 2024 Shari’ah Bar Examinations, the Supreme Court (SC) announced on Tuesday, July 16.
Nurhaifah Hadji Said Punginagina topped this year’s examinations with 86.75%, 2024 Shari’ah Bar chairperson Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh said on Tuesday.
The rest of the top 10 placers are:
LOOK: Full list of passers of the 2024 Shari'ah Bar exams. pic.twitter.com/Oq7OB6gnOg
Meanwhile, of the 853 examinees, 183 or 21.45% passed the examinations. Associate Justice Singh said 62.3% of the passers are women.
“Regardless of the results today, whether you pass or you don’t, all of you deserve to be congratulated for your faith, for your determination and hard work, and for your fortitude,” Singh said in her message to the Shari’ah Bar takers.
“You are here now because of everyone who believed in you and because you chose to believe in yourselves. Take this opportunity to celebrate yourselves with your families, friends, loved ones, and enjoy the fruits of your labor,” she added.
The 2023 Shari’ah Bar chairperson also said that the oath-taking and roll signing ceremonies of the passers will be held on August 14, at the Manila Hotel.
In April, the High Court held the first digitalized and regionalized Shari’ah Bar examinations. Now administered by the High Court, Shari’ah Bar is different from the regular Bar exams and is the professional licensure test covering Islamic law.
The number of this year’s aspiring Shari’ah counselors-at-law is higher compared to 2022, which only had 526 takers. The exams were held this year at the University of the Philippines Diliman and Ateneo de Davao University. The exams covered the following subjects: jurisprudence (Figh) and customary laws (Adat), 15%; persons, family relations, and property, 35%; succession, wills/adjudication, and settlement of estates, 35%; and procedure in the Shari’ah Courts, 15%.
The first Shari’ah Bar exams were held in 1983 after the Presidential Decree No. 1083, in 1977, created Shari’ah courts in the Philippines. The special courts were placed under the SC’s administrative supervision.
Article 137 of the decree established Shari’ah District Courts and Shari’ah Circuit Courts to exercise powers and functions to uphold the Code of Muslim Personal Laws of the Philippines. The code’s aim is to recognize the legal system of Muslims in the country, codify Muslim personal laws, and provide “effective administration and enforcement of Muslim personal laws among Muslims.”
The code is in accordance with section 11, article XV of the 1987 Constitution, which states, “The State shall consider the customs, traditions, beliefs and interests of national cultural communities in the formulation and implementation of state policies.”
Early this year, Associate Justice Antonio Kho Jr., the Shari’ah Bar chairperson next year, said the Shari’ah justice system in the country “provides a legal framework for resolving disputes and upholding Islamic principles within the context of the country’s broader legal system.” – Rappler.com
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[Pastilan] The Great Philippine Identity Sale | Herbie G | 17/07/2024 11:00 | It started with about 200 fake birth certificates handed out to Chinese nationals in Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur. Now, it’s blown up to a whopping 1,200 bogus birth certificates. Isn’t bureaucracy grand?
That’s not just a statistical jump; it’s a neon sign flashing “regulatory chaos ahead,” and as if someone stumbled upon the bureaucratic Pandora’s box and decided to throw a fake identity fiesta.
A 21-year-old Chinese, Qui Halin, was recently arrested after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported inconsistencies in his statements while he was applying for a passport.
Based on the report, Qui couldn’t speak Bisaya or Tagalog. He’s a freshman at Ateneo de Davao University. That’s in Davao City, where his family runs a store in Chinatown, on Ramon Magsaysay Avenue. For his passport, he used the alias Hengson Jabilles Limonsero and flashed a Philippine birth certificate, PSA national ID, and a driver’s license.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) found Qui to have a Chinese passport and to be originally from Fujian, China, who moved to Davao City when he was 10. In 2013, he got his Philippine birth certificate in Santa Cruz.
Note that the NBI investigation was an offshoot of the recent raids on Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hubs and the subsequent discovery of senators that Mayor Alice Guo a.k.a. Gwaping of Bamban, Tarlac, used her late birth registration to claim Philippine citizenship and run for mayor in 2022.
The NBI’s discovery of the Santa Cruz birth certificate factory unleashed another verbal cyclone from the Senate against what’s really beginning to look like The Great Philippine Identity Sale.
This doesn’t look like just bureaucratic bumbling. The heart of the issue lies in local civil registrar offices resembling leaky boats in a stormy sea – prone to exploitation by those who’ve turned Filipino citizenship into the bureaucratic equivalent of a hot commodity on the black market.
We’re not just talking about a little clerical error or some bureaucratic hiccup. This is big. This is “fundamental questions of national security” big. This is “integrity of citizenship” big. You see, it digs deep into the soul of our system, revealing a nasty little underbelly in those local civil registry offices.
Let’s not kid ourselves – this isn’t a simple case of paperwork mix-up. It’s a full orchestra of systemic screw-ups, with loopholes in the spotlight and national security fumbling around backstage.
Apparently, we have well-oiled machines in our midst, exploiting these procedural loopholes for a tidy profit. It’s a racket. They’re not just filling out forms; they’re minting money by bending the rules. And what do we get? A compromised administrative process and a red carpet rolled out for all sorts of criminal shenanigans, all under the shiny banner of Philippine citizenship.
It looks like the gatekeepers are the ones leaving the door wide open and shouting, “Come on in, folks! Cheap citizenship for everyone, no questions asked!” It isn’t a glitch, it’s a full-blown system failure. And guess what? We’re the ones picking up the tab for this mess.
There’s a diplomatic subplot amid this bureaucratic mayhem. The involvement of people from China adds a spicy international twist, turning what initially looked like a run-of-the-mill paperwork problem into a potential diplomatic conundrum. It’s the kind that makes diplomats reach for the antacids.
The narrative arc here isn’t just about uncovering administrative shortcomings; it’s about fortifying the very foundation of national identity against predatory exploitation. It’s about ensuring that being Filipino isn’t a matter of paperwork but about shared values and responsibilities.
As legal actions heat up against individuals like Qui and the others implicated in these schemes, the spotlight shifts to our institutions. The NBI, the Bureau of Immigration (BI), and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) have been thrust into the limelight, tasked not just with resolving this crisis but with fortifying our defenses against future incursions into our national identity.
Senator Risa Hontiveros correctly pointed this out: Imagine someone using a fake identity to buy land or run for office. Next thing you know, your neighbor isn’t who you think he is – he’s just some dude who printed out a new identity like it’s a coupon for a free meal at Jollibee.
“Sino ang mga nagkukunsinti nito? Sino ang mga kasabwat o protektor? Sa Davao del Sur lang ba ito nangyayari o sa buong Pilipinas?” read a statement from Hontiveros’ office. (Who are the people making this happen? Who are the accomplices or protectors? Is this only happening in Davao del Sur or all over the Philippines?)
This should be seen as a wake-up call, a reminder that the sanctity of citizenship isn’t just a bureaucratic checkbox but a cornerstone of national security. It demands not just legislative band-aids but a no-nonsense overhaul that plugs the gaps and fortifies the walls against future breaches.
While this developing saga of 1,200 fake birth certificates may read like a bureaucratic thriller, the real heroics lie in the realm of legislative reform and institutional resilience.
Let’s hope that amid the drama and the diplomatic tightrope-walking, our lawmakers can rewrite this script into a tale where integrity triumphs, and Philippine citizenship shines brighter than any counterfeit paperwork ever could.
Filipino identity shouldn’t be something any Tom, Dick, and Harry can just pick up with groceries. It’s not like, “Hey, darling, grab some milk, a loaf of bread, and oh, throw in a Filipino identity while you’re at it!” No, no, no. Stop treating Filipino identity like it’s on sale at a flea market.
Lastly, always check your birth certificates. You never know who might be pretending to be you. Pastilan. – Rappler.com
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The sanctity of Philippine citizenship is the latest focus and victim of corruption in our society. This incident likely started during the Duterte administration, considering its affinity to the Chinese government. Since local civil registrars are under the supervision of the mayors, the latter should be included in the corresponding investigations and, if proven guilty, should be held accountable, too.
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/pastilan-fake-birth-certificates-great-philippine-identity-sale/ | Credible |
[Just Saying] SONA, Congress, accountability, and free speech | Chay Hofilena | 17/07/2024 9:00 | The State of the Nation Address is a constitutional directive. The President makes his report to the people. In that gathering done in the halls of the House of Representatives, we will see the presence of legislators and perhaps other public officials – who are, incidentally, commanded by the Constitution to live modest lives.
It is a serious occasion to know if the President, through his speech, has done or omitted to do something for the nation, whether he is lying or telling the truth, has achievable plans or just mouthing empty platitudes, and is truly sensitive or not to the pulse of the nation.
In the SONA, we scrutinize the President’s performance. We do not celebrate him. The SONA is not his fiesta nor his yearly party with legislators, foreign dignitaries, and Supreme Court justices.
And so many wonder why P20 million more or less, was reported as expenses for the event. And when it was revealed that it will include expenses for food, flowers, invitations, giveaways, rent for audio visual equipment, coordination of agencies, and others, they further wonder how it could reach that staggering amount.
Surely, invitations can just be given through e-mails, a lavish dinner skipped, decorative flowers dispensed with, giveaways not given, coordination among agencies undertaken by repeated memos through digital transmissions without incurring too must cost?
And seriously, are we also to understand that the House of Representatives, with its huge budget, has no audio-visual apparatus such that it must rent one? If true, that is sheer incompetence.
The insensitivity of this event is made more pronounced by reports that the Philippines has about 4.5 million homeless people with 250,000 of them children. The country has about 2 million unemployed and, as of the end of February 2024, about P15.8 trillion in debt. Some of our soldiers and sailors have been risking their lives in asserting our sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea with meager resources compared to China’s.
More importantly, prices of important goods are rising. From the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data, galunggong, for example, rose from P189.06 per kilo in May 2024 to P195.52 in June 2024. This may be insignificant to rich politicians but not to millions of our people.
Significantly, display of thoughtless extravagance amid a period “of acute public want” can be stopped by the courts (Article 25, Civil Code). Unfortunately, the case can only be initiated by a government or private charitable institution. Surely, the Philippine Charitable Sweepstakes Office will not do the filing. It will also be too much for a private charitable institution to further deplete its limited funds for such a case. The only thing remaining is a high sense of delicadeza on the part of government.
And then it was reported that House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said, “This is a formal event. We will be very strict in the expression of protest in a SONA outfit. They’ll be requested to change because it is the SONA. It is not a day of protest.” In short, no outfit manifesting protest will be allowed during the SONA.
That directive is unconstitutional. Non-violent protest is part of our democracy, doable anytime, anywhere and any place, provided it is peaceful. To wear a black arm band or outfit signifying protest is within the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech. It can be legitimately curtailed if there is a clear and present danger imperiling the government’s existence. Surely, that will not happen during the SONA.
Remember: the people own the Batasan building, public money will be spent, and the event is vested with public interest. The prohibition exhibits ignorance of our fundamental liberties enshrined in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights.
Think of all the opposition legislators wearing a protest outfit peacefully waiting for the President’s speech, one can imagine the distasteful scene of the congressional sergeant-at-arms and his men – in full view of foreign diplomats, the Supreme Court justices and the televiewers – escorting all of them outside the Batasan building, leaving only the President’s allies giving intermittent applause and standing ovations. It might be, after all, President Marcos Jr. enjoying himself preaching to the choir.
It will be a revolting and shameful sight for an administration that preens itself of respecting diversity in our society.
A rule of decorum cannot defeat the exercise of constitutional rights. In law, any public officer or employee, or any private individual, who directly or indirectly, obstructs or, in any manner, impedes the freedom of speech and the right to petition the government for redress of grievance shall be liable for damages (Article 32, Civil Code). Presence of malice or bad faith is not necessary. (Lim vs. Ponce De Leon G.R. No. L-22554 August 29, 1975) – Rappler.com
Mel Sta. Maria is former dean of the Far Eastern University Institute of Law. He teaches law at FEU, the Ateneo School of Law, the University of Sto. Tomas, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, University of Makati, and Manuel L. Quezon University. He also hosts shows on both radio and YouTube, and has authored several books on law, politics, and current events.
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President Marcos Jr.’s Third SONA, with its large spending, has been criticized for its display of a “lavish lifestyle.” This behavior isn’t surprising, given that it has been witnessed since President Marcos Sr.’s term, and President Marcos Jr. seems to be following the family tradition of his political dynasty. The rule of decorum, which can be seen as a form of suppression, is also a legacy of President Marcos Sr., and President Marcos Jr. appears to be following it in a more subtle manner.
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Meralco brings back Allen Durham, hoping to get job done in Governors’ Cup | delfin.dioquino editor | 17/07/2024 13:15 | DRIVE. Allen Durham in action for the Meralco Bolts in the 2019-20 PBA Governors' Cup.
PBA Images
MANILA, Philippines – Meralco is bringing back a familiar face as it shoots for back-to-back PBA crowns.
The Bolts hope to finally get the job done with Allen Durham by tapping the veteran import to reinforce the team in the season-opening Governors’ Cup, team manager Paolo Trillo confirmed.
Durham returns to the PBA for the first time since 2020 after spending the last four years overseas, primarily with the Ryukyu Golden Kings in the Japan B. League.
The hulking 6-foot-6 forward helped Ryukyu capture the 2022-2023 B. League title, also earning Finals MVP honors, and keyed the Golden Kings to the finals for three straight seasons.
Falling short of the top prize in its first four finals appearances, Meralco captured its breakthrough championship when it dethroned San Miguel in the Philippine Cup last season.
Three of those finals losses were with Durham as he and the Bolts fell prey to Justin Brownlee and Barangay Ginebra in the 2016, 2017, and 2019 editions of the Governors’ Cup.
After winning its historic title, Meralco aims to get the proverbial monkey off its back in an import-flavored conference with the three-time PBA Best Import back in the fold.
Durham averaged 12.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in the previous B. League season, where the Golden Kings absorbed a 2-1 loss to the Hiroshima Dragonflies in the finals.
Other imports for the Governors’ Cup include Glenn Robinson III for Magnolia and Aaron Fuller for Rain or Shine. – Rappler.com
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Marcos, Romualdez least trusted among top government officials – survey | Bonz Magsambol | 17/07/2024 13:28 | President Ferdinand Marcos Jr approves the rehabilitation of the NAIA, the construction of the Samar Pacific Road and the improvement of the Laguindingan Airport, at the NEDA Board meeting in Malacanang on July 19, 2023.
Bongbong Marcos Facebook
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez, are the least trusted among the country’s top officials, according to the results of a Pulse Asia Research, Incorporated survey held in June and released on Wednesday, July 17.
The nationwide survey held from June 17 to 24 included Marcos, Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Francis Escudero, and Romualdez.
“Regarding distrust, it is more pronounced toward the President and the House Speaker (21% and 23%, respectively) than the Senate President and the Vice-President (5% and 8%, respectively),” Pulse Asia said.
Distrust in the President jumped to 21% in June from 15% in March, a difference of 6 percentage points. Among geographic areas, distrust in Marcos was highest in Mindanao (32% from 28% in March), followed by Metro Manila (19% from 20%), Balance Luzon (18% from 5%), and Visayas (15% from 18%).
Though Marcos sustained majority public trust in June at 52%, this is 5 percentage points lower than his 57% score in March.
Marcos obtained the highest trust score in Metro Manila at 59%, a 4-percentage point increase over his March score of 55%. While he still has majority trust in Balance Luzon at 58%, this is 9 percentage points lower than his 67% score in March.
The President’s trust rating in the Visayas is 54% – unchanged from the last survey period – while he got the lowest trust rating in Mindanao: 35% from 38% in March.
Though the least trusted among top government officials, Romualdez’s trust rating improved in June to 35% from 31% in March. His distrust score was statistically unchanged at 23% from 24%.
Among geographical areas, Romualdez’s trust rating was highest in Visayas at 57%, a 30-percentage point jump from 27% in March. His trust numbers improved in Metro Manila (37% from 33%) and Mindanao (24% from 21%) but dipped in Balance Luzon (31% from 36%).
Among socioeconomic classes, trust in Romualdez was highest among the poorest Class E at 40% – 18 percentage points higher than 22% in March.
Duterte is the most trusted top official at 71%, followed by Escudero (69%) who is included in the survey for the first time since he was elected Senate president in May.
Marcos continues to enjoy the approval of a majority of Filipinos as he marked his second year in office, according to the survey results.
The survey showed a slight dip in the Marcos’ approval rating – 53% from 55% in March – but this is within the pollster’s ± 2% error margin, at 95% confidence level.
Among geographical areas, Marcos obtained majority approval rating except in Mindanao:
Among socioeconomic classes, the President scored highest among class D with 53% (from 56% in March), followed by the poorest class E with 52% (from 48% in March), and lowest among the well-off class ABC which gave him an approval rating of 42% – from 62% in March, a 13-percentage point drop.
Duterte obtained the highest approval score at 69% while Romualdez got the lowest rating at 35%, a 4-percentage point improvement over his March score.
Among geographic areas, Romualdez got majority approval only in the Visayas at 59%, a 26-percentage point jump over his March approval rating of 33%. He got a 36% approval rating in Metro Manila, 29% in Balance Luzon, and 25% in Mindanao.
The survey was conducted among 2,400 respondents aged 18 and above using face-to-face interviews. Subnational estimates for each of the geographic areas covered in the survey have a ± 4% error margin, also at 95% confidence level.
During the survey period, Vice President Sara Duterte resigned from the Marcos Cabinet confirming the insurmountable rift in the Uniteam coalition forged in the 2022 elections for the Marcos-Duterte tandem. It was also during this time when Malacañang, through an executive order, directed government agencies and schools in the country to recite the “Bagong Pilipinas (A New Philippines)” hymn and pledge in weekly flag ceremonies.
Other notable issues during the survey period were the Senate probe into the illegal activities of Philippine offshore gaming operators and their link to Mayor Alice Guo of Bamban, Tarlac; a Palace EO reducing the tariff on imported rice from 35% to 15% until 2028, and the confrontation between the China Coast Guard and the Philippine Navy in relation to the latter’s resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal.
On Tuesday, July 16, a group of concerned individuals led by former senator Leila de Lima, former Supreme Court justices Antonio Carpio, and Conchita Carpio urged the Marcos administration to cancel the licenses granted to POGOs who cater to the mainland Chinese market.
POGOs grew in the Philippine market in 2016 as operators took advantage of liberal gaming laws under the administration of Rodrigo Duterte. Many POGO operators are run by Chinese nationals, as gambling in their home country is banned.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, who has been leading the probe into POGOs, said on Monday, July 15, that she expected the President to have a clear stand on POGOS, specifically on calls for a POGO ban in the country, when he delivers his third State of the Nation Address on July 22. – Bonz Magsambol/Rappler.com
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Road workers discover cave likely untouched for millions of years in Cagayan de Oro | Herbie G | 17/07/2024 12:20 | ACTIVE CAVE. A group of people explore an active cave discovered while construction workers were widening a road in a rural village in Cagayan de Oro.
CLENRO-Cagayan de Oro
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Construction workers in a rural village in Cagayan de Oro accidentally discovered a cave, most likely untouched by human hands for millions of years until this week, revealing an astonishing underground world.
The cave, described as a time capsule, contains stalactites and stalagmites that have been evolving for millions of years. With its formations still actively developing, the cave offers a rare glimpse into the dynamic processes of the planet, captivating the imaginations of locals and providing future opportunities for scientific study, research, and tourism.
“There’s water dripping, suggesting an ongoing formation. This excites us,” said Christine Camba, officer-in-charge of the protected areas division of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Northern Mindanao.
The DENR has counted about a dozen caves in Cagayan de Oro, and the one in Dansolihon is not among them, according to Camba.
Workers stumbled upon the cave on Monday, July 15, while widening a section of road in one of the interior districts of Barangay Dansolihon, according to village chairman Jose Maria Juan Roa. The road is part of a network being developed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to link the rural Cagayan de Oro village with Opol town in Misamis Oriental.
The road construction inadvertently expanded its entrance, making it accessible to humans for the first time.
“It appears to be a live cave,” Camba told Rappler, referring to initial photographs that rapidly circulated on social media.
Live caves, also referred to as active caves, reveal fascinating formations shaped by ongoing geological processes such as the growth of stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstones. These formations result from minerals deposited by water seeping through the cave’s surfaces.
At first glance, the Dansolihon cave embodies the essence of a live cave with its constant water flow and mineral deposition, setting it apart from dry or inactive caves where such processes have ceased long ago.
Engineer Armen Cuenca, Cagayan de Oro’s environmental and natural resources chief, said the cave was known to a few villagers to exist “a long time ago” but remained unexplored and free from human activity for a still unknown number of millennia due to its very small opening.
“What is certain is that it has been there for millions of years. It’s alive,” Cuenca said.
A team from the city government and the DENR has been assembled and is set to inspect the cave on Wednesday, July 17.
Roa said he ordered the cave to be cordoned off, and declared it off-limits to the public to prevent potential damage from curious onlookers who quickly trooped in the area upon news of the discovery.
Camba said the cave remains uncharted territory, and both the DENR and local government have yet to assess and map it out to determine how best to manage it.
She cautioned that unauthorized exploration of the cave could lead to disaster.
“We have not conducted a full assessment. We are unaware of the potential hazards,” Camba said.
The local government said it would require strict adherence to national laws prohibiting cave entry.
According to the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (CLENRO), the Conservation and Protection of Wildlife Resources and their Habitats Act mandates the protection of caves as habitats for wildlife and ecosystems.
CLENRO also said the National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection Act designates caves as national treasures protected by law.
The law provides that cave locations should not be disclosed for one year following their discovery by the DENR and prevents their classification as tourist or study sites during this period. However, DENR, city government, and barangay officials confirmed that the cave was discovered in Dansolihon.
City hall also cautioned against extraction, possession, or sale of cave items, as well as engaging individuals to procure items from the newly discovered cave. It said such activities are considered offenses with corresponding penalties of imprisonment ranging from two to six years and fines from P20,000 to P500,000. – Rappler.com
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BIR: Online sellers on electronic marketplaces must now pay withholding tax | lkyu0285 | 17/07/2024 11:56 | MANILA, Philippines – Online sellers or merchants on electronic marketplaces like Shopee and Lazada should now be paying more taxes that are to be withheld by these e-commerce sites, based on a Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) regulation that started July 15, Monday.
“Electronic Marketplace Operators will begin imposing withholding tax against their sellers/merchants starting July 15, 2024. We have already extended this by 90 days. No further extensions will be given,” BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui said in a press release on Tuesday, July 16.
He clarified that “withholding tax is not a new tax, it’s merely a system of taxation where taxes are collected at source, which will be credited against the total income tax liability of the sellers/merchants.”
“The BIR aims to level the playing field between brick-and-mortar stores, which are regularly complying with their tax obligations, and online market places. Whether their business is operated online or through physical stores, sellers and merchants have to pay their taxes,” Lumagui added.
Rappler’s tax columnist Mon Abrea said in an article last January that this is not a new tax.
“This is not yet the digital tax. This withholding tax is in effect an advanced collection of the income tax due from the sellers/merchants…,” he said. You can learn more about this here: [Ask the Tax Whiz] Are online sellers/merchants required to pay taxes?)
In another piece Abrea wrote in February, he said: “As clarified by [BIR] Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 8-2024, online sellers or merchants are required to register and pay their taxes. However, it is the e-marketplace operators and/or the digital financial service providers (DFSPs) which are required to withhold the 1% tax on gross remittances, and thereafter remit the same to the BIR.”
In late 2023, the BIR issued Revenue Regulation 16-2023, imposing a 1% creditable withholding tax on half of the gross remittances by e-marketplace operators, such as Shopee and Lazada, and digital financial service providers (DFSPs), such as GCash, to online merchants after their goods and services are sold through the platform.
The BIR had previously extended the implementation “in recognition of the compliance needed with the relative policies or requirements of other government agencies and to give the affected parties an opportunity to adjust.” That extension has since passed, and the BIR confirmed that all electronic marketplace operators are now required to impose the withholding tax on sellers starting July 15.
Meanwhile, the BIR granted another 90-day allowance for DFSPs like GCash and Maya to “complete their respective system adjustments,” extending the prescribed transitory period until October 12, 2024. – Rappler.com
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Maguindanao del Sur under state of calamity as floods hit 70% of its towns | Herbie G | 17/07/2024 10:17 | HELP. Rescuers help evacuate children in the Special Geographic Areas in the BARMM.
Bangmoro READi
SARANGANI, Philippines – The provincial government of Maguindanao del Sur has placed the province under a state of calamity following floods that inundated about 70% of its towns and affected thousands of families.
Maguindanao del Sur Governor Mariam Mangudadatu said on Tuesday, July 16, that the number of families affected by the widespread flooding has been increasing based on reports from emergency response workers.
“The state of calamity will allow us to use funds to support affected municipalities. They cannot be left on their own in this situation,” Mangudadatu said.
The provincial government reported that at least 17 of Maguindanao del Sur’s 24 towns were flooded, and workers documented the death of a farmer as rampaging floodwaters hit his village.
Officials claimed that the number of affected families has increased to 71,000 from more than 68,000 reported last week by disaster response groups from various local governments. As of 2020, before it was split into two political territories, Maguindanao had a population of over 741,000.
Still reeling from the devastation caused by the El Niño phenomenon that displaced farmers from their livelihoods, the floods this time have submerged a wide area of farmlands in over 100 villages, Mangudadatu told reporters in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town.
Mangudadatu said they have yet to determine the extent of the damage caused by the floods, which have submerged school buildings and houses. Several houses were reported to have been swept away by floodwaters, she said.
The move on Tuesday, July 16, by the Maguindanao del Sur provincial board in declaring the province in a state of calamity was the second time this year – the first was in April, following the damaging effects of weeks of dry spell, resulting in losses in crops and livestock worth nearly P346 million.
In declaring the province in a state of calamity, the Maguindanao del Sur provincial board noted reports that 161 villages have been underwater, destroying farmlands, crops, and livestock.
Maguindanao del Sur Vice Governor Nathaniel Midtimbang said with 17 towns severely flooded, it was enough grounds to declare a state of calamity in the province.
“Nahihirapan na mga tao (The people are suffering),” he told local reporters.
On Sunday, June 14, search and rescue workers found the remains of a 22-year-old male farmer in Pagalungan town. Benjamin Alip, Pagalungan disaster management officer, said the young farmer tried to save his cow from drowning in floodwaters in Barangay Damalasak.
Most towns in Maguindanao del Sur are along one of Mindanao’s largest wetlands – the more than 200,000-hectare Ligawasan Marsh that usually overflows during heavy downpours.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office head Ameer Jehad Ambolodto said the affected towns are as follows:
He said houses have been destroyed and they are still closely monitoring the situation because the rain usually stops only briefly before heavy downpours.
Ambolodto said they have constantly reminded residents to stay on safer grounds and avoid the risk of being in low-lying areas or along riverbanks.
In Pagalungan town, the PDRRMO head said residents have to bring their belongings along the shoulder of the more elevated national highway, “but with rains almost not stopping, even the highway has been flooded.”
Pagalungan and Montawal towns are along the Rio Grande de Mindanao, which overflowed its banks following a surge of water from Pulangi River in Bukidnon over the weekend.
These two Maguindanao del Sur towns suffer the same experience as that of their neighboring towns in Pikit and Kabacan in Cotabato province, whenever the Rio Grande swells.
The four towns along Rio Grande are in the direct path of the Pulangi River, where dams to run hydro-electric power plants have been releasing water.
Cotabato Governor Emmylou Mendoza has already asked the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) to make representations with the National Power Corporation (Napocor), which runs the hydro-power plants, to coordinate with local governments about their plans to release water from their dams. – Rappler.com
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LPA off Surigao City bringing heavy rain to several regions, provinces | Acor Arceo | 17/07/2024 10:15 | PHILIPPINE WEATHER. Satellite image as of July 17, 2024, 6 am.
PAGASA
MANILA, Philippines – A low pressure area (LPA) is bringing scattered rain showers and thunderstorms to parts of the Philippines on Wednesday, July 17, with the rain becoming heavy at times.
The LPA was located 200 kilometers east northeast of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte, as of 3 am on Wednesday.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned that rain may be moderate to heavy in the regions of Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, and Davao, as well as the provinces of Isabela, Aurora, Quezon, Marinduque, and Romblon.
Floods and landslides are possible in areas affected by the LPA.
PAGASA Weather Specialist Obet Badrina said the bureau is not ruling out the possibility of the LPA developing into a tropical cyclone as it approaches landmass.
If it becomes a tropical cyclone, it would be the country’s second for 2024 and would be given the local name Butchoy.
Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon or habagat is affecting the western parts of Southern Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao on Wednesday.
Scattered rain showers and thunderstorms are expected in the rest of Mimaropa, the Visayas, and Mindanao, while isolated rain showers or thunderstorms are likely in Metro Manila and the rest of Calabarzon.
Parts of Mindanao had been hit by floods and landslides in recent days due to rain from the southwest monsoon.
The Philippines’ rainy season began late May.
PAGASA also raised its La Niña Alert last Friday, July 12, citing a 70% chance of the weather phenomenon beginning within the August-October period. La Niña is expected to trigger more rain and possibly more tropical cyclones in the country. – Rappler.com
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Relearning the lessons from the magnitude 7.8 earthquake of Northern Luzon of 34 years ago | Victor Barreiro Jr. | 16/07/2024 20:00 | Segment of the national road near Dalton Pass in Santa Fe, Nueva Vizcaya, displaced about 3.5 meters
left-laterally (sidewise to the left) by the Digdig segment of the Philippine Fault during the magnitude
7.8 earthquake of Northern Luzon of July 16, 1990.
Jean-Claude Ringenbach
Tuesday, July 16, was the 34th anniversary of an earthquake that devastated major cities in northern Luzon. This earthquake was so powerful that it sent seismic waves that were felt as far as Metro Manila, located more than a hundred kilometers from the epicenter.
On the afternoon of July 16, 1990, a Monday, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck northern Luzon with an epicenter located near the town of Rizal in the province of Nueva Ecija. More than 1,500 individuals perished while infrastructure damage was estimated at more than 12 billion Philippine pesos (>USD 200 million).
The earthquake was generated by the Philippine Fault, feared by many as one that may produce an even larger magnitude earthquake in the future.
It is an active fault that can be traced for more than 1,200 kilometers from Bangui in Ilocos Norte to Mati in Davao Oriental, running along the longer north-south axis of the archipelago, passing through several islands including the entirety of Luzon, Masbate, Leyte and Mindanao, and the intervening seas.
This fault is subdivided into segments that are named depending on the location where these have been mapped. The section that generated the July 16, 1990 magnitude 7.8 earthquake is called the Digdig Fault segment, so named after the barangay/village of Digdig (now Joson) in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, where the geomorphological manifestations of the fault are best preserved.
This earthquake produced a ground rupture, a deep crack into the earth created by the release of energy from the earthquake’s focus located several kilometers underneath the surface (see photo), that was 125 kilometers long. The length of ground rupture is directly proportional to the magnitude of the earthquake – the larger the magnitude, the longer the ground rupture.
Other segments of the Philippine Fault have also ruptured in the last 50 years, inflicting major destruction in the affected areas. On March 17, 1973, southern Luzon was struck by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake, whose epicenter was located in the Ragay Gulf, the body of water between the peninsulas of Bondoc and Bicol. More than 10 individuals were reported killed while infrastructure damage was estimated at more than one hundred million pesos.
More recently, the Masbate segment produced two major earthquakes within a period of only 17 years, a rather unusual phenomenon given the current state of knowledge in earthquake science. The island was struck by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake on February 15, 2003, then again by a magnitude 6.6 tremor on August 18, 2020. These two earthquakes are believed to have been generated by the same fault, the Masbate segment of the Philippine Fault, which is a very rare occurrence. Theoretically, a fault that breaks releasing stored energy (called strain), should take a considerable length of time, in the order of several hundreds or even thousands of years, to accumulate new strain before releasing it again to generate the next earthquake.
For the most recent activity of the Philippine Fault, two earthquakes of magnitudes 7.0 (July 27, 2022) and 6.4 (October 25, 2022) were generated by its branches in Abra, occurring within three months of each other and separated by epicentral locations of less than 20 kilometers. Infrastructure damage in both earthquakes was significant, with less than 20 casualties reported.
During the July 16, 1990 earthquake, many areas located far away from the epicenter and the trace of the Digdig Fault sustained heavy damage nonetheless, proving that distance from the earthquake fault does not guarantee safety from seismic hazards.
Baguio and Dagupan are both more than 80 km away from the epicenter, but these cities, while located far away from the epicenter, incurred numerous casualties and heavy infrastructure damage including collapsed buildings, bridges and ruptured roads.
In Baguio City, damage is believed to have been caused by strong ground shaking intensified by the elevation of this mountain city situated at around 1,500 meters above sea level. Imagine how a high-rise building would behave when the ground on which it is built is shaken – the lower floors would move almost in harmony with the ground, but the higher floors would sway more intensely.
In Dagupan City, infrastructure damage was mainly due to liquefaction, a natural process where saturated sandy material behaves like a liquid when shaken. Imagine scooping moist sand from the beach, putting several scoops into a pail, letting the wet sand settle until the surface dries up. Then start shaking the pail to simulate an earthquake. The surface starts to moisten because the water molecules in between the sand grains below are energized by the shaking and start to rise to the surface as they are now more mobile than the sand grains. When this happens, even a solid object (simulating a building) stuck into the sand will start sinking and tilting. The ground is said to lose its bearing capacity, and any building built on it no matter how sturdy, would fail.
Dagupan City is built on sandy material accumulated at the mouth of mighty river systems that include the Bued and Agno Rivers. These rivers and their tributaries deliver sediments from the Cordillera and Zambales mountain ranges. The ground underneath the city is continuously moistened by surrounding estuaries and its proximity to the Lingayen Gulf.
Recently, I was witness to an effective disaster preparedness exercise when Category 5 Hurricane Beryl ravaged several Caribbean island-countries with the strength of more than 215 kilometer-per-hour winds coupled with extended torrential rains. In Jamaica, several days before the forecasted landfall on July 4, 2024, authorities went to work early in preparing for the arrival of the hurricane. No less than the prime minister went on national TV to warn citizens of the impending danger the hurricane would bring and to lay out the national strategy to mitigate casualties and damage.
Except for frontline agencies, work was suspended in government agencies and international organizations such as the United Nations. Curfew was enforced, everyone was told to stay sheltered, check points were set up for the non-law-abiding citizens. The populace was obedient. The hurricane passed, authorities reported only two dead – one by drowning, the other smashed by a fallen tree.
Disasters from weather disturbances can be relatively well-managed, given the current advancements in atmospheric science and space technology, where hurricanes and typhoons can be tracked and their paths and landfall locations predicted.
Unfortunately, it is not so (yet) for earthquakes. As such, earthquake resilience can best be achieved by preparing well in advance through what some refer to as structural preparedness. It involves knowing the conditions of the ground and the infrastructure in the places that one frequents – places of domicile and work, in particular.
Is the ground prone to intense shaking that can lead to liquefaction? Are there steep and weak slopes around that are prone to landslides? Is it by the sea where tsunamis are expected? Are the buildings constructed according to code?
To paraphrase a famous quote: He who stays ready does not need to get ready. – Rappler.com
Mario A. Aurelio, PhD is a professor at the National Institute of Geological Sciences – University of the Philippines (UP-NIGS) who includes earthquake studies among his research interests. He regularly travels to the Caribbean to fulfill his obligations to a United Nations organization based in Jamaica.
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Another time’s the charm? Manila, Beijing OK presidential hotline on West Philippine Sea | Bea Cupin | 17/07/2024 12:30 | PRESIDENTS. China's President Xi Jinping walks with Philippines' President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, January 4, 2023.
Office of the Press Secretary/Handout via REUTERS
The Philippines and China have expanded a previous maritime communication mechanism covering the West Philippine Sea, as tensions rise in waters that are within Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) but that Beijing claims at its own.
In a Wednesday, July 17 statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the two countries signed an “Arrangement on Improving Philippines-China Maritime Communication Mechanisms.” The existence of the deal was first reported by the Associated Press.
The agreement “provides several channels for communication” between the two countries on “maritime issues,” including:
Hold on – another agreement?
If you think that you’ve seen this film before, you’re right – you’ve definitely seen a version of it.
Back in January 2023, during Marcos’ first (and only, thus far) state visit to Beijing, the two countries signed an agreement that established a communication mechanism between the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
The new agreement, signed after Manila hosted a Bilateral Consultation Mechanism meeting on the South China Sea in early July 2024, now includes a hotline for representatives of Marcos and Xi.
“The DFA is in discussions with the Chinese side on the guidelines that will govern the implementation of this Arrangement,” said DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza.
Why a new agreement? Neither Daza nor the DFA gave an explicit explanation.
But here’s what you should understand: first, it took a while for the first hotline to be set up – because of delays on the Chinese side, Marcos himself told reporters back in May 2023. By then, a collision almost took place during a maritime patrol off the waters of Ayungin Shoal or Second Thomas Shoal.
When it was up and running, the “hotline” turned out to be anything but hot – China did not pick up the phone as the CCG used water cannons against the PCG in the West Philippine Sea back in August 2023, or would respond only hours later, after literal damage had already been done.
In January 2024, following a BCM meeting hosted in Shanghai, the two countries agreed to “improve” the maritime hotline and agreed that it would include both the foreign ministries and coast guards of the two countries.
Near collisions have become the least of the Philippines’ concerns in the West Philippine Sea.
Aside from wielding water cannons with water pressures that could destroy the walls of wooden ships, the CCG has gone as far as towing, boarding, and destroying Philippine Navy dinghies during a resupply mission in June 2017. The last BCM took place in the shadow of that incident.
China insists on its sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including in areas that are part of the Philippines’ EEZ. It’s led to tense, sometimes violent confrontations between maritime forces of the two countries in flashpoints like Ayungin Shoal or Scarborough Shoal. Filipino fishermen have also reported cases of harassment from the much larger vessels of the CCG or Chinese Maritime Militia.
Beijing has refused to recognize a 2016 arbitral ruling that deemed its sweeping claim over the South China Sea invalid.
Would this maritime communication mechanism (president’s version) finally work? And would the two coast guards – one behind water cannons and “piracy” in the West Philippine Sea, and the other subject to danger because of the former’s actions – be able to iron out an agreement and make it work?
Maybe third – or second – time’s the charm? It’s becoming harder to keep track. – Rappler.com
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Kylie Padilla admits she’s in a new relationship | Ysa Abad | 17/07/2024 11:07 | Kylie Padilla's Instagram
MANILA, Philippines – Kylie Padilla has confirmed that she’s dating someone new, almost three years after her publicized separation with Aljur Abrenica.
In the Tuesday, July 16 episode of Fast Talk With Boy Abunda, the actress revealed that she’s “taken” when she was asked if “she is single or ready to mingle.”
Padilla didn’t disclose other details about her new romance such as the name of her partner or when they started, only sharing that her boyfriend is not from showbiz.
The actress went on that since her boyfriend is not part of the entertainment industry, she gets to balance her work and personal life. “When I’m with my partner, I’m normal again, I’m just Kylie,” she said. “There’s no trying to keep up a certain image with a partner.”
She continued that she also had to fight for this relationship, which she said allowed her to learn more about herself. “It taught me to just trust myself more and not to be too scared to be myself,” she said.
Padilla was previously in an on-and-off relationship with Abrenica since 2011, before getting married in 2018. They have two sons.
Padilla and Abrenica officially split in 2021.
Abrenica admitted in an interview with Toni Gonzaga in April 2023 that he had cheated on Padilla when they were together. While both Padilla and Abrenica denied actress AJ Raval as the third party in their marriage, Raval and Abrenica confirmed their relationship in February 2023.
Padilla is an actress known for her roles in films and teleseryes Dilim, Unravel, Encantadia, The Good Daughter, and Adarna, and Black Rider. – Rappler.com
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Munimuni on ‘Alegorya’ and the art of music | jreyes0314 | 17/07/2024 9:30 | Gabi Na Naman (GNN) Productions
MANILA, Philippines – Munimuni has undoubtedly established itself as a household name in the local music scene.
With their unique instrumentals and profound lyricism, the band has grown to become one of the most well-loved OPM acts among local gig-goers – forming a tight-knit community of listeners, or their very own Komunidad, in the process.
It’s pretty difficult to miss recognizing their music, even though it’s your first time hearing it play again after a while. Fittingly, five years have already passed since Munimuni staged their last major concert in 2019 to mark the release of their Kulayan Natin album.
Much has happened since then, including the release of their sophomore album – Alegorya – and another major concert slated to go along with it.
A nod to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, Alegorya is a 12-track album that was several years in the making. It’s a culmination of songs that were already released as singles years prior, as well as some never-before-heard tracks – all of which paint a vast range of narratives.
“Basically, we already had an intention of turning it into an album [for] almost two years. That’s why technically there are songs there that are from way before,” Munimuni’s guitarist and vocalist Adj Jiao told Rappler in a mix of English and Filipino at a press conference.
Alegorya – both the album and the song in particular – take on the themes of “looking at the world and our human selves a bit deeper” and “going beyond what’s on the surface.”
“Siguro ‘yung pinaka-inspirasyon for writing ‘yung Alegorya song is having seen certain places sa Pilipinas na pang-mayaman, and naco-contrast mo siya sa everyday life ng common Filipino na sobrang stark ng difference,” Adj shared, adding that the song Alegorya was intentionally placed right in the middle of the album to showcase this.
(I guess the inspiration for writing the song Alegorya is having seen certain places in the Philippines that are for the rich, and you can contrast that with the everyday lives of common Filipinos where there’s a really stark difference.)
“Music in general as an art is always perceived as something that should be beautiful. Minsan, ‘yung messages beyond that ay hindi maganda, in the sense na mabigat ‘yung pinagmumulan or pangit ‘yung pinagmumulan. Pero nilagay siya in a painting na maganda. Parang ginagawa mong maganda ‘yung isang bagay na puwedeng pangit,” flutist and vocalist Owen Castro added.
(Sometimes, the messages beyond that aren’t beautiful, in the sense that its origins are heavy or it comes from an ugly place. But it’s placed in a beautiful painting. It’s like you’re turning something that may be seen as ugly into something beautiful.)
It’s presumably this authenticity that gives Munimuni’s music its timelessness, so much so that no matter what sentiment the band is trying to convey in any given song, listeners will always be in for an experience.
It comes as no surprise, then, that the five-piece band has amassed countless memorable encounters with their fans, who would often confide in them about how their music has helped lift them out of dark places.
“Siguro ‘yun din ‘yung beauty ng pagiging open namin sa songs. Parang nagiging open din ‘yung listeners to share their personal experiences. Ngayon ko lang narealize na na-a-appreciate ko ‘yung fact na ‘yun,” Munimuni’s drummer Josh Tumaliuan said.
(I guess that’s also the beauty of being open in our songs. It’s like our listeners also become open to sharing their personal experiences. I only realized and came to appreciate that fact now.)
The “Alegorya” concert is also bound to be a special one. Aside from being set to have special performances by notable names in the local music scene, it will also mark the longest set the band will ever play so far.
Munimuni’s guitarist Ben Ayes shared that even before they settled on a final date for the concert, they already began practicing – knowing that it was going to be a lengthy ride.
“It’s one thing to perform in weekly gigs where your set is 45 minutes, and it’s another thing to play continuously for almost three hours. It’s a very new thing for us, so the preparation really took a long time,” Owen said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Duration aside, however, the concert is set to be a symbolic homecoming for the band. Having been formed in UP Diliman, Munimuni is returning to its alma mater years later, at a point in their careers where they’ve already amassed a loyal following.
From the time Munimuni staged its “Kulayan Natin” concert in 2019 to the lead-up to its 2024 “Alegorya” concert, the band has also evolved as musicians – with its members being more open to exploring their musical creativity.
“I know na nile-label kami in some way as indie-folk or folk-pop or makata-pop, and kung ano man ‘yung usual na tawag. But I think for this record, nandoon pa rin naman, malapit pa rin, pero we weren’t thinking na i-fit siya to a certain type of sound. We tried to serve kung ano ‘yung ibig sabihin ng kanta [rather] than to cater to a certain sound. ‘Yung naging effect no’n sa amin is, individually, pinu-push din namin ‘yung creativity namin. Walang constraints masyado,” Adj shared.
(I know we’re labeled in some way as indie-folk or folk-pop or poetic-pop, and whatever we’re usually called. But I think for this record, it’s still there, it’s still close, but we weren’t thinking of fitting it into a certain type of sound. We tried to serve what the songs mean rather than to cater to a certain sound. Its effect on us is that, individually, we push our creativity. There aren’t many constraints.)
It’s clear that fans will be in for a concert to remember. Until then, you can stream the Alegorya album here:
– Rappler.com
Munimuni’s ‘Alegorya’ concert will be held on July 20 at the UP Theater in Diliman, Quezon City. Tickets can be purchased here.
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Filipino workers have among worst work-life balance – report | Michelle Abad | 17/07/2024 8:38 | Shutterstock
MANILA, Philippines – Filipino workers are among the worst of their economic neighbors in getting enough work-life balance, a new study from global human resource platform Remote found.
Remote’s Global Life-Work Balance Index 2024, which compared data among the top 60 gross domestic product (GDP) countries, ranked the Philippines 59th out of 60 in work-life balance.
The Philippines scored 27.46 points, with the highest possible score at 100. It beat only Nigeria, which had a score of 16.15.
The study looked at various factors in determining work-life balance. These were the following, along with the Philippines’ scores:
Other Southeast Asian countries that were included in the Life-Work Balance Index were Singapore (26th), Vietnam (37th), Thailand (39th), Indonesia (43rd), and Malaysia (47th).
Filipino workers work an average of 40.63 hours per week, with a minimum wage of $1.45 an hour. Combining these factors leads to the average minimum wage worker earning around $58.91, or P3,448.21 a week.
The Philippines did not have the most average working hours, however. Countries like the United Arab Emirates and Qatar were noted to be the most overworked nations, with around 50 and 48 average work hours per week, respectively.
These two countries, like other Gulf states, are popular host countries for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). According to Philippine Statistics Authority numbers as of 2022, the UAE was the second most popular destination, with over 260,000 OFWs, and Qatar had around 113,600. – Rappler.com
$1 = P58.53
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Track troubles: Why 11 Palaro athletics records got nullified | clescudero0258 | 17/07/2024 9:48 | CONTROVERSIAL. A shot of the track oval at the Cebu City Sports Center on June 25 while being set for the Palarong Pambansa 2024.
Jacqueline Hernandez/Rappler
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The controversial track oval at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC), which was used for the athletics events during the Palarong Pambansa 2024, fell short of the 400-meter World Athletics standard distance.
Unfortunately, it’s the standout student-athletes who got hit hard by the negligence, resulting in the nullification of all records set in track events at 200 meters and farther.
“There are eight lanes and the average discrepancy is 0.88 meters,” Cebu City Sports Commissioner John Pages said during a press conference on Tuesday, July 16, following an investigation of the renovated track oval.
“This is not a result of the oval not being standard. This is a direct result of the mistake in the lining.”
Lane 1 turned out to be the shortest at 1.5 meters off the standard 400m distance.
Athletics action already started when the discrepancy got discovered, which eventually saw a whopping 11 records getting nullified in four events – the 3000m steeplechase, 2000m walk, 400m hurdles, and 4x400m relay, all involving 19 athletes from five regions.
But Pages said records set in the sub-200-meter events, including the record set by Western Visayas’ Mico Villaran in the 110m hurdles, will be recognized by the Palarong Pambansa, but not by any other athletics body like the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA), said Palarong Pambansa secretary general Francis Cesar Bringas.
Field events like javelin throw, long jump, discus throw, and shot put were unaffected.
Official scoresheets in the Palaro 2024 website showed a total of 13 records were broken in the track events, with only two – records set in the 110m and 100m hurdles – recognized by the tournament.
Let’s go back to February 2023, when Cebu City announced its bid to host the Palaro in 2024.
“The year 1994 was a significant year for Cebu sports. It was the year when the Cebu City Sports Center was completed and when we last hosted the Palaro,” Pages told SunStar Cebu.
“Thirty years later, we hope to bring it back to Cebu with the newly refurbished CCSC.”
The following May, the city government closed the CCSC to make way for renovations ahead of the Palaro and the preceding Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA) meet. It had set aside a budget of P65 million and contracted SBD Builders to renovate the facility.
In August 2023, Cebu City’s bid proved to be successful as previous Palarong Pambansa host Marikina City passed the torch to the Queen City of the South.
In November 2023, Cebu Daily News reported that the renovation’s progress was still at 30 percent. CCSC executive director Jovito Taborada told the news outlet that the center is targeting to finish renovations by February 2024 and would request SBD Builders to fast-track operations.
February passed and May arrived, when a Philippine News Agency report showed the rubberization of the track had yet to commence. Cebu City had to resort to using the track oval of the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu as a venue for the CVIRAA athletics events the same month.
On June 25, the newly renovated CCSC was finally inaugurated – less than two weeks before Palaro opened.
What other government projects has SBD Builders undertaken?
The contractor recently clinched a solar power project valued at more than P2 million after approval of the Cebu City Council on Wednesday, July 10, according to SunStar Cebu.
Cebu City Councilor Noel Wenceslao had flagged earlier in May the company’s unfinished bridge project in Barangay Pulangbato, Cebu City, priced at P24 million. It was expected to be completed by September 2023.
Before the Palaro opened on July 9, reports on social media captured the track oval showing uneven rubberized surfaces. Pages assured the safety of the athletes and said that these “minor” signs of damage would be fixed before the games.
Turns out the track oval had another serious concern.
Pages detailed the discrepancy in each lane of the track:
“If we [take the average], that’s 0.88 [meters],” said Pages.
“Unfortunately, the rule, as explained by ma’am Jeanette Obiena (Palaro’s technical consultant), even if you are one centimeter short, even if it’s 399.99, that is still short.”
“The contractor…is going to be called, and it will have to explain, and from there [the city council] will take the necessary steps,” Pages said on Tuesday.
Acting Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia called out SBD Builders on Monday, July 15, saying that the contractor will not be paid until all track oval issues are resolved. Meanwhile, Acting Cebu City Vice Mayor Dondon Hontiveros on Tuesday said the Cebu City legal office may review contract specifications with the contractor.
Rappler has reached out to SBD Builders for its comment and will update this story once we receive it.
The contractor earlier asserted its competence to Cebu Daily News in a July 12 report.
“SBD Builders is about integrity and standing by our workmanship. We are here to support the city of Cebu with their dedication to having a successful Palarong Pambansa event in our city,” said managing officer Shaun Doherty.
Despite the nullification of 11 Palaro records, Pages and Bringas assured the players who broke them will still be awarded their gold, silver, or bronze medals.
Some local government units, aside from giving incentives to medalists, also give separate incentives to record breakers. Will the players with nullified records still get to receive the latter reward?
Bringas deferred the decision to the local government units of the players concerned. “It’s not within our right or power to stop them from giving that. But I would recommend that they still do that,” the Department of Education assistant secretary said.
Will the two records to be honored by Palaro officials be certified by the PATAFA, the country’s athletics body, as well? Bringas said they will stay as Palaro records and “not records of PATAFA nor records of any other athletic organizations” in the country or internationally.
Bringas previously deferred the validity of the records to the PATAFA during a separate press conference on Saturday, July 13. But in the Tuesday press conference, the official clarified that the track and field authority “is not in any way engaged” in this year’s national meet.
“The Palarong Pambansa is governed by its own board, and the PATAFA has no engagement whatsoever in the Palarong Pambansa. It just so happened that we also have…technical officials in athletics who are also members of the PATAFA, including our tournament director,” Bringas explained.
“They are members of the PATAFA but they are engaged in the Palarong Pambansa as a private individual and as part of the Department of Education and not in any way representing PATAFA.” – Rappler.com
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NAIA employees to get 25% pay raise after privatization | lkyu0285 | 17/07/2024 10:25 | NAIA. Passengers enter the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on their way to their respective provinces four days before Christmas, on December 20, 2022.
Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Employees working at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) will soon receive a 25% pay bump once the group of San Miguel takes over operations in September.
No employee currently at NAIA is expected to lose their job right away either due to the privatization deal. All personnel involved in operations will be absorbed by the New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation – the company established by San Miguel’s consortium that will run the airport. Anyone who isn’t absorbed by the group will remain with the Manila International Airport Authority as regulator.
“By September 13, San Miguel Group will be taking over. They have already made an offer to the employees,” Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said during a meeting of the Monday Circle Financial Forum.
“Their offer is that they will be given separation pay by the government. And then they will be given a signing bonus by San Miguel. They will be given a 25% increase in salaries,” Bautista said in a mix of English and Filipino.
The employees absorbed by San Miguel’s group will be hired under a probationary status, although they can be regularized if they prove themselves to the new private sector operator.
“Ang guarantee nga ng San Miguel is, ‘pag pumasa kayo dun sa requirement nila (San Miguel’s guarantee was if you pass their requirements), you will be regular employees,” Bautista said on July 8.
This could also be an opportunity for contractual employees – which make up about 50% of NAIA’s workforce – to get permanent positions, according to the transport secretary.
However, the new operator still has the option to start shedding the employees that it inherited once the probationary period is up.
“Kaya sinasabi ko nga dun sa mga employees ng MIAA, if you want to stay with San Miguel, dapat you have to perform well, which is kailangan naman (That’s why I tell the employees at MIAA, if you want to stay with San Miguel, you have to perform well, which they really need to do),” he said.
Even while the bidding process was still ongoing, the transport secretary already gave assurances that there would be no immediate job losses, saying earlier in January that “everyone will be given an offer.” San Miguel has made good on that promise, whether the pay bump is a way to buy peace or motivate its newly acquired employees.
A capable workforce will be key to implementing the big plans that San Miguel tycoon Ramon Ang has for the airport. That includes pouring P122 billion to expand Terminals 1, 2, and 3, build new carparks, improve baggage handling systems and boarding bridges, among several other improvements. (READ: Ramon Ang wants an even bigger NAIA terminal than promised. Can he deliver?) – Rappler.com
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Trillanes joins Aksyon Demokratiko as he eyes Caloocan mayoral bid | Mia Gonzalez | 16/07/2024 10:00 | NEW MEMBER. Former senator Antonio Trillanes took his oath as Aksyon Demokratiko member on July 15, 2024
Sonny Trillanes' Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – Former senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV has joined Aksyon Demokratiko as he eyes a mayoral bid in Caloocan City in the 2025 elections.
Trillanes announced his new party affiliation in a Facebook post on Monday, July 15.
“Ngayong araw, ako at ang aking mga kasama sa Caloocan ay nanumpa bilang mga bagong miyembro ng Aksyon Demokratiko. Maraming salamat kina Aksyon Chairperson Emeritus Sonia Roco, Chairman Ernest Ramel Jr., at Aksyon President Isko Moreno sa inyong mainit na pagtanggap,” he said.
(Today, I and my allies in Caloocan were sworn in as new members of Aksyon Demokratiko. I wish to thank Aksyon chairperson emeritus Sonia Roco, chairman Ernest Ramel Jr., and Aksyon president Isko Moreno for your warm welcome.)
GMA News Online reported that according to Trillanes, while he plans to run for Caloocan mayor, he will make the formal announcement “at the proper time.”
In a statement posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday, July 16, Ramel said that Aksyon believes in Trillanes’ capability to become a good local chief executive.
“Isa sa mga adhikain ng Aksyon ay ang malinis, mahusay, at mabilis na pamamahala sa lokal na pamahalaan na may tunay na pagmamalasakit sa mamamayan,” he said.
(One of the goals of Aksyon is honest, competent, and dynamic governance at the local level, with genuine compassion for our citizens.)
Trillanes, who served as senator from 2007 to 2019, attempted a Senate comeback in 2022 under the Liberal Party but lost. Even out of the political spotlight, Trillanes has been a vocal critic of former president Rodrigo Duterte. (READ: Trillanes scores first major SC win vs Duterte)
The late former senator Raul Roco founded Aksyon in 1997. – Rappler.com
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Priscilla Meirelles refutes ‘mutual agreement’ on ‘separation’ with John Estrada | Ysa Abad | 17/07/2024 9:53 | Priscilla Mereilles' Instagram
MANILA, Philippines – Priscilla Meirelles has denied that she and husband John Estrada had a “mutual agreement” regarding their separation, noting that she was “deeply shocked and disheartened” by his statement.
In an Instagram story posted on Tuesday, July 16, Estrada addressed the rumors circulating about his relationship with Meirelles.
“Priscilla and I have mutually agreed to take a break for quite some time now. There’s more to the story but the last thing I want to do is to hurt the people I love,” he wrote.
The Batang Quiapo star also denied that he’s not currently in a relationship with anyone, including Lily Hallman, the woman that Meirelles was linking him to. “I want to make it clear that I am not in a relationship with Lily Hallman or any other woman for that matter. I just met her in Boracay,” he explained.
Aside from Estrada asking for privacy as he addresses this family matter, he also warned the public about the fake news circulating about his relationship.
Hours after Estrada’s post, Meirelles’ also took to her Instagram story to address her husband’s statements.
The former beauty queen, who’s currently in Brazil, disclosed that she remains married to the actor despite having left the Philippines.
“We were married when I left the Philippines, and we remain married as of this time,” she said. “While there is indeed more to this story, it is not the appropriate time to delve into those details. Regardless of what those may be, however, it won’t change the course of faith.”
She then addressed the public to express her gratitude for their “constant support, kindness, and love during this difficult time,” adding that she hopes this matter will be “resolved appropriately.”
This isn’t the first time that Estrada and Meirelles were embroiled in separation rumors. In 2023, she revealed that their marriage went through a “rough patch” but had made amends.
In a previous interview with Fast Talk With Boy Abunda, the former beauty queen also stressed that she’s “done her part” to make their relationship work.
“I’m not gonna take anything that I already took up to this point. Alam niya nasa limit na ako (He knows that I’ve already reached my limit). So whatever happens from this point on, it’s on him.”
Estrada and Meirelles got married in 2011. They welcomed their daughter Sammantha Anechka in 2012. – Rappler.com
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Winning culture: NU escapes FEU in 5-set repeat for SSL crown | Jasmine Payo | 16/07/2024 23:15 | CHAMPS AGAIN. The NU Lady Bulldogs celebrate winning the Shakey’s Super League crown.
Shakey’s Super League
MANILA, Philippines – Bringing their winning caliber from the UAAP, the NU Lady Bulldogs clawed their way back in five sets to rule the the Shakey’s Super League (SSL) National Invitationals on Tuesday, July 16, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
The Lady Bulldogs dismantled the FEU Lady Tamaraws in a thriler, 25-21, 23-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-10, to emerge as champions in the collegiate volleyball pocket tournament.
Rising star Arah Panique topscored for the reigning UAAP champions with 27 points on 17 attacks, while Bella Belen notched 25 points in Game 2 of the best-of-three series.
Alexa Mata seized the chance in the fourth set to pad NU’s lead to 3 with a powerful spike, 19-16, as the Lady Tamaraws eventually struggled to stop the Lady Bulldogs’ momentum and extend the series to a decider.
The Lady Bulldogs also needed five sets to dispose of the Lady Tamaraws in Game 1, 25-22, 18-25, 25-19, 18-25, 15-13, just a day earlier.
Despite FEU’s valiant stand, the NU duo of Belen and Camilla Lamina towed NU to match point, 14-10, before Panique sealed the game for good.
“I always think of applying what I had learned from the national team (Alas Pilipinas). I also boost my self-confidence by banking on my killer instinct every time they set a play for me,” Panique said in Filipino during a post-game interview.
Gerzel Mary Petallo registered 20 points as FEU’s leading scorer, while Chenie Tagaod produced 18 points in the team’s first runner-up placing.
Earlier, St. Benilde survived Letran in a nerve-wracking five-set victory, 23-25, 25-14, 19-25, 25-20, 17-15, to claim the bronze.
Rhea Densing led the charge for the Lady Blazers with 24 markers, 20 coming off attacks, while Wielyn Estoque chipped in 18 points.
With Benilde on the verge of defeat, Clydel Catarig stepped up with back-to-back crosscourt kills against Letran, 21-20, setting the tone for the team’s resurgent run in the fourth frame.
Letran looked poise to extend the series with a 15-14 lead in the fifth frame, but Estoque and the Lady Blazers put up tremendous resistance, firing 3 consecutive points to wrap up the game.
“I just trust myself and the team. Whatever our errors in the game, we try to resolve it, especially our lack of defense and attacks,” Densing said.
Gia Maquilang paced Letran with 22 points and 3 blocks, while Nizelle Martin tallied 15 points.
Belen, the reigning UAAP Most Valuable Player, also bagged the tournament MVP and 1st Best Outside Spiker honor.
Other awardees:
– Eugero Vincent Liberato/Rappler.com
Eugero Vincent Liberato is a Rappler intern.
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Former Pampanga mayor Tumang secures travel permit, skips House probe | Joann Manabat - CMS | 16/07/2024 21:11 | COMMITTEE HEARING. The committee on public accounts conducts a motu proprio inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the procurement process and unlawful contracts entered into by the Municipality of Mexico, Pampanga on July 16, 2024
Screenshot via YouTube
PAMPANGA, Philippines – Former mayor of Mexico, Pampanga, Teddy Tumang, was able to secure a travel permit despite a hold departure order (HDO), a development disclosed Tuesday, July 16, during the hearing of the House committee on public accounts.
As a result, Tumang skipped the committee hearing. The former mayor obtained a travel clearance a day prior to the hearing with valid travel dates between July 16 to July 31, said lawyer Vicente Uncad of the Bureau of Immigration (BI).
Uncad said a resolution was adopted by the Sandiganbayan which allowed the departure of Tumang. However, no other flight details were provided to the committee except for a copy of an e-ticket and an excuse letter.
“Under prevailing laws, if an individual has an HDO issued by a Court, he should secure an allow departure order from that Court. If the Court grants his request to leave the country, he is supposed to bring that clearance of the Court to the BI and apply for an allow departure order from the BI. Once the order is issued, he can present that to the BI officer upon his departure so he may be allowed to leave,” said Uncad.
Uncad said Tumang was still in the country as of 3 pm Tuesday. The hearing, which lasted seven hours, ended before 5 pm.
The committee, chaired by Abang-Lingkod Representative Joseph Stephen Paduano, noted that details of his flight and travel clearance must still be submitted to the committee. Paduano said if Tumang did not travel on the same date, he could be cited in contempt for lying.
“His excuse letter stated that he has to be excused because he will travel today. So if he cannot travel today, it follows, again, Mr. Teddy Tumang is lying. Because if he has a ticket for the 17th or 18th, then he must be present today,” Paduano said in a mix of Filipino and English.
The former mayor has been the subject of the House probe about the alleged irregularities in the procurement and questionable contracts in Mexico, Pampanga during his term from 2007 to 2010. The complaint was filed at the Office of the Ombudsman by Tumang’s political rival, Ernesto Punzalan.
The House panel also acknowledged the inconsistencies on the questionable properties allegedly owned by Chinese national Aedy Tai Yang which were uncovered during the sessions.
Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro instructed the Land Registration Authority (LRA) to furnish a list of all properties linked to Yang. These included records from the city assessor’s office in City of San Fernando and the Registry of Deeds. There are allegations of unlawful property transfers to Yang.
The committee also directed the assessor’s office of Angeles City, Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, and Meycauayan in Bulacan to check the consistency of the records of the LRA and to certify the ownership of the properties of Yang.
“Given the inconsistencies, I move to direct the LRA to submit a complete list of all subject properties of Aedy Yang. We are dealing with properties which are unlawfully transferred to a Chinese national,” Luistro said.
“Kung walang records itong Aedy yang sa assessor, nagka property pa siya, double jeopardy na yan. Nagkaproperty siya pero libre siya sa real property tax,” Luistro added.
(If this Aedy does not have records with the assessor, he still has a property, that’s double jeopardy. He owns property but he is free from paying real property tax.)
Meanwhile, efforts to locate Yang and Teddy Tumang’s ally, Roy Gomez, have intensified following Gomez’s being cited for contempt on May 7 for failing to appear before the committee.
Antipolo 2nd District Representative Romeo Acop criticized the Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for their inadequate efforts to locate Yang and Gomez. This, after it was discovered that Gomez had recently met with ABC president village chief Terrence Napao at a mall in Angeles City on May 18.
Napao acknowledged the meeting with Gomez but claimed ignorance of the contempt order and subsequent arrest warrant against him.
“Ngayon ko lang nalaman na kung may contempt order, hindi ko alam na may warrant of arrest. Hindi ko alam saan si Gomez. Noong nagkita kami, sinabihan ko siya bakit hindi ka mag attend ng hearing,” Napao said.
(I only found out today that if there was a contempt order, there was also a warrant of arrest. I don’t know where Gomez is. When we met, I asked him why won’t he attend the hearing.)
Law enforcement agencies have been unsuccessful in locating Gomez as well as Yang, with the PNP stating they only received the contempt order via email last May 27. The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group – Pampanga is set to be invited to the next hearing. – Rappler.com
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Evan Nelle brings hard-work mentality to NorthPort | Jasmine Payo | 15/07/2024 22:53 | PRO-READY. Evan Nelle in the PBA Rookie Draft with NorthPort coach Bonnie Tan (left) and team officials, and PBA commissioner Willie Marcia (second from left).
PBA IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines – Exuding an in-your-face kind of confidence, coupled with words of wisdom coming from one of the PBA’s best-ever floor generals, Evan Nelle heads into the league with his head held high and feet on the ground.
Picked in the second round by the NorthPort Batang Pier, Nelle joins No. 5 pick Dave Ildefonso as key pieces of a young team helmed by head coach Bonnie Tan.
“I can use my training, what I learned in the States, just to influence my teammates. I know I work hard and I really hope that I can,” Nelle told reporters after being selected 14th overall in the PBA Rookie Draft on Sunday, July 14.
“Be infected by my hard-work [mentality]… that’s what coach Jimmy (Alapag) taught me, ‘Hard work brings you places,'” he added.
Nelle, who is coming off a UAAP championship run with De La Salle University, opted to train under former PBA Most Valuable Player Jimmy Alapag, who is currently serving as a player development coach for the Sacramento Kings.
It was there in the US where he trained for about a week under Alapag and strength and conditioning coach Maurice Hernandez of Power Pack Fitness.
Being selected in the second round does not bother Nelle even as three former La Salle teammates got picked before him. But he does hope to win the matchup every time they face off in the pros.
“I’m honestly proud of them, but they know how competitive I am. And every time I face them, whether in practice or whatever, I want to beat them,” said Nelle.
“It’s going to be the same here in PBA. I really hope every time I face them, I beat them.”
Nelle will also now play under Tan, who previously mentored the Letran Knights in the NCAA.
Before suiting up for La Salle, Nelle also saw action with the San Beda Red Lions – Letran’s fierce rival. Under Tan, the Knights dethroned Nelle and the Red Lions in the NCAA Season 95 finals in 2019.
“[It’s] very ironic because he made me cry in my last NCAA game,” recalled Nelle.
“He’s making me cry again because he drafted me, it’s a big honor… thank you for the trust coach Bonnie and the coaching staff and I hope I can repay you guys.” – Rappler.com
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Under his watch, Angara wants teachers, students to be ‘happy, inspired, excited’ | Bonz Magsambol | 16/07/2024 18:08 | INCOMING DEPED CHIEF. File photo of Senator Sonny Angara, who will assume the Department of Education portfolio on July 19, 2024.
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MANILA, Philippines – Incoming Department of Education (DepEd) secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said that under his watch, he would focus on making teachers and students “happy, inspired, and excited.”
Angara said this in a chance interview with reporters on Tuesday, July 16, when asked what would be his focus when he assumes the DepEd leadership on July 19.
“‘Gusto ko maging happy, inspired, and excited ‘yung ating mga estudyante at pati na rin ‘yung ating mga guro. Hindi na lang inaalala ‘yung kanilang pinansyal at pananalapi at doon sila nakafocus sa pagturo talaga,” Angara said.
(I want our students to be happy, inspired, and excited, as well as our teachers. I want our teachers not to worry about their finances, and to really focus on teaching.)
Improving the welfare of teachers was one of the directives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the incoming DepEd chief. The President emphasized that the government should financially support teachers who have families to feed.
Teachers’ groups have been asking the government for a better compensation package. Currently, those who have Teacher 1 designation earn P27,000 per month.
For years, teachers have been leaving the country in their quest for better pay and better working conditions.
In her two years of delivering the annual education report since she assumed the DepEd position, Vice President Duterte did not make any big promises to improve the welfare of teachers. In 2024, she ordered the removal of administrative tasks from them so they could focus on teaching, a move that was lauded by education groups. She also ordered the implementation of overtime and overwork pay for teachers.
Angara said that he would study the proposal to increase the salary of entry-level teachers to P50,000.
“Ang suweldo is set by the Congress kapag nagkakaroon tayo ng increases o umento sa [sahod ng] mga empleyado ng gobyerno. And 100% suportado tayo diyan at tinutulak po natin ‘yan, especially noong member pa tayo ng Senate committee [on finance],” he said in an interview with DZBB on July 3.
(The salary increase of government employees is set by the Congress. And we are 100% supportive of that and we have been pushing for that, especially when I was part of the Senate committee on finance.)
Angara inherits a gargantuan problem in the education sector, including the poor performance of Filipino students in global education assessments. A World Bank report showed that 9 in 10 Filipino students aged 10 are struggling to read simple text.
Angara succeeds Vice President Sara Duterte at the DepEd. She stepped down on June 19, effectively leaving the Marcos Cabinet. Duterte had said that she was resigning “out of concern for teachers and the Filipino youth.” – Rappler.com
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Dengue cases rise amid rainy season, over 90,000 recorded in first half of 2024 | Kaycee | 16/07/2024 18:12 | DENGUE CARRIER. An Aedes mosquito, which is the carrier of malaria, encephalitis, dengue, nipa and zika virus.
Fendizz/Shutterstock
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) said there was a 30% increase in dengue cases in the country since the rainy season began in May.
The DOH provided the following data on dengue cases in the country from May 19 to June 19:
“The DOH is cautious in interpreting case counts especially as regards the most recent tally (June 16 to 29) as there may be incoming late reports,” the DOH said in their statement on Tuesday, July 16.
The department has identified seven regions with increasing dengue cases: Mimaropa, Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and the National Capital Region.
From January 1 to June 29, 90,119 cases have been tallied nationwide and 233 dengue-related deaths were recorded. This year’s tally of infections is so far 17% higher than the 75,968 infections recorded in the same period in 2023, which saw 291 deaths.
The DOH said weekly case numbers in 2024 were higher than infections from January 1 to May 11, 2023. However, weekly cases from May 12 to June 29 either went below or just above the recorded number of infections in the same period in 2023, thanks to efforts of local government units.
The DOH reminded the public to be cautious about the breeding waters available to mosquitoes.
“Dengue cases are rising as expected due to the rainfall, which allows more water to pool and be stagnant,” the department said.
“Left unchecked, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes responsible for spreading dengue will breed in these stagnant pools of water.”
Dengue is mostly transmitted through a mosquito bite. However, one can also get infected through maternal transmission, blood products, organ donation, and blood transfusion.
Symptoms of infection include having high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pains, nausea, vomiting, swollen glands, and rashes. These symptoms typically appear around 4 to 10 days after getting infected.
As the country braces itself for more rainfall, now that the state weather bureau has triggered the La Niña Alert, the DOH also reminded the public to take the following steps to protect themselves:
– Rappler.com
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Garin fails to block additional prosecution documents for Dengvaxia case | Michelle Abad | 17/07/2024 8:20 | Ben Nabong/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – House Deputy Majority Leader Janette Garin has failed to block the inclusion of new government documents in the Sandiganbayan case involving P3.55 billion worth of Dengvaxia vaccines when she was health secretary in 2015.
The Sandiganbayan on Monday, July 15, granted a motion from government prosecutors for the inclusion of additional documents in the pre-trial order of pending criminal charges pertaining to the procurement.
Iloilo 1st District Representative Garin, together with her then-undersecretary Kenneth Hartigan-Go, tried to block the documents with an objection that they were being introduced after the pre-trial conference and the submission of pre-trial briefs.
They argued that the prosecution should be barred from submitting new documents for failure to give adequate reasons for submitting late, when the same documents should have been discovered by government lawyers.
Apart from Garin and Go, the others included in the graft charge were former health undersecretary Gerardo Bayugo, former officer-in-charge director Joyce Ducusin, and former Philippine Children’s Medical Center executive director Julius Lecciones.
The same defendants were named in a separate case of technical malversation, except for Bayugo.
The prosecution alleged that the former health officials unlawfully diverted funds from the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund in a bid to push through with the purchase of the controversial Dengvaxia vaccines.
The Sandiganbayan Second Division said that the introduction of additional documents was allowed, since the Rules of Court admits exceptions.
“On the basis of the above, the Motion of the plaintiff may be granted to prevent manifest injustice and for a good cause shown,” the Sandiganbayan said in an eight-page resolution penned by Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Econg, with concurrences from associate justices Edgardo Caldona and Arthur Malabaguio.
Some of the documents introduced to the case were the following:
Prosecutors said that they only learned of the existence and relevance of the 2018 FDA report on May 8, 2024, when former FDA Center for Drug Regulation and Research director Jesusa Joyce Cirunay informed them about it.
They also argued that since the additional documents were official issuances from the Department of Health and the FDA, the court may take judicial notice of their existence.
“The court may allow a liberal construction of the rule where the interest of substantial justice will be served and a thorough disposition of the case will be achieved,” the Sandiganbayan said. – Rappler.com
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Ex-Caloocan mayor Malonzo sues Representative Malapitan for graft | Michelle Abad | 17/07/2024 8:01 | OMBUDSMAN. File photo of the Office of the Ombudsman taken in Quezon City on June 6, 2023.
Jire Carreon/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Former Caloocan City mayor Reynaldo Malonzo has filed criminal complaints against his city’s 1st District Representative Oscar Malapitan, along with six co-respondents, over alleged anomalous releases of Malapitan’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocations amounting to P8 million from 2007 to 2009.
Malonzo filed the complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman on Monday, July 15, just three months before the filing of certificates of candidacy for the 2025 mid-term elections.
Apart from Malapitan, other officials named in the complaint were former Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) secretary Esperanza Cabral, former undersecretary Mateo Montaño, assistant secretary Vilma Cabrera, DSWD program management bureau director Pacita Sarino, chief accountant Leonila Hayahay, and private respondent Cenon Mayor, president of nongovernment organization (NGO) Kaloocan Assistance Council Incorporated (KACI).
Malonzo accused the officials of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, as well as malversation of public funds, when they facilitated the transfer of Malapitan’s PDAF to KACI when the NGO was not eligible to receive public funds.
He said that Malapitan favored KACI for his PDAF-funded projects, even when it was “not a licensed and accredited PO (people’s organization).”
The amounts released to KACI also remain unliquidated, Malonzo said, citing the DSWD’s 2022 audit.
“Respondent Malapitan, a public officer who had control of his PDAF funds, which were public funds, misappropriated or consented or, through abandonment or negligence, permitted another person to take them,” Malonzo said.
Cabral and the other DSWD officials were accused of conspiring to illegally transfer public funds to KACI, even if it had unliquidated cash advances dating back to 2006 and 2007 or during the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration.
Malapitan, Cabral, and Mayor were reportedly the signatories in the agreements that made the transfers possible.
“Respondent Cabral should have filed legal action and caused the cancellation of KACI’s certificate of registration. She failed to do her responsibilities as head of DSWD, a manifestation of mutual actions with her co-respondents within her agency to commit graft and corruption,” said Malonzo.
The Ombudsman previously dismissed graft and malversation complaints over the same transactions with KACI for insufficient evidence.
However, Malonzo said that the case deserved a second look since recent decisions by the Commission on Audit said the transfers were “illegal and irregular.” – Rappler.com
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No surprise: NCR wins 17th straight Palaro overall crown, Calabarzon regains 2nd | jisaga0269 | 16/07/2024 19:37 | UNDISPUTED. The National Capital Region athletes, coaches, and officials celebrate winning the Palarong Pambansa overall crown during the closing ceremony.
Jacqueline Hernandez/RAPPLER
CEBU, Philippines – National Capital Region (NCR) once again proved to be the supreme destination for the Philippines’ top young athletes after winning the Palarong Pambansa 2024 overall championship with a collection of 98 gold medals, 66 silvers, and 74 bronzes on Tuesday, July 16.
The country’s capital got its best haul from gymnasts Elaiza Yulo (5 golds) and Maxine Amira Bondoc (5), swimmers Sophia Garra (5) and Alessandra Therese Martin (5), all rising as some of the event’s most bemedalled athletes, while the NCR boys secondary basketball team also reclaimed the crown in a heated finale against Central Luzon.
Calabarzon, after a stunning defeat to resurgent powerhouse Western Visayas last year in Marikina City, rose back to its usual second place with a 57-51-53 gold-silver-bronze split, hiked by a 12 combined golds from just two phenomenal secondary level swimmers, top gold hauler TJ Amaro (7) and Jasmine Mojdeh (5).
Western Visayas, meanwhile, slipped back to third after barely missing Calabarzon with 56 golds, one of the last being a successful title redemption in girls secondary volleyball by Bacolod Tay Tung High School. The region also amassed 41 silvers and 41 bronzes.
Davao Region settled at a far fourth with 32 golds, 25 silvers, and 35 bronzes, as host Central Visayas claimed fifth with a 29-42-39 split.
Check the full list here: MEDAL TALLY: Palarong Pambansa 2024
Other notable results are Caraga’s 12th-place finish with 11 golds, a whopping 7 coming from wrestling alone.
Debutant guest “region” National Academy of Sports (NAS) also got a historic gold in taekwondo poomsae, on top of 5 silvers, and 2 bronzes, while the Philippine Schools Overseas (PSO) earned one bronze, also in taekwondo.
Meanwhile, Western Visayas ruled the para games tally with 24 golds, 21 silvers, and 14 bronzes, boasting a sizeable lead in all columns.
Calabarzon was a far second with a 13-9-9 split, while NCR completed the podium with 9 golds, 8 silvers, and 5 bronzes.
Manila claimed the top spot in the Top Performing School Division Offices, followed by Iloilo at second, and Pasig City at third.
Ilocos Norte now prepares for the 65th Palarong Pambansa in 2025, as the likes of Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc and Laoag City Mayor Michael Marcos Keon accepted the hosting responsibilities during the closing ceremony. – Rappler.com
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US alliance ‘cornerstone’ of PH security, Brawner tells American counterpart | Bea Cupin | 16/07/2024 19:43 | Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff, General Romeo Brawner Jr., meets with United States Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Q. Brown Jr., during their meeting on July 16, 2024, at the AFP General Headquarters in Quezon City.
SSg Ambay/PAOAFP
MANILA, Philippines – Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. on Tuesday, July 16, said the Philippine-United States alliance “remains a cornerstone” of Philippine national security, as he met with United States Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Q. Brown Jr. at Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday, July 16.
Manila is Brown’s first stop in a week-long visit to the Indo-Pacific area.
While in the Philippines, he will visit one of the sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), or where the US may preposition assets, as mutually agreed by the two treaty-allies.
“Our alliance with the United States remains a cornerstone of our national security. Through continued collaboration and mutual support, we fortify our defense capabilities and ensure the stability of our region,” said Brawner, according to an AFP release.
Brown’s last visit to the Philippines was in 1987 or just after the revolution that ousted the current president’s father and namesake, the dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos.
Bilateral ties between the Philippines and its former colonizer, the US, have certainly changed.
Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., bilateral ties with the Philippines’ only treaty-ally are on “hyperdrive,” as Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo put it.
In a release to media, the AFP said Brawner and Brown’s meeting “underscored their commitment to Philippine-United States’ longstanding military alliance.
“Discussions focused on enhancing bilateral defense cooperation, strengthening joint military exercises, and addressing regional security challenges,” said the AFP.
Without going into detail, the AFP said the two “also discussed future initiatives to bolster defense relations and foster greater interoperability between the AFP and US military units.”
According to the US Department of Defense, Brown will also visit Japan, with whom the Philippines just signed a bilateral military access agreement.
Aside from EDCA, the US and the Philippines are bound by the Mutual Defense Treaty, which means one country should come to the defense of the other in case of an attack. The Philippines and the US also have a Visiting Forces Agreement in place. Its biggest joint military exercise is the annual Balikatan.
“In the Philippines, we have a long-standing, shared interest in regional stability that’s backed by international law,” said Brown ahead of arriving in Manila, according to a US defense department release.
The US is a key partner of the Philippines, as it becomes assertive in claiming its sovereign rights and sovereignty claims in the West Philippine Sea – part of the South China Sea that’s within the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Despite a 2016 Arbitral Award that affirmed the Philippines’ EEZ, China claims most of the South China Sea as its own, routinely driving away Philippine missions at flashpoints on those waters.
The US has repeatedly affirmed its “ironclad commitment” to the Philippines under the Mutual Defense Treaty, but Manila has said that it is not keen on asking for foreign help, particularly in precarious resupply of the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal. – Rappler.com
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WATCH: A Catholic archbishop sails West Philippine Sea to pray for China | Paterno Esmaquel II | 16/07/2024 18:18 | MANILA, Philippines – Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas led a fluvial procession on Tuesday morning, July 16, to pray for peace in the face of China’s aggressive behavior in the West Philippine Sea.
The Marian prayer voyage was held off the coast of Barangay Cato in Infanta, Pangasinan, after a 6 am Mass led by Villegas and Alaminos Bishop Napoleon Sipalay Jr.
Villegas told Rappler they conducted the procession in parts of the West Philippine Sea, which China claims despite a 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling upholding the rights of the Philippines. Villegas led the recitation of the rosary and later stood beside an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was carried on the boat, as Tuesday was also the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
A video uploaded by Bryan Greg Arenas, one of the participants, showed that the procession lasted for more than an hour. Rappler obtained Arenas’ permission to use his video of the prayer voyage.
The procession was part of a prayer campaign recently launched by Villegas to pray for peace in the West Philippine Sea and the conversion of China.
“We are not anti-China. We are not racist,” Villegas said in his homily, speaking in a mix of English and Filipino. “We are one in brotherhood and sisterhood in the Philippines, but we also know the sufferings of our brothers and sisters in mainland China – oppression, truth manipulation, human rights abuses.”
“The war of ideologies and the battle of politics can be won by the brotherhood of peoples. Before there was government, there were only loving, patriotic citizens. We are the peace that we dream for the world,” he continued.
“The peace of the Philippines will not come from the hands of superpowers, but from the heart of God and the hand of the Immaculate Mother,” Villegas said. – Paterno R. Esmaquel II/Rappler.com
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Metro Manila Film Festival announces first 5 official entries for 2024 edition | jreyes0314 | 16/07/2024 17:01 | FIRST BATCH. The first batch of official entries for the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival were announced on Tuesday, July 16.
Screenshot from Metro Manila Film Festival's Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – The Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) has announced the first batch of official entries for its 2024 edition at its grand launch on Tuesday, July 16.
While the entries were being announced, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Don Artes said that rather than eight entries, the 50th MMFF will have 10 entries instead. It may be noted that the 49th MMFF – the highest grossing edition in the film festival’s history – also had a total of 10 entries during its run.
Here are the 50th MMFF’s first batch of official entries, which were chosen based on their scripts:
Produced by ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc. and The Ideafirst Company, And the Breadwinner Is… is a comedy film that stars Vice Ganda, Gina Pareño, Maris Racal, Jhong Hilario, and Kokoy de Santos. The film was first announced in April, and is directed by Jun Robles Lana and written by Daisy Cayanan, Jumbo Albano, and Jun Robles Lana.
The drama film Green Bones is produced by GMA Pictures. Directed by Zig Dulay, the film is written by Ricky Lee and Anjeli Atienza and will star Sofia Pablo and Dennis Trillo.
Produced by Reality MM Studios, Inc., Strange Frequencies: Haunted Hospital is directed by Kerwin Go. The horror film – written by Dustin Celestino, Leovic Arceta, and Kerwin Go – stars Jane de Leon, Enrique Gil, Alexa Miro, and MJ Lastimosa.
Starring Aicelle Santos, David Ezra, Victor Robinson, and Bituin Escalante, Himala, Isang Musikal, is produced by Jose Lorenzo “Pepe” Diokno and Madonna Tarrayo. The musical film will also directed by the MMFF 2023 Best Director. Diokno wrote the screenplay alongside Ricky Lee.
The fifth MMFF 2024 entry is The Kingdom, starring Vic Sotto and Piolo Pascual. It is produced by APT Entertainment, Inc., MZET TV Productions, Inc., and MQuest Ventures, Inc., and directed by Michael Tuviera. The family drama production is written by Michelle Ngu-Nario.
All official entries for the 50th MMFF will be announced in October. – Rappler.com
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First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos dons 3 stars as newest Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary officer | Bea Cupin | 16/07/2024 19:08 | VOLUNTEER. First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos joins the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary as Auxiliary Vice Admiral on July 16, 2024.
Philippine Coast Guard
Liza Araneta-Marcos, lawyer and wife to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., just got a new title: Vice Admiral of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA), or the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)’s volunteer force.
The First Lady officially joined the PCGA’s Executive Squadron in a ceremony aboard the BRP Gabriela Silang on Tuesday, July 16, according to PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo.
She was bestowed the honorary rank of Auxiliary Vice Admiral, or a 3-star officer of the volunteer force.
“I join the PCG to inspire the men women of the organization as they fulfill its duty to the country,” said the First Lady, in a short release to media from Balilo.
Araneta-Marcos was joined by her son Vincent, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, and PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gavan, during her donning of rank.
The PCGA is a volunteer non-government organization that follows a “military structure” as it is attached to the PCG. One’s role as a PCGA member is rather vague – and will ultimately be up to an individual.
The PCGA counts as its members celebrity couple Gerald Anderson and Julia Barretto.
Balilo said Araneta-Marcos is the first First Lady to join the PCGA’s ranks.
Gavan, in a speech aboard the BRP Gabriela Silang, said the First Lady could help the PCGA since her “mere presence exudes strength and compassion that drive actions and inspire results,” according to a release from the PCG.
The PCG release added: “For her part, Auxiliary Vice Admiral Araneta-Marcos thanked Coast Guardians for ensuring maritime safety and maritime security, as well as upholding the country’s sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.”
But will she join PCG voyages to the West Philippine Sea, such as resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal? Balilo, responding to a media inquiry, said the First Lady didn’t say anything about it.
The PCGA is a separate entity from the PCG itself. The PCG, meanwhile, is among the frontline government agencies that’s had to deal with China’s growing aggression in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, particularly in the West Philippine Sea.
It’s the PCG that escorts vessels – be it civilian ships contracted by the Navy or vessels of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources – to flashpoints of Philippine-China tensions in the West Philippine Sea. – Rappler.com
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[OPINION] For his 3rd SONA, Marcos needs to be a salesman. Can he pull it off? | Glenda Gloria | 16/07/2024 11:30 | President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 22, under circumstances that are inhospitable to rhetorical entreaties.
From 80% in June 2023, a month before his second SONA, the President’s approval rating tumbled a few months after, to 65% in September, over his administration’s perceived inability to stabilize prices, according to Pulse Asia. Since then, according to the polling firm, inflation has remained the top “urgent national concern.” The President’s approval and trust ratings have not bounced back.
But there is more at stake in this year’s SONA than the President’s approval ratings.
With the midterm elections set for next year and the pre-campaign positioning already in motion, the President needs to regain political capital, and quickly.
He is the unwritten candidate in the midterm ballot. The election results will shape his political future and define his legacy. This year’s SONA could be the most important speech of his entire political life.
Every president since 1986 has used the SONA as a platform for one-way communication. For the duration of the SONA, a sitting president has a nation captive to his or her voice and narrative. On live television, and across all media channels, the President gets to drumbeat achievements, make a pitch for pet legislation, and reframe losses as opportunities.
But President Marcos Jr. needs to do more than that.
He must cut through the fog of doubt and uncertainty over his capacity to lead. He must debunk the emerging narrative of a government adrift and a leadership out of touch, unable to alleviate the conditions of a public groaning from the unmitigated rise in the prices of prime commodities.
The rhetoric, delivery, and demeanor must convey a calm and level-headed temperament. They must inspire confidence, project certainty and strength. The last thing the President needs is to be seen as indifferent to the public’s plight, clueless after two years in power, and incapacitated by the demands of the presidency and the din of contrarian voices from the South.
But this SONA will also serve as the President’s opening salvo for the midterm elections. This will serve as his bully pulpit from which he can parry the blows from his critics and frame the choices in next year’s elections.
More than being a statesman, on that stage the President needs to be a salesman.
His sales pitch to the nation should strive to win back those who vacillate. It should rekindle the passion of 2022, and inspire his supporters to close ranks. The SONA speech must give them a reason to believe again, to continue buying in instead of opting out.
For this he could also resort to razzle-dazzle. His team can spice up the speech with elements of theater. A speech as big as this one needs to be a performance.
It’s not new.
In one of his SONAs, the late former president Fidel Ramos introduced the nation to Mang Pandoy, the face of the poor who received consultancies and dole-outs from his administration and died still poor. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo brought out three kids and weaved a story about them writing their wishes on “bangkang papel.” These paper boats, by some miracle, survived tugboats, water lilies, and the polluted waters of the Pasig, reaching Malacañang and Arroyo’s desk. The late former president Noynoy Aquino delivered every SONA with stylized Powerpoint presentations, with graphs, piecharts, and smiling faces while government services deteriorate. Brillante Mendoza’s crazy camera angles of former president Rodrigo Duterte disoriented viewers. On hindsight, these frames were accurate depictions of Duterte’s distortions of law and facts.
But we must caution that soaring rhetoric and props may not be enough.
If the speech intends to offer proof of empathy and competence, it must avoid the abstract. Realizations or takeaways should be prompted by actual positive experience with government interventions. These takeaways must be organic, authentic sentiments not forced or manufactured through media management or the echo chambers of social media. Words and fancy numbers cannot substitute for doing good or even better.
The latest Pulse Asia survey said the public wants the President to talk about his plans to fight inflation. But the work of convincing a skeptical public happens even before the SONA. At this time, his Cabinet, senior officials, and the entire government machinery should be softening the ground, rolling out programs to convince the public that the President is on the ball when it comes to inflation.
So far, the biggest story is from a government corporation and its ambitious plan to build a Taylor Swift-ready stadium in Clark. Someone didn’t get the memo. – 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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Late import switches, surprise Creamline loss mark PVL conference opener | Jasmine Payo | 16/07/2024 23:59 | TOWERING. PLDT’s Russian import Elena Samoilenko (right) celebrates with her teammates.
PVL IMAGES
MANILA, Philippines – Surprises highlighted the first day of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference, with the Galeries and Nxled fielding last-minute imports, and champion Creamline absorbing a rare opening-day loss.
The Galeries Tower Highrisers fielded Thai import Sutadta Chuewulim instead of the initially listed Brazilian Monique Helena due to “physical problems.”
Also switching as a matter of “preference” were the Nxled Chameleons, who opted to go with American Meegan Bell instead of Chinese Jiang Xuanyao.
But it was Bell and the Chameleons who adapted quickly, outlasting the Highrisers in five sets, 25-19, 22-25, 25-18, 25-27, 15-12.
Bell finished with a game-high 19 points for the Chameleons, who also didn’t field No. 5 rookie draft pick Lucille Almonte.
France Ronquillo, meanwhile, topscored for the Galeries Tower with 17, all attack points.
PVL commissioner Sherwin Malonzo said there were no irregularities in the late import switches.
But the biggest surprise of the day came when the PLDT High Speed Hitters stunne the Creamline Cool Smashers, 16-25, 25-22, 24-26, 25-19, 15-12.
It was Creamline’s first opening-day loss since the 2019 Reinforced Conference against eventual champion Petro Gazz Angels.
PLDT’s Russian import Elena Samoilenko stuffed the stat sheet with 34 points, 13 excellent digs, and 14 excellent receptions.
The High Speed Hitters also pulled off the upset minus Fil-Canadian star Savi Davison, who was the league’s leading scorer in the 2023 All-Filipino Conference.
Davison will be out of action for a considerable amount of time to undergo a procedure on her knee.
PLDT libero Kath Arado had 24 excellent digs, while Majoy Baron and Fiola Ceballos chipped in 11 markers each.
Creamline import Erica Staunton scored 20, Bernadeth Pons added 18, and Michele Gumabao contributed 16 points.
The perennial champions, though, had to do without the superstar trio of Tots Carlos, Jema Galanza, and Alyssa Valdez.
In the other game, Kath Bell made an auspicious return to the league after four years with 23 points built on 22 attacks and a block in the Chery Tiggo Crossovers’ 25-13, 27-25, 25-22 triumph against the Farm Fresh Foxies.
“I feel like it’s the same. I’m coming with the same mentality, same mindset. It’s been amazing to come back and the hospitality has been unreal,” said Bell.
“You know, Chery Tiggo has taken such good care of me, making sure I feel at home and being able to come here and be able to get into dynamic with the team really quickly, they’ve made it so easy for me, actually,” she continued. – Rappler.com
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[Vantage Point] China’s silent invasion of the Philippines | Glenda Gloria | 16/07/2024 13:46 | What if I tell you that China could invade the Philippines without firing a single shot? That it doesn’t even need to escalate the smoldering trouble in the West Philippine Sea? And the much talked about Mutual Defense Treaty would be rendered inutile because it precisely requires armed aggression to trigger intervention from the United States?
By this time, it is no longer a secret how the People’s Republic of China salivates over global dominance and that, unfortunately, the Chinese government finds the Philippines a strategic puzzle piece to achieve its ambition.
An article published recently by Italian quarterly Eurasia Magazine observes that China now practically owns a country, the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos, by putting it in debt to the tune of $5.25 billion, a debt that the latter can only hope to repay by signing away to the former its most important national assets: railways, airports and seaports, even roads and bridges.
A fate worse than that was awaiting the Philippines, but for the fact that then-president Rodrigo Duterte had run out of time. His six-year, non-renewable term had expired in 2022. He tried to revise the Constitution with the express purpose of removing the prohibition against re-election, but failed due to strong opposition from the Filipino people.
If he had succeeded, Mr. Duterte would have delivered on his promise to turn the Philippines into a province of China.
Other developing countries owe China much more, among which are Pakistan, Angola, Sri Lanka,, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, Bangladesh, in hock for $26.60 billion, $20.98 billion, $8.84 billion, $6.82 billion, $6.69 billion, $6.08 billion, and $6.05 billion, respectively.
The Philippines, however, should take special interest in the trouble confronting Laos because that country is China’s close ally, which means that China does not spare even friendly countries from depredation. In fact it seems to prefer friendly countries as prey.
It is becoming increasingly clear that friendship with China is a liability.
Indebted to China for only $1.1 billion, the Philippines has avoided falling into the debt trap. But China has another ace up its sleeve. With Mr. Duterte’s acquiescence, it has flooded the Philippines with Chinese migrants from the mainland, both legal and illegal.
According to the Bureau of Immigration (BI), at least 100,000 Chinese have penetrated and now live in the county illegally, most of whom gained entry during Mr. Duterte’s presidency. The number of illegals is a conservative estimate, or it may have been deliberately under-reported by that government agency
The nation’s interest has been transfixed to the tale of “farm girl” Alice Guo who surreptitiously slipped into local politics and whose presence would have escaped notice save for the discovery of foreign nationals who absconded from their detention at her vast property in Bamban, Tarlac. Authorities later found out that her enclave was being used as a shelter for human trafficking. Ms. Guo is a vital sample of how Chinese nationals could gain entry and later settle here by taking advantage of the country’s corrupt bureaucracy. But Ms. Guo is just one in a multitude.
As early as February 2020, Senator Risa Hontiveros exposed a practice of BI officials and staff assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to escort illegals out of the airport for P10,000 each so that they would not have to go through the normal immigration processing.
The scheme was called “pastillas” because the bribe money was wrapped and rolled in a piece of paper, the way old folks did it when preparing that carabao milk-and-sugar concoction so popular in the old days.
Once the illegals have settled in, the next step is for them to acquire Philippine citizenship.
In the US, Russian spies become American citizens by assuming the birth certificates of persons who died in infancy or as children, preferably in Canada. With a stolen identity, the “spy” is able to obtain a Canadian passport, which enables him or her to enter the US, land a job, and, eventually, become an American citizen.
Illegal Chinese migrants to the Philippines have no patience or interest to go through such a costly and lengthy process. They just enter the country as tourists.
Once they are here, they file a late or delayed registration of birth with the civil registry, which then sends the document to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which issues upon request of the party concerned an authenticated birth certificate.
The birth certificate enables the Chinese nationals to apply for Philippine passports, which also allow them to buy land, skirting the prohibition against foreigners owning real estate in the country.
In April of this year, it’s been reported that Congressman Ace Barbers has called on the government to investigate how “fake Filipino nationals [all Chinese],who can’t even utter a single Filipino word, are [able to buy] huge tracts of lands near EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) sites, near major air and sea ports, and establish large numbers of warehouses and other business establishments.”
There are nine EDCA sites all over the country allowed under the Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the United States. Their apparent purpose is to counter China’s quest for dominance in South China Sea.
Now, to circle back to the late-birth registration issue.
The process is simple and straightforward enough for child applicants. It is a little more complicated for an adult. The applicants have to provide their school record – a requirement Ms. Guo, the embattled mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, skirted by claiming she was home-schooled.
Apparently, the civil registrar accepted the explanation, and let it go at that. For whatever reason or persuasion, it never occurred to the civil registrar that Ms. Guo could get a copy of the document from the Department of Education.
It turned out that Ms. Guo went to Grace Christian School in Quezon City for her elementary education, which explains her fluency in Tagalog.
A week ago, nearly 200 Chinese nationals were issued birth certificates by the civil registrar in Davao del Sur. The fact that the persons concerned could not speak a word of Tagalog or any of the Filipino languages or dialects was a red flag, but the civil registrar just did not care. The applicants may not even have bothered to appear personally to file their request.
Senator Win Gatchalian, citing a National Bureau of Investigation report, said the Chinese nationals paid P300,000 a pop for the fake documents.
The crime was uncovered when one of the Chinese nationals applied for a Philippine passport. An alert DFA employee discovered that the documents the man submitted were spurious.
According to the senator, hundreds of thousands of other Chinese nationals may have successfully manipulated the system, and that is only possible, he surmised, with the collusion of the PSA itself.
But what do these Chinese come to the Philippines for? Well, most of them are posing as migrants in search of a better life. Many Filipinos suspect, however, that these migrants constitute the communist nation’s advance invading force.
While they’re here, they take jobs away from Filipinos, thus exacerbating the country’s unemployment problem. They are absorbed in mining, telecommunications, and the construction industries, run by their compatriots, who are in the country legally, thanks to the relaxation of the rules on immigration made by the Duterte regime.
The more savvy (some say criminally minded) of these migrants find their way to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) companies.
Authorities say there are 34 POGOs, since renamed Internet Gaming Licensees (IGL) because of the unsavory reputation they have brought upon themselves, and some of them have thousands of employees each. That number does not include illegal operators. It is hard to believe that the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, which is supposed to monitor POGO operations, is not aware of their existence.
Vantage Point has been clear since it first dwelled on the issue that the government should ban POGO operations across the country. I find it odd that Duterte allowed it here despite strong objections from China where it is strictly prohibited.
Perhaps it is the specter of rising criminality which drove some our lawmakers to tighten the screws on POGO operations. Operatives of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) raided, one after the other, two such illegal POGO operation – one in Bamban, Tarlac, and the other in Porac, Pampanga.
The bigger of the two is Lucky South 99, which occupies 34 buildings on a ten-hectare Porac compound. However, the public fascination is centered on the Bamban facility, which is allegedly owned by Ms. Guo, against whom the Senate has recently issued an arrest warrant.
It is apparent that the change of name did nothing to improve the image of POGO or IGL operations in the country.
The PAOCC found them harboring criminals and undocumented aliens, running prostitution rings, and engaging in online scamming activities. Most disturbing of all, the police discovered instruments of torture, believed to have been used to punish employees who fell short of the work expected of them.
Rappler’s Kaycee Valmonte reported that residents of posh Ayala Alabang Village (AAV) are legally going after neighbors whom they suspect to be concealing individuals who are connected to POGOs. Residents bemoan incidents such as kidnapping and seeing armed bodyguards becoming the norm in the usually tranquil upscale village. Again, AAV is just one the of the thousands of subdivisions having similar problems, with smaller ones having no wherewithal to go after these illicit operations.
POGO or IGL has supporters in all branches of government, from local government officials to members of Congress, and, until Mr. Duterte left office, all the way up to the presidency itself.
There are also unverified reports of politicians’ “pilgrimage” to China whenever election season draws near. They trek there along with their families purportedly to unwind but in reality to allegedly solicit campaign funds. It’s about time that we should call out the immigration bureau and put it to task by monitoring the number of politicians going out to China whenever election fever nears.
But the pro-China elements in Philippine society are in the minority. A recent study made by the PEW Research Center shows only 16% of Filipinos have a favorable view of China.
In contrast, fully 78% expresses preference for the United States. It used to be 92%, according to the study, which means that the unrelenting propaganda mounted by then President Duterte against the Americans has made some headway.
Something tangible should be done.
The unwanted presence of hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals in the country, the high social costs of POGO operations, and the encroachment of China in the country’s territorial waters are substantial causes for alarm. We don’t want to wake up one day to see the communist nation’s flag, instead of the Philippine national flag, being hoisted in Malacañang, do we? – Rappler.com
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First, the government will not ban all POGOs in the country. President Marcos Jr. will likely implement a “selective treatment” on them. Only those who kowtow to his secret “directives” through a proxy will remain in this country. Second, regarding the Chinese “invasion,” President Marcos Jr. will likely not be afraid as long as China guarantees he will be the Governor of the latter’s new province. If this fails, he has a Plan B: a US helicopter to secure his family on their trip to Hawaii.
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Ex-lawmaker Erice seeks to hold Comelec’s Garcia in contempt | Jairo Bolledo | 16/07/2024 13:40 | COMELEC CHAIRMAN. Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia gave the public an early look and demonstration of the vote counting machines and other process, that will be utilized for the 2025 elections,at the Rappler newsroom on June 6, 2024.
Jire Carreon/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Former Caloocan City representative Edgar Erice has filed a motion with the Supreme Court (SC) seeking to hold Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairperson George Garcia in contempt.
In his motion filed with the High Court on Tuesday, July 16, Erice said Garcia should be held in contempt for allegedly violating the court’s sub judice rule, which prohibits petitioners in an ongoing case to discuss merits of their cases to avoid “prejudging the issue, influencing the court, or obstructing the administration of justice.”
Erice argued that Garcia allegedly violated the rule when the Comelec chairperson said that “the Commission on Elections may resort to manual 2025 national and local polls should the Supreme Court issue a ruling against Miru Systems,” among other statements.
“Chairman Garcia’s [statement] therefore, serves no other purpose but to sway public perception in an attempt to influence this Court to rule in favor of the Comelec, all before the arguments of all parties can even be heard,” ehe said in his petition.
In a message to reporters, Garcia denied the allegations against him: “Look who’s talking. Ako, may dahilan kung bakit nagsasalita, dahil kailangan ng tao ng update sa eleksyon mula sa Comelec. Sino ba ang kabi-kabila ang presscon? Sino ba ang petitioner sa kaso sa SC?”
(Look who’s talking. I have a reason to speak because people need election updates from the Comelec. Who is having press conferences left and right? Who is the petitioner in the SC case?)
On April 18, Erice filed a petition with the SC, urging the High Court to void the Comelec resolution that awarded a multibillion-peso contract to the new election tech provider, Korean firm Miru Systems. Erice, in his petition, cited the firm’s supposed blemished reputation overseas. Miru replaced the long-time provider, Smartmatic.
In May, the High Court ordered the Comelec and Miru to reply to the petition filed by Erice. The SC, however, did not grant Erice’s request for a temporary restraining order that would have prevented the Comelec from enforcing its contract with the Korean firm.
Explaining why he filed a petition, Erice said his case has nothing to do with Smartmatic and that as a former lawmaker, election-related issues have become one of his passions because of the past legislative inquiries he had done. – Rappler.com
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Alleged syndicate behind fake birth certificates scheme in Davao del Sur – NBI | Jairo Bolledo | 16/07/2024 23:13 | NBI. The National Bureau of Investigation.
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MANILA, Philippines – A regional office of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said a syndicate must be behind the issuance of fake birth certificates in Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur.
“With the number of spurious and falsified documents we have identified for 2018-2019, it is evident this involves a significant syndicate and substantial financial transactions. A fixer, a Chinese national, has been connected to the agency,” NBI Davao Region Director Archie Albao told Newsline Philippines.
The town’s civil registry chief, Melanie Duhaylungsod, said they were backtracking their records after they were ordered to check all Chinese name registrations for the last 10 years. However, the local registry chief clarified that not all birth records involving Chinese were questionable.
The NBI recently revealed that it discovered around 1,200 fake birth certificates in Davao del Sur. Prior to this, the bureau said they discovered around 200 fake birth certificates issued mostly to Chinese nationals by the civil registry of the Davao del Sur town.
Newsline reported that the issue of fake birth certificates in Davao came to light because of an incident involving a Chinese who applied for a passport at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Davao, but could speak neither Bisaya nor Tagalog. It was later revealed, according to Newsline, that the foreigner assumed a Filipino name and claimed birth information that did not align with his other documents.
In a statement on Monday, July 15, Santa Cruz Mayor Jose Nelson Sala Sr. said they will cooperate with the NBI probe, adding that they are also conducting their own investigation into the scheme.
“We welcome the investigation made by the NBI and other related national government agencies as this will also help our own investigation in curbing the proliferation of spurious birth certificates in our municipality,” Sala said.
Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, who currently leads the probe into illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO), said the thousands of fake identities is a threat to the country’s security.
“Uncovering thousands of fake identities is a clear threat to public order and national security. Our recent legislative inquiries into POGOs have already revealed that criminal groups use fake Filipino citizenship to carry out their illicit activities. We, at the Senate, will continue to look into this alarming trend,” Hontiveros said in a statement on Tuesday, July 16.
The opposition senator also condemned the so-called sale of Filipino identity: “Somewhere out there, someone with a fake identity is trying to buy land, use Philippine passports to give himself or herself a brand new identity, form corporations, and perhaps even have the audacity to run for public office. This has been done before.”
Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement on Monday that they already requested the NBI for names and other details of the people involved in the over 200 fake birth certificates. Tansingco said they also requested information from the Philippine Statistics Authority regarding Filipinos who availed late registration and were issued birth certificates belatedly.
The BI chief said that, as early as last year, the bureau has been monitoring alleged fake identities after intercepting at least 10 foreigners misrepresenting themselves as Filipinos using illegally acquired Philippine documents. Tansingco explained that some of these foreigners were able to secure Philippine documents after “illegally acquiring foundational documents such as birth certificates.”
“This is an issue of national security, and needs to be addressed immediately,” Tansingco said.
Prior to the issue of fake birth certificates in Davao del Sur, a similar issue concerning alleged fake identity was already raised in legislative hearings. This was the case of Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, who does not only face probe over her alleged ties illegal with an illegal POGO, but also because of her shady background.
In one of the public hearings on illegal POGOs, Guo claimed she could not remember basic details about her life. Later, the NBI confirmed that the fingerprints of Guo and Guo Hua Ping, the Chinese woman suspected to be her true identity, matched.
The Office of the Solicitor General has sought to cancel Guo’s birth certificate, which could be used in the quo warranto petition against her that could remove her from public office. – With reports from NewsLine Philippines/Rappler.com
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Senate prepares detention facility for Alice Guo, 7 others | Bonz Magsambol | 16/07/2024 14:27 | DETENTION FACILITY. Retired Army Lt. Gen. Roberto Ancan, Senate Sargeant-At-Arms, shows the media a former day-care center converted into a detention facility, where suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo, aka Guo Hua Ping, and her family may be detained, on July 16, 2024.
Angie de Silva/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Senate has prepared the detention facility located in its compound in Pasay City where suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and seven others, including her family members, will be detained in case they surrender.
The Office of the Senate Sergeant-At-Arms (OSAA) on Tuesday, July 16, held an ocular visit of the facility for the media. The detention center was a former day-care center, which is air-conditioned, has three double-deck beds with pillows, a water dispenser, a restroom, and a sink.
“We will protect them. I have done this before,” said OSAA chief retired Lt. General Roberto Ancan.
On Saturday, July 13, authorities nabbed Alice Guo’s former accountant following the Senate’s arrest order against the mayor and her companions. OSAA said that their team took custody of Nancy Gamo at around 1 pm. However, authorities were not able to find Guo in her Bamban address.
Gamo will remain under Senate custody and will be held there. She could be detained as long as the Senate inquiry into illegal POGO continues.
The next Senate inquiry is set on July 29.
Apart from the mayor and Gamo, the Senate also ordered the arrest of her family members, former government official Dennis Cunanan, the representative of the Bamban POGO linked to Guo, for the same reason. Aside from the suspended mayor, those still at-large are:
Ancan said that Guo and others will be allowed to go outside of the facility for a few minutes for their morning walk. Food and other necessities will be provided for them but they can also bring their own food.
Meanwhile, Senate President Chiz Escudero said on Monday, July 15, that they might allow them to use gadgets during their stay in the Senate detention facility.
“According to the current rules and guidelines, the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms would not allow it. But should the need arise, the OSAA may provide a phone line. But I have ordered a review because I found that the rule was already old and may no longer be applicable,” he said.
Guo’s lawyer legal counsel Stephen David on Monday maintained that the mayor is still in the country and that he is convincing her to surrender to authorities.
“Nakausap ko siya kahapon pero hindi ko alam kung saan siya. Pero 100% nasa Pilipinas siya. ‘Yun ang sinabi niya sa akin,” David said in an interview with GMA News.
(I talked to her yesterday but I don’t know where she is. But she is 100% in the Philippines. That’s what she told me.)
Guo has been the subject of Senate hearings for her alleged involvement in illegal activities of a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) raided in her hometown. During the inquiries, her nationality and citizenship were also questioned because of inconsistencies about her personal life.
For her alleged ties with the illegal POGO raided because of complaints of alleged human trafficking, Guo faces a non-bailable offense of qualified trafficking. The Office of the Solicitor General has also moved to cancel her birth certificate, which could help in the possible quo warranto case against her. The quo warranto petition, if granted, would remove Guo from public office.
The Court of Appeals recently froze Guo’s assets after the appellate court in response to an Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) petition. – Rappler.com
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Zamboanga del Norte sees surge in HIV/AIDS cases, deaths | Herbie G | 16/07/2024 12:24 | CAMPAIGN. Abigail Khio, AIDS/HIV coordinator of the Zamboanga del Norte Health Office, speaks about government efforts to prevent more HIV infections in Zamboanga del Norte.
Gualberto Laput/Rappler
ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, Philippines – An alarming rise in HIV/AIDS cases and associated deaths has been reported in Zamboanga del Norte, prompting health officials to call for increased vigilance and safe sex practices.
An average of four new cases are emerging in the province monthly as of April 20. Since January 2023, Zamboanga del Norte recorded 385 people living with HIV, with a dozen AIDS-related deaths documented.
Officials said the province is witnessing a significant increase in HIV/AIDS cases, particularly among younger populations. The youngest recorded case involves an infant, indicating vertical transmission from parent to child.
“Zamboanga del Norte is now classified as Category B (with 500 or fewer HIV cases), and we should have zero cases,” Abigail Khio, AIDS/HIV coordinator of the Zamboanga del Norte Health Office, told a forum on Friday, July 12.
Stigma and fear of being shunned prevent many people living with HIV from seeking medical care. Such fear leads to delayed diagnosis and treatment, exacerbating the health crisis.
A leader of a local LGBTQ+ group told Rappler on Monday, July 15, that roughly half of the people living with HIV in the province are in Dipolog City.
“There are many who refuse to go to hospitals, fearing ostracization,” said the source who requested anonymity.
The data showed that a considerable number of those infected are relatively young.
Khio said those infected with HIV are getting younger, with the youngest being a month-old baby. Health officials decided to test the baby after finding the parents infected with HIV.
She noted that those living with HIV are mostly 35 years old and younger, with many being men who have sexual relations with men and transgender women.
Economic factors also contributed to the crisis, with many finding themselves engaging in the commercial sex trade.
“Perhaps due to poverty, many young people, aged 15 to 20, are attracted to offers as low as P50 to P150 in exchange for sexual favors,” Khio said.
The ongoing debate about sex education in schools includes health officials advocating for it, along with interventions like distributing contraceptives.
Although health officials are now urging parents to closely monitor their children, Khio emphasized they have never neglected their advocacy work, such as school-based sex education and other interventions like distributing contraceptives.
However, Alfredo Ogoc, a secondary school teacher in Dipolog, argued that while the government aims to prevent HIV/AIDS through sex education in schools, it might unintentionally encourage promiscuity.
“It somehow fuels young people’s curiosity and confidence, making it seem like we are encouraging them to engage in sex,” Ogoc told health officials during the forum.
Ogoc opined that sex education is better taught by parents rather than in schools.
Khio said another problem besides poverty and unsafe sex practices is technology, specifically the internet, where young people can access or download practically anything without their parents’ knowledge.
“We don’t have control over what is on the internet, which is why families and parents play a vital role in closely monitoring and protecting their children from the harms caused by rapidly developing technology,” Khio said.
HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. If left untreated, HIV can lead to AIDS. Unlike some other viruses, the human body cannot completely eliminate HIV, so once someone has HIV, they have it for life.
HIV is transmitted through unprotected sexual contact, sharing needles or syringes, from mother to child during childbirth or breastfeeding, and through blood transfusions with contaminated blood. – Rappler.com
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Marcos gov’t urged to nullify license of POGOs for Chinese market | Dwight de Leon | 16/07/2024 16:14 | Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Former senator Leila de Lima and former Supreme Court justices Antonio Carpio and Conchita Carpio Morales led a group of individuals in urging the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to cancel the licenses granted to Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) who cater to the mainland Chinese market.
In an open letter to the President dated Tuesday, July 16, the group argued that the approval of licenses filed by such POGOs violates the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’s (Pagcor) own rules.
“Pagcor requires every POGO to operate only in a foreign country where gambling is allowed. Clearly, no POGO can operate legally in mainland China which bans all kinds of gambling,” the letter read.
“Thus, PAGCOR cannot, and should not, issue a license to any POGO that caters to the mainland Chinese market. Any such license is void ab initio under PAGCOR’s own regulations,” it added.
Specifically, the signatories – including groups 1Sambayan, EveryWoman, Women2022, and Intercessors for the Philippines – cited the following provisions:
The group insisted that Pagcor has the power to immediately cancel a license of a POGO that is later discovered to have made misrepresentations or provided false information.
“We, therefore, implore the President to direct Pagcor to cancel immediately all licenses of POGOs that cater to the mainland Chinese market,” the letter also read.
POGOs sprouted across the Philippines beginning 2016, and grew exponentially in the succeeding years, as operators took advantage of liberal gaming laws under the administration of Rodrigo Duterte. Many POGO operators are run by Chinese nationals, as gambling in their home country is banned.
In the past year, Beijing helped Manila shut down five POGO hubs and repatriate a thousand Chinese individuals.
In June, China called on the Philippines to put an end to offshore gambling, which it called a “social ill” that encourages crimes of kidnapping, human trafficking, and murder. In early July, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin met with Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian to “strengthen their partnership” in the fight against organized crime.
Scrutiny of POGOs has intensified in recent months as the Senate investigates illegal activities linked with offshore gaming operators.
The probe took a turn for the worse after it was discovered that Alice Guo, a Tarlac mayor with POGO ties, had fingerprints that matched a Chinese woman who only arrived in the Philippines in 2003, raising suspicions that she entered local politics to further sustain POGO operations in her town of Bamban. – Rappler.com
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9 of the top 10 passers of 2024 Shari’ah Bar exams are women | Jairo Bolledo | 16/07/2024 16:23 | BAR EXAMS. Shari'ah Bar exam takers line up during the first day of tests on April 28, 2024.
Supreme Court
MANILA, Philippines – Nine women landed in the top 10 passers of the 2024 Shari’ah Bar Examinations, the Supreme Court (SC) announced on Tuesday, July 16.
Nurhaifah Hadji Said Punginagina topped this year’s examinations with 86.75%, 2024 Shari’ah Bar chairperson Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh said on Tuesday.
The rest of the top 10 placers are:
LOOK: Full list of passers of the 2024 Shari'ah Bar exams. pic.twitter.com/Oq7OB6gnOg
Meanwhile, of the 853 examinees, 183 or 21.45% passed the examinations. Associate Justice Singh said 62.3% of the passers are women.
“Regardless of the results today, whether you pass or you don’t, all of you deserve to be congratulated for your faith, for your determination and hard work, and for your fortitude,” Singh said in her message to the Shari’ah Bar takers.
“You are here now because of everyone who believed in you and because you chose to believe in yourselves. Take this opportunity to celebrate yourselves with your families, friends, loved ones, and enjoy the fruits of your labor,” she added.
The 2023 Shari’ah Bar chairperson also said that the oath-taking and roll signing ceremonies of the passers will be held on August 14, at the Manila Hotel.
In April, the High Court held the first digitalized and regionalized Shari’ah Bar examinations. Now administered by the High Court, Shari’ah Bar is different from the regular Bar exams and is the professional licensure test covering Islamic law.
The number of this year’s aspiring Shari’ah counselors-at-law is higher compared to 2022, which only had 526 takers. The exams were held this year at the University of the Philippines Diliman and Ateneo de Davao University. The exams covered the following subjects: jurisprudence (Figh) and customary laws (Adat), 15%; persons, family relations, and property, 35%; succession, wills/adjudication, and settlement of estates, 35%; and procedure in the Shari’ah Courts, 15%.
The first Shari’ah Bar exams were held in 1983 after the Presidential Decree No. 1083, in 1977, created Shari’ah courts in the Philippines. The special courts were placed under the SC’s administrative supervision.
Article 137 of the decree established Shari’ah District Courts and Shari’ah Circuit Courts to exercise powers and functions to uphold the Code of Muslim Personal Laws of the Philippines. The code’s aim is to recognize the legal system of Muslims in the country, codify Muslim personal laws, and provide “effective administration and enforcement of Muslim personal laws among Muslims.”
The code is in accordance with section 11, article XV of the 1987 Constitution, which states, “The State shall consider the customs, traditions, beliefs and interests of national cultural communities in the formulation and implementation of state policies.”
Early this year, Associate Justice Antonio Kho Jr., the Shari’ah Bar chairperson next year, said the Shari’ah justice system in the country “provides a legal framework for resolving disputes and upholding Islamic principles within the context of the country’s broader legal system.” – Rappler.com
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Bacolod’s famous Manokan Country shut down to make way for SM project | Herbie G | 16/07/2024 17:03 | CLOSED. A yellow tape marks the end of operations at Bacolod's iconic Manokan Country.
courtesy of Jun Punzalan
BACOLOD, Philippines – The city government has closed down Bacolod’s iconic Manokan Country, renowned for its famous chicken inasal (grilled chicken), bringing an end to its four decades of operation.
Its closure on Tuesday morning, July 16, to pave the way for the development of an ambitious commercial center project, displaced at least 24 stall owners at the 41-year-old food center on Father Mauricio Ferero Street at the reclamation area in Barangay 12.
Members of a team from city hall’s legal office placed yellow police tape across about 30 stalls to keep the public off the property.
“This means no one is allowed to operate anymore,” said city legal officer Romeo Carlos Ting.
Colonel Noel Aliño, Bacolod police director, said authorities implemented the closure order without resistance, but a lawyer, speaking on behalf of the affected tenants, hinted at bringing the local government to court.
Meanwhile, SM Prime Holdings Incorporated (SMPHI) will soon start fencing off the entire Manokan Country after its closure.
Based on an agreement between city hall and SMPHI in October last year, the company will pay the local government P21.26 million annually, with a 5% increase every three years.
SMPHI plans to build a mixed-use building with retail stores, BPO hubs, and the rebranded Manokan Country.
In November 2023, SMPHI paid the city government P131.89 million as an advance for seven years of rent for a 16,875-square meter property, including Vendor’s Plaza, Manokan Country, and the Bacolod Arts, Youth and Sports (BAYS) Center.
Established during the tenure of the late Bacolod mayor Jose Montalvo Jr. through City Ordinance No. 16-1983, Manokan had been a favorite place of tourists whose visit to Bacolod was seen as incomplete unless they tasted chicken inasal there.
Lawyer Joemax Ortiz, one of the legal counsels of the displaced stall holders, said they would file a case to nullify a 40-year lease contract between city hall and SMPHI, which they blame for the Manokan’s closure.
Ortiz argued that the 1983 city law established the Manokan Country during the Montalvo administration, and the ordinance was neither amended nor repealed at the time city hall closed it down.
He said such “neglect involves several legal lapses” which justify the cancellation of a P4-billion, 40-year lease agreement between the city government and SMPHI.
Father Julius Espinosa, head of the Caritas Philippines-Social Action Center Foundation (PC-SACF), the social arm of the Catholic Diocese of Bacolod, came and watched as the city hall team implemented the closure order.
He said he was sent by Bacolod Bishop Patricio Buzon to “take care” of the displaced Manokan tenants.
“We are with them (tenants) in their fight for just and fair treatment amid the city government’s quest to redevelop the Manokan Country area through SMPHI, as part of the mayor’s dream to turn Bacolod into a super city,” Espinosa said.
Espinosa acknowledged the separation of church and state principle but emphasized that the Diocese of Bacolod cannot ignore the displaced tenants’ pleas, pointing out that Manokan Country has been part of the Bacolod cathedral’s neighborhood for over 40 years.
Manokan Country is less than 200 meters from the cathedral.
Displaced tenants were offered temporary space at SM City Bacolod-North Terminal Hub during the redevelopment, but no one accepted. They, however, want a relocation site where they can all move together. However, the city government hasn’t found a place yet, though the tenants will be prioritized for the new Manokan Country once the project is completed.
The displaced tenants are concerned about anticipated high rent and other charges from SMPHI for the new Manokan Country.
“It won’t be the same anymore,” said Ortiz. “The new rates and other costs will be a burden for the original Manokan Country tenants.” – Rappler.com
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Gilas stint for Ginebra draftee Abarrientos? Cone says not quite yet | delfin.dioquino editor | 17/07/2024 16:07 | HANG TIME. RJ Abarrientos in action for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
FIBA
MANILA, Philippines – The path to a Gilas Pilipinas return looks to have been paved for RJ Abarrientos after national team head coach Tim Cone drafted him at Barangay Ginebra.
Cone sees Abarrientos being in a “class by himself” – exactly the reason why the Gin Kings made him the No. 3 overall pick in the PBA Rookie Draft.
But Abarrientos’ national team comeback may have to wait.
“That’s a long ways away right now,” said Cone in a press conference on Monday, July 15, when asked about the possibility of adding Abarrientos to Gilas Pilipinas’ pool.
“He’s a young guy. He could be, three or four years from now. You don’t know what the team’s going to be. But I keep emphasizing, anytime you put somebody in on a team, you bring RJ in, you have to take somebody off.”
Abarrientos suited up for the national team from 2021 to 2022 under former head coaches Tab Baldwin and Chot Reyes.
His stints included the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Serbia in 2021 and the FIBA Asia Cup in Indonesia in 2022 before Abarrientos decided to turn professional overseas by joining the Korean Basketball League.
After another season abroad in the Japan B. League, Abarrientos opted to return home as he now learns under Cone at Ginebra.
While Cone has made it clear that he has no plans of expanding Gilas Pilipinas’ pool, Abarrientos’ exposure to the Gin Kings’ triangle offense may put him in strong consideration for a national team spot in the future.
After all, four Ginebra players – Justin Brownlee, Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, and Jamie Malonzo – are part of the pool.
“RJ might be a different example because he’ll be practicing with us and he’ll know about the Ginebra system which we’re using in the Nationals, so he might be an exception,” said Cone.
For now, Cone intends to stick with his 12-man roster as he hopes to see Thompson, Malonzo, and AJ Edu recover from their injuries in time for the second window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers in November.
“We’re going to stay at 12 guys,” said Cone. – Rappler.com
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AT A GLANCE: Delegates topping the Miss World Philippines 2024 fast-track events | Russell Ku | 17/07/2024 15:22 | MANILA, Philippines – Before a new Miss World Philippines is crowned on Friday, July 19, the 35 candidates vying for the title participated in various activities for a chance to earn a semifinal spot in the pageant.
Aside from the Miss World Philippines 2024 title, two more titles are also up for grabs: Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas and Miss Philippines Tourism. Here are the finalists for each event.
– with graphics by Andoy Edoria/Rappler.com
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Alex Eala hits career-high ranking, opens Spain ITF W100 bid with doubles win | Jasmine Payo | 17/07/2024 14:44 | FOCUSED. Alex Eala reacts during a singles match in the ITF W75 Porto in Portugal.
ALEX EALA FACEBOOK PAGE
MANILA, Philippines – The magic between Alex Eala and Estelle Cascino apparently has not waned as they opened their campaign in the ITF W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain on a winning note.
The Filipino-French pair prevailed in straights sets over Spanish teen sisters Carolina and Jimena Gomez, 6-3, 6-2, on Tuesday, July 16, at the hard courts of the Peña Vitoriana Tenis Club.
Last March, the 19-year-old Eala won the second doubles title of her pro career when she and the 28-year-old veteran Cascino teamed up as an unseeded pair to win the ITF W75 Open 3C de Seine et Marne in Croissy-Beaubourg, France, by upsetting the tournament top seeds in the final.
Eala also headed into the match toting a career-high world ranking of 155, just weeks after falling a win short of qualifying for the Wimbledon main draw.
After dropping serve in the third game of the opening set to fall behind, 1-2, the third-seeded Eala and Cascino claimed the next four games to build a 5-2 lead. They went up a set when they closed out in the ninth game.
Eala and Cascino were even more dominant in the second set, jumping to a 5-1 advantage after breaking the serves of both Carolina, a junior with the University of Arkansas Razorbacks in the US NCAA Division 1, and her 18-year-old younger sister Jimena.
The match was all over in just 56 minutes when the Filipina and French tandem held serve in the eighth game of the second set to book a seat in the quarterfinals.
Eala will return to the court on Wednesday as she begins her quest for the singles title.
Ranked fifth in the tournament, Eala will face in the first round 21-year-old Dutch-Vietnamese qualifier Lian Tran, currently 610th in the world rankings.
She will, however, have to contend with a tough field bannered by top seed Ukrainian Diana Snigur. who recently made the second round of Wimbledon, French second seed Jessika Ponchet, former world No. 49 and third seed Linda Fruhvirtová of the Czech Republic, and former world junior No. 1 Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva from Andorra.
Meanwhile, in Thailand, the Philippines’ top men’s doubles player Francis Casey Alcantara and Thai teen Maximus Jones are on track in their quest for back-to-back titles by coming back from a 1-3 deficit in the opening set to still prevail over Rishi Reddy and Dhakshineswar Suresh of India, 7-6(4), 6-3, in the ITF World Tour M6 in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Alcantara and Jones copped the championship the previous week in the ITF World Tour M5 by defeating the same opponents, Reddy and Suresh.
The top-seeded Alcantara and Jones will next face the unseeded Thai pair of Kasidit Samrej and Pawit Sornlaksup in the quarterfinals. – Rappler.com
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Divorce advocates to lawmakers: Listen to us, not just research | Michelle Abad | 17/07/2024 20:21 | ADVOCATES. Pro-divorce advocates hold a 'State of the Divorce Advocates Address' event on July 17, 2024.
Michelle Abad/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – Days before the 19th Congress reconvenes, advocates for the passage of the divorce bill in the Philippines gathered to call on lawmakers to listen to stories from Filipinos who need the measure, and not just rely on research.
In a “State of the Divorce Advocates Address” event organized by lobbying group Divorce for the Philippines Now and Gabriela Women’s Party on Wednesday, July 17, Filipino women in broken marriages told their stories about why they think divorce is the way to achieve happiness and freedom.
Advocate Lou Baltazar shared how she and her husband separated when they lost trust and respect for each other.
“My husband and I never fought in front of our children. If I did not separate from him, we might have reached a point where we did nothing but fight. I did not want that,” she said in a mix of English and Filipino.
“Sana naman ‘yung mga anti-divorce, pakinggan ninyo kami. Kami mismo, huwag ‘yung mga research-research ninyo kung saan-saan. Kasi unang-una, iba ‘yung kultura ng Pilipino sa kultura ng ibang bansa. Bakit ‘nyo ipaparehas ‘yung mga research ‘nyo sa mga nangyayari sa ibang bansa at sa nangyayari dito sa Pilipinas?” Baltazar said.
“Ito kami. Kami ang mga magpapatunay kung ano ba talaga [ang katotohanan]. Pakinggan ‘nyo ang mga istorya ng bawat isa sa amin,” she added.
(I wish the anti-divorce groups would listen to us. Those who are actually affected here, not just research from other sources. Because first of all, Filipino culture is different from that of other countries. Why would you compare your research on the situation in other countries to what is happening here in the Philippines? We’re right here. We can attest to what is really happening. Listen to the stories of each and every one of us.)
The Philippines is the last country in the world aside from the Vatican without an absolute divorce law. Some arguments from the anti-divorce lobby, many of whom are in the religious community, include how having divorce would ruin the sanctity of marriage, or would supposedly encourage married people to find other partners.
Grace Hornales, who recounted dealing with a spouse who used drugs, said she does not want a divorce to find a new partner, but to free herself from an unhealthy relationship.
“Ang hirap kayang lumabas, tapos magbabalik ka na naman?… Bonus na lang ‘yun, kung may mahanap ka talaga ng taong totoong magmamahal sa ‘yo. Sana mapasa ‘yung divorce [para] matanggal na ‘yung apelyido [niya] sa pagkatao ko,” said Hornales.
(It’s so difficult to leave, and then you’ll go back into a marriage? Finding someone who will truly love you is just a bonus. I want the divorce bill to be passed so I can be free from his last name.)
Shan Laurinaria, another advocate, spoke about having to be the breadwinner for her children even when her husband was a professional. He could provide for them but did not.
She wanted to try for an annulment, but she was afraid that she would get scammed like her friends, who shelled out P600,000 for nothing.
“Many people have died [in loveless marriages]. Should I wait until my time is up? The Lord is not like this. The Lord is kind,” Laurinaria said in Filipino.
While the House of Representatives has passed the divorce bill on third and final reading, the counterpart version in the Senate remains up for decision in the plenary.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to deliver his third State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 22, the same day Congress reconvenes. The divorce bill was not included in his priority bills. – Rappler.com
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‘One of our own’: Robredo hails Naga’s Amaro for 2024 Palaro 7-gold chart-topper | jisaga0269 | 17/07/2024 22:50 | WINNING DUO. Calabarzon-based swimmer TJ Amaro and former vice president Leni Robredo pose for a photo.
Leni Robredo Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – No less than former vice president Leni Robredo hailed the stunning Palarong Pambansa 2024 showcase of young star swimmer TJ Amaro after he rose as the most bemedalled out of 541 athletes in the 13,000-strong delegation that packed Cebu City.
A proud son of Naga, Camarines Sur now representing Calabarzon as a Grade 11 student of San Beda-Rizal in Taytay, the 17-year-old phenom swept all seven of his swimming finals across the weeklong event at the Cebu City Sports Center, breaking three Palaro records in the process.
“So proud of our very own, TJ Amaro,” Robredo wrote on Facebook, before listing the events Amaro competed in and won, like his record-setting 50-meter and 100m butterfly individual events, and 4x100m medley relay alongside three other standout swimmers.
“TJ is now an incoming senior high school student at San Beda [University] Taytay and is now representing the Calabarzon Region, but we are still extremely proud of him because he is a homegrown Nagueño and has, in the past, won many swimming competitions representing Naga City.”
Amaro represented Bicol in the Palaro 2023 edition in Marikina City, where he won just one medal in the 50m fly, albeit also in record-setting fashion.
Under the tutelage of elite coaches of San Beda’s renowned swimming program, which currently boasts a staggering title 20-peat in the men’s seniors division and 23 total titles in boys’ juniors play, Amaro skyrocketed his Palaro resume sevenfold with one more year of eligibility remaining.
“I’m happy because it was one of my goals in this year’s Palaro, to become one of the most bemedalled athletes out of all the high schoolers here in the country,” Amaro said in Filipino after his sixth event last Sunday, July 14, and a few hours before his sweep-completing relay.
He and fellow star swimmer Jasmine Mojdeh alone were responsible for 12 of Calabarzon’s 57 gold medals, more than 20% of the entire region’s title haul.
Led by the duo’s efforts, Calabarzon regained its usual second overall place in the final tally behind 17-year dynasty National Capital Region and a mere one medal ahead of fellow powerhouse Western Visayas.
“Congratulations also to all our Palarong Pambansa athletes who did us all proud,” Robredo concluded.
– Rappler.com
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HIGHLIGHTS: Philippines vs USA – Jones Cup 2024 | Jasmine Payo | 18/07/2024 12:45 | MANILA, Philippines – Strong Group-Pilipinas preserved its flawless record in the William Jones Cup in Taiwan after a 112-90 drubbing of USA behind another stellar performance from Chris McCullough on Thursday, July 18.
McCullough unloaded 24 points on top of 18 rebounds and 7 assists as Strong Group hiked its record to 5-0, winning by at least 20 points for the fourth time.
Tajuan Agee backstopped McCullough with 19 points, while the rest of the local cast also delivered in the victory that saw Strong Group pull away in the second half.
USA pulled level at 62-62 early in the third quarter before Strong Group ended the period on a 27-14 run for an 89-76 lead, which ballooned to as big as 22 points.
RJ Abarrientos fired 17 points, Jordan Heading added 11 points, while Ange Kouame and Allen Liwag chimed in 10 points apiece.
On the heels of its most dominant victory, Strong Group-Pilipinas aims to continue its winning ways in the 2024 William Jones Cup when it tangles with Future Sports USA on Thursday, July 18.
Riding on a well-balanced attack, Strong Group dealt Malaysia a massive 35-point beating, 89-54, on Wednesday, July 17, to hike its spotless record to 4-0.
Four players scored in twin-digits for the Philippines in the blowout win, led by Chris McCullough’s 16.
Former Gilas Pilipinas high-flyer Rhenz Abando stepped up big with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Tajuan Agee, Ange Kouame, and DJ Fenner had 12, 11, and 10 points, respectively.
With the Philippines just four wins away from reclaiming the gold medal it last won in 2019, look for McCullough to show the way for Strong Group once more as they lock horns with a struggling Future Sports USA crew, which fell to a disappointing 1-4 record on Wednesday.
McCullough has led Strong Group in scoring in all their four matches so far in the tournament, averaging 20.5 points per outing.
Game time is 1 pm. – Rappler.com
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Meet Catalea, the Negros-based rapper carving her place in the music scene | jreyes0314 | 17/07/2024 19:21 | Last June 30, Negros-based artist Catalea was among those who graced the stage of the “Love Laban 2 Everyone” Pride Festival, put together by Pride PH, in Quezon City, also the site of what is now known as “Stonewall Manila,” the first Pride march in the Philippines and across Asia, organized by ProGay in June 1994.
Baklang Rap ay nandito! 🔥 introhan lang namen @petteshabu @KumareHarvey Catalea @Itssassagurl pic.twitter.com/dzCSoPV1PP
The gathering still had a huge turnout, with thousands crowding the Quezon Memorial Circle with Pride flags, placards, and colorful getups, despite it already being the second iteration of the Pride celebration, after its June 22 Pride concert had been paused and eventually cut short due to heavy rain.
For the number, Catalea collaborated with internet sensation Sassa Gurl and artists Pette Shabu and Kumare Harvey. “‘Wag mong subukan ‘di mo kaya gurl / All the trans, all the gays, and the lesbian / LGBT for the win, ‘di mapantayan,” reads her part in the performance.
Sassa prompted the collaboration, to Catalea’s surprise. “I didn’t expect Sassa to message me on social media,” the latter tells me. “I was shocked when she told me this idea.”
It was by far the biggest stage Catalea performed on. But even before that, she has shown promise and artistry already, beginning as an underground freestyle battle rapper at age 17.
“I grew up in a male-dominated area (in Silay City, Negros Occidental), so I adopted the habits and culture of hip-hop even when I was a little kid,” she says. “I love rap because it connects me to people and makes me more unique as a trans woman rapper now.”
Also active in local amateur beauty pageants, Catalea attracted more attention and supporters when she started to share some of her performances online. In fact, it was through this video she put up on Facebook that I first learned of her name.
She considers Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Mary J. Blige, and Gloc 9, who is one of QC Pride’s headliners, as some of her influences.
In her work, Catalea marvels, toys with explicit lexicon, and hops into beats such as boom bap, drill, and trap. More than anything, she refuses to be apologetic.
Such blunt, no-holds-barred disposition is evident in her debut single, “Game Over,” which she recorded last June and released earlier this month. “Umaapoy na kipay / Ano iyan pussy fire? / B*tch I’m hot like Gasul / Nangangating bilat / Sarap i-Fungisol,” goes the track.
“Actually, I wrote it in just two hours out of boredom, but I didn’t know that I had made a masterpiece,” says the rapper.
This authenticity is also part of the reason why she doesn’t mind centering herself as a trans rapper, which at times points to token opportunities, despite the audience pull and talent of LGBTQ+ artists and considering how the local music scene works.
“No, I never feel limited by anything because I don’t need people’s approval or requirements to satisfy them,” Catalea points out. “I am more than that. I believe in my talent, and I think I am enough and limitless.”
Despite this, the artist admits that it requires tons of effort and patience to penetrate the local rap scene, especially for someone as irreverent and critical as her. “I believe that hip-hop rap is a male-dominated genre, and for a transgender woman like me, to enter the scene is hard,” Catalea explains.
She adds, “I’ve been deprived, body shamed, and many more, but that BS didn’t stop me.”
Her being a musician outside the Metro also factors into the conversation. “I think the music scene in Negros needs to be recognized,” Catalea asserts. “There are so many talented musicians out there producing and performing, and the issue is that it is so hard for us in the province to make it in the ‘mainstream’ level, and I am lucky to be on the national stage at Pride March because it was all for my beloved Negrosanons.”
There’s even a notion, shares Catalea, that artists from the regions are usually timid or reserved. “They assume that I’m a bit shy, [so] when I spit [bars], they don’t expect it.”
Be that as it may, Catalea soldiers on. “I hope that there’s more collaborations here in Manila, more projects, and more performances in the clubs or bars because I really enjoy it,” she says.
As we’re all aware by now, the SOGIE equality bill has yet to be enacted and continues to encounter opposition from right wing evangelists and conservatives. And like the rest of us in the queer community, Catalea hopes for a safer, better, and more livable world. Through her craft, Catalea not only tries to prove her mettle as an artist but also surfaces her personhood that brims with meaning and purpose.
“I believe that music is a great platform for us LGBTQIA+ members to spread awareness and knowledge about our worth and identity. This can also help educate people that are not aware of our existence,” she says. – Rappler.com
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Bangko Sentral to fine banks up to P1M for each forex transaction violation | lkyu0285 | 17/07/2024 19:35 | BSP. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas headquarters in Quezon City on May 31, 2023.
Jire Carreon/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) approved stricter penalties and new reporting guidelines for foreign exchange (forex) transactions.
Among the key amendments in Circular No. 1197 are the revised maximum monetary penalties for violations. Banks now face a fine of up to P1 million for each transactional violation, which is defined as “an act or omission constituting a violation of any applicable law or any order, instruction/directive or regulation issued by the Monetary Board, or any order, instruction/directive or ruling by the Governor which is consummated and concluded in a single instance/occasion.”
Banks also have to pay P100,000 per calendar day for a violation of a continuing nature, which is defined as a violation that “persists or lingers over time from the instant the particular act was committed or omitted until the violation is stopped.”
The amended guidelines also further defined reports that are considered non-compliant with the central bank’s reporting standards, which are classified as erroneous, delayed, or unsubmitted. The fines for reporting violations are based on reporting entities and classification of reports.
The BSP also explicitly provided the process for notifying financial institutions and their directors, trustees, officers, and employees regarding the forex policy violation and corresponding penalty. The process for appeals and requests for reconsideration was also laid out.
“To ensure fairness, consistency, and reasonableness in monetary or non-monetary penalty imposition, the BSP takes into consideration its general principles, categories of enforcement actions, observance of due process, and attendant circumstances of each case,” the BSP said in a press release on Wednesday, July 17.
According to the central bank, the amended guidelines will facilitate timely submission of reports by banks and instill accountability. The more stringent measures will also work to protect the value of the Philippine peso, which is already weak against the US dollar, from being further eroded.
Circular No. 1197 was signed by BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. last Friday, July 12. It will take effect 15 banking days after its publication either in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines. Reporting entities will be given until December 31, 2024, to adjust their systems and processes. – Rappler.com
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MPL Philippines return? OhMyV33nus, Wise join Aurora after Blacklist exit | delfin.dioquino editor | 17/07/2024 21:58 | NEW SQUAD. OhMyV33nus and Wise begin a new chapter in their careers as they join Aurora.
Aurora MLBB Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – Is VeeWise back to the pro scene?
Johnmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna and Danerie James “Wise” del Rosario intrigued fans of a Mobile Legends Professional League Philippines return after joining Aurora Gaming, the team announced on Tuesday, July 16.
The move came after the inseparable duo ended a fruitful four-year stint with Blacklist International highlighted by multiple titles.
VeeWise led Blacklist to MPL Philippines crowns in Seasons 7, 8, and 10, and helped the organization capture the Mobile Legends M3 World Championship in 2021.
OhMyV33nus and Wise have been inactive for over a year since powering Blacklist to a runner-up finish in the Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup.
Aside from OhMyV33nus and Wise, stars Edward “Edward” Dapadap, Kiel “Oheb” Soriano, and Salic “Hadji” Imam also left Blacklist.
Founded in 2022, Aurora – which has headquarters in Serbia and Malaysia – has grown into a prominent esports organization, having teams in Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, Apex Legends, and Warcraft.
Aurora replaces Minana EVOS as MPL Philippines’ eighth team.
“With mobile esports’ brightest stars, the royal duo Ohmyv33nus and Wise Gaming joining our Aurora Gaming Company, there are a plethora of reasons to be excited about the future,” said Aurora in a statement.
Aurora said it will announce its Season 14 roster on July 27. – Rappler.com
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Why is the China Coast Guard’s biggest ship still in Escoda Shoal? | Bea Cupin | 17/07/2024 19:49 | Philippine Coast Guard
For over two months now, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)’s BRP Teresa Magbanua has been keeping watch over Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, because of concerns that China is trying to build yet another “artificial island.”
Escoda Shoal is very close – just some 75 nautical miles away – to the province of Palawan.
It’s also a frequent meeting point for Philippine vessels en route to nearby Ayungin Shoal, where the rusting BRP Sierra Madre serves as a Philippine military outpost.
The Magbanua, one of the two largest in the PCG’s roster, has seen leadership change while at sea. It’s also been resupplied by smaller PCG vessels, so that it’s able to stay out at sea longer.
But in the last two weeks, it’s been joined by an unwelcome intruder: China Coast Guard (CCG) ship 5901, dubbed Beijing’s “monster” because of, well, its sheer size.
On July 17, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said CCG vessel 5901 was still anchored near Escoda Shoal, just some 638 yards away from the BRP Teresa Magbanua.
What is the “monster” CCG ship and what is it doing there?
It’s been dubbed a monster because it’s so huge – at over 12,000 tons. As of posting, it is the world’s largest coast guard vessel.
At 165 meters long, it towers over the 97-meter BRP Teresa Magbanua. It’s also four times larger than the PCG’s 44-meter, Parola-class patrol vessels, which are used to regularly patrol Philippine waters.
Ray Powell, a retired United States Air Force colonel, said China’s 5901 exists to intimidate.
“There is no reason for a ship to be that large in the coast guard,” he explained. Because it’s huge, it’s not quick to maneuver – a feature you usually want from coast guard ships.
Powell, who was once defense attaché to Vietnam and Australia, likened the massive ship to a “billboard” in the South China Sea – Beijing’s way of announcing and asserting its claims.
Escoda Shoal is well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, but China still insists on its sweeping claim of almost all the South China Sea.
China’s intimidation does not seem to be working on the Philippines. The PCG has said repeatedly that the BRP Teresa Magbanua will not be leaving the waters of Escoda Shoal any time soon.
The Philippines has reason to be adamant about keeping a presence in Escoda Shoal. After all, it’s been China’s game plan to slowly – and sometimes swiftly – take over features in the South China Sea, including in the West Philippine Sea.
In Mischief Reef, for instance, China began its takeover by first constructing in 1995 what it claimed were structures to help fisherfolk seek shelter while out at sea. By 1999, it became obvious that the reef was being turned into a military base for the People’s Liberation Army.
China’s expansion in Mischief Reef is why the Philippines decided to ground the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal back in 1999.
China occupies several other features in the West Philippine Sea, including Zamora Reef, Burgos Reef North, Burgos Reef South, Hughes Reef, Kagilingan Reef, Mabini Reef, Calderon Reef, and Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal.
Other claimant countries – Vietnam and Malaysia – also occupy several features in the West Philippine Sea, although Mischief Reef or Panganiban Reef is especially a threat because it’s so close to Palawan.
Is it time for the Philippines to send more ships – including gray or Navy ships – to Escoda Shoal?
“The problem with that approach is that, of course, China also has many more gray ships, right? And so the question is, what does the Philippines get in exchange for its escalation, except for a Chinese escalation?” said Powell.
China outnumbers the Philippines greatly in terms of the number of ships at its disposal – both from the coast guard and the navy. For instance, the Philippines only has two 97-meter vessels in its coast guard roster – the BRP Teresa Magbanua and the BRP Melchora Aquino. Both ships were acquired through a project funded by Japan.
While the two countries recently agreed for the Philippines to acquire five more, those ships won’t come for at least a few years.
Powell, who has been studying China’s “gray zone” activities in the South China Sea, said this is part of the Beijing playbook – using its coast guard to make sovereignty claims and assertions. Theirs is a massive coast guard fleet, enforced by a Chinese Maritime Militia (CMM) – a fleet of fishing vessels that can act in sync and in coordination with the CCG.
That it’s an asymmetric situation works to Beijing’s advantage. If the Philippines sends more white (coast guard) ships, China can easily match that, and more. If Manila sends gray ships, it’ll be seen as an escalation to add military vessels in the mix.
The CCG, unlike the PCG, is part of China’s military structure.
During Philippine resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal, for instance, CMM ships also use dangerous manuevers – in tandem with the CCG – to block Philippine vessels.
Tensions between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea have worsened in the past year as the Philippines asserts its sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.
China has responded largely with aggression and violence – blocking Philippine vessels and using water cannons at sea. A June 17 resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal turned violent, with the CCG towing, boarding, and destroying Philippine navy dinghies.
Manila and Beijing recently agreed on a maritime communications mechanism – through representatives of their presidents, foreign ministries, and even coast guards – to avoid incidents in the West Philippine Sea. A similar mechanism, also forged under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., did not really work, however – China either did not or was very slow to respond. – Rappler.com
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Our government should not give due emphasis on the size or number of ships or escalation. Otherwise, if it gives in to the matter of size of ship or number of ships, then China has already won through psychological warfare. We must send at least one ship, the best that we have, to be anchored where that CCG “monster” is anchored, too. That intrusion must be courageously answered if it is true that “Filipinos do not yield.”
How does this make you feel? | Rappler | https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/explainers/why-china-coast-guard-biggest-ship-still-escoda-shoal-july-2024/ | Credible |
HIGHLIGHTS: Philippines vs Malaysia – Jones Cup 2024 | Jasmine Payo | 17/07/2024 16:35 | MANILA, Philippines – Strong Group-Pilipinas opened the floodgates in the fourth quarter en route to an 89-54 thrashing of Malaysia to stay perfect in the Willam Jones Cup in Taiwan on Wednesday, July 14.
RJ Abarrientos and Dave Ildefonso picked up where Chris McCullough and Rhenz Abando left off, draining a pair of three-pointers in the final period as part of a 30-6 rally that allowed Strong Group to improve to 4-0.
McCullough netted 16 points, Abando tallied 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Ange Kouame put up 11 points and 10 rebounds in the win that saw Strong Group pull away after a nip-and-tuck battle in the first three quarters.
Malaysia still led 47-46 midway through the third frame before it fizzled out as Strong Group ended the game on a 43-7 run.
Abarrientos posted all-around numbers of 9 points, 12 assists, and 5 rebounds, while Ildefonso added 8 points, all coming in the fourth quarter.
After overcoming its biggest challenge yet in the 2024 William Jones Cup, Strong Group-Pilipinas looks to stretch its undefeated streak even further when it faces Malaysia on Wednesday, July 17.
The Filipinos gutted out an 82-74 come-from-behind win versus Ukraine on Monday, July 15, to stay perfect in the single round-robin tournament.
In that nail-biting affair, it was Chris McCullough and Kiefer Ravena who saved the day for Strong Group as they spearheaded a massive 15-2 run in the final three minutes to secure the hard-earned victory.
McCullough took care of business yet again for Strong Group as he sizzled for a game-high 28 points, while Ravena scored all his 10 points in the fourth quarter.
Jordan Heading also came to play for the Philippines as he dropped 24 points – 18 coming in the opening period alone.
As Strong Group goes for a 4-0 slate, expect its leading scorer McCullough to take charge anew for the Charles Tiu-mentored crew for the fourth consecutive outing.
The Filipinos will go up against a tough Malaysian side, which is also undefeated as of posting time with a 2-0 record.
Malaysia is led by high-scoring guard Chun Hong Ting, American import John Murry, and former Ateneo foreign student-athlete Joseph Obasa.
Game time is 5 pm. – Rappler.com
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