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IN PHOTOS: Miss World Philippines 2024 candidates radiate in evening gown segment

Steph Arnaldo

20/07/2024 1:04

MANILA, Philippines – The top 20 candidates of Miss World Philippines 2024 dazzled audiences on stage as they donned their most glamorous evening gowns during the pageant’s coronation night on Friday, July 19 at Mall of Asia Arena. Each candidate wore gowns by their chosen designers. Baguio City’s Krishnah Marie Gravidez won Best in Evening Gown. See the candidates in their evening gowns here: All screenshots are from Cignal. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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IN PHOTOS: Miss World Philippines 2024 swimsuit segment

jreyes0314

20/07/2024 0:35

Cignal MANILA, Philippines – The Top 20 candidates of Miss World Philippines 2024 showed off their curves and toned physiques during the swimsuit segment of the pageant’s coronation night on Friday, July 19, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. The candidates strutted down the runway in Bench swimsuits. Baguio City’s Krishnah Gravidez was named Best in Swimsuit. All screenshots are from Cignal. See the candidates in their swimwear here: – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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ENTERTAINMENT: Movies, music, TV, theater – July 15-21, 2024

No author found

19/07/2024 22:13

Planning to go to catch the latest movie or watch a theater play? Here are some entertainment events that will be happening from July 15 to 21 to help you plan your week ahead. Bookmark this page to keep up with the latest news and updates on upcoming films, concerts, fan meetings, TV shows, drama series, and theater performances in the Philippines! ABS-CBN’s popular reality show Pinoy Big Brother returns on July 20. For this season, the show is partnering with digital money app Maya, bringing a few additions to the show. “With Maya stepping into the Big Brother house, Housemates will get a real-life lesson in managing money. Through the Save or Spend Weekly Task by Maya, the Housemates have the power to decide how they’ll manage their weekly budget, making the twists inside the PBB house even more exciting. Additionally, they can watch their budget grow with Maya’s high-interest savings and learn the ropes of smart finance. It’s a perfect chance for viewers at home to pick up some tips too, as they watch their favorite Housemates make the most of their budget while tackling the usual PBB challenges,” Maya said in its press release. Maya, via the app, will also be the official and exclusive voting platform for this year’s PBB. OPM band Munimuni is set to stage their “Alegorya” concert on July 20 at the UP Theater in Quezon City. Marking the band’s first major concert in five years, the three-hour, one-night show will feature guest performers like Barbie Almalbis, Keiko Necesario, Clara Benin, and Sofia Abrogar of Any Name’s Okay. The band will also performing alongside a chamber ensemble.

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Shorthanded Creamline averts disastrous start to PVL Reinforced tilt; PLDT, Chery rise to 2-0

jisaga0269

20/07/2024 21:36

BOUNCED BACK. The Creamline Cool Smashers huddle after a point in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference PVL Images MANILA, Philippines – Perennial PVL contender Creamline averted a disastrous start to its 2024 Reinforced Conference campaign after powering past upstart Farm Fresh in a four-set breakthrough, 24-26, 25-23, 25-21, 25-16, at the PhilSports Arena on Saturday, July 20. Import Erika Staunton redeemed herself after a somewhat muted 20-point debut in the Cool Smashers’ five-set loss to PLDT, rallying with a better 26-point outing on 23 attacks and 3 blocks to go with 14 excellent receptions against the Foxies for a 1-1 record. Still without former PVL MVPs Alyssa Valdez, Tots Carlos, and Alas Pilipinas national team commit Jema Galanza, Creamline’s local cast found its leader in veteran hitter Michele Gumabao, who supported Staunton with 21 points on 19 attacks, 1 block, and 1 ace. Reigning All-Filipino Best Setter Kyle Negrito commanded the offense with 20 excellent sets as Bernadeth Pons recorded an all-around line of 9 points, 19 excellent receptions, and 12 excellent digs. Import Yeny Murillo paced Farm Fresh’s second straight loss with a game-high-tying 26 points, as local opposite hitters Caitlin Viray and Trisha Tubu each supplied 12 points. Meanwhile, the Chery Tiggo Crossovers rolled to an easier decision, cruising over the Nxled Chameleons, 25-16, 25-20, 25-23, for a 2-0 start to the conference. Import Khat Bell led all scorers with a 21-point eruption in just three sets, while veteran Ara Galang, donning a Slam Dunk-inspired Hanamichi Sakuragi red hairdo, scrapped her way to an 11-point finish built on 7 attacks and 4 blocks to go with 11 excellent digs. Wingers Lycha Ebon and Jho Maraguinot paced Nxled’s slide down a 1-1 slate with 8 and 7 points, respectively. Lastly, the PLDT High Speed Hitters rolled to the triple-header’s most lopsided affair as they pummeled the Galeries Tower Highrisers, 25-19, 25-16, 25-17, to rise alongside Chery Tiggo with identical 2-0 cards atop Pool A play. Super scorer Lena Samoilenko posted a game-high 14 points on 11 attacks and 3 blocks. Fiola Ceballos scored 10, while Kath Arado led the defensive end with 16 excellent digs and 9 excellent receptions. France Ronquillo paced Galeries’ second straight loss with 11 points. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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[HOMESTRETCH] Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski: What the Paris Olympics means to Filipinos

Jaira Roxas

20/07/2024 20:00

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines commemorates 100 years of participating in the Olympic Games – since 1924 – when David Nepomuceno, a sprinter from Albay, became the first Filipino to qualify and compete. In the Paris edition of the 2024 Games, 22 Filipino athletes vie for records, rankings, and medals. In the pilot episode of HOMESTRETCH, anchor Pató Gregorio talks to International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board member and Asian Games 2002 gold medalist Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski. Mikee shares her insights into the Philippine delegation in Paris and looks back on her competition in Busan. Gregorio also talks to Philippine athletes competing in Paris as they prepare for their individual events. From Germany, boxers Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, Hergie Bacyadan, and Aira Villegas talk to HOMESTRETCH about the long journey to the Olympics. From Paris, rower Joanie Delgaco recalls her father’s reaction to the news that she made it to the Summer Games, while pole vaulter EJ Obiena talks about the high of competition, and even his love life, from Italy. HOMESTRETCH aims to tell the stories of people that inspire us with their struggles and triumphs, and the places that help define our spirit as a nation. Co-presented by Rappler and Duckworld, HOMESTRETCH is hosted by sportsman and tourism advocate Pató Gregorio. He is currently the president of the Philippine Rowing Association (PRA), a former chairperson of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), and 2003 The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) awardee for tourism. Watch the premiere on Saturday, July 20, at 8 pm on Rappler’s YouTube and Facebook accounts. – Rappler.com How does this make you feel?

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Who is Krishnah Marie Gravidez, Miss World Philippines 2024?

Ysa Abad

20/07/2024 15:38

WINNER. Baguio's Krishnah Marie Gravidez is Miss World Philippines 2024. Miss World Philippines' Facebook MANILA, Philippines – Krishnah Marie Gravidez bested 32 other candidates to take home the title of Miss World Philippines 2024 during the coronation night held at the Mall of Asia Arena, on Friday, July 19. The 23-year-old stunner from Baguio, succeeded Miss World Philippines 2022 Gwendolyne Fourniol to clinch her second crown from a national pageant. Describing her family situation as “far from ideal,” Krishnah said in her Miss World Philippines introduction video that she had to “step up out of necessity” as the eldest child in her family. The beauty queen revealed in a May 2019 Wowowin episode that her parents had been separated for 10 years and that she and her siblings had been living with their grandmother, their “mamalo.” In an Instagram post, she penned an appreciation post for her, saying her grandmother had dedicated her life to taking care of her and her cousins. “If I were to be asked who’s one of my biggest inspirations, without a doubt, it would be her. She’s the loveliest, most caring, and thoughtful person I know,” she said. “The thought of 11 years of her life that were given mainly to us without asking anything in return is unimaginable.” Despite their unusual set-up, Krishnah remained family-oriented. In an Instagram post, she recalled that her family had been supportive of her dream of becoming a beauty queen ever since she was six years old. “As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to realize that it’s all about the sacrifices of our parents, on how selfless they will be for us. How far they will go just to make our dreams happen,” she said. “I am so grateful that I have had the support of my parents, my relatives, and friends from years ago until now. They hold a piece of my dream, and I will forever cherish them.” Pageantry, Krishnah said, also played a big role in her financial situation, saying that she used her prize money in beauty pageants to pay for her tuition fee. She’s currently studying civil engineering — her dream course. Aside from joining competitions, Krishnah also started selling lip tints and ukay-ukay (pre-loved) clothes for extra allowance, and even worked in a fast-food chain. Now, the university student is also working as a model, content creator, and ad specialist. “I’ve been self-sufficient since I was 14. That shows that I’m a hard working and resilient woman. That’s why I want to impart to the youth that they are capable of greater things if they work hard for it,” she said in her personality interview for the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 pageant. She again echoed the same sentiment in her Miss World Philippines video, saying: “Although poverty seemingly limited my options, it did not limit my dreams. It opened the window to a world full of possibilities and kindness.” Her experience, she added, drove her to start an initiative called “Color the world with Kindness” to support youth welfare. Outside of pageantry, Krishnah continues to explore her musical passion and take care of her eight furbabies. “If you’ll ask me what’s my breather, it’s simply dogs,” she said in the Her Story video. “They hold a special place in my heart as they’ve seen me in my most vulnerable point.” Krishnah first made her presence known in a major pageant through the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 competition. However, in an August 2022 Instagram post, the Baguio native said that she almost gave up pageantry. “Three years ago, I let my doubts invade me, to the extent of making the decision to give up all the ambitions I have for pageantry,” she said. But Krishnah shared that she decided to continue as she’s been called for a “certain purpose.” While the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 competition was Krishnah’s first foray in a major local pageant, her stellar performance landed her a Top 5 finish. She was eventually named Miss Charm Philippines 2023. Although many pageant fans were looking forward to seeing Krishnah represent the Philippines on the international stage, she surprised her supporters in June 2024 when she announced that she was relinquishing her spot for the Miss Charm International competition. At the time of her announcement, Krishnah didn’t disclose any reason for her withdrawal. Days later, it was revealed that she was a candidate for the Miss World Philippines 2024 pageant. Krishnah was one of the early frontrunners from the start of the competition. She was among the delegates who topped several fast-track events, eventually winning the Miss Multimedia and Top Model fast-track competitions during the coronation night. At the finals ceremony, Krishnah continued to dominate the competition and earned the title of this year’s “hakot” (haul) queen after sweeping nine special awards apart from the crown. Her pageant performance earned her the recognition of Miss Photogenic, Best in Swimsuit and Evening Gown, as well as five more awards from sponsors. During the question and answer segment, Krishnah was asked: “Should inclusivity be a top priority among pageants? Yes or no? Explain your answer.” Her winning answer: “Pageantry is a platform where we express ourselves as women and men. I feel like this is a platform to promote our advocacies, the cause we are fighting for, and the things that we love. I think that in a world [that’s] evolving, we as humans, we should evolve too.” Krishnah will be representing the Philippines in the Miss World 2024 pageant, in hopes of clinching the country’s second Miss World crown. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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[Two Pronged] I still love my husband, but I’m having an affair with my ex-boyfriend

Ysa Abad

20/07/2024 19:00

Rappler’s Life and Style section runs an advice column by couple Jeremy Baer and clinical psychologist Dr. Margarita Holmes. Jeremy has a master’s degree in law from Oxford University. A banker of 37 years who worked in three continents, he has been training with Dr. Holmes for the last 10 years as co-lecturer and, occasionally, as co-therapist, especially with clients whose financial concerns intrude into their daily lives. Together, they have written two books: Love Triangles: Understanding the Macho-Mistress Mentality and Imported Love: Filipino-Foreign Liaisons. Dear Dr. Holmes and Mr. Baer: Last year, I met again my first love and first boyfriend, which started when I was in my 2nd year of high school. Now I’m 42 and married with four kids. We’re starting a very complicated relationship. We still love each other. He’s married, and his wife works as a manager in Singapore. What should I do? I still love my hubby, but why have I fallen in love once again with my ex-boyfriend? Please enlighten me. Thanks. Rita Dear Rita, Thank you for your message. Just as it is not a given that each of us will be fortunate enough to meet a soulmate, so it is often the case that we may fall in love with more than one person in our lives. This is potentially problematic of course if one or both parties are already married at the time. Faced with this dilemma, we have to juggle the competing interests of spouses, children, and ourselves, always within the context of cultural, societal, and religious influences. Why have you fallen in love again? Nobody can answer this better than you, Rita, but here are some starting points. Why did you and your ex-bf (let’s call him José) break up in the first place? What are the comparative attractions and deficiencies of your husband and José? Has your marriage become merely routine and thus “a very complicated relationship” adds a touch of spice and the thrill of the taboo to your life? How will you handle the fallout if your husband and/or José’s wife find out about your affair? What about your children? You ask what you should do. However, it appears that you have already decided what to do. Upon meeting José anew, you embarked on an affair despite its inevitable complications and seemingly without much hesitation. In the final analysis, you can take control of the outcome — leave your husband or José — or allow fate to dictate your future if and when the affair comes to light. Best of luck, JAF Baer Dear Rita: Thank you very much for your letter. Thank you too, Mr. Baer, for answering both of Rita’s questions. The first was: “What should I do?” to which you responded, in no uncertain terms, that the question is moot, because Rita has already done something — embark on a relationship with her ex-boyfriend. I agree that, after deciding on one course of action, Rita can still decide to continue or to stop, and maybe this column might help her clarify her needs vis a vis her wants even more. I feel Mr. Baer has also answered your second question: “Why have I fallen in love once again with my ex-boyfriend?” Thus, I hope you won’t mind if we explore the possible reasons you may have phrased the question the way you did. You see, phrasing your question in terms of love encourages us to answer focusing on love alone, thus encouraging your belief that the reason you have done what you did is simply because of love. An alternative way to phrase it could be: “Why was I so open to having a relationship with my ex-boyfriend, despite still loving my hubby?” It’s quite likely you would get different answers depending on how you phrased the question. The way you originally asked it increases the likelihood that answers would not necessarily discourage you from continuing the affair because it is focused simply on him and you. If you had asked the alternative question, you may have gotten a more realistic answer because it would include your life as it really is: a married woman with four children. Your way of asking is what is called a complex question; or, in Latin, plurium interrogationum (“ of many questions”). Why? Because your question involves a complex presupposition, presumed to be acceptable to the respondents (in this case, Mr. Baer and myself). For example, if one directly answered the original question, “Do you still beat your wife?,” it would mean the one who answered did, in fact, beat his wife, whether he answered yes or no to the original question. Your question, “Why have I fallen in love, once again, with my ex boyfriend,” presumes that you have fallen in love, instead of other possibilities like: “fallen in lust”, and/or “allowed myself to be seduced” etc. Your involving yourself in a complicated relationship could also be a fun, relatively romantic, way to wreak vengeance on your wayward husband (presuming he was wayward to begin with). Your asking, “Why have I fallen in love…”, instead of “Why have I done what I did?,” makes it a complex question because it immediately presumes that you actually did fall in love with your ex, rather than embarking on this relationship not because of love, but for other reasons (like those stated above). We Filipinos like to describe ourselves as a romantic people. What can be more romantic than falling in love with an ex? What can be less blameworthy than embarking on a relationship because of (a pure, more innocent, perhaps non-consummated since you were only a high school sophomore then) love? NOT an affair, mind you, but a relationship, complicated though it is, with someone you thought you (merely) once loved but, to your surprise, actually still love!! Your question inspires advice columnists to wax poetic: (You have fallen in love once again) “because first love never dies” or “because he is your soul mate” or “because his very being resonates with yours” or some other equally romantic but so hard-to-prove reason. Oh, Rita, if you only knew how many men and women have been seduced by the above rationalizations. The even more painful thing is, sometimes these reasons are true! What should you do? I honestly don’t know. All I hope is that you feel as strongly for him as he does for you, and that as you let your feelings soar to the skies, you also allow reason, generosity, and kindness (to yourself as well as to your husband, kids, and even to his wife abroad) to keep you grounded. All the best, MG Holmes – Rappler.com Please send any comments, questions, or requests for advice to twopronged@rappler.com. Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Poet, translator Marne Kilates dies at 71

Ysa Abad

20/07/2024 19:12

REST IN PEACE. Filipino poet Marne Kilates died. Marne Kilates' Facebook MANILA, Philippines – Multi-awarded Filipino poet and translator Marne Kilates passed away on Saturday, July 20. He was 71. The Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas, the largest organization of Filipino writers in the country, made a post on Kilates death on its Facebook page. He was a member of the UMPIL board of directors. National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario was among those who paid tribute to his fellow poet. “Ang ating kaibigan at dakilang makata at tagasalin, MARNE KILATES, dakilang anak ng Bikol, ay pumanaw ngayong hapon, Hulyo 20. Nawalan ang ating bayan ng isang malikhain at makabayang tinig sa panitikan. Hinihiling ko ang panalangin ng pakikiramay sa pamilya,” Almario wrote in a Facebook post, adding details on how the public can send financial donations to the bereaved family. (Our friend, a great poet and translator, MARNE KILATES, outstanding son of Bicol, passed away this afternoon, July 20. Our country has lost a creative and patriotic literary voice. I ask for your prayers and condolences for his family.) In a separate Facebook post on Sunday, July 21, Almario also shared a poem he wrote for Marne. Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda mourned the passing of Kilates, describing the poet as a “guiding light to Albay in our ethnographic efforts.” Kilates was born in Daraga, Albay, Kilates has six books of poetry: Children of the Snarl (Aklat Peskador, 1987), Poems en Route (UST Publishing, 1998), Mostly in Monsoon Weather (UP Press, 2007), Pictures and Poems and other (Re)visions (UST Publishing, 2012), Time’s Enchantment & Other Reflections (Ateneo de Naga University Press, 2014), and Lyrical Objects: New and Selected Poems (UST Publishing House, 2015). He translated the works of fellow Filipino poets Virgilio Almario, the late National Artist Bienvenido L. Lumbera, Rogelio Mangahas, and Fidel Rillo, among others. Kilates won the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature and the Manila Critics Circle’s National Book Award for Poetry for his works. His other recognitions include the Southeast Asian Writers Award, Poet of the Year at the Nick Joaquin Literary Awards, Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas from Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas, and the Bulawanan na Bikolnon Award from the Ateneo de Naga University. Kilates received the Most Outstanding Albayano for Literary Arts award in 2014. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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US dining chain Dave & Buster’s to open first PH branch in OPUS Mall

Steph Arnaldo

20/07/2024 18:08

Dave and Buster's Instagram MANILA, Philippines – The Bistro Group is bringing Dave & Buster’s, the famous entertainment and dining chain from the US, to the Philippines! Hailing from Coppell, Texas, Dave & Buster’s is an arcade, drinks, and food destination, all-in-one. The brand is opening its first Metro Manila branch at the new OPUS Mall in Bridgetowne, Quezon City in 2025, set to take up a large area of the luxury mall’s third floor. Dave & Buster’s was founded in 1982 and has over 165 locations across the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Its first foray into the Philippines is part of its global expansion strategy. “We were impressed by Dave & Buster’s holistic offering in the hospitality industry where guests can eat, drink, play, and watch sports all in one location. It’s a pioneering concept for the Philippines,” Jean Paul Manuud, president of The Bistro Group, said in a statement. “It’s a place for everyone — parents can eat while their kids play games, young adults can dine, drink, and enjoy interactive games, and others can watch sports by the bar,” Manuud said. In the US, its attractions include bowling, laser tag, arcade games, and virtual reality. For its Philippine outpost, Antonio Bautista, chief international development officer at Dave & Buster’s, said they will tailor the menu for the local market with exclusive Filipino dishes. They will also host local entertainment, private events, and late-night programs. While typical store sizes in the US range from 2,500 to 5,000 square meters, the Philippine store will look into a minimum space of 1,500 square meters, depending on the location. Dave & Buster will be one of the latest additions to The Bistro Group, a homegrown restaurant arm behind other international franchises like Denny’s, Italianni’s, TGIFridays, Randy’s Donuts, Hard Rock Cafe, and more. – Steph Arnaldo/Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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‘Hardest goodbye’: 3 young professionals on coping with grief, loss of parents

Steph Arnaldo

20/07/2024 19:24

MANILA, Philippines – “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” – Philippians 1:21. I first encountered this verse on my brother’s epitaph when I visited his final resting place as a child. Walking through the cemetery, I noticed this verse on many headstones, a testament to its deep resonance with those mourning their loved ones. My brother passed away when he was just 5 years old, after a brave battle with acute myelogenous leukemia, a form of blood and bone marrow cancer. In the 1990s, medical technology was not as advanced as today. Although I was born five years after his death, his story deeply touched me. Because of that, I dreamed of becoming a pediatric oncologist, inspired by the memory of my brother. Losing a loved one is a deeply personal and often isolating experience. The pain can be overwhelming, and each individual’s healing journey is unique. Grief can create a profound sense of loneliness, making it difficult to connect with others who haven’t experienced a similar loss. The world seems to move on, while your life feels like it has reached a standstill. This harsh reality means that even in the depths of mourning, we must find the strength to carry on, mask our pain, and navigate the complexities of daily existence. It’s not easy, and many struggle to cope. How can we try to move forward, amid life’s daily tasks and struggles? Rappler reached out to registered psychologist Shiela Manjares-Bulus to help answer three young professionals’ greatest questions on grief. Manjares-Bulus provides insights into the process of mourning, offering real-life advice to cope with loss. Together with the stories of these three young adults, we will find that the difficult path of grief can be navigated, through strength and comfort in shared experiences. Civil lawyer Jaybesar Tante, 27, is known for offering pro bono services to indigent clients. His background in psychology has significantly aided him in coping with personal loss and understanding the complexities of human behavior in his legal practice. However, Tante’s path to success was marked by profound tragedy. When he was 16, he lost his father unexpectedly. That fateful day began like any other: After a long day of Bible study, his father cooked dinner for the family and even agreed to let Tante go to Enchanted Kingdom with his friends the next day. Tante was excited about the trip, but life took a devastating turn when he woke up to his father’s unusual snoring. The family rushed him to the hospital, only to face the heartbreaking news that his father was dead on arrival. “I was so mad at the doctors that I told my friends anyone brought to that hospital would die, even if they had a 100% chance of surviving,” Tante recalled, still feeling the deep hurt and devastation when the doctors failed to revive his father. Manjares-Bulus, reflecting on such losses. “Typically, people initially experience shock or denial, but as the reality sinks in, feelings of guilt, regret, sadness, and helplessness can overwhelm.” After his father’s sudden passing, Tante was plagued with worries about the future. “How will we survive college?” he questioned. “Should I quit college and work? Who would hire a 16-year-old skinny boy only in his second year of college? What should I do to ease everything for Mom?” Amidst these doubts, Tante discovered a source of strength. He realized that despite his  worries, “God’s grace is sufficient.” Navigating the challenges of adulthood and grief, Tante found solace in the company of good friends. “Finding good company, truly good company, can help you through the rough patches of life,” he shared. “They may not be able to help financially, but spending time with them offers a much-needed breather and emotional support.” Support systems are crucial in helping individuals feel that they still belong and have someone to lean on. “We must validate their feelings and avoid pressuring them to ‘move on.’ Grieving timelines differ for everyone,” Manjares-Bulus said. Tante emphasized the importance of balance as he reflected on his journey through grief. Tante discovered a vital lesson that there are things beyond his control and those that should not control him; this newfound perspective became a cornerstone of his approach to life and coping with loss. “God helped me see what to celebrate in life, even amidst the loss in our family.” In his grief, Tante shared a poignant insight that losing a parent is a part of life. Moving on is not an option because our parents will always be a part of our lives. This perspective underscores parents’ enduring presence and influence, even after they are gone. He also said that when losing someone, “acceptance is always the first step” — the pivotal role of acknowledging one’s emotions and seeking support as essential components of the healing process after experiencing a significant loss. This sudden loss profoundly impacted Tante and shaped him into the compassionate and determined lawyer he is today. His journey through grief and resilience has fueled his commitment to justice and service in the legal field. “Maaasahan kang lagi, maging hanggang wakas nitong buhay.” (You can always be counted upon, even till the end of this life.) This was a line in the last song of Psalm Dominic Gregorio’s father before the latter’s death in August 2023. In an intimate reflection on loss and resilience, the 24-year-old Gregorio shared the profound impact of losing his father amidst the highs and challenges of his budding career. Joy and sorrow marked Gregorio’s journey. “The week I learned I would graduate with Latin honors, ranking second in my batch, was also the week we received confirmation of my father’s esophageal cancer diagnosis,” he said. Navigating the demands of preparing for board exams while working proved daunting. “With my first salary, I treated myself to fast food. As I sat alone, surrounded by happy families, the contrast hit me — my mom and dad were in the hospital,” he recalled. He had an emotional exchange with his father on the eve of his board exam. “Before leaving for the board exam, my father needed oxygen. I placed it on him and asked, ‘Daddy, papasa ako, ‘no (I’ll pass, right)?’ With great effort, he replied, ‘Oo naman (Of course).’ That goodbye was the hardest,” he said. Gregorio’s father died just days before the release of the results of the Psychometrician Licensure Exam. “God allowed my father’s words, ‘Oo naman (Of course),’ to come true,” he said, finding solace in aligning his personal milestones with his father’s hopes. Gregorio needed to step forward for his family, especially for his younger sister, Mariah, and navigate his family toward healing and acceptance. Manjares-Bulus said: “The loss of a parent means the loss of guidance, security, and protection, especially in our Filipino setting.” This often leads to family members assuming new roles, which brings new challenges while they are still grieving. Gregorio found solace in coping mechanisms, including connecting with others and keeping the faith. “My work as a guidance advocate gives me purpose through pain,” he shared. “Discovering my father’s Bible with annotations on [the book of] Job and learning about his last song have brought me comfort and strength.” His father’s memory motivated Gregorio to excel in his career and in his pursuit of a master’s degree in guidance and counseling. He said his further studies is “driven by the promise I made to my father to complete my education.” For those who had lost a parent, Gregorio said: “Balance your responsibilities with family time. Don’t use work or studies to avoid grieving. Seek a support system and cherish those around you. And if grief becomes overwhelming, seek help.” Manjares-Bulus said therapy can significantly aid in processing grief. “As trained professionals, we use evidence-based techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and acceptance commitment therapy to help individuals navigate their grief. Our goal is to guide them towards independence post-therapy.” She added: “While achieving milestones without our parents is heartbreaking, we must cherish their memory and the loved ones still with us. Take time to grieve, embrace your feelings, and remain hopeful for tomorrow. One day, understanding will come, and we will feel their warm embrace again.” Chrusita Maning, a 27-year-old corporate manager, recounted her late father’s courageous three-year battle with Stage 4B adenocarcinoma, a form of lung cancer linked to his work environment. The diagnosis came amid a global pandemic. “We were affected and shocked at that time since this is the first time we encountered cancer in our immediate family,” she shared. Maning recalled that during her father’s wake, she “found it hard to cry amidst the bustling activities and constant stream of visitors.” The weight of her loss became palpable in quieter moments, as she sought comfort in memories captured in photographs and her father’s cherished belongings like his jackets. As a client manager with a busy schedule, going through the grieving process while meeting the demands of adult life was a “constant struggle,” she said. “To create space for grieving amidst daily work pressures and the absence of my father’s daily presence is hard.” Manjares-Bulus stressed the importance of going on a bereavement leave. “Gradually returning to work allows individuals to desensitize and resume responsibilities without compromising their mental health.” Central to Maning’s coping mechanisms was embracing her emotions rather than suppressing them. “My sister’s reminder is to allow ourselves to cry,” she said. Sharing her feelings with loved ones and drawing strength from her faith played crucial roles in her journey. “Knowing my father’s faith sustains me, I find comfort in the belief that he rests in a better place.” Manjares-Bulus debunked several myths about grief, including the notion that strong people don’t grieve or that time alone heals all wounds. “Grieving is a natural response, and seeking help is okay. Time can soften grief, but active coping is essential.” “We experienced the outpouring of love and learned to trust God’s plan,” Maning shared. Her advice to others facing a similar loss? “Everyone grieves differently; it’s okay to seek help and lean on faith during these times.” “You’re not alone,” she said. “Grieving isn’t about rushing through the pain but acknowledging the depth of your loss while gradually finding ways to navigate life without them. It’s a process that reveals each person’s uniqueness and usually helps us grow and mature.” From the anguish of sudden goodbyes to finding solace in cherished memories, all their stories are testaments to the enduring impact of love and loss. Their journeys remind us that with the right support mechanism, grief can pave the path toward healing and resilience.  – Kila Orozco/ Rappler.com Kila Orozco is a Rappler intern. Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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[HOMESTRETCH] Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski: What the Paris Olympics means to Filipinos

Jaira Roxas

20/07/2024 20:00

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines commemorates 100 years of participating in the Olympic Games – since 1924 – when David Nepomuceno, a sprinter from Albay, became the first Filipino to qualify and compete. In the Paris edition of the 2024 Games, 22 Filipino athletes vie for records, rankings, and medals. In the pilot episode of HOMESTRETCH, anchor Pató Gregorio talks to International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board member and Asian Games 2002 gold medalist Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski. Mikee shares her insights into the Philippine delegation in Paris and looks back on her competition in Busan. Gregorio also talks to Philippine athletes competing in Paris as they prepare for their individual events. From Germany, boxers Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, Hergie Bacyadan, and Aira Villegas talk to HOMESTRETCH about the long journey to the Olympics. From Paris, rower Joanie Delgaco recalls her father’s reaction to the news that she made it to the Summer Games, while pole vaulter EJ Obiena talks about the high of competition, and even his love life, from Italy. HOMESTRETCH aims to tell the stories of people that inspire us with their struggles and triumphs, and the places that help define our spirit as a nation. Co-presented by Rappler and Duckworld, HOMESTRETCH is hosted by sportsman and tourism advocate Pató Gregorio. He is currently the president of the Philippine Rowing Association (PRA), a former chairperson of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), and 2003 The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) awardee for tourism. Watch the premiere on Saturday, July 20, at 8 pm on Rappler’s YouTube and Facebook accounts. – Rappler.com How does this make you feel?

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Back on top: Strong Group completes 8-0 sweep to reclaim Jones Cup title for Philippines

delfin.dioquino editor

21/07/2024 23:53

TEAM. Kiefer Ravena (15) in action for Strong Group-Pilipinas in the 2024 William Jones Cup. Strong Group Athletics Facebook page MANILA, Philippines – The William Jones Cup title is back at the hands of the Filipinos. After a disappointing seventh-place finish by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, the country’s representative last year, Strong Group-Pilipinas reclaimed the Jones Cup crown for the Philippines with a thrilling 83-79 overtime win over Chinese Taipei-Blue in their virtual gold-medal showdown on Sunday, July 21, at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in Taiwan. The Philippines last ruled the tournament back in 2019, under the Mighty Sports team, which was also coached by Strong Group tactician Charles Tiu. After missing Strong Group’s past two games due to food poisoning, American import Tajuan Agee carried the Philippines on his shoulders as he produced a game-high 21 points on a perfect 9-of-9 clip from the foul line, to go with 9 rebounds. Filipino-American guard DJ Fenner backstopped the 6-foot-9 Agee with 15 points and 9 rebounds, while Barangay Ginebra rookie RJ Abarrientos stepped up big with 14 markers on 4-of-8 shooting from deep, as Strong Group’s super import Chris McCullough struggled mightily the whole contest. For the first time in eight outings, McCullough did not lead the Philippines in scoring as he finished with a tournament-low 12 points on a lowly 4-of-16 field goal clip. Still, McCullough delivered when it mattered most as his lone basket in overtime prior to fouling out gave Strong Group a crucial 80-78 lead with 2:43 left in the game – which the Filipinos kept the rest of the way. With the erstwhile unbeaten Chinese Taipei-Blue threatening to pull away with a 71-64 advantage with just 1:08 to play in the final frame, Strong Group fought back and went on a huge 9-0 run, capped by a Kiefer Ravena triple, for a 73-71 lead with only 13.2 seconds remaining. However, Chinese Taipei-Blue’s naturalized player Brandon Gilbeck managed to tie the game in the next play with a putback layup off a blocked shot by Rhenz Abando. Strong Group had one final chance to win it all in regulation, but Ravena’s potential game-winning midrange jumper failed to hit the mark as time expired. In overtime, Chinese Taipei-Blue had an opportunity to tie the game once again at 80-all with 14.4 seconds left, but Jianhao Ma could only connect on one of his two free throws. Jordan Heading and Fenner then sealed the win for Strong Group with three straight charities as they completed the dominant 8-0 sweep of the single round-robin tournament. Ravena contributed 9 points on 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc, while Abando and Heading chipped in 6 and 4 markers, respectively. On the other side, Robert Hinton topscored for Chinese Taipei-Blue with 16 points, while Ying-Chun Chen added 13. Philippines 83 – Agee 21, Fenner 15, Abarrientos 14, McCullough 12, Ravena 9, Abando 6, Heading 4, Kouame 2, Tiongson 0. Chinese Taipei-Blue 79 – Hinton R. 16, Chen 13, Gilbeck 11, Xiangjun 10, Liu 8, Hinton A. 8, Ma 6, Su 5, Gao 2, Han 0. Quarters: 16-12, 41-34, 55-50, 73-73 (reg.), 83-79 (OT). – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Traffic advisory: Alternative routes in QC for Marcos’ SONA 2024

Angelo Gonzales

21/07/2024 23:15

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority begins its full implementation of the exclusive motorcycle lane, after a few weeks of dry run, traffic personnel begin to apprehend violators along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on March 27, 2023. Jire Carreon/Rappler MANILA, Philippines – The Quezon City government’s Facebook page on Sunday, July 21, announced the alternative routes for motorists in light of road closures along Commonwealth Avenue for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address 2024 on Monday, July 22. The advisory includes alternate routes for those coming from Fairview to the QC Circle and vice versa: Meanwhile, these are the routes for those coming from C-5 and vice versa: Rerouting plans for SONA 2024 have also been published: “Pinapayuhan ang mga motorista na dumaan sa mga sumusunod na alternatibong ruta dahil sa inaasahang mabigat na daloy ng trapiko sa Commonwealth Avenue at sa paligid ng Batasang Pambansa Complex,” the QC government said. (Motorists are advised to follow alternative routes due to expected heavy traffic on Commonwealth Avenue and around the Batasang Pambansa Complex.) – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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#WalangPasok: QC classes suspended for SONA 2024

Angelo Gonzales

21/07/2024 23:09

MANILA, Philippines – Classes at all levels in private schools in Quezon City are suspended on Monday, July 22, to give residents the opportunity to tune in to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA). The class suspension will also spare residents from being caught in heavy traffic. Various activist groups will be marching and holding protests in areas near Batasang Pambansa in time for the President’s speech. Classes in public schools have yet to start, but the city government said Brigada Eskuwela activities — the cleaning and sprucing up activities to prepare for the school opening on July 29 — will stop on SONA Day. The city government announced it on its official Facebook page, Saturday, July 20. The document for the order can be found here. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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HIGHLIGHTS: Philippines vs Chinese Taipei-Blue – Jones Cup 2024

jisaga0269

21/07/2024 18:45

Strong Group Athletics/Rappler MANILA, Philippines – Strong Group-Pilipinas reclaimed the William Jones Cup crown for the Philippines after a thrilling 83-79 overtime win over Chinese Taipei-Blue in the virtual championship match on Sunday, July 21. American import Tajuan Agee proved to be a stabilizer, while locals Kiefer Ravena and RJ Abarrientos delivered timely hits as Strong Group won the Philippines its seventh Jones Cup title by going unbeaten in eight games. Steady at the line, Agee finished with 21 points on a perfect 9-of-9 free throw clip to go with 9 rebounds, while Abarrientos and Ravena chipped in 14 and 9 points, respectively, on a combined 7-of-14 from beyond the arc. Chris McCullough struggled with 12 points on a paltry 4-of-16 shooting and fouled out in the extra period, but his basket off a goaltending gave Strong Group an 80-78 edge – a lead big enough to fend off the Taiwanese. DJ Fenner added 15 points and 9 rebounds for Strong Group, which became the first team from the Philippines to rule the Jones Cup since Mighty Sports won in 2019. All hope seemed lost for Strong Group in regulation after the hosts grabbed a 71-64 lead before the visitors unloaded a 9-0 run capped by a clutch Ravena three-pointer to seize the upper hand at 73-71. But Chinese Taipei-Blue knotted the score at 73-73 after a Gil Baker putback and eventually forced overtime after Ravena missed his potential game-winning jumper. Chinese Taipei-Blue absorbed its first loss and finished with a 7-1 record. Strong Group-Pilipinas goes for gold in its highly productive 2024 William Jones Cup campaign as it stakes its undefeated 7-0 record against fellow top squad Chinese Taipei-Blue in Taiwan on Sunday, July 21. Already beyond avenging Rain or Shine-Philippines’ lackluster run last year, the undermanned yet talented Strong Group looks for a perfect finish this time around as the likes of super import Chris McCullough and all-around guards Jordan Heading and RJ Abarrientos continue to fire on all cylinders. Even without naturalized Filipino Ange Kouame, Fil-Am veteran Caelan Tiongson, defense-first import Tajuan Agee, and Gilas Pilipinas high-flyer Rhenz Abando in the active roster, the Charles Tiu-coached squad proved it has more than enough firepower after last blasting Chinese Taipei-White, 96-70. McCullough lived at the line for 25 points on 10-of-13 free throws, while backcourt partners Kiefer Ravena and Abarrientos scored 14 and 13, respectively, to help keep Strong Group undefeated in the weeklong tournament with a brutal daily schedule, where the team with the best record at the end of the single round-robin bags the title. Expect the same core to keep up its stellar play as the prime Chinese Taipei team comes knocking on Sunday evening, carrying its own unbeaten slate. But Tiu said Abando and Kouame will play through their injuries, while Agee will be a game-time decision as the American import was discharged from the hospital on Saturday after suffering from food poisoning. “Rhenz’s hand is still swollen and the same goes for Ange’s knee, but they will play through it since this is an all-or-nothing game,” said Tiu. “They know how important this game is for the country.” Tiu added: “We will be watching Agee’s minutes closely since he has been very dehydrated because of the gastro issues he suffered. His health is important, but his presence on the court is also crucial for us.” Strong Group aims to keep its 43rd Jones Cup run spotless until the very end, while home team Chinese Taipei-Blue looks to ruin the visitors’ party with a last-minute golden heist. Tip off is at 7 pm. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Northern Mindanao voices: Urgent reforms, focus needed as Marcos enters 3rd year

Herbie G

01/07/2024 8:49

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 CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – As President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. enters his third year in office, Northern Mindanao’s public transport groups, labor advocates, LGBTQIA+ leaders, and anti-drug campaigners demanded focus and urgent action on reforms and unfulfilled promises that continue to impede their sectors. They said they were still hopeful that Marcos would listen to their pleas before completing his six-year presidential term to improve the lives of Filipinos. A local public transportation group in Cagayan de Oro, for instance, said it remains hopeful the Marcos administration would soften and consider their appeal to do away with the franchise consolidation component under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program. Since the franchise consolidation deadline two months ago, fewer public jeepneys are operating in Cagayan de Oro, displacing many drivers who relied on them for their livelihood. In one community in Opol town, Misamis Oriental, for example, the number of jeepneys serving residents dropped from over a dozen to just two in May. The consolidation has also increased costs for commuters. Previously, jeepneys took them directly to downtown Cagayan de Oro. Now, with fewer jeepneys and drivers finding other jobs, commuters must take motorcycle taxis to the highway, three kilometers away, to catch rides to Cagayan de Oro. Joel Gabatan, chairperson of the United Drivers Association (UNIDA), stressed that they were into modernizing their jeepneys for the betterment of the riding public, but he said it was disheartening for individual jeepney operators to surrender their hard-earned franchises. “Pila ka tuig among antos anang franchise sige bayad kada tuig, renewal pero pag-abot sa modernization, ibalhin lang sa coop. Wala nami gahom,” Gabatan told Rappler in an interview, emphasizing that all they want is for government to get rid of the franchise consolidation policy. (We have been working for so many years for our franchises, paying every year for renewal, but when the modernization program came, it all went to the cooperatives. We no longer have the power.) The deadline for franchise consolidation was April 30, and there was no extension provided. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) had said that franchises for individual PUV operators who failed to consolidate had to be revoked, preventing them from operating their routes. Meanwhile, a Cagayan de Oro-based labor leader said there were no major changes in the labor sector from past administrations until the leadership of Marcos Jr. Lawyer Proculo Sarmen, the legal counsel of the Federation of Freedom Workers, told Rappler that the workers are having difficulty exercising their basic rights because of “labor-only contracting,” which he said is the same practice that former president Rodrigo Duterte promised to remove but failed to fulfill. Sarmen said the government needs to strengthen policies to uphold the right of workers to self-organization, the right to collective bargaining and negotiation, and the right to stage strikes. “Mao kana ang pagkaluluoy nga kahimtang sa mga trabahante,” he said. (That’s the pitiful condition of the workers because without those rights, [the workers] are at the mercy of the businessmen and oligarchs),” he said. He said Marcos should have a labor secretary who would remove  “anti-labor union department orders.” For a local LGBTQIA+ group, the Marcos administration should institutionalize national governnent-funded standard assistance programs, campaigns, and activities, to help their sector. “We have not felt these. Hopefully, in the future, this would be included in their agenda,” Barbie Lindelle, president of the LGBTQ Federation of Cagayan de Oro, told Rappler. She said there were livelihood grants and other campaigns intended for the community but these were insuffiicient. On June 25, about 20 LGBTQIA+ members received P15,000 each in cash grants during the annual Pride Reception hosted by the Office of the Vice President in partnership with LGBT Pilipinas Incorporated. Other than that, they said there has not been much help from the national governnent. The federation said it has intensified a campaign that promotes the welfare of the LGBTQIA+ sector in Cagayan de Oro with the help of the local government and other stakeholders, but not much from the national governnent. Lindelle said the campaign includes an advocacy meant to make the Marcos Jr. administration see the “true value” of a bill against gender-based discrimination. She said they were dismayed because the bill was excluded from the administration’s priority measures for passage in Congress before May 2025. The Citizens Crime Watch (CCW) in Northern Mindanao, an anti-crime and anti-corruption watchdog, also urged the administration to intensify a non-violent campaign against illegal drugs. The group said illegal drug activities have become rampant in the last two years. Kennmarc Francisco, director of CCW Northern Mindanao, differentiated the anti-illegal drug campaign of Marcos Jr. from that of his predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who implemented a more focused but bloody approach to combat the drug menace. CCW strongly criticized the extrajudicial killings that happened under the administration of Duterte. “Dili pud ta maka-ingon nga napabayaan. Wala lang gyud natutoki sa insakto; wala mafocusi ang kampanya laban sa droga,” Francisco told Rappler. (We cannot say that there is neglect. It’s just not being focused on; the campaign against drugs has not been given enough focus.) But Brigadier General Ricardo Layug Jr., director of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Northern Mindanao, said they have been intensifying their anti-illegal drug operations in the region. He said this in a June 28 statement after police operatives confiscated P136,000 worth of alleged shabu in Barangay Igpit, Opol town, Misamis Oriental, on Thursday, June 27. “Again, we will not tolerate illegal drug activities in the region,” he said. – Rappler.com This article is part of “Marcos Year 2: External Threats, Internal Risks,” a series of analyses and in-depth stories assessing the second full year of the Marcos administration (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024). Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Obiena still optimistic of Olympic medal quest despite ‘physical problems’

delfin.dioquino editor

21/07/2024 20:37

GAZE. The Philippines' Ernest John Obiena reacts during the men's pole vault final in the 2023 World Athletics Championships. Aleksandra Szmigiel/REUTERS MANILA, Philippines – The road to the Paris Olympics has not been smooth sailing for Filipino pole vault star EJ Obiena. Obiena revealed he has been battling “physical problems” in the lead-up to the Games, but said he remains confident that he can compete at the highest level as he hopes to deliver the Philippines a prized medal. Ranked second in the world, Obiena is expected to end the Philippines’ medal drought in Olympic athletics since hurdler Miguel White won bronze in the 1936 Berlin Games. But that goal has been made more difficult as Obiena deals with training setbacks as he needs to undergo a “variety of medical procedures.” “If you had asked me a year ago, how I would envision the ‘perfect’ Olympic preparation, well it certainly wouldn’t be what has transpired! It has been what can only be termed a bumpy road this season,” Obiena wrote on his social media accounts. “Despite my best efforts at conditioning, fitness and discipline, I have been battling with various physical problems since April.” “I know and fully understand this can happen to athletes training at such intensity and no complaints…but why now? This has meant constant stops and stitching training and competition together with my team as well as we could.” “I have undergone in past months, weeks, and days a variety of medical procedures, to hopefully give myself the best shot at the Olympic Games.” Obiena started the outdoor season in May in style by striking gold in the Los Angeles Grand Prix in the United States, although the results that followed proved to be a mixed bag. He finished seventh in the Ostrava Golden Spike in Czech Republic, got back on the podium by sharing second in the Oslo Bislett Games in Norway, then wound up seventh again in the BAUHAS-galan in Sweden. After nailing a pair of golds in Poland in the Irena Szewińska Memorial, where he posted a year-best clearance of 5.97m, and in the Czeslaw Cybulski Memorial, Obiena missed the podium anew as he placed fourth in the Meeting de Paris – his final competition before the Olympics. While Obiena has faced struggles in his Olympic buildup, he continues to be optimistic about his chances as he looks to challenge defending champion and world record holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden. “Am I feeling confident with my preparation? Well, definitely not as much as I would like! Am I doing the best I can each day? Yes and most definitely yes!” said Obiena. “Not what I wanted but we’re still standing and I still have a few more days to prepare and sharpen.” “I know these things happen. All athletes at an Olympic level deal with such adversities. I know not everything is in my control. I am an optimist by nature. Can I perform at the highest level? Yes, I believe I can.” Obiena said his supporters can expect the best from him. “I am a proud Filipino and that means I am resilient and have weathered far worse situations. I promise you all I will give not 99% but all 100%,” he said. The men’s pole vault qualification is schedule on August 3 at the Stade de France. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

Why Fil-Am hurdler Lauren Hoffman made the big Philippine leap

Jasmine Payo

21/07/2024 17:57

While scrolling her time away on social media, Lauren Hoffman had a realization – she could actually represent the Philippines in international athletics events. A track star from Duke University, the Filipino-American Hoffman found out that her personal athletics records weren’t far off the Philippine marks, thus setting in motion a path that quite quickly landed her a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics. “I had followed a lot of the (Philippine) sprinters and hurdlers and pole vaulters. So, I really looked up to them for a long time,” Hoffman told Rappler in an online interview. “And my sophomore year of college, I ran somewhat close to the Philippine national record [in hurdles]. And I was like, ‘Oh, that’s exciting.’ I was thinking since I was so close to that national record as a sophomore in college, I was really excited to be a part of the team.” “I have the potential to be something great,” Hoffman added. “I’m on track to do something great. And I would love to represent the Philippines while I’m competing professionally. So that was the first moment where I was like, ‘I want to represent the Philippines,’ when I knew I was good enough to start competing internationally.” At that time, Hoffman had never been to her mom Laura’s home country. But, she grew up in Virginia learning the Filipino culture – “making mano (gesture of respect)” to her ninong (godfathers) and ninangs (godmothers), eating a lot of Pinoy food in gatherings, while belting her favorite tunes in karaoke. Most of all, what kept the Philippines close to Hoffman’s heart was the strong sense of family. After discovering her international potential, Hoffman decided to link up with Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA), then led by former Philippine Sports Commission chairman Philip Ella Juico. Hoffman first competed locally during the Philippine Athletics Championships, also known as the National Open, in Ilagan, Isabela, in February 2023, where she was able to bring along her mom and ninong. Things rolled quickly from there as she represented the country internationally in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in October 2023, ending up fifth in the meet with a time of 57.21 seconds in the women’s 400-meter hurdles. Returning to the US, she sustained her competitive streak, resetting the 400m hurdles Philippine record during the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational in Miami at 56.39, just a tad better than the previous mark of 56.44 by Robyn Brown. In April 2024, Hoffman then blew away the 15-year-old Philippine record of 13.65 seconds set by Sheena Atilano in the women’s 100m hurdles  by tallying 13.41 at the Duke International in Durham, North Carolina. But less than a month later, while competing in her second Philippine meet, Hoffman shattered the record anew at 13.34 seconds during the National Open at the PhilSports track in Pasig, where she was cheered on by relatives from Navotas and Antipolo. Hoffman’s sporting milestones didn’t stop there, just over a year since donning the Philippine colors. By July 2024, the 25-year-old Hoffman made history again by qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, earning just enough points in the world rankings to reach the cutoff mark in the women’s 400m hurdles. “I am one of the only 400 [female] hurdlers to, like ever… make it to the Olympics,” she said. “I think I’m only the second ever [from the Philippines]. So I feel there’s like a lot of history to be made.” “And I think we’re definitely getting better and better every year,” she added. “You know, coming off Hidilyn Diaz’s gold medal [in the Tokyo Olympics], I think that just inspired the country, too.” Growing up in the small, sleepy town of Haymarket, Hoffman first competed in running during her elementary school days, where she would participate in events like the 5km run. At 13 years old, Hoffman then decided to shift to hurdling, which she recalled loving right at the moment she leapt her first obstacle. In Battlefield High School, she was named a New Balance Nationals All-American, winning the state championship in the 4x400m relay and finishing fourth in the women’s 400m hurdles in 2017. The 5-foot-6 athlete also played volleyball, but was likewise relentless in academics, graduating summa cum laude. Heading into college, Hoffman had two choices – Harvard University over in the northeast, or Duke University, about 260 miles away southwest of her hometown. “It was a really tough decision for me because they’re both great universities. I knew I would get a great education, get good degrees,” recalled Hoffman. “But it came down to where I felt more at home. You know, who I vibed with, the ones who gave me a good feeling, which team felt like family. So, I just fell in love with the Duke track team.” Taking up evolutionary anthropology with the intention of taking up medicine afterwards, Hoffman made her mark with the prestigious sporting program under the tutelage of coach Mark Mueller, who coaches her up to this day. She was named to several All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) First and Second Teams and was hailed as part of the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-America First Team in the 2021 season. Hoffman was also recognized by the conference as part of its all-academic team, balancing her act well as a student and an athlete. As of February 2024, the Filipino-American track star remains the university’s standard in the 400m hurdles (55.47 seconds), and the owner of the best mark at Morris Williams Track and Field Stadium at 56.00, which she set as a management studies post-graduate student in 2022. She also clocked 56.58 seconds in the same event to set a Duke invitational record last April 13. Her 55.47-second finish earned her the bronze medal, and USTFCCCA All-America First Team honors, which broke the school record for the fourth time during that season. But from the school track, she now takes her act to the world’s biggest sporting stage. Hoffman will debut in the Olympics along with fellow hurdler John Cabang Tolentino, a Filipino who grew up in Spain who likewise qualified via world rankings. “I like the expectations. I think the pressure is good… We have high expectations for ourselves because we want to be great,” said Hoffman. “We’re snowballing. The success is snowballing. I think Team Philippines is on the way up.” Although this will be the biggest competition of her life, Hoffman opts to see it as just another tournament. “This is the same race I’ve done since college. [Some of my opponents will be the same] women I’ve competed against before. So, I feel like there’s an element of, ‘I’m here and I belong here. I’m an experienced runner,’” Hoffman said. “I’m reminding myself that I’m ready to do this, as well as also, taking in all the new factors as well.” – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

LIST: Modern jeepney models and what to expect

lkyu0285

21/07/2024 18:36

MODERN. Drivers and mechanics of an automotive corporation inspect modern Dongfeng jeepneys imported from China at a plant in Project 4, Quezon City, on January 31, 2024. Jire Carreon/Rappler MANILA, Philippines – What will the modern “King of the Road” look like? Now that the consolidation phase for jeepneys is over, operators are expected to slowly upgrade their fleets of traditional jeepneys with modern units. The government expects to upgrade most of the country’s 150,000 jeepneys by 2030. (WATCH: [Under 3 Minutes] When will we see modern jeepneys on the road?) These new models must comply with the Philippine National Standard for public utility vehicles (PUVs), which is set by the Department of Trade and Industry. These outline specific requirements for the size and safety features of different PUV classes. They also require modern jeepneys to have either Euro-4-compliant, electronic, or hybrid engines, or better. As of June 20, 2024 there are 33 models of Class 2 PUV — the vehicle type most closely resembling jeepneys — that are approved by the government. Of these, 14 are imported, while 19 are considered locally manufactured or assembled. Note that a vehicle is already classified as “local” so long as at least 25% of its components are manufactured or assembled in the Philippines. That’s why models from Japanese brands such as Hino or Isuzu are considered local. Right now, there is the big problem of price. Government officials estimate the average price of a modern jeepney to be around P2.5 million, though it could be even higher. Using a list provided by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Rappler obtained an average price of P2.905 million based on the declared suggested retail price of at least 23 approved Class 2 PUV models. Some electric modern jeepneys imported from China cost over P6 million. This is far above the budget of many operators, even with the paltry P280,000 in government subsidies to offset the cost. For comparison, an average brand-new traditional jeepney costs P1.2 million only, industry sources tell Rappler. (READ: Could Maharlika Fund’s investment in a jeepney manufacturer save PUV modernization?) Some experts and manufacturers fear that the high cost of the units could raise jeepney fares, with operators struggling to pay for the monthly amortization of their new fares. “‘Yung jeepney price po na P2.5 million, mag-i-increase ang fare natin, possibly from P27 to P40 per [passenger]. So ‘yung sinasabi ng DOTr, LTFRB [Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board] na walang fare increase with modernization, hindi po yata totoo ‘yon,” said retired University of the Philippines professor and scientist Teodoro Mendoza. (With a jeepney price of P2.5 million, our fares will increase, possibly from P27 to P40 per [passenger]. So what the Department of Transportation and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board are saying, that there will be no fare increase with modernization, I don’t believe that’s true.) However, there is still hope that modern jeepneys will become more affordable. In fact, the government is banking on increased competition from local manufacturers to drive down price in the coming years. For instance, local manufacturer Francisco Motors is developing a new fully electric modern jeepney, and it plans to sell the first 1,000 units for just P985,000. Francisco Motors chief executive officer Elmer Francisco told Rappler that their latest prototype will be submitted to the DOTr for certification within July. “The 2025 model is not yet in that list, and our price is P1,997,000. This model has a range of 250 kilometers in one full charge using LiFePO4 battery already,” Francisco told Rappler on July 3. DOTr Undersecretary of Road Transport and Infrastructure Jesus Ferdinand Ortega has also stressed that operators need not rush to purchase the still-pricey modern jeepneys since they will be given about six years to slowly upgrade their fleets. “Just to be clear, wala pa pong bilihan ngayon ng sasakyan (there’s no requirement to buy vehicles right now),” Ortega said on June 17 at the Monday Circle Financial Forum. He also acknowledged that some modern jeepney models — including those imported from China — still lack materials for vehicle repair and maintenance here in the Philippines. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

How the queens of Binibining Pilipinas 2024 bagged their crowns

Jairo Bolledo

21/07/2024 18:00

DIAMOND QUEENS. The winners of Binibining Pilipinas 2024 pageant: (L-R) 1st runner-up Christal dela Cruz, Binibining Pilipinas International Myrna Esguerra, Binibining Pilipinas Globe Jasmin Bungay, and 2nd runner-up Trisha Martinez. Binibining Pilipinas Myrna Esguerra set her eyes on becoming a national titleholder and representing the Philippines in an international pageant. She clinched the top crown, the Binibining Pilipinas International title, during the pageant’s finals night on July 7. Myrna was easily a standout because of her golden complexion, towering height, fierce eyes, and long, straight black hair. During the swimwear competition, she strutted down the runway like a supermodel in a pink crystal-encrusted swimsuit. For the evening gown portion, she wore a silver crystal gown with a high slit that emphasized her figure. She won both the Best in Swimsuit and Best in Evening Gown awards, joining the leagues of Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2022 Gabrielle Basiano, and other Binibining Pilipinas titleholders who won both major awards during their Binibini stints. Myrna’s win was also quite historic as she shares the same name with the first ever Binibining Pilipinas winner, Myrna Panlilio, who was crowned in 1964. For Myrna, her victory was a testament to how she overcame challenges in life. Growing up, she was not confident of her skin color because of many Filipinos’ preference for fair-skinned women. But as she grew up and was exposed to different types of beauty, she learned to embrace her skin color and appreciate her beauty. “And it’s really beautiful because being a morena represents every Filipino. So I think that’s really something that we should always remember when talking about skin color. So being crowned by Angelica Lopez, it’s empowering,” Myrna said in a Rappler Talk interview on July 18. “My story is also a story of other people. Having dark skin, having morena skin. And I think it’s about time that we look beyond the skin color. But we [have to] look at what the girls can offer: What can she do? What’s her purpose? And I think that is what helped me to win [the] Pilipinas International crown.” Myrna was crowned by her predecessor, Binibining Pilipinas 2023 Angelica Lopez, who will represent the Philippines in Japan later this year. It was quite symbolic because Angelica and Myrna are both morenas, making them the most recent winners of Binibining Pilipinas International title who do not fit in the so-called Miss International prototype. Every competition has what fans call a “mold,” which means certain prototypes that the pageants use as standards for choosing their winners. Miss International, a Japan-based pageant, often crowns a “kawaii” queen or a candidate who has fair complexion and has doll-like features. The last Binibining Pilipinas International winners before Angelica and Myrna had doll-like features and fair skin, which conformed to the so-called prototype. But both Angelica and Myrna will display their golden skin in the international arena and will give their best to win the seventh and eighth Miss International crowns for the Philippines. Myrna said her victory indeed broke this so-called prototype, adding that not conforming to the prototype will also work to her advantage because “being different is going to make you stand out.” “And you really have to embrace who you are…[be] confident of who you are as a person, not just about your physical appearance, but what you can bring to the table,” Myrna said. Myrna also emphasized that, beyond being a pageant titleholder, a Miss International winner should understand that she has a job to help and inspire others, and promote the advocacies of the Miss International pageant, which include the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals. (READ: How Nicole Borromeo nailed Miss International 2023’s Q&A round) There are not many queens from Abra, a province located north of the Philippines, which Myrna represented. Abra Governor Joy Bernos said Myrna was the first Abrenian to represent and win in Binibining Pilipinas. That’s why when she clinched the top crown, her entire province, even the Cordillera region, celebrated. Myrna came home to Abra on July 15, a special day both for Myrna and her home region, the Cordilleras, because her homecoming coincided with the 37th Cordillera Day. Abrenians, led by its officials, welcomed Myrna with a community dance accompanied by gongs and drums. The queen shared with Rappler that, like any other pageant run, hers was not smooth either. All the preparations — like pasarela and public speaking training, among other things — were challenging. But when the competition started, Myrna said she felt the love and support of her fellow Abrenians. “I can really hear their support on social media. And I’m really grateful for that,” Myrna said. “We are very proud as Abrenians. Because even though we’re far away from the city, people [now] know that Abra exists, Abrenians exist. And we can do so much more. And I think that the people should watch out for that. I’m really expecting a lot of beauty queens coming from my province now that we’ve started it.” For Myrna, she did not only win the crown for her province, but also paved the way for other people to appreciate the beauty of Abra. This, she said, was among the powers of pageants: to promote a tourist spot and its people. Myrna was consistent in promoting her province all throughout the competition. For her tourism video, she featured Lusuac Springs in Lagayan and Mount Bullagao, also known as the Sleeping Beauty of Abra. She also promoted her province’s loom weaving industry. If there’s one thing that she learned from her home province, Myrna said it would be resilience. Abra has faced a lot of natural calamities and is often hit by earthquakes. Despite these, its people get up and start anew each time, Myrna said. “Because being in Binibining Pilipinas, we’ve faced lots of challenges…it’s important to remind yourself, as I’ve said before, to stick to your roots,” the Binibining Pilipinas International 2024 told Rappler. “And always remember your reason for being there. Because that’s going to be your fuel to continue.” “Silent killer” was the word used by pageant analysts to describe Jasmin Bungay. She is consistent all throughout the pageant’s duration, but she particularly shone during the pageant night. She won the other title during the finals night, Binibining Pilipinas Globe, and will represent the country at the Miss Globe pageant in Europe later this year. In an interview with Rappler, Jasmin said her ultimate goal was to represent the Philippines at the Miss International pageant. In college, she would tell her friends that she wanted the Binibining Pilipinas International title, even though the Miss Universe Philippines crown was still under the Binibining Pilipinas at the time. Jasmin said the previous format of the Miss International enticed her. Previously, the pageant had no question and answer (Q and A) round, unlike other pageants. Miss International only had a prepared speech round before. But don’t get it wrong, the question and answer round was actually Jasmin’s strong suit and what solidified her victory. She wowed the judges and audience alike during the finals night with her powerful response to the question, “If you were given 30 minutes to talk to the public, what would you talk about?” Jasmin responded: “If I would be given 30 minutes to talk to the public, I would like to talk about the passing of the SOGIESC bill. Because, in celebrations such as pageants, this community has contributed so much. And, in this regard, we can give back to them by supporting this cause because as an individual, it is our responsibility that we ensure that everyone is treated equally despite their SOGIE.” There is a bill that seeks to penalize discrimination based on someone’s sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression or SOGIE. But the proposed law has been languishing in Congress for over two decades. Jasmin said there were two things on her mind at the time: her story as an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) or SOGIE bill, and she chose to speak about the latter. While backstage during the finals night, Jasmin realized that most, if not all, the people who helped them prepare were part of the LGBTQ+ community, so she made sure to express her gratitude to them by using her platform to spread their message. “I just had a moment where it was like a surge of gratitude towards these people. They were so passionate. They were so passionate. They were also very emotional. They were very passionate about pageantry,” Jasmin told Rappler. “And I told myself that all the people there will see my performance. It’s an ode to them. It’s because of them. And it’s my way of giving back to them.” At 19 years old, Jasmin competed in Miss Millennial Philippines, a pageant organized and aired by noontime show Eat Bulaga! She won the Miss Pampanga pageant in 2016, earning the right to represent the Central Luzon province in the said pageant. She placed in the top 10, with Camarines Sur’s Julia Gonowon winning the crown. At the time, Jasmin said she did not take the competition seriously because she was very young and she just enjoyed it. There, she learned that, if you are not focused on winning and are half-hearted, you will not achieve victory. “So this year, when I decided to join Bilibining Pilipinas, I really took time to prepare myself in all aspects and tapped the right people,” Jasmin said. Before she joined the Binibining Pilipinas 2024 pageant, Jasmin was a successful model in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. She spent years there as an OFW, but left everything behind to pursue her Binibini dreams. The Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2024 titleholder’s work as an OFW helped her financially, as pageants also have financial requirements for gowns, national costume, and all. Aside from that, her exposure to modeling helped her in presenting herself on stage in front of thousands of people. While away from home, Jasmin used her time to contemplate joining. Every year in the last few years, she would ask herself if she would join or not. 2023 was the time she chose to fulfill her Binibini dreams. “So maybe that’s what fueled me, my wait for four years…. Everything that happened during those four years, [I hoped] it would translate to something…. Eventually, it was worth it,” Jasmin said. A heavy fan favorite, Christal Jean “Tala” dela Cruz did not disappoint as she clinched the first runner-up title. Inside the Araneta Coliseum, her fans were among the liveliest, chanting Tala’s name every time the candidate would be called. Tala swept many awards, such as Binibining Pizza Hut, Binibining Ever Bilena, Binibining Beautederm, and Binibining Creamsilk. Her performance was a solid one, from the swimsuit to evening gown rounds, where she donned a flowy sky blue gown. It was not Tala’s first pageant as she had already won the Supermodel International Philippines title in 2023. Unfortunately, she was not able to compete abroad, so Tala and her handlers decided that she would join Binibining Pilipinas instead. “So, why not join now? Because the pageant, it keeps on moving. And the momentum is there. And I really wanted to use that momentum, that adrenaline for me to perform. And [turn] all the things that I practiced into reality. So, we decided to go for it,” Tala told Rappler. In her hometown, she competed in the 2023 Binibining Zambales, where she met Anita Rose Gomez, Miss Universe Philippine 2024 top 10 finalist. Tala said her prior experience in other pageants shaped her as a woman and taught her to represent herself and her home province well. “That’s why I’m so grateful that I get to have all those experiences in my province and other pageants. Because [they] really honed me. I think all of us can agree that all the pageants that we’ve been through, [they] really shaped us into improving. Like every pageant that we go to, we improve, we change, and we become better,” she said. If there’s one thing Tala has learned from her Binibini run, it would be the importance of believing in oneself. “It should be about you. Because if you just think about what others think…it’s going to be their story. And what you want is to show yourself. Because if you show yourself, that’s when you get the inspiration, the drive to share it to other people. And that’s how you became a beauty queen that has truly the heart for everyone.” Trisha Martinez was a repeater. She joined Binibining Pilipinas 2023, won the best in evening gown award, but fell short of placing as a winner or runner-up. In the diamond edition, Trisha joined again and eventually clinched the second runner-up title. Trisha said her first try humbled her and changed her mindset. She realized that joining was not about winning awards, but rather showing the best version of oneself. She told Rappler she thought of closing her doors to pageantry because she was already satisfied with her previous runs. But people around her pushed and inspired her to battle it out one more time. Trisha realized that joining again was also for herself. “But I’ve realized lately that my participation, my comeback, it’s more of self-love. It seemed I’d forgotten myself in the process. When I pushed myself, my mindset, and fortitude, that’s when I realized that I could do more,” Trisha said in a mix of English and Filipino. Trisha is a licensed dentist. When she was asked in the Q and A portion about how she manages and balances her other duties with the demands of the pageant, she talked about her life as both a dentist and beauty queen. “How I manage my time? I got it from my purpose. I got it from my heart. I really want to contribute to the 60 amazing glorious years of Binibining Pilipinas, and that’s how I manage my time with the demands of a Binibini. And I am ready. After all, that is the Binibini I aspire to be — with the heart and dignity for the community,” Trisha said during the Q and A portion. Binibining Pilipinas was not Trisha’s first national pageant. She joined the Miss World Philippines in 2021, where she was crowned Miss Tourism Philippines. Trisha said she prepared for her international pageant at the time, and her family was equally excited, too. However, the international pageant did not push through and Trisha was not able to compete. Unlike Myrna and Jasmin, Tala and Trisha will not represent the country internationally because the Binibining Pilipinas pageant only holds the franchise for Miss International and Miss Globe. But for Trisha their journey is far from over. “But let’s see in the future…. You’ll never know. Suddenly, something might happen, right? So at least Tala and I are ready,” Trisha said. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. 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Credible

Biggest pro win: Alex Eala sweeps W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz singles, doubles titles

delfin.dioquino editor

21/07/2024 21:44

FOCUSED. Alex Eala readies to return a serve in the ITF W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain. RAFA NADAL ACADEMY MANILA, Philippines – In the biggest singles finals of her pro career against a foe who came in with impressive pedigree, Alex Eala stepped up to the plate and delivered a clinical display of relentless aggression combined with patient execution. The fifth-seeded Eala won her first-ever W100-level event when she disposed of Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva of Andorra, 6-4, 6-4, in a battle between two hard-hitting, left-handed teenagers in the women’s singles final of the ITF Vitoria-Gasteiz on Sunday, July 21. Eala’s title romp came just a day after the Filipina teen standout also bagged the doubles championship with French partner Estelle Cascino after warding off Lia Karatancheva of Bulgaria and Diana Marcinkevica of Latvia, 6-3, 2-6, 10-4, in the finale. “This win means the world to me, it even made me ugly cry,” Eala posted on her social media accounts on Monday, July 22. “I am so proud because this represents the culmination of so much hard work. Securing my biggest tittles yet in both singles and doubles is a fairytale finish, and I’m overwhelmed with emotion.“ “This will always have a special place in my heart, and I leave here with a pocket full of great memories and the will to work harder,” added Eala. The singles final matchup at the Peña Vitoriana Tenis Club in Spain between the two former junior standouts who have had similar career trajectories has long been awaited by hardcore tennis fans. World No. 155 Eala, who turned 19 last May, captured the US Open girls’ singles title in 2022 and was ranked the No. 2 junior player in the world. Jiménez Kasintseva, who will turn 19 years old in August, was the 2020 Australian Open girls singles champion and became the No. 1 junior player in the world when she was 14. The title match delivered the anticipated fireworks, with Eala matching her foe’s powerful groundstrokes while pushing Jiménez Kasintseva to be constantly on the move. The Filipina sent a strong message right off the bat when she broke Jiménez Kasintseva in the very first game of the opening set, then opened a 2-0 lead. She broke Jiménez Kasintseva anew in the fifth game and went up 5-2, but the Andorran managed to claim the next two games to inch closer at 4-5. Eala, though, made sure that was the nearest Jiménez Kasintseva would get, with the Filipina closing the opening set in the 10th game after going up 40-15 on her serve. The second set saw Eala once again erecting an early 2-0 advantage. But Jiménez Kasintseva found her groove and secured the next three games for her first taste of the lead at 3-2. Eala then showed her composure and maturity. Not only did she tie the count on her serve the very next game, but she broke Jiménez Kasintseva in the seventh game to regain the lead at 4-3. Although she lost her serve in the eighth game, Eala answered back in the ninth with her own service break, then held serve after to finish the final in 1 hour and 34 minutes. Both Eala and Jiménez Kasintseva were seeking their fifth career singles title in the pro tour, although their previous high title conquests were in W25-level events. Both were coming off impressive semifinal victories the previous day, with Eala blasting Maria Jose Portillo Ramirez of Mexico, 6-2, 6-1, and Jiménez Kasintseva making short work of second seed Jessika Ponchet of France, 6-2, 6-2. This week marked the best week of Eala’s pro career as she achieved the rare feat of winning both the singles and doubles titles. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Philippines, China OK ‘arrangement’ on resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal

Angelo Gonzales

21/07/2024 19:40

AGROUND. An aerial view shows the BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, March 9, 2023. Reuters MANILA, Philippines – More than a month after the China Coast Guard attacked Filipino soldiers during a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal in mid-June 2024, the Philippines announced on Sunday, July 21, that it had “reached an understanding on the provisional arrangement” with China on these missions. “The Philippines and the People’s Republic of China have reached an understanding on the provisional arrangement for the resupply of daily necessities and rotation missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal,” said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in a statement. The DFA did not release details of the said arrangement, but said “both sides continue to recognize the need to de-escalate the situation in the South China Sea and manage differences through dialogue and consultation and agree that the agreement will not prejudice each other’s positions in the South China Sea.” According to a report from the Associated Press, two Chinese demands did not make it to the draft deal. The AP said Beijing wanted Manila not to bring construction materials, and to give “advance notice and the right to inspect the ships.” The Philippines rejected China’s demands, and the final arrangement did not include these provisions, said the AP quoting a Philippine official. These conditions are not new. Beijing has insisted on these provisions before – in its deals with the previous administration, and in demands it has made to Manila under Marcos. In a statement released late Sunday, July 21, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said the two countries “reached [a] provisional arrangement with the Philippines on humanitarian resupply of living necessities.” “The two sides agreed to jointly manage maritime differences and work for deescalation in the South China Sea,” it added. Beijing also said that its negotiations with the Philippines were anchored on its stand that the BRP Sierra Madre’s presence violates Chinese sovereignty and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. Beijing said it is “willing to allow” Manila to “send living necessities… in a humanitarian spirit” as long as the Philippines “informs China in advance and after on-site verification is conducted.” “China will monitor the entire resupply process,” added the MOFA. Beijing also said it “will absolutely not accept” and will stop missions if Manila “were to send large amount of construction materials to the warship and attempt to build fixed facilities or permanent outpost.” The BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting warship that was run aground in the shoal back in 1999, is a flashpoint for tensions between the two countries. A handful of Philippine Navy personnel – usually the Marines – are deployed to stand watch for months at a time. At least once a month, the Western Command hold RORE or rotation and resupply missions to the shoal to bring provisions for soldiers there, and to rotate personnel. Beijing especially opposes Philippine missions to bring construction supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre. Military officials have said their goal is to make sure the dilapidated warship is as habitable as possible. China has, more often than not, harassed these missions. Beijing claims the shoal as its own, even if it is just over 100 nautical miles away from Palawan and is well within the Philippine exclusive economic zone. The June 17 incident was the most violent to death, leading to fears that tensions in the West Philippine Sea would only get worse. The DFA said the “arrangement” was made through consultations after Manila hosted the 9th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea on July 2. Philippine officials had promised that RORE missions to Ayungin will push through – though they have been sparse on how. The shoal is a crucial feature in the West Philippine Sea – is it close to Mischief Reef, which China started controlling in 1995. The reef has since turned into a military outpost for Beijing. Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the Philippines’ actions in and rhetoric on issues in the West Philippine Sea have been more forceful – he has publicly promised that the Philippines would not “yield” even as China continued to be more aggressive in those waters. The Philippines is a treaty-ally of the United States, though Filipino officials have said they don’t see the need American help, or see a reason to invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. Here we go again. The “DFA did not release details of the said arrangement” and “Beijing especially opposes Philippine missions to bring construction supplies to the BRP Sierra Madre.” Is there anything new here? How does this make you feel?

Rappler

https://www.rappler.com/philippines/arrangement-china-resupply-missions-ayungin-shoal-july-2024/

Credible

Media groups’ SONA wishlist: Decriminalize libel, pass FOI law, end red tagging

lkyu0285

21/07/2024 19:07

AID FOR CARAGA. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. speaks before local officials and beneficiaries of a government aid program in Butuan City on Thursday, June 20, 2024. Butuan City PIO MANILA, Philippines – Ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA), media groups called on him to prioritize decriminalizing libel and enacting a Freedom of Information (FOI) Law. The conveners of the 1st Philippine Media Safety Summit asked Marcos to keep his promise of supporting a “press that is critical” by including these in his SONA legislative priority. “The President himself said it in April: ‘The principal role of the press is not to applaud those who govern, but you hold us accountable, without holding back in giving praise to those who deserve it. Along with that stance is our collective goal of protecting the welfare and lives of journalists,’” the conveners said in a statement on Sunday, July 21. “Now is the time for Mr. Marcos to keep his promise and include efforts to ensure a ‘truly free and safe environment for all journalists’ in his SONA legislative priority,” the group added. Lawmakers in both the House of Representatives and Senate have submitted several bills— SB1593, SB2403, HB1769 and HB5372 — seeking to decriminalize libel, but none have been signed into law. The media groups urged the President this time to “prioritize legislative measures that would decriminalize libel.” The groups described the current laws on libel as being “weaponized against journalists and used as a tool to shield public officials against criticisms and defamatory utterances.” (READ: [ANALYSIS] Decriminalizing libel) The conveners also said in their statement that a “legislated FOI, which has been supported by various business organizations and chambers of commerce, will promote transparency in government transactions regardless of whoever sits in Malacañang.” The conveners are as follows: Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication, Center for Community Journalism and Development, College of Mass Communication-UP Diliman, Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, Freedom for Media Freedom for All, Mindanews, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Peace and Conflict Journalism Network, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and the Philippine Press Institute. The administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte issued an executive order on FOI, but the measure only covers departments and offices under the executive branch. The eFOI platform, which facilitates FOI requests, has also been criticized for being slow to respond. (READ: How serious is the Duterte administration about FOI?) The groups also asked the President to “make a clear stance to end the practice of red tagging, which has been used to target journalists.” Related to this, the media groups pushed for the removal of a provision in the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2022 that includes journalists as possible witnesses in drug cases. “For as long as this provision is not removed, journalists are at risk of being cited for contempt or subjected to arrest warrants for not showing up in courts as witnesses in drug cases,” the conveners said. Marcos Jr. did not mention matters on press freedom and other media issues in his 2023 SONA. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

Inflation still top urgent concern for majority of Filipinos – survey

Bonz Magsambol

21/07/2024 16:28

PUBLIC MARKET. A market in Sibalom, Antique. Contributed photo MANILA, Philippines – Two years since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office, majority of Filipinos are still concerned about “controlling the increase in prices basic goods and services, according to Octa Research survey released on Sunday, July 21. The survey showed that this issue was the top urgent concern for 65% of the Filipino respondents. “It is also the top concern across major areas and income classes,” Octa noted. The survey, taken from June 26 to July 1, 2024, included 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above. The pollster also said that the survey has a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level. Subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have the following margins of error at a 95% confidence level: ±6% for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Following inflation, Filipinos ranked “access to affordable food like rice, vegetables, and meat” at 40%, and “Increasing/improving wages or salaries of workers” at 33% as their second- and third-most urgent concerns, respectively. Octa noted that Metro Manila and Visayas respondents were concerned about “improving/increasing wages or salaries of workers,” with both geographic areas receiving 36% – higher than that of Balance Luzon (34%) and Mindanao (27%). Following four straight months of rising inflation, the rate of increase in the prices of goods and services finally eased to 3.7% in June. The latest figure is lower than the 3.9% recorded in May 2024 and the 5.4% in June 2023. Octa released the survey results a day before the third State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, June 22. Groups expect the President to discuss ways to curb rising prices of goods. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

HIGHLIGHTS: Philippines vs Chinese Taipei-Blue – Jones Cup 2024

jisaga0269

21/07/2024 18:45

Strong Group Athletics/Rappler MANILA, Philippines – Strong Group-Pilipinas reclaimed the William Jones Cup crown for the Philippines after a thrilling 83-79 overtime win over Chinese Taipei-Blue in the virtual championship match on Sunday, July 21. American import Tajuan Agee proved to be a stabilizer, while locals Kiefer Ravena and RJ Abarrientos delivered timely hits as Strong Group won the Philippines its seventh Jones Cup title by going unbeaten in eight games. Steady at the line, Agee finished with 21 points on a perfect 9-of-9 free throw clip to go with 9 rebounds, while Abarrientos and Ravena chipped in 14 and 9 points, respectively, on a combined 7-of-14 from beyond the arc. Chris McCullough struggled with 12 points on a paltry 4-of-16 shooting and fouled out in the extra period, but his basket off a goaltending gave Strong Group an 80-78 edge – a lead big enough to fend off the Taiwanese. DJ Fenner added 15 points and 9 rebounds for Strong Group, which became the first team from the Philippines to rule the Jones Cup since Mighty Sports won in 2019. All hope seemed lost for Strong Group in regulation after the hosts grabbed a 71-64 lead before the visitors unloaded a 9-0 run capped by a clutch Ravena three-pointer to seize the upper hand at 73-71. But Chinese Taipei-Blue knotted the score at 73-73 after a Gil Baker putback and eventually forced overtime after Ravena missed his potential game-winning jumper. Chinese Taipei-Blue absorbed its first loss and finished with a 7-1 record. Strong Group-Pilipinas goes for gold in its highly productive 2024 William Jones Cup campaign as it stakes its undefeated 7-0 record against fellow top squad Chinese Taipei-Blue in Taiwan on Sunday, July 21. Already beyond avenging Rain or Shine-Philippines’ lackluster run last year, the undermanned yet talented Strong Group looks for a perfect finish this time around as the likes of super import Chris McCullough and all-around guards Jordan Heading and RJ Abarrientos continue to fire on all cylinders. Even without naturalized Filipino Ange Kouame, Fil-Am veteran Caelan Tiongson, defense-first import Tajuan Agee, and Gilas Pilipinas high-flyer Rhenz Abando in the active roster, the Charles Tiu-coached squad proved it has more than enough firepower after last blasting Chinese Taipei-White, 96-70. McCullough lived at the line for 25 points on 10-of-13 free throws, while backcourt partners Kiefer Ravena and Abarrientos scored 14 and 13, respectively, to help keep Strong Group undefeated in the weeklong tournament with a brutal daily schedule, where the team with the best record at the end of the single round-robin bags the title. Expect the same core to keep up its stellar play as the prime Chinese Taipei team comes knocking on Sunday evening, carrying its own unbeaten slate. But Tiu said Abando and Kouame will play through their injuries, while Agee will be a game-time decision as the American import was discharged from the hospital on Saturday after suffering from food poisoning. “Rhenz’s hand is still swollen and the same goes for Ange’s knee, but they will play through it since this is an all-or-nothing game,” said Tiu. “They know how important this game is for the country.” Tiu added: “We will be watching Agee’s minutes closely since he has been very dehydrated because of the gastro issues he suffered. His health is important, but his presence on the court is also crucial for us.” Strong Group aims to keep its 43rd Jones Cup run spotless until the very end, while home team Chinese Taipei-Blue looks to ruin the visitors’ party with a last-minute golden heist. Tip off is at 7 pm. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

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 Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

Marcos, the inaccessible president

Gaby Baizas

01/07/2024 16:15

MARCOS AND THE MEDIA. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is asked about his family’s plunder during a sit-down interview for the ABC News program 7.30 on March 4, 2024. Screenshot from ABC News In late June, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. spoke to Filipino journalists about Vice President Sara Duterte’s exit from his Cabinet, what this means for the Uniteam, and his thoughts on the Duterte family’s plans to run for Senate positions in 2025. Media interviews with the President, like this one, don’t happen very often. “It’s a cause for concern, because you want to be able to hear regularly from the President outside of his speeches,” said an online news outlet reporter, who spoke to Rappler on condition of anonymity. A newspaper reporter, who also requested anonymity, told Rappler that the media was “pleasantly surprised” the President entertained all their questions. “Covering the Marcos administration, I would call it a mixed bag…. President Marcos, from time to time, grants ambush interviews, but there are times when he doesn’t entertain them,” the newspaper reporter said. Marcos has consistently been difficult to reach and access for journalists who cover him has been challenging. In the lead-up to his 2022 presidential victory, Marcos and his campaign made calculated efforts to shun the media. On his first day as president-elect, he invited only three reporters to a “press conference.” The first few months of his presidency saw pro-Marcos vloggers attempting to lobby for access to official Malacañang events, but they later disbanded. When Marcos became president, media access remained managed. “If you recall, during Marcos’ candidacy, their strategy was, ‘less talk, fewer mistakes,’ right? The President was criticized for avoiding debates and not granting interviews to some media entities. I think they are applying the same strategy now,” the newspaper reporter added. Rappler spoke to two Palace reporters about their firsthand experiences covering the President, as well as two experts familiar with the media landscape in the Philippines. How difficult is it for reporters to get in touch with President Marcos, and what does this mean in the bigger scheme of things? For the two Palace reporters who spoke to Rappler, among the biggest hurdles in covering the Marcos administration is the lack of a presidential spokesperson. Marcos abolished the position of presidential spokesperson in his second executive order. Instead, Marcos appointed a press secretary, and later the head of his Presidential Communications Office (PCO), whose functions are different from that of a spokesperson who can directly speak for the President. “In past administrations, if the president doesn’t speak [on a certain matter], there’s a designated spokesperson who can speak on behalf of Malacañang. These days, we don’t have that,” the online reporter explained. The newspaper reporter also said relaying of information is more “centralized” in the Palace, which can also be an issue for Palace reporters trying to source firsthand information. “For example, in the House of Representatives, there are more than 300 lawmakers to choose from to interview, right? Or the Senate, you’ll have over 20 senators to talk to…. In the Palace, you don’t interview the President often, so ideally, they’ll have a talking head. And if the talking head doesn’t speak, that’s when we’ll have a problem,” the newspaper reporter explained. So what do press briefings look like without a presidential spokesperson? Now, Palace press briefings under the Marcos administration typically cover updates from different government agencies, which can make it difficult for reporters who are expected to write about issues related to Malacañang. “Because these agency secretaries come to Malacañang, we Malacañang reporters – who aren’t familiar with those beats and agencies – are sometimes caught off-guard,” the online reporter said. Malacañang also currently has a “pool” system, which means only a handful of news organizations get access to certain events, the newspaper reporter explained. Prior to the Marcos administration, official Palace events were open to all media outlets, but now some events only have two, three, or five slots allocated to reporters. Sometimes slots are limited due to security reasons, such as when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Philippines. Here’s how it works: The PCO informs the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) about the number of available slots for a certain event, and MPC members get to signify whether they want to cover the said event. If the list of MPC members interested in covering goes beyond the number of allocated slots, the MPC draws lots using a randomized app. (Editor’s note: A previous version of this article said the PCO drew lots instead of the MPC. This has been corrected.) “In fairness to the Palace, they don’t dictate who covers the event. Fate will decide via the random app,” the newspaper reporter said. One-on-ones are also rare for Marcos. Arguably Marcos’ most memorable one-on-one with the media is his March interview with ABC journalist Sarah Ferguson, who called him out for laughing after she asked him about his family’s ill-gotten wealth. Ferguson later revealed in a TikTok video that Marcos’ staff had even tried to stop the interview. Danilo Arao, associate professor of journalism at the UP College of Mass Communication, said Ferguson was praised for confronting Marcos with tough questions as journalists in the Philippines aren’t typically given the same privilege. “The bigger question is why Filipino journalists – at least the more critical ones – are not given the same opportunity to have a one-on-one with Marcos Jr.,” he said. But the newspaper reporter explained that foreign media have more leeway to be critical of Marcos, as their interviews with the Philippine President are typically one-shot deals. Meanwhile, Malacañang reporters who have to maintain a good working relationship with the Palace have to be more practical and strategic about asking critical questions, so they avoid getting cut off for the rest of the President’s term. “If foreign journalists piss off Malacañang, and should Malacañang decide, ‘No, we’re not going to grant interviews to Ferguson anymore’…. They have nothing to lose. ABC can go on with its life covering other issues…. Malacañang reporters, especially, will not do that because of fear of loss of access,” the newspaper reporter said. Compared to his immediate predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos appears to be friendlier towards the press. But does this mean Marcos is a champion of press freedom? Far from it, experts say. Arao said the Marcos administration still lacks a clear policy in terms of promoting and upholding press freedom. “Their claims of being press freedom champions from time to time, as in the case of World Press Freedom Day, are obviously not enough,” he said. Jonathan de Santos, chairperson of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), acknowledged that Marcos has “been saying a lot of the right things” regarding press freedom. However, he’d like to see concrete follow-throughs, such as certifying the decriminalization of libel as urgent. “[It] would really be helpful to show that, ‘Yeah, we have a free press. We protect our journalists. Freedom of expression is alive….’ They’re already making that claim, but we know that isn’t true,” De Santos said. During Marcos’ first year as president, the Philippines received its highest World Press Freedom Index ranking in six years. Marcos may not curse and threaten the media the way Duterte did, but that doesn’t mean covering his administration is easy. For instance, the Marcos administration holds fewer press briefings. Under the Duterte administration, what was then the Presidential Communications Operations Office held daily briefings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Duterte’s spokespeople, such as Harry Roque and Salvador Panelo, also frequently faced the media. Now, the Palace typically only holds press briefings once a week. The newspaper reporter – who covered both Duterte and Marcos – said the current administration is slower to respond to, and issue statements about, sensitive breaking events, such as the June Ayungin Shoal incident and Sara Duterte’s resignation. Sometimes issues pass by without the Marcos administration ever issuing an official statement. The PCO also asks reporters to send in questions in advance, and insiders said the PCO will even refuse to entertain certain questions, especially if they’re about events that just happened. Ambush interviews are also closely managed by the PCO, where moderators call reporters one by one to ask questions. Despite his reputation as a press freedom predator, former president Duterte was open to talk about many issues with the press, the newspaper reporter told Rappler. Duterte usually accommodated questions from the media about any topic, except one – his health. Beyond accessibility and transparency, attacks and harassment against journalists have persisted under the Marcos administration. Alternative news sites Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly remain blocked two years after the National Telecommunications Commission order. “If we’re talking about a government that says, ‘We prefer a critical press,’ these two websites are very critical, which is why they were targeted…. It would be a good move or a good indicator of how free we are, or how tolerant [the] government is of the press,” De Santos said. An NUJP study released earlier this year found that more than half of red-tagging cases against journalists in the past eight years were state-sponsored. Out of a total of 159 incidents recorded between 2016 and 2024, 90 cases involved journalists from alternative media, while 69 cases involved journalists from dominant or mainstream media. De Santos also said media harassment may not be common in Manila, but that harassment against community journalists is “the same, if not worse” under Marcos. For instance, the Marcos administration has not taken any steps to free Tacloban-based journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, who marked her fourth year in jail after she was arrested over trumped-up charges. As of writing, a total of four journalists have been killed under Marcos’ term as president – Rey Blanco, Percy Lapid, Cresenciano Bunduquin, and Juan Jumalon. Blanco, Bunduquin, and Jumalon were based in different provinces across the country. Lapid was the only one killed in Metro Manila, and NUJP said this had “[indicated] how brazen the perpetrators were.” “There is a tendency for the government and those in power to label journalists as, at the very least, troublemakers…. That’s our common struggle as journalists. Whether you’re from mainstream media or alternative media outlet, or whatever your politics are, it’s the same. We shouldn’t be labeled as enemies or treated as such,” De Santos said. Arao said media repression has been “normalized” in today’s media landscape, no thanks to laws weaponized against journalists. “In the same way that a journalist’s obligation is to make the uninteresting interesting, a journalist cannot afford to make the unacceptable acceptable,” he said. The Philippines still has a long way to go in protecting journalists and allowing them to do their job to the fullest of their ability. The World Press Freedom Index saw the Philippines fall two places in 2024, and Reporters Without Borders said the country remains “one of the world’s most dangerous” for journalists. “Even after ’86, even if we say that was the return of democracy, of course, there were always attempts to, well, control the press. That’s why we need to keep fighting,” De Santos said. – Rappler.com This article is part of “Marcos Year 2: External Threats, Internal Risks,” a series of analyses and in-depth reports assessing the second full year of the Marcos administration (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024). *Quotes in Filipino were translated into English and some were shortened for brevity. Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

We ruined protected areas, now we must save them

Iya Gozum

13/07/2024 16:15

SPOTTED. One of four Philippine trogons spotted in the forests of Mount Apo in April 2024. DENR Soccsksargen MANP Cotabato DENR Soccsksargen MANP Cotabato The Instagram-famous limestone formations in Rizal seemed to have filtered through everybody’s timeline, including that of Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio. In his post, the actor supported the call of Masungi Georeserve, a party currently in the thick of conflict with the Philippine government. DiCaprio, whether he was aware of it or not, added fuel to the fire. “Now this success is in jeopardy, as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources threatens to cancel the agreement that protects this area from prolific land grabbing activities,” the post read. DiCaprio then proceeded to call on Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to “intervene and continue to protect Masungi.” In some ways, the Hollywood actor and environmentalist shares a similar experience in business and advocacy, being the owner of a 104-acre island in Belize developed into a luxury eco-resort. There was no response from the President. But the DENR reacted, issuing a statement a day after the post was made. “We appreciate the statements of concern for the Philippine environment from international celebrities who are distinguished in their respective fields,” the DENR said. A single-sentence paragraph followed: “However, no one is exempt from the law.” And the law mandates the DENR to protect Philippine environment and resources. The second year of the Marcos administration was marked by irregularities in the management of protected areas such as Chocolate Hills, Mt. Apo, parcels of land in Surigao del Norte and within the Upper Marikina Watershed. The environment department had since exercised its power to cancel the agreement with alleged cult Socorro Bayanihan Services Incorporated (SBSI), though late, as one senator pointed out early on in the investigation. It stopped operations of the illegal resort in Chocolate Hills in Bohol, and told House lawmakers back in May that the order allowing resorts in the protected area will be repealed. While the department has taken actions on these controversies, there is still unfinished business in Masungi. The DENR has the legal leverage as the Department of Justice already issued a formal opinion that Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc’s (MGFI) contract covering around 2,700 hectares of land in Upper Marikina Watershed is unconstitutional. Yet it stalls on a decision on whether or not to cancel the contract. The agency passed the ball to Congress, which has yet to conclude its probe into the matter. In the meantime, a slew of celebrities continue to voice out their support for MGFI. “In accordance with the legal system, the 2017 Memorandum of Agreement remains valid and binding unless declared otherwise by the courts,” the foundation maintained in a statement on July 8. The legality of the contract – leasing hectares of public land without a specified time limit to one institution – gets buried in the noise. As well as the fact that the contract in question does not cover the famed georeserve and its ethereal hanging web and bridges, but a separate parcel of land in Rizal. “It’s one thing to have the legal powers to do it, but legitimacy takes effort,” George Guerrero, an environmental lawyer from KLIMA of the Manila Observatory, told Rappler in an interview. According to Guerrero, public opinion plays a huge part in how political institutions enforce laws. For example, in the case of SBSI, the government was able to cancel the agreement because “there was a convergence of public opinion…and the legal powers of the DENR,” said Guerrero. SBSI’s leader, Jey Rence ‘Señor Aguila’ Quilario, was under fire after it was revealed in Senate hearings that there were cases of child marriages and abuses under his watch. Since 2004, the SBSI has had a protected area community-based resource management agreement with the government. In the aftermath of the cancellation of this agreement, Environment Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga said their approach is to remove settlers in the area “as humane[ly] and peaceful[ly] as possible.” While protected areas are within the purview of the national government, their everyday management relies on local players. Loyzaga had already ordered the evaluation and assessment of Protected Area Development and Management Board (PAMB) membership, a DENR representative told Rappler. The PAMB, created under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) law, oversees the implementation of a protected area’s management plan. The board is composed of the DENR regional executive director and representatives from local government, civil society, and indigenous cultural communities. They are not given any salary, but only allowances for their expenses while doing their work. “Is there actual capacity to manage?” said Neil Mallari, an ecologist from the Center for Conservation Innovations. Mallari pointed out that management of protected areas is just one of the long list of things that the environment department and its officials have had to deal with. In view of the gigantic task ahead of the DENR now, Mallari said the challenge for Loyzaga, whose leadership he compared to former DENR secretary and marine biologist Angel Alcala, is how to change the old ways of doing things. “Madaming moving parts ang environment sector,” said Mallari. (There are many moving parts in the environment sector.) As a response to crimes that imperil the environment, the DENR has recently taken a stronger stance in pushing for enforcement powers. The agency throws its support behind the bill creating the Environment Protection and Enforcement Bureau, which targets poachers, illegal loggers, and polluters. The bill sponsored by Senator Loren Legarda and which is currently pending in the committee level, says the “infraction of protected area laws, rules and regulations have brought numerous issues with tremendous economic problems.” On Friday, June 28, Loyzaga hiked the muddy trail from the remote village of Kagbana in Burauen, Leyte, to the site where two Philippine eagles were set to be released into the Anonang-Lobi mountain range. Going to Kagbana and into the eagle habitat, the environment secretary went through the Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park where Philippine ducks (Anas luzonica) swim in large lakes. The park is one of the protected areas listed under the Expanded NIPAS Act of 2018, covering 340.82 hectares. Up in Anonang-Lobi, the weather has been changing constantly. Up until the hour of release, conservationists were wishing for less rain and clear skies. Loyzaga arrived before noon, flanked by aides and welcomed by local officials and members of the press. “You owe me,” she told Dennis Salvador, executive director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation, once they reached the clearing where a program was ongoing. Salvador laughed. Anonang-Lobi is one of the key biodiversity areas in the country considered a highly suitable eagle habitat for repopulation. While not necessarily declared as protected areas, key biodiversity areas are places identified as priorities for conservation. The Philippine eagle is one of the species that got conservation funding in the 2024 budget, said Loyzaga during her speech on June 28. She mentioned the work of past leadership in the department for starting a series of field expeditions in 2015 to check for the bird’s presence (or more accurately, its absence) in Leyte after Super Typhoon Yolanda. “For a critically endangered species such as the Philippine eagle, with only about 392 pairs remaining in the wild, every single individual counts,” Loyzaga said. “Our hope therefore is that Uswag and Carlito will actually bear offspring that will help us reintroduce this species sustainably here in this part of the country.” There is a push now from advocates to declare eagle habitats as protected areas, to give the bird a fighting chance against poachers and illegal loggers. Advocating for a place to be declared a protected area is not altogether futile, despite the challenges of implementing laws. For one, it opens space for people to take matters into their own hands. “[W]hen something is deemed a protected area and there are clear strictures around it, when you try to do citizen action, you can campaign against someone on the basis of negligence of the protected area,” said Guerrero in a mix of Filipino and English. The conservation of the critically endangered species is inextricably linked to the protection of critical habitats. But not only wildlife are saved in the process of conservation swathes of forest lands, but humans too, from the impacts of climate change. According to climate scientist Lourdes Tibig, protected areas help reduce concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions as 25% of these emissions can be absorbed by plants. “[T]he greater the trees and the protected areas, the greater is the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed and leaving less in the atmosphere,” Tibig told Rappler. That afternoon when the raptors had flown away, the crowd slowly thinned out and the organizers started packing their things. One of the eagles was perched on a tree visible from the platform where it was released. The biologist who had taken care of the eagles when they were in captivity trained his camera on the bird. He was silent as he was taking photos. In principle, a pair of Philippine eagles needs around 6,800 to 7,400 hectares of forest lands to thrive. The Anonang-Lobi mountain range covers 110,000 hectares. The eagles would roam forest lands, especially in their younger years when they have yet to settle and find their territory. They are unaware of the lines humans draw on maps, that their presence could spur a whole legal structure in place over forest lands. Boundaries do not serve their nature. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

Environmental issues the Marcos gov’t faced in second year in office

Lorenz Pasion

06/07/2024 10:42

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. underscored in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) in 2023 the importance of making the environment a priority, even stressing that climate change was made an “important criterion” in the country’s national policies, planning, decision-making, and implementation of programs. This promise was tested in Marcos’ second year as chief executive when he faced several environmental issues, from continued environmental defender killings in the country to ecological damage in the West Philippine Sea. In some issues, Marcos and his administration played catch-up in addressing the problems, while some issues seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. In its second year in office, the Marcos administration mostly provided Band-aid solutions to long-term environmental issues. Look back on the year that was for the Philippine environment. A decade later, Philippines still most dangerous country in Asia for envi defenders For the 10th straight year, the Philippines is still the most dangerous country in Asia for land and environmental defenders, according to a report from nongovernment organization Global Witness. Deadliest regions in the Philippines for environmental defenders Out of 334 environmental defenders killed in the country over the past two decades, 132 were from five provinces. ‘Duterte-era’ policies that persist also continue to endanger them. Other stories on environmental defenders: DENR set to review reclamation projects nationwide ‘Everything that comes down to us from the Philippine Reclamation Authority would be the subject of the review,’ says Environment Secretary Loyzaga. Where’s the suspension order for Manila Bay reclamation projects? It seems like the government needs a group chat to smoothen inconsistencies in the suspension of the Manila Bay reclamation projects. For one, a suspension order has not yet been made public. Whether such really exists is another question altogether. Other stories on reclamation projects: DENR to stop issuing permits, agreements for use of protected areas This comes after the DENR suspended its agreement with the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. that granted the latter use of over 300 hectares of protected land in Surigao del Norte. In Greece, PH commits to increasing protected areas by 2030 ‘To achieve the 30×30 targets by the decade’s end, the Philippines…is dedicated to significantly increasing protected areas on both land and seas,’ says Environment Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo Jr. Other stories on environmental protection: The poor’s 15 kilometers: Saving municipal waters from big fishing operators 15 kilometers from shore to sea is what small fishers get. Without updated vessel monitoring measures and robust law enforcement, they fear their livelihood is at risk. Top officials with private interests spoil effort to track big fishers Gamaliel Cordoba, who headed the NTC under Duterte, has a personal stake in commercial fishing because of his family’s business. During his time, the commission stopped issuing service numbers for trackers that would prevent unregulated fishing. Big fishers encroach on small fisherfolk’s municipal waters Municipal fisherfolk remain among the poorest Filipinos, earning only an average of P363 (US$6.45)* a day, and the possibility of losing preferential access to their fishing grounds poses an added threat to their existence. Other stories on fisheries: Is the mining fiscal regime bill good for the economy and climate agenda? Do the proposed reforms in the mining fiscal regime bill favor the industry, to the detriment of host communities and the government? Romualdez firm buying Leyte sand mining company for P5 billion Bright Kindle Resources and Investments Incorporated, a holding company owned by the family of House Speaker Martin Romualdez, is set to acquire a sand mining company for P5 billion. Other stories on mining: Groups urge gov’t to address mining issues as PH transitions to renewable energy The Philippine government should address issues in the mining sector as the country joins the transition from fossil fuel-based energy to renewable sources, several groups say. EXPLAINER: Recto eyes making companies pay for pollution they create Finance Secretary Ralph Recto is looking at putting a price tag on carbon emissions. Here’s a rundown of the pros and cons. Other stories on energy transition: Garbage crisis looms with coming closure of Metro Clark landfill in Tarlac More than 4,000 tons of wastes from 121 LGUs from 8 provinces are being brought daily to the Kalangitan sanitary landfill in Capas, Tarlac. Waste workers demand fair wages, treatment as they form national alliance The formation of the national alliance is called by groups as a ‘significant move for labor rights and environmental justice.’ Other stories on waste management: Disaster in Kusiong landslides: How politics killed non-Moro IPs Forced to vacate their shoreline homes in 2020, Teduray residents were buried in mud after fatal landslides triggered by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng hit them in October 2022. Private resorts have since taken over, one of them owned by a political family. When fighting for ancestral lands hits a dead end Since 2005, the Tedurays have been lobbying for the government’s formal recognition of their ancestral domain. The urgent priority should be the approval of an IP Code to address these land issues. Other stories on Kusiong Tragedy: A decade later: 15% of Yolanda houses unfinished, thousands unoccupied Three presidents have taken their seat in Malacañang yet tens of thousands of houses for Yolanda-hit communities remain incomplete. Part 2: Water, electricity issues bog Yolanda relocation plans In many housing sites, Yolanda survivors make do without water connections in their homes. These problems partly explain why some 30% of built housing units are unoccupied to this day. Other stories on Yolanda’s 10th year: Philippines gets a seat in inaugural board of loss and damage fund This has been a ‘long time coming’ after the Philippines spent decades ‘at the forefront of the negotiations for the loss and damage fund,’ says Philippine Environment Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga. Can the Philippines be a strong voice again at UN climate talks? For years, the Philippines has had a strong voice and was a big player in climate negotiations – until Duterte happened. Under Marcos, a climate expert says ‘we’re finding that voice again.’ Other stories on COP28: Flood-prone lifelines: Critical facilities at risk of flooding in Negros Occidental town Rappler’s data analysis of HazardHunterPH data shows that Sipalay has the most number of schools that double as evacuation centers during disasters, with a very high risk of flooding in Negros Occidental. Moving flood-prone gov’t facilities out of harm’s way is costly, time-consuming Experts say that moving all critical facilities away from flood zones is a complex process, and finding a solution that checks all the boxes takes time. Climate-vulnerable PH fails to fully spend disaster preparedness funds – study Local governments tend to be ‘reactive’ in their disaster spending, greatly underspending funds intended for more preemptive, long-term programs, according to an Oxfam Pilipinas study. Other stories on disaster risk reduction and management: DENR strips regional offices of power to grant ECC in protected areas Pending and future environmental compliance certificate applications within protected areas will now be escalated to the Environmental Management Bureau at the DENR’s Central Office. Ombudsman suspends Bohol governor, 68 officials over Chocolate Hills mess A resolution to repeal previous Protected Area Management Board orders that allowed structures in the Chocolate Hills Natural Monument, is already in the works, says Department of Environment and Natural Resources regional executive director Paquito Melicor. TIMELINE: The Chocolate Hills resort controversy Built on protected areas, the resort operated for months without an environmental compliance certificate and managed to get a business permit and a renewal. Other stories on the Chocolate Hills resort controversy: AFP suspects China of massive coral harvesting in West Philippine Sea The Armed Forces of the Philippines raises the alarm over what they suspect to be massive illegal harvesting of corals in Rozul Reef located in the West Philippine Sea. PCG: China should be held accountable for environmental damage in Pag-asa Island A Philippine Coast Guard official says China should be held accountable for environmental damage in and near Pag-asa Island (Thitu), located 300 nautical miles from Palawan. Scientists, economists, lawyers want to put price on damage in West Philippine Sea Experts from different institutions come together to survey the resources in the West Philippine Sea in the hope of providing a ‘framework or method to assess the damage’ in the area. SolGen mulls bringing China to Hague anew over coral reef destruction The Office of the Solicitor General’s latest move stems from the authorities’ discovery of extensive damage in the marine environment frequently visited by Chinese ships. Philippine heat has always been a problem – and it’s going to get worse Data shows that various areas in the Philippines have already been experiencing high heat index levels for the past 10 years. El Niño triggers job losses, lower crop yield The Philippines’ agriculture sector sheds 318,000 jobs in March 2024 compared to the prior month. Marcos says gov’t eyeing shift to old academic calendar in 2025 Originally, the education department announced a gradual transition to the old academic calendar, laying out a five-year transition timeline. In Philippine classrooms, weather’s too hot to handle While there are no studies yet that show the extent of learning loss for weeks of class suspensions, Philippine Business for Education executive director Justine Raagas says that long school breaks could result in learning loss. Other story on extreme heat: – Lorenz Pasion/Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

Obiena still optimistic of Olympic medal quest despite ‘physical problems’

delfin.dioquino editor

21/07/2024 20:37

GAZE. The Philippines' Ernest John Obiena reacts during the men's pole vault final in the 2023 World Athletics Championships. Aleksandra Szmigiel/REUTERS MANILA, Philippines – The road to the Paris Olympics has not been smooth sailing for Filipino pole vault star EJ Obiena. Obiena revealed he has been battling “physical problems” in the lead-up to the Games, but said he remains confident that he can compete at the highest level as he hopes to deliver the Philippines a prized medal. Ranked second in the world, Obiena is expected to end the Philippines’ medal drought in Olympic athletics since hurdler Miguel White won bronze in the 1936 Berlin Games. But that goal has been made more difficult as Obiena deals with training setbacks as he needs to undergo a “variety of medical procedures.” “If you had asked me a year ago, how I would envision the ‘perfect’ Olympic preparation, well it certainly wouldn’t be what has transpired! It has been what can only be termed a bumpy road this season,” Obiena wrote on his social media accounts. “Despite my best efforts at conditioning, fitness and discipline, I have been battling with various physical problems since April.” “I know and fully understand this can happen to athletes training at such intensity and no complaints…but why now? This has meant constant stops and stitching training and competition together with my team as well as we could.” “I have undergone in past months, weeks, and days a variety of medical procedures, to hopefully give myself the best shot at the Olympic Games.” Obiena started the outdoor season in May in style by striking gold in the Los Angeles Grand Prix in the United States, although the results that followed proved to be a mixed bag. He finished seventh in the Ostrava Golden Spike in Czech Republic, got back on the podium by sharing second in the Oslo Bislett Games in Norway, then wound up seventh again in the BAUHAS-galan in Sweden. After nailing a pair of golds in Poland in the Irena Szewińska Memorial, where he posted a year-best clearance of 5.97m, and in the Czeslaw Cybulski Memorial, Obiena missed the podium anew as he placed fourth in the Meeting de Paris – his final competition before the Olympics. While Obiena has faced struggles in his Olympic buildup, he continues to be optimistic about his chances as he looks to challenge defending champion and world record holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden. “Am I feeling confident with my preparation? Well, definitely not as much as I would like! Am I doing the best I can each day? Yes and most definitely yes!” said Obiena. “Not what I wanted but we’re still standing and I still have a few more days to prepare and sharpen.” “I know these things happen. All athletes at an Olympic level deal with such adversities. I know not everything is in my control. I am an optimist by nature. Can I perform at the highest level? Yes, I believe I can.” Obiena said his supporters can expect the best from him. “I am a proud Filipino and that means I am resilient and have weathered far worse situations. I promise you all I will give not 99% but all 100%,” he said. The men’s pole vault qualification is schedule on August 3 at the Stade de France. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

HIGHLIGHTS: Philippines vs Chinese Taipei-Blue – Jones Cup 2024

jisaga0269

21/07/2024 18:45

Strong Group Athletics/Rappler MANILA, Philippines – Strong Group-Pilipinas reclaimed the William Jones Cup crown for the Philippines after a thrilling 83-79 overtime win over Chinese Taipei-Blue in the virtual championship match on Sunday, July 21. American import Tajuan Agee proved to be a stabilizer, while locals Kiefer Ravena and RJ Abarrientos delivered timely hits as Strong Group won the Philippines its seventh Jones Cup title by going unbeaten in eight games. Steady at the line, Agee finished with 21 points on a perfect 9-of-9 free throw clip to go with 9 rebounds, while Abarrientos and Ravena chipped in 14 and 9 points, respectively, on a combined 7-of-14 from beyond the arc. Chris McCullough struggled with 12 points on a paltry 4-of-16 shooting and fouled out in the extra period, but his basket off a goaltending gave Strong Group an 80-78 edge – a lead big enough to fend off the Taiwanese. DJ Fenner added 15 points and 9 rebounds for Strong Group, which became the first team from the Philippines to rule the Jones Cup since Mighty Sports won in 2019. All hope seemed lost for Strong Group in regulation after the hosts grabbed a 71-64 lead before the visitors unloaded a 9-0 run capped by a clutch Ravena three-pointer to seize the upper hand at 73-71. But Chinese Taipei-Blue knotted the score at 73-73 after a Gil Baker putback and eventually forced overtime after Ravena missed his potential game-winning jumper. Chinese Taipei-Blue absorbed its first loss and finished with a 7-1 record. Strong Group-Pilipinas goes for gold in its highly productive 2024 William Jones Cup campaign as it stakes its undefeated 7-0 record against fellow top squad Chinese Taipei-Blue in Taiwan on Sunday, July 21. Already beyond avenging Rain or Shine-Philippines’ lackluster run last year, the undermanned yet talented Strong Group looks for a perfect finish this time around as the likes of super import Chris McCullough and all-around guards Jordan Heading and RJ Abarrientos continue to fire on all cylinders. Even without naturalized Filipino Ange Kouame, Fil-Am veteran Caelan Tiongson, defense-first import Tajuan Agee, and Gilas Pilipinas high-flyer Rhenz Abando in the active roster, the Charles Tiu-coached squad proved it has more than enough firepower after last blasting Chinese Taipei-White, 96-70. McCullough lived at the line for 25 points on 10-of-13 free throws, while backcourt partners Kiefer Ravena and Abarrientos scored 14 and 13, respectively, to help keep Strong Group undefeated in the weeklong tournament with a brutal daily schedule, where the team with the best record at the end of the single round-robin bags the title. Expect the same core to keep up its stellar play as the prime Chinese Taipei team comes knocking on Sunday evening, carrying its own unbeaten slate. But Tiu said Abando and Kouame will play through their injuries, while Agee will be a game-time decision as the American import was discharged from the hospital on Saturday after suffering from food poisoning. “Rhenz’s hand is still swollen and the same goes for Ange’s knee, but they will play through it since this is an all-or-nothing game,” said Tiu. “They know how important this game is for the country.” Tiu added: “We will be watching Agee’s minutes closely since he has been very dehydrated because of the gastro issues he suffered. His health is important, but his presence on the court is also crucial for us.” Strong Group aims to keep its 43rd Jones Cup run spotless until the very end, while home team Chinese Taipei-Blue looks to ruin the visitors’ party with a last-minute golden heist. Tip off is at 7 pm. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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[OPINION] Grading Marcos admin’s performance on the climate agenda

Jee Geronimo

29/06/2024 13:00

At the start of his term, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. mentioned the climate crisis as a focus agenda of his administration. Within the next two years, its impacts have never been more directly experienced by Filipinos across the country in different forms. The most notable example of these is the recent El Niño, coupled with rising temperatures. Not only did it adversely affect the agricultural and water sectors, but it also normalized the trend of class suspensions due to extreme heat, a stark contrast to the usual basis of heavy rainfall or storms hitting communities. While the climate crisis as an issue remains not as well-understood in daily discourse, its effects on the economy, society, and environment are becoming more noticeable to policymakers, experts, and observers. From the energy and mining sectors to human rights and environmental justice, it is vital for the Philippine government to set the right direction on addressing arguably the biggest threat to the country’s pursuit of sustainable development. The question now is this: Has the Marcos Jr. administration done enough to enable effective climate action in the Philippines? In recognition of the evolving climate-related challenges and needs, different branches and agencies of the government are developing new bills and plans to address them. At the legislative branch, lawmakers have proposed legislation that responds to the needs of different sectors. One of the most contested bills is the low carbon economy bill, which would establish a carbon pricing framework and system as part of setting an economy-wide pathway for the country to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While still at the committee level, business and civil society groups are debating on the necessity and operationalization of this system. Another bill known as the climate accountability bill would strengthen business accountability for potential pollutive actions. It would also establish a national loss and damage (L&D) fund to support victims of climate-related catastrophes, a fitting proposal as the country recently commemorated the 10th anniversary of the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). The government also recently published its National Adaptation Plan, which presents the strategy to reduce climate vulnerabilities and protect communities and ecosystems from worsening impacts. Covering sectors such as agriculture, health, biodiversity, human settlements, and cultural heritage, it also defines outcomes and activities for the country to achieve its national development targets while enhancing resilience. Still on the pipeline are the country’s NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) Implementation Plan, which would define how it would reduce its GHG emissions by 75% within the current decade, and its updated Philippine Energy Plan that ideally would hasten the development of cleaner technologies and reduce emissions coming from energy, the nation’s most climate-pollutive sector. The government is also strengthening its partnerships with various sectors to further enable climate solutions. The coverage of these collaborations ranges from protecting blue carbon to enabling the attainment of net-zero emissions, although they need to be backed by comprehensive policies and plans that have yet to be developed or finalized. As good as these new policies and plans are, a deeper examination reveals that there remain several levels of disconnect within the Philippines’ climate governance system that would prevent their intended outcomes from being fully achieved. First, there is the incoherence of the supposed climate policies being championed by the current leadership. This is most evident in Marcos’ preferred energy options: a combination of renewable energy (RE), nuclear, and fossil gas to replace coal as the dominant parts of the country’s energy mix. While this is geared toward securing national energy supply, this policy direction is inherently contradictory, such that it would likely prevent the simultaneous attainment of climate, energy, and development targets. Second is the inconsistency between the government’s global positions and its local actions. For example, the Philippines is currently part of the L&D Fund Board and is openly bidding to be its host. While this is aligned with the country’s call for climate justice for the most vulnerable, there is no domestic L&D policy with a strong climate lens, with current policies more oriented on addressing losses and damages from disasters. Third is the discrepancy of the “whole-of-society” approach to climate governance among national agencies. Initiatives by the likes of the Climate Change Commission, Department of Agriculture, and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for involving nongovernment groups in decision-making are noteworthy. However, issues on the lack of transparency by some agencies, including during consultations at the national and local levels, and gaps in coordination about mandates related to climate action threaten to undermine these good practices on inclusion. Fourth is the poor protection of human rights, especially in marginalized communities. For instance, in the context of just energy transition, communities affected by mining for minerals needed to produce solar panels and storage batteries continue to experience harassment, abuse, and the pollution, if not destruction, of nearby ecosystems on which they depend. The disregard of the Commission of Human Rights by some of the higher-ups is another indicator of this issue that persists in the Philippines, one of the world’s most dangerous countries for environmental defenders. Any policy or plan is only as good as its implementation. As long as the usual problems of corruption, red tape, lack of transparency, exclusion of non-business, nongovernment stakeholders, and outright power-tripping persist within the Philippine government, climate action will be reduced to words of unfulfilled potential and lip service. We have seen this with how, despite the enactment of the RE Act 16 years ago, the share of RE in the national energy mix actually decreased since then. We have seen this with how protected areas and ecosystems of local and cultural significance that contribute to adaptation and mitigation continue to get polluted or destroyed. So far, the Marcos Jr. administration has actually fared better than its predecessor on advancing the climate agenda in the Philippines. But not by much. And on an absolute scale, until we see results, not good enough. – Rappler.com This article is part of “Marcos Year 2: External Threats, Internal Risks,” a series of analyses and in-depth stories assessing the second full year of the Marcos administration (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024). John Leo is the national coordinator of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas and the deputy executive director for Programs and Campaigns of Living Laudato Si’ Philippines. He has been representing Philippine civil society in United Nations climate and environmental conferences since 2016. He has been a climate and environment journalist since 2016. Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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[OPINION] Power of mimicry: How human rights are covertly undermined in PH

Jodesz Gavilan

01/07/2024 10:00

Graphics by Nico Villarete/Rappler Following the overthrow of the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos in the 1980s, it became commonplace for political leaders in the Philippines to claim to stand for democracy and human rights. Yet the recent global trend of democratic erosion has shifted this pattern, as exemplified by the presidencies of Rodrigo Duterte (2016-2022) and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of Marcos Sr. In the Philippines, as in many parts of the world, there appears to be a resurgence in leaders’ use of discourses that seek to undermine the value of human rights, as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These discourses work overtly, through brazen attacks against human rights systems, principles, and actors, and covertly, through attempts to mimic and distort the meaning of human rights. Many of former President Duterte’s speeches (my research has so far been on the period from 2016 to 2022 and is ongoing) exemplify overt tactics to undermine human rights. Although Duterte said throughout his presidency that he did not care about human rights, the term featured in many of his speeches. In my research analyzing Duterte’s official speeches, I have found at least 300 in his six-year term where he mentioned the word “human rights” at least once. In some, he mentioned the term human rights as much as 15 times. In most instances when these words were used, it was in defense of the “war on drugs” that he championed, and to disparage human rights advocates, who saw this “war” as enabling severe human rights violations, such as the widespread killing of civilians. In his speeches, Duterte characterized human rights as a tool of Western imperialism, accused human rights advocates of conspiring with criminals and terrorists, and justified the killing of criminals as a necessity that he would be glad to do. In a move unprecedented in past presidencies, Duterte through these discourses removed all pretense of respecting human rights standards and instead actively worked to justify their violation. Paradoxically, despite such brazen rhetoric, Duterte in some instances also feigned to embrace human rights. After all, it is not easy to sustain an outright rejection of human rights, which still carry normative power. When Duterte did so, however, he would often interpret rights in exclusionary terms, by claiming to solely protect the rights of “innocent” people against the threat of “criminals”. We see this interpretation in his speech during the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, where he said, “the Philippines will continue to protect the human rights of its people, especially from the scourge of illegal drugs, criminality, and terrorism.” (Emphasis added.) This tactic embraces human rights only to justify their violation, aligning well with what scholars have called the “(mis)appropriation of human rights.” This describes the use of human rights language “in the service of ends which are exclusionary, repressive, or anti-pluralist in character,” as well as in ways that are “highly retrogressive…[and/or] evasive of “external monitoring or accountability.” It commonly manifests in “human rights mimicry” in which the language of human rights and its commitments is co-opted, precisely to undermine it. Mimicry functions in a more sophisticated way than overt attacks against rights, as it presents a facade that makes attacks harder to identify and combat. This highlights the importance of constantly remaining vigilant about political discourses on human rights. In the Philippines, we can see such strategies of (mis)appropriation at play under Bongbong Marcos’ leadership. Since assuming the presidency, Marcos has sought to brand himself as a “human rights supporter.” Differing from Duterte, he has not brazenly disparaged rights, sworn at human rights institutions, or threatened human rights activists. On the contrary, Marcos has vowed to protect human rights in the Philippines and has even recently formed a “super body” on human rights aimed at strengthening efforts to protect and promote human rights in the country. At the same time, however, Marcos has engaged in the distortion of human rights history and evaded mechanisms of accountability that can bring justice to victims of violations. For example, he has not taken steps to redress the human rights violations committed during his father’s term, often evading discussions about these atrocities. Moreover, the Marcos family has distorted this history by re-narrating Marcos Snr.’s presidency as a period of “economic prosperity and political order” while erasing the realities of “corruption and human rights violations.” Marcos has also eschewed mechanisms of accountability for addressing the “human rights crisis” that has occurred more recently. In particular, he has refused to cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s investigation into the alleged crimes against humanity that had been committed during Duterte’s “war on drugs.” Moreover, drug-related killings persist under Marcos’ leadership.  Documentation shows that between the start of Marcos’ presidency on June 30, 2022 and June 7 this year, there were 679 drug-related killings reported. Such contradictory actions signal that Marcos’ alleged endorsement of human rights, indicate not so much a commitment to these ideals, but to justifying his family’s hold on power, while evading accountability for human rights violations, both past and present. – Rappler.com This article is part of “Marcos Year 2: External Threats, Internal Risks,” a series of analyses and in-depth stories assessing the second full year of the Marcos administration (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024). Syme de Leon is a PhD Candidate at the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute. Her thesis focuses on better understanding human rights discourses in the Philippines under former Rodrigo Duterte’s Presidency. This article is part of an Asia Institute/Asialink series on democracy in Southeast Asia to accompany the University of Melbourne’s upcoming Southeast Asia Oration to be delivered by Mr Pita Limjaroenrat MP, Member of the Thai House of Representatives and former leader of the Move Forward Party on 4 July.  It was first published here. Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. I agree: “Marcos’ alleged endorsement of human rights, indicate not so much a commitment to these ideals, but to justifying his family’s hold on power, while evading accountability for human rights violations, both past and present.” In other words, it is “for show only.” How does this make you feel?

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Ally or not? LGBTQ+ groups divided on Marcos’ stand for equality

Michelle Abad

29/06/2024 18:30

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. closes his second year in office, and his second Pride Month as the country’s top leader, with a piece of key legislation for the LGBTQ+ community still missing from his priority bills: the SOGIE Equality Bill. Marcos has taken progressive stands on various social issues, particularly on women and gender rights. In 2023, he said that the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer+ (LGBTQ+) community should be free from discrimination. This is why one might have expected the President to include in his pet bills a measure seeking to penalize discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression (SOGIE), but there’s been none so far. This, after the politically-divided LGBTQ+ rights movement banded together in what they called The Equality Alliance to appeal to Marcos to certify the SOGIE Equality Bill as urgent. It’s been languishing in Congress for over two decades now. The exclusion of the bill was disappointing to some advocates, but others choose to believe that the President is an ally just grappling with a legislature that still can’t agree on passing the bill. With the Marcos administration approaching its first half soon, his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte may not so much be a distant memory to some, especially since the two were vastly different on social stands. Duterte flip-flopped on his position on LGBTQ+ issues. He said he was once gay, but that he was “cured,” implying that being gay was a disease. In 2019, Duterte said he would certify the SOGIE bill as urgent, but took it back a day later. During the Duterte administration, Dindi Tan, national president of LGBT Pilipinas, wrote the zero draft of an executive order (EO) seeking to create a commission that allowed the LGBTQ+ community a place in the bureaucracy. Instead of providing stronger representation in the form of a commission, what the Duterte government approved instead was what Tan called a “watered down” version via EO 100, series of 2019, which created the Diversity and Inclusion Program. When Tan consulted her leaders in LGBT Pilipinas, they said it would “suffice for now,” which she said, consoled her. Meanwhile, Bahaghari chairperson Reyna Valmores noted the general climate of a “blatant disregard for human rights,” which included rights violations of the LGBTQ+ community. When COVID-19 lockdowns were in place, LGBTQ+ families were reportedly being denied aid because local governments refused to acknowledge them as legitimate families. Both Valmores and Tan noted instances like this. “There are many LGBTQ+ who are breadwinners… That gay person feeds his parents and his siblings, and sends his siblings to school. So if you question why we need to be given aid, it is like questioning their capability to be breadwinners,” said Tan. Valmores also lamented Duterte’s militaristic, punitive style of pandemic governance that may have influenced lower chief executives. In Pampanga, a barangay captain ordered three LGBTQ+ individuals who supposedly broke curfew rules to perform lewd acts. Enter Marcos, who had to undo not just the culture of misogyny his predecessor normalized, but also deal with an LGBTQ+ rights movement that mostly stayed stagnant at the national level. LGBT Pilipinas rallied behind Marcos in the 2022 elections, with Tan believing he was sympathetic to their cause. In a Pride Month message in 2023, Marcos said that the community should be free from discrimination. “We must applaud and be proud of them for demonstrating the talents of Filipinos. In this New Philippines, Filipinos are free…open-minded, and free from discrimination and ridicule,” he said in a YouTube vlog. Marcos also held a Pride Reception in Malacañang in June 2023. While Tan, whose group was invited to the affair, said that it was the “clearest evidence” that Marcos was determined to stand with the sector, Valmores of the national democratic Bahaghari noted how the reception was not inclusive of the broader LGBTQ+ movement. In December the same year, Marcos approved EO 51, creating a special committee on LGBTQ+ affairs. It aimed to strengthen “existing mechanisms to address the continued discrimination against the community and provide them an avenue to participate in policy formulation of the government.” “We can’t just sit and wait for it to be passed, because we might be dead in the future and it still isn’t approved in Congress,” said Tan. “If there was a deadlock in Congress, then there must be a way to do it via executive.” Half a year later, Tan, who is also a director at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, said that the committee is preparing for the full implementation of its mandate. While Valmores said all avenues for gender equality are appreciated, groups not aligned with the administration have yet to feel the EO’s effects, or to be included in its conversations. “While EO 51 claims to ‘bridge’ the government and the LGBTQ+ community to hear our concerns, nothing has changed in terms of policy nor real community involvement since EO 51 was made public,” said Valmores. Ryan Silverio, executive director of the ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, said they have not felt any outreach in their networks either, such as in Pride PH and Lagablab. “It’s an executive order that should benefit the broad range of the LGBTI movement. So, I hope it moves forward [benefiting] LGBT groups across the spectrum,” Silverio said. Valmores also said that Marcos has refused to listen to the demands of more progressive groups. He “dismissed” the community’s pleas for justice for Jennifer Laude, a trans woman killed in 2014 by a Duterte-pardoned US soldier, and instead approved more Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement sites for American soldiers on Philippine soil, Valmores said. Valmores added that Marcos “remains silent” on the continued red-tagging of LGBTQ+ activists. The SOGIE Equality Bill hurdled the committee level in the Senate in December 2022, but the Senate leadership has yet to calandar it for deliberations in plenary. Meanwhile in the House, it has reached plenary, but is still in the period of sponsorship. The goals of EO 51 tread closely to what the SOGIE Equality Bill aims to do. So if this is where Marcos stood, why couldn’t he list the bill as a priority measure? According to Bryon Neil Senga, SOGIESC consultant of the University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UP CWS), the “polarizing” nature of the bill may be the reason why Marcos has yet to make a national push for the bill. “It is possible that Marcos Jr….would not want to take risks by taking a strong stance on this. [He] would time and time again express pro-LGBTQI rhetorics but would not meet the actual demands of the community out of the perceived uncertainty of consequences,” he said. The religious sector has often been seen as the face of the opposition for the SOGIE bill, but Senga said it is not a monolithic bloc. Numerous faith-based groups have advocated in solidarity with the sector such as the Metropolitan Community Church and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, which has supported the non-discrimination of LGBTQ+ Filipinos. “It just so happens that faith-based groups who are against the bill have become more organized in recent years while faith-based allies are not yet as mobilized. The latter however is already being prepared,” said Senga. For Silverio, who uses the pronoun they, it’s a matter of making Marcos see how the SOGIE bill can fit into national priorities, like the continued reopening of the economy from the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think there’s a lot of need for us as a movement to recalibrate our strategy to make this a national agenda…. I don’t think LGBT rights are a priority of the President. I think he recognizes the sector at this point in time, but there are other bigger issues that he has to deal with,” they said. Silverio highlighted the need to quantify the economic contributions of LGBTQ+ workers, both local and overseas. Queer students who are free from discrimination in their schools will also be able to thrive. “If we invest a lot in education and technical and higher education training for LGBTI folks and removing all barriers to education, we can have better human development programs. We haven’t seen that yet,” they added. Tan also saw the need to reassess strategies. While her group was not against Pride parades, Tan pointed to the significance of celebrating Pride Month in more person-to-person engagements. LGBT Pilipinas has a champion in Malacañang: First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos. Tan calls her their “staunchest ally.” On Monday, June 24, the First Lady led the distribution of financial aid and free medical services to members of the LGBTQ+ community and their families in an event in Mandaluyong. “We see the First Lady as the mother who takes care of the LGBTQIA+ community. We owe so much to her because she really was the one who pushed for the signing of the EO 51,” said Tan. Even as the SOGIE bill does not make it to Marcos’ priority bills, Tan believes that there is still time in the Marcos administration to make it happen. “So, there is a presumption of regularity that given this possible prospect, we can still do more, because we are headed in the right direction,” said Tan. But for every day without a national law, members of the LGBTQ+ remain at risk to discrimination and hate crimes. While roadblocks remain at the national level, several local governments have gone ahead in passing ordinances that prohibit gender-based discrimination in their areas. Some of these include Quezon City, Manila, Cebu City, Iloilo City, and Davao City. Senga of the UP CWS said that apart from protecting LGBTQ+ Filipinos in their communities, ordinances like this signal to other LGUs that the passage of such laws is “possible and beneficial for their respective community.” “It also shows that there is a growing demand across the country for a national anti-discrimination law and for greater LGBTQI recognition and acceptance.” Quezon City, in particular, has been trailblazing in local policies beyond non-discrimination. Queer couples in the city have the Right to Care card, which legally enables them to make medical decisions for each other. Transgender individuals can also avail of free health services specialized for their sector. In a special graduation ceremony in the city on June 22 for LGBTQ+ students who were discriminated against for their SOGIE, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte talked about why the city stays steadfast in LGBTQ+ advocacy, even when it is polarizing. “The answer is simple. It is the right thing to do. We believe that we can only achieve our goal of becoming inclusive if we give every person the space to be who they are meant to be,” she said. Will Marcos ride on the momentum of the local governments, and see past conservative pressures? He has four more years to prove he is an ally beyond words. – Rappler.com All quotes have been translated into English for brevity. This article is part of “Marcos Year 2: External Threats, Internal Risks,” a series of analyses and in-depth stories assessing the second full year of the Marcos administration (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024). Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Marcos Year 2: Status of the administration’s promises, progress, and backlogs

mjmcatequista0325

21/07/2024 17:30

Bpngbong Marcos/Facebook Two years since his election, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has yet to deliver on a number of promises and plans he made to woo voters, from lowering rice prices to a fostering genuine national unity. As the President delivers his 3rd State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 22, Rappler’s community partners — the #FactsFirstPH, #AtinAngPilipinas, and #CourageON: No Lockdown on Rights coalitions — collaborated to identify compile the promises made by Marcos and his administration, and key issues in their sectors. Bookmark this list to track the status of these promises and plans going into the President’s third year in office. In 2022, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) aimed to build 1 million houses per year or 6 million housing units by 2028. In 2024, the government slashed the goal to 3 million houses by the end of the Marcos presidency, citing funding concerns. Marcos requested Pag-IBIG to make home loans more accessible. DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino “Jerry” Acuzar mentioned that P20.17 billion was approved to aid the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) program for the construction of 17,791 houses. In June, DHSUD sought for funding guarantees for the project and to certify as urgent the bill seeking to institutionalize the 4PH program. For fiscal year 2024, the General Appropriations Act (GAA) allocated P750.81 million for the 4PH interest subsidy. Senate bills 2409 and 2108 by Senators JV Ejercito and Christopher Lawrence Go, respectively, seek to institutionalize the 4PH program. Both bills are pending at the committee level. The Marcos administration allocated over P541 million from the People’s Survival Fund for six new climate adaptation initiatives in 2024. In February, President Marcos facilitated a deal with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) for the Philippines to receive international aid for climate adaptation. On July 9, the country was selected to host the board of the Loss and Damage Fund, a global fund that will help vulnerable nations deal with the adverse effects of climate change. The Department of Energy (DOE) reported that, as of April, it was on track to add 1,984.775 megawatts of solar energy to the nation’s grid this year. According to the United States’ Department of Agriculture January 2024 Rice Outlook, the Philippines is projected to overtake China as the world’s top rice importer. Projects of the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture intended to boost the farming sector include the introduction of D4AgPH, an online platform for optimizing agriculture practices, and rice irrigation strategies called “Alternate Wetting and Drying” and “Quick Turn Around” to help farmers conserve water for continuous crop production during El Niño. In the first quarter of 2024, crop production volume reached 25.07 million metric tons from 23.89 million metric tons in the same period of 2023. This increase was driven by the 17.2% increase in sugarcane production. Based on government figures, 5.45 million international visitors arrived in the Philippines in 2023, significantly surpassing the 4.8 million visitors targeted by the Department of Tourism (DOT). They brought in P480 billion. The country’s tourism receipts from January 1 to March 31, 2024, added up to around P157.62 billion, which is an estimated 120.70% recovery rate from the revenue gained from the same period in 2019. As of April 24, 2024, a total of 2,010,522 international visitors entered the country, 15.11% higher than the international arrivals recorded in the same period last year. The President’s many foreign trips brought in a reported P4 trillion in investments to the country, as of December 2023, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). However, about a third of this money was still in the planning stage, the department said at the time. In February, Malacañang said that $14 billion of these investments had been “actualized.” Clark International Airport remains underutilized. The national government has allotted P22.98 billion to improve health facilities in 2024. In June, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) board approved the increase of Konsulta Package’s financial assistance for the dialysis of diabetic patients from P2,600 to P4,000 per treatment. The increase still falls short of PhilHealth’s initial aim of providing P5,200 per dialysis session. The Department of Finance (DOF) is on track to meet its three medium-term fiscal framework (MTFF) goals: In September 2023, the Philippines’ House of Representatives approved a bill seeking to reform the military and uniformed personnel pension system with the following improvements: The Presidential Communication Office (PCO) launched a Media and Information Literacy (MIL) campaign on August 14, 2023. The campaign features an MIL summit and a community campus caravan, but fact-checking is not part of its focus. Based on recent update, the PCO met with New Zealand journalists to discuss the MIL campaign, the Philippine media landscape, and combating disinformation. According to Ilog Pasiglahin, the Inter-Agency Council for the Pasig River Urban Development (IAC-PRUD) or any related government agency has yet to hold a community consultation on the Pasig River rehabilitation project. There is also no community member or local government unit representative in the IAC-PRUD to ensure that the Pasig River rehabilitation will be people-centric. Aside from the garbage clean-ups and Pasig River Esplanade (PARES) phases 1 and 2 in Ermita and Intramuros, respectively, there are no other specific projects lined up as of yet for the river’s improvement. The master plan submitted by Housing Secretary Acuzar, who chairs the IAC-PRUD, has been approved by Marcos. Acuzar unveiled the plan in August 2023, months after the creation of the inter-agency council. Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary Edu Punay said preparations for the full implementation of the Food Stamp Program (FSP) are underway after a successful six-month pilot implementation in several parts of the country. Punay said FSP will be implemented in 10 regions and 21 provinces with an initial target of 300,000 families who were validated and registered in June. Beneficiaries will use Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to purchase select food commodities from eligible partner merchant stores. In April, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla described the country’s electricity situation as a disaster after the national power grid successively went under red and yellow alerts. Full electrification is estimated to require P72 billion in funding. Meanwhile, the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection and the Cebu-Negros Panay Link are aimed at improving power distribution and accessibility across regions, ensuring a more stable power supply. In April 2024, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) launched the National Fiber Backbone (NFB) Phase 1 Project, which will expand the internet capacity of 14 provinces across Northern Luzon and Central Luzon. During the Build Better Infrastructure Forum in New Clark City, Tarlac, last July 14, DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy said that the country now has an overall Internet penetration of 73.6% after their implementation of the Common Tower Policy. The Broadband ng Masa Program, which establishes the national fiber backbone and middle-mile connectivity, and the Free Public Internet Access Program provide free, secure internet at 13,462 sites nationwide, according to Uy. The Marcos administration is hopeful that a total of 9.8 million users can benefit from free internet services in 125,000 sites nationwide by 2028. The classroom shortage figures nationwide are at 165,444, Tara Rama, director III of the Department of Education (DepEd) Government Assistance and Subsidies Office, confirmed during a hearing by the Senate panel on basic education last March 20. Students from Kinder to Grade 12 in Calabarzon, National Capital Region, BARMM, Central Luzon, and Central Visayas are among those most affected. Meanwhile, the MATATAG Curriculum has been rolled out in 35 schools out of 47,678 schools in the Philippines. DepEd reported that 267,900 teachers and personnel had been trained for its implementation. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said this new curriculum is focused on improving both coverage of competencies and student confidence. This year, Marcos ordered that skills development be integrated into the K-12 curriculum, and vowed to remain committed to providing free education in state universities and colleges. In March, Marcos assured the public that the Philippines would maintain its independent foreign policy. In the context of the West Philippine Sea dispute, he clarified that the Philippines will act according to its own interest, making foreign policy decisions that prioritize the wellbeing of the nation. “We continue to chart an independent foreign policy in keeping with our constitutional mandate. We pursue [this] through international engagements that seek to strengthen existing alliances [and] build new partnerships with like-minded states,” Marcos told diplomatic corps in a vin d’honneur in Malacañang last June 12. The main office of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) moved to The Upper Class Towers along Quezon Avenue corner Scout Reyes in Quezon City for a more accessible location and to enhance bureaucratic efficiency. The office offers the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) for Filipino emigrants and the Guidance Counseling Program (GCP) for partners and spouses of foreign nationals. In a press release, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced that it allocated P15.3 billion for the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), which includes the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Emergency Repatriation Program to assist forcibly repatriated overseas Filipino workers. According to LILAK, a collective of women advocates for indigenous women’s rights, indigenous women farmers and small food producers in different parts of the Philippines continue to experience hunger while lacking response and support from the Marcos administration. “As they face the challenges of climate change and rising commodity prices, the influx of applications for corporate-driven projects such as in the extractive industries that will destroy the environment and the entry of energy projects within agricultural and ancestral lands.” LILAK said. According to the June 2024 Mines & Geosciences Bureau report, 38 mines across the country have been approved and registered since 2021, and 148 more applications are being processed. President Marcos issued Executive Order No. 51, creating a special committee on LGBTQIA+ affairs. In a statement on December 23, 2023, Malacañang said the President saw the need to “reinforce the Diversity and Inclusion Program (DIP) and reconstitute its Inter-Agency Committee to ensure the country’s continuous compliance with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.” The SOGIESC equality bill remains excluded from the updated priority measures in the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council as of June 25, 2024. Many Filipinos continue to face challenges due to low wages. As of June 2024, the average daily nominal minimum wage across all regions stands at P442, while a family of five should receive a living wage of P1,210 per day to live decently. The scarcity of decent work and sustainable livelihoods are also driving more Filipinos into hunger and poverty. According to IBON Foundation, the informal employment population estimate is at 20.4 million workers. When it comes to health workers’ Health Emergency Allowance, the DBM said that it would release the remaining P27.4 billion and COVID-19 sickness and death claims of healthcare workers on July 5, 2024. By July 9, the Department of Health received the sub-allotment release order, and the allowance will soon be received by the healthcare workers who served the country during the pandemic. Marcos ordered the completion of water projects countrywide to mitigate the impacts of the drought and improve water security, acknowledging that water scarcity is now a constant threat due to climate change. Last July 10, President Marcos celebrated the completion of the construction of the Upper Wawa Dam, which, as a part of the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project, will fill the needs of Metro Manila residents that the Angat Dam is not capable of. The President continuously calls on leaders of both public and private sectors to work together to make clean water available to the 40 million Filipinos who currently do not have access. Under Executive Order 62, Marcos cuts the tariff on imported rice to 15% to lower the rice prices. However, several farmer groups reject the proposal since reduced rice tariffs only lead to more rice imports. As of the first phase of April 2024, the average retail price of rice was at P51.39, higher than the rice prices during the first and second phase of March, at P51.14 and P51.21, respectively. In September 2023, Marcos imposed a price ceiling on rice. Under Executive Order No. 39, the price ceiling of rice is P41 for regular milled rice, P45 for well-milled rice, and P52 for imported rice. The price ceiling remains unless lifted by the President. Since the original deadline of June 2020 for the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), the deadline for consolidation was extended six times following multiple transport strikes. No extension was given after April 30, 2024. July 2024 figures provided by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) show that 159,914 out of 191,730 (83.41%) public utility vehicles (PUVs) consolidated before the deadline. Meanwhile, 1,749 transport cooperatives with around 262,870 members, and 1,088 corporations have been formed. Additionally, only 24% of local public transport route plans (LPTRPs) in all LGUs have been approved, which are needed before fleets are modernized. The DOTr estimates it may take until 2030 before the majority of jeepney fleets (150,000 vehicles) are modernized. Transport groups are still hoping for the program to be scrapped. Since the deadline, fewer jeepneys have been operating in Cagayan de Oro. In Bacolod, Undoc-Piston said at least 1,700 of its members could no longer operate and drive jeepneys legally, and Bacod-Manibela said around 10,000 of their dependents were suffering from the “negative economic impact” of the PUVMP. The jeepney operators forced to consolidate have not received any proper training and support from the government to navigate the complexities of operating within consolidated transport service entity (TSE). Meanwhile, Marcos held a public town hall about traffic concerns. He talked about alternatives to alleviate the traffic situation. To improve mass transport in Metro Manila, the administration thinks of improving commuter railways and highways. Marcos also presented updates to key infrastructure projects, including railway developments and the Metro Manila Subway project. In a meeting with stakeholders last June 5, Metro Manila train operators presented how they would address the problems of the train systems failing PWDs. Marcos created a “super body” to enhance the protection of human rights. However, Human Rights Watch senior researcher Carlos Conde stated that he fears this special committee would only serve as propaganda to defend the administrations against human rights abuses. According to Amnesty international, they see no progress regarding human rights issues under the Marcos administration. Dahas Project reported that about 329 people in 2023 were killed. The Marcos administration has consistently said that it would not cooperate in the International Criminal Court’s probe into former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war as it does not recognize its jurisdiction over the Philippines. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

IN CHARTS: Marcos struggles in perking up business sentiment, taming inflation

Ralf Rivas

11/07/2024 14:55

MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s economic managers have repeatedly touted the bright economic prospects of the Philippine economy. In an economic forum last May 27, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said the Philippines is on course to “becoming an upper-middle income status by 2025, lifting 14 million Filipinos out of poverty by 2028, and positioning the country as the 13th largest consumer market globally by 2030.” “The Philippines is expected to become a trillion-dollar economy by 2033 and surpass France to become the 14th largest economy in the world by 2075,” Recto said. While the economic team has highlighted what the economy could be like five decades from now, sentiment from the business community, so far, has been tepid. The latest business expectations survey by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) revealed that business sentiment turned less upbeat in the second quarter due to softer demand for goods and services, ongoing international conflicts that may push oil prices higher, and a slowdown in business activity due to El Niño. Sentiment of respondents, drawn from the country's top 7,000 firms, also weakened for the next quarter and the next 12 months amid lower demand for products due to inflation. Construction and the services sectors were less optimistic due to various factors, including expectations of lower demand for manpower services, higher vacancies of city hotels and resorts, and adverse impact of geopolitical tensions overseas. The stock market was also relatively dull two years into the Marcos administration. With the lack of catalysts, companies have generally held back their plans to go public. Inflation was Marcos' first economic headache. Inflation was above the 2-4% target range for 20 months since Marcos became President, and only went down within target last December 2023. Prices of goods flared up due to a confluence of domestic and external factors, with the poorest households being hit the hardest. As of June, inflation for all income households tempered to 3.7%, but the poorest or bottom 30% income households saw an increase of 5.5%. Prices of rice, the Filipino household's staple food, remained at double-digit levels, rising to 22.5% in June. Costs of transportation, electricity, and other household expenses, however, have started to stabilize. Affordability of housing is another sticky issue under Marcos. Prices of housing units rose to 6.1% in the first quarter of 2024. Various researchers have pointed out that most Filipinos can't find suitable homes near jobs, nor afford the monthly amortizations needed to own them. Out of the different housing types, prices of duplex houses were the most erratic, jumping by 36.2%. Condominium units have gone up to double-digits once again, rising by 10.2%. Unemployment under the Marcos administration has remained low, but the quality of jobs and wages remains in question. As of May 2024, the unemployment rate stood at 4.1%, equivalent to 2.1 million jobless Filipinos. This is an improvement from the 4.3% posted last May 2023, equivalent to 2.17 million unemployed people. The underemployment rate fell to 9.9% in May 2024 from 11.7% in May 2023. There are currently 4.8 million employed Filipinos looking for more hours of work. The recent P35 minimum wage increase was met with strong criticisms, with labor groups calling the hike "laughable." To improve the quality of life of Filipinos, the government needs to spend for infrastructure and social services. Marcos, however, is operating under a tight fiscal space amid mounting debt. His predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte, borrowed a total of P6.8 trillion during his term, leaving Marcos with the problem of managing debt while maintaining economic growth. As of end-May, national government debt ballooned to P15.35 trillion. Of the total debt stock, 31.96% was external debt while 68.04% was domestic debt. Since the pandemic, the government accumulated debts that were falling due in the near term, instead of those with longer tenors. The government's economic managers, however, are confident that the country's debt pile is manageable. The debt-to-GDP ratio, which looks at debt relative to the size of the economy, is currently at 60.2%. The lower the ratio, the better the government's ability to service debt. To lower the financial pressure brought about by debt, the Marcos administration needs to find new revenue sources. Data from the Department of Finance showed that government expenditures are rising much faster than government revenues, resulting in a wider deficit. Marcos and his economic team will have to look for new revenue sources and improve tax collection to lower the deficit. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

Marcos’ POGO dilemma: Economic managers never backed Chinese online gambling

Ralf Rivas

12/07/2024 19:16

The adverse economic impact of kicking out Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) has been repeatedly used by proponents to defend the contentious industry. From job losses to a real estate bubble burst, revenue losses have been repeatedly raised in congressional hearings. But the country’s economic architects – the Cabinet officials in charge of improving the Philippines’ fiscal position – were never really on board. In fact, they recommended an outright ban amid criminal activities surrounding POGOs. With all the controversies hounding POGOs, why is President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. still keeping them around? The Duterte administration saw the biggest gains in the POGO industry. From contributing over P660 million to the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation’s (Pagcor) total gaming income in 2016, the amount peaked to P6 billion in 2018, representing an 809% increase in just three years. After 2018, income derived from POGOs declined, hitting a low of P2.2 billion in 2022. The Department of Finance has also cited lower economic returns from POGOs. Tax collections hit an all-time low of P1.7 billion in 2022 from a high of P8 billion in 2019, representing a 78.8% decline from the peak. But in 2023, Pagcor’s income from POGOs jumped by 43.2% to P3.15 billion year-on-year. Pagcor's gaming income has helped shore up government revenues. In 2023, Pagcor dividend remittances reached P4.6 billion. Excluding financial institutions like Land Bank of the Philippines, the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Pagcor ranks second in dividend remittances, just behind the Philippine Ports Authority. Latest data from Pagcor showed that there are 45 registered POGOs, seven of which operate with provisional licenses. Here’s what the Philippines’ economic managers previously said about POGOs: Ralph Recto, Finance Secretary: “Frankly, I’m not a fan of gambling and two, I’m not a fan of POGOs, really. But if they were not doing any hanky panky and they’re paying taxes, fine with me. But I think there are many issues already surrounding the POGO industry.” In a chance interview, Recto said the economic team has transmitted a letter to Marcos, urging him to go for a total ban. Arsenio Balisacan, National Economic and Development Authority Secretary: “We don’t think that the benefits in terms of the revenues generated and the additional…and the impact [on] the economy are worth the cost.” He added, “What we want to encourage are very…legitimate investments, good investments, quality investments.” Benjamin Diokno, former finance secretary: “China has discontinued POGO. Even Cambodia. It also has reputational risk. People will ask, ‘Why are they going to the Philippines, it is discontinued in China. Why are they going to the Philippines?’ Maybe because we are loose, we are not strict on our rules.” Pagcor is firm that it will come out with better regulations, nearly a decade since they were tasked to regulate POGOs. In a DZBB interview, Pagcor chief Alejandro Tengco said they are set to release new guidelines, where they will ban POGOs in establishing hubs. “Doon po nagaganap ang mga criminal activities. Napakahirap po kasing i-monitor sila sapagkat una, they are confined in a specific area, malalaking mga hektaryang lupa and they are walled. Ang perimeter fence sila, security fence ang dating. They are gated and it is confined na sila lang halos ang nakakalabas at makakapato,” Tengco said. (Criminal activities are happening there. It's very difficult to monitor them because, first, they are confined to a specific area – large hectares of land that are walled. Their perimeter fence is like a security fence. They are gated and it is confined, almost only they can go in and out.) Recall, however, that it was former Pagcor chief Andrea Domingo who wanted these hubs. Domingo said self-contained hubs for Chinese online gambling workers would serve only to provide their basic needs and not segregate them from the population. “When we refer to POGO hubs as self-contained communities, what we mean is that these hubs will have all the basic needs of the foreign employees of POGO,” Domingo said in a text message to reporters last August 8, 2019. She said these hubs would have office and residential spaces, food establishments, wellness and recreational facilities, and service shops. “They are free to go anywhere they want to, without any limitation on their personal rights or liberties,” Domingo added. The Chinese embassy has repeatedly expressed concern over POGO hubs, as they could infringe on the basic legal rights of its citizens. Pagcor has only accredited only one POGO hub, namely the one owned by First Orient International Ventures Corp. in Cavite. Prior to recent developments in the Senate, Pagcor was already grilled by lawmakers for their lack of detailed roadmap for the online gaming industry. In a November 2022 Senate hearing, Pagcor said it intends to grow POGO revenues to P10 billion by 2027, higher than the P8 billion earned in 2019, or during the peak of POGO activities. It added that they aim to have a 100% market share of the online gambling industry in Southeast Asia. Pagcor’s roadmap for POGO growth was only four pages long. They have yet to make public any updated plans, two years since that hearing. Pagcor, so far, has canceled some 69 POGO licenses and 272 service provider licenses. Most have left the Philippines during the pandemic, while some licenses were canceled due to alleged illegal activities. The gaming regulator, as well as the police and local government units, are struggling with law enforcement. "Isang hamon sa law authorities natin na tugisin at hanapin ang mga iligal na 'yan sapagka't wala na pong mga lisensya 'yan, 2023 pa. Kaya naniniwala po ako, 'yung kinansela namin na himigit-kumulang 250, 'eh nandito lang po kung saan-saan na lugar sa ating bansa. Dahil...mahirapan na pong bumalik 'yan sa country of origin nila," Tengco said. (It is a challenge for our law authorities to pursue and find those illegal entities because they have not had licenses since 2023. Therefore, I believe that the approximately 250 licenses we canceled are still scattered in various places in our country. It will be difficult for them to return to their country of origin.) Since 2018, or since the Duterte administration, nearly 3,000 Chinese citizens implicated in cases have been repatriated through the efforts of both the Philippines and China.In the past year alone, China has assisted the Philippines in shutting down five POGO hubs and repatriated nearly 1,000 Chinese citizens. “POGO is detrimental to both Philippine and Chinese interests and images as well as China-Philippines relations,” the Chinese embassy said in a statement last June. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Marcos put his foot down on jeepney consolidation. Was it a success, and what’s next?

lkyu0285

01/07/2024 8:25

Nico Villarete/Rappler MANILA, Philippines – A few weeks before the controversial deadline for jeepneys to consolidate, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. promised that this time, there would be no more extension. “Asahan ninyo, wala na pong extension ‘yung modernization. Kailangan na kailangan na natin ‘yan (Believe me, there will be no more extension for modernization. We really need it),” he told a cheering crowd of transport leaders. In his second year in office, this was perhaps Marcos’ most important declaration regarding the transport sector. Until that point, some jeepney operators, manufacturers, and financiers were still second-guessing the government’s commitment to the transport modernization program. After all, the first step of the entire modernization program – industry consolidation – had already been extended at least six times. But the April 30 deadline went and came, and the government stood firm. Now, over a month later, questions remain: has consolidation truly been effective, and where does the modernization program go from here? The Department of Transportation (DOTr) considers industry consolidation a success. Latest figures provided by the DOTr show that 159,914 out of 191,730 (83.41%) public utility vehicles (PUVs) consolidated before the deadline. Consolidation involves operators of individual jeepneys forming either transport cooperatives or corporations. So far, 1,749 transport cooperatives with around 262,870 members, and 1,088 corporations have been formed. "Consolidation should have ended 2020 pa siguro (perhaps). But [with] seven or eight extensions, it reached after April 30. Finally, it's done," DOTr Undersecretary of Road Transport and Infrastructure Jesus Ferdinand Ortega said on June 17. Studies of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) show that a consolidation rate of 65% is already sufficient since there is an “oversupply of public utility jeeps.” The modern jeepneys that will eventually replace traditional ones will also be able to seat up to 30% more passengers, according to Ortega. Since talks about consolidation began heating up again in early 2023, protesting transport groups have held multiple strikes, often led by PISTON and Manibela. Their concerns mainly revolved around the costs of forming a consolidated entity and purchasing modern jeepneys. Other jeepney drivers also told Rappler that they disliked being "forced" into cooperatives and losing direct ownership of their franchise and vehicle. (READ: Anti-poor? How gov’t defends PUV modernization, why jeepney stakeholders oppose it) That has prompted the government to go back on its word and extend the deadline multiple times after what was supposed to be the "final" extension. But the government finally stuck to its April 30 deadline because in their eyes, jeepney operators had been given long enough time to comply. “Based on the extension from December to April 30 which the president extended, I would say, lahat ng totoong interesado, lahat ng gustong sumama, nasa loob na po. I need to say it kasi nasa back of our mind, kawawa naman yung mga iba hindi nakasama. Hindi po. Lahat ng gusto nakasama na po,” Ortega told reporters during the Monday Circle Financial Forum, a forum for market research analysts, private sector heads, government executives, and reporters. (Everyone who is truly interested, who wanted to join, are now part of the consolidation. I need to say it because at the back of our mind, we feel bad for those that were not able to join. No. Everyone who wanted to join is in.) Ortega has dealt with the problems surrounding consolidation firsthand. Before recently taking his position as undersecretary, he sat as chairman of the Office of Transport Cooperatives, the lead government agency tasked with consolidating jeepney operators into cooperatives. During that time, Ortega attempted multiple times to negotiate with the two groups most vocally opposed to consolidation, Manibela and PISTON. Certain members of the group remain unconsolidated until now. “If we see certain groups or personalities na nasa labas, kahit anong extension, they will never join. Tapos na po yung consolidation (that remain outside, whatever extension we give, they will never join. Consolidation is done),” he said. According to Ortega, whether an operator opts to consolidate or not is a “business decision.” “My mindset when this consolidation was happening, it is a business decision by the operator. And we should respect their decisions,” he said. “‘Ay, matanda na ako, retired na ako.’ That's fine. ‘Ay, I'll change business from operator. I'll just do business sa palengke or sari-sari store.’ Pwede.” ('Oh, I'm getting old, I'll retire.' That's fine. 'Oh, I'll change my business as an operator. I'll just do business as a wet market vendor or a sari-sari store owner.' Sure.) There were also other operators who described the idea of cooperatives and corporations as too “complicated” for them. “For them, parang komplikado ang tingin nila sa kooperatiba o korporasyon. Ayaw po nila maging sa ilalim ng isang organisasyon. Ang jeepney driver-operator ang kanilang mas gustong sistema, which is one-on-one, so ayaw nila sumama sa isang bagay na parang komplikado,” Ortega explained in a Senate hearing on the PUV modernization program last June 21. (For them, they view cooperatives and corporations as complicated. They don’t want to be under an organization. They prefer the jeepney driver-operator system, which is one-on-one, so they don’t want to join something like this which seems complicated.) But for some operators, the issue of consolidation highlights an ideological divide about how a public service like transportation should be managed. PISTON, which brands itself as a “progressive and anti-imperialist federation” has long opposed franchise consolidation, fearing that it would lead to the “corporate capture of mass transportation.” “The government’s insistence on consolidation is unjustified. They are just rushing to benefit their accomplice businessmen and corporations in public transport,” Mody Floranda, PISTON national president, said in a statement weeks after the supposed December 31 deadline passed. In Bacolod, opposition to consolidation is especially strong. Kabacod Negros Transport Coalition president Lilian Sembrano claimed that more than 50% of jeepney operators remain unconsolidated in the city. Sembrano also alleged during the Senate hearing that officials from the local government unit (LGU) and the LTFRB connived to grant routes to those close to them. (READ: Bacolod legislators make last-ditch effort to avert jeepney crisis, unrest) “‘Yung 81%, kahit ipatawag natin dito sa Kongreso ‘yung mga operator, magsasabi ‘yan na ‘napilitan lang kami mag-consolidate kasi mawawalan na kami ng kabuhayan after April 30,’” the local transport leader said. (The 81%, even if we call the operators to Congress, they will say, 'We were forced to consolidate because we would lose our livelihood after April 30.') Whether jeepney operators were threatened by the state into consolidation or not is a question that the Senate hearing is likely to pursue. Still, figures show that the majority of jeepneys in the country have consolidated. And for those that have done so, they continue to cling on to the President’s word. “Si Presidente na po ang nagsabi na wala nang extension. Ang tanong ko lang po, papaano naman po kaming sumunod?” ALTODAP president Boy Vargas said during the Senate hearing. (The President has already said there will be no more extensions. My only question is, what about those of us who complied?) “Madidismaya naman po kami o madidisorganize kung sakaling i-extension pa po ito (We will be diswayed and disorganized if this gets extended again),” he said. “Dito po sa consolidation, ‘yun po ‘yung gusto ng gobyerno natin (Consolidation is what our government wants).” For Marcos, making this jeepney modernization program successful is more than just about continuing an old government policy, which has its roots in former president Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. (READ: Duterte to jeepney drivers, operators: Modernize by year-end or get out) In many ways, the PUV modernization program can be viewed as a continuation of what prominent transport groups believe is former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s “legacy” in the transportation sector. It was Marcos Jr.’s dictator father who established the Office of the Transport Cooperative in the 1970s and 1980s. Marcos Jr. appealed to this memory during his 2022 presidential campaign, capturing the support of many of the major transport groups in the country. “Talagang binigyan ng pansin ni Pangulong Marcos ang transportasyon, kami sa Pasang Masda ang kauna-unahang nagkaroon ng jeepney for the drivers, sa tulong ‘yan ni Pangulong Marcos,” Pasang Masda national president Obet Martin, a long-time Marcos loyalist, said in 2022 about Marcos Sr. (President Marcos gave attention to transportation. Pasang Masda was the first to have a jeepney for drivers program with the help of President Marcos.) Getting past the consolidation phase is a delicate balance of allowing just enough extensions while also exerting the political will necessary to enforce the deadline. Marcos, however, seems to have weathered the political backlash that might arise from the transport sector. When the President announced that the government would stick to its April 30 deadline, he was greeted with cheers from transport leaders in attendance, many of whom had pledged to support him during the 2022 elections. PISTON, however, remains strongly opposed to the Marcos administration's decision to stick with the current modernization program. “The Marcos government has yet to lay out concrete plans for supporting and sustaining the livelihoods of PUV drivers and operators who fail and refuse to consolidate their franchises. This underscores the failure of the corporate-driven and foreign-oriented public transport modernization program – a program that has left many transport workers and commuters in dire straits,” PISTON said in a statement two weeks after the April 30 deadline. Now that the consolidation deadline is over, the DOTr is shifting its focus to route rationalization. Undersecretary Ortega said that LGUs in the Philippines are still finalizing their local public transport route plans (LPTRP), which outline the number of PUV units assigned per route. Under the modernization program, jeepneys are supposed to follow these new routes. So far, only around 24% of LPTRPs in all LGUs have been approved. Ortega said that the government is giving itself until 2026 to finish all LPTRPs since many local governments still need to be capacitated on how to come up with a rationalized route plan. So, when will operators be required to buy expensive modern jeepneys? According to Ortega, cooperatives and corporations are only required to modernize their fleets after they obtain their LPTRP. From that point on, they will have 27 months to get modern jeepneys. “Just to be clear, wala pa pong bilihan ngayon ng sasakyan (there's no requirement to buy vehicles right now),” Ortega told reporters on June 17. The DOTr estimates it may take until 2030 before the majority of jeepney fleets are modernized. “We expect it to happen 2030. And we're talking about upgrading almost or more than 150,000 vehicles. That’s how many they are. That's why it's not something that could be done in a few years,” Ortega said in a mix of English and Filipino. Within that timeframe, manufacturers are expected to be able to scale up and meet demand, lowering the price of jeepneys. Time will tell whether famed local manufacturers, like Francisco Motors and Sarao Motors, can bring a modern look to the aging King of the Road. – Rappler.com This article is part of “Marcos Year 2: External Threats, Internal Risks,” a series of analyses and in-depth stories assessing the second full year of the Marcos administration (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024). Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

[In This Economy] Marcos Year 2: Missed targets, missing reforms

Chay Hofilena

05/07/2024 12:00

We’re past the two-year mark of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. But so far, it’s been…underwhelming. Nothing substantial is happening by way of economic recovery and reforms. Funnily, Marcos is also making little to no progress on his avowed priorities. For starters, the price of rice averages P51 to P56 per kilo, more than double the P20 per kilo Marcos promised in the 2022 campaign trail. Even though inflation has gone down from a peak of 8.7% in January 2023 to 3.7% in June 2024, rice turns out to be the single biggest culprit explaining why inflation is still quite high – accounting for nearly three-fourths of food inflation. If only Marcos had done a better job at tempering rice prices, overall inflation today would be much, much lower. It’s not as if the government has been doing nothing. Most recently, the economic managers pushed for a reduction of rice tariffs from 35% to 15%. The Department of Agriculture is also launching “Program 29,” which entails selling rice at P29 per kilo in select areas. But let’s face it: these are all stopgap measures to hide the fact that they’ve failed miserably to deliver on the original campaign promise of P20 per kilo. Not much is happening as well with Marcos’ pet project, the Maharlika Investment Fund. Its head, Rafael Consing Jr., was appointed in November 2023. But until now, Maharlika is still just composed of its board of directors. Reportedly, Maharlika is still requesting approval for its proposed organizational structure. Until they can get such approval from the Department of Finance and the Governance Commission for GOCCs, they won’t be able to push through with any of the investments promised to spur economic growth and development. Another priority that seems to have stalled is economic charter change. From saying that it’s “not a priority” in 2022, Marcos put charter change high on his 2024 agenda. Congress managed to railroad a resolution pushing for the liberalization of three specific sectors (higher education, advertising, and public services). But this effort seems to have been successfully blocked by the Senate, whose very existence is threatened by the planned modalities of pursuing charter change (the issue of voting separately or jointly). But even without the Senate’s intervention, Marcos himself doesn’t seem to care too much about economic charter change these days. All said, he seems to be taking it easy – which is not at all out of character for him. Maybe Marcos’ inaction on his pet projects is a blessing in disguise: we’re spared from the ill effects of Maharlika and economic charter change, as warned by economists (including us at the UP School of Economics) and other analysts in the past two years. But we should be more alarmed that the economy has permanently failed to get back to its pre-pandemic trajectory. From 7.7% when Marcos took office, economic growth has dropped to 5.7% in the first quarter of 2024. That’s lower than the 6-7% target they’re aiming for this year. I’ll never tire of saying this: for us to get back to our pre-pandemic growth trajectory by the end of Marcos’ term, we will need no less than 10.3% growth yearly from 2024 to 2028. That’s impossible at the rate we’re going. So the chances of a full recovery are now nil. The reasons for anemic growth? A slowdown of just about all major spending categories in our economy. Even the government is having a hard time spending (believe it or not). Of course, another reason is that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has raised its policy interest rate significantly since 2022. You see, higher interest rates discourage spending. But who can blame the BSP for pursuing this policy? Higher rates are their standard response to a steep acceleration of prices. What this means is that if only the Marcos administration did a better job in managing inflation, maybe the BSP need not have increased their policy rate so much. And maybe our economy won’t be growing as slowly as it is now. Everything boils down to urgent and decisive (economic) governance – something that Marcos failed to deliver in his first two years. Marcos also missed the mark when it comes to the promise of attaining upper-middle income country (UMIC) status. On July 2, the World Bank released its updated classification of countries based on income status. Alas, we’re still deemed a lower-middle income country – we’ve been like that since 1987, when the World Bank first made such a classification. We’re stuck in a rut. Just last year, Indonesia made the fateful crossing to UMIC status. Vietnam, much poorer than us just a few decades ago, is also set to transition soon. When Marcos took office, Secretary Arsenio Balisacan of the National Economic and Development Authority projected that we might achieve UMIC by 2024. That didn’t come true. Then in 2023, he said we might achieve UMIC by 2025. Most recently, on July 27, he again revised his projection, saying now that UMIC might come true “towards the latter part of 2025 or early 2026.” This echoes the latest estimate of the World Bank itself. Hence, apart from record inflation, you can safely say that anemic growth is a hallmark of the economy during Marcos’ first two years. At least on the investment issue, Marcos has tried his darndest to attract investors with his globetrotting: bringing him across the world, from an F1 race in Singapore to as far as the Czech Republic. Said the Department of Trade and Industry, Marcos’ wanderlust yielded $61.3 billion worth of foreign investment pledges as of June 2024, and nearly a third of that ($19 billion) has allegedly pushed through. But nobody has released the investment list for vetting. For its part, the Labor Department said that those investments will likely generate about 200,000 jobs. The problem is that for all we know, they could be pulling numbers from thin air! Even supposing the investment figures are accurate, why aren’t they reflected in the official statistics? In fact, foreign direct investments have been constantly dropping since 2021! So Marcos has broken big promises, and the economy in his two years is just coasting along. But perhaps the most frustrating thing is that Marcos is not leveraging his substantial political capital to push for much-needed, game-changing reforms. For instance, he appointed Vice President Sara Duterte as education secretary, who delivered close to nothing because she also knew nothing about education to begin with. (Her stint was most memorable perhaps for her unusual request for confidential funds for the Department of Education or DepEd.) With Duterte leaving DepEd recently – good riddance! – Marcos appointed another politician, Senator Sonny Angara, who for context couldn’t run again for the Senate in 2025. He’s an improvement for sure, but do we really need another politician leading DepEd? And will he come anywhere close to reducing the dire 90% learning poverty rate of the country? This remains to be seen. Marcos could also be using his clout to abate the fiscal crisis staring us in the face because of ballooning military and uniformed personnel (MUP) pensions. But this seems to be low on (if not totally absent from) Marcos’ priority list. Many other issues demand the President’s attention: the looming depletion of Malampaya’s natural gas reserves, the planned construction of more destructive expressways (like those along the Pasig River and Laguna de Bay’s lakeshore), climate change, the crime-ridden POGO hubs, shenanigans in the national budget, continuing discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, and much, much more. What, instead, is Marcos focused on? The whitewashing and rehabilitation of his family’s murderous and corrupt name. And he seems to be succeeding: fewer and fewer people seem willing to hold accountable the Marcoses for the atrocities dealt by their dictator-patriarch, Ferdinand E. Marcos. If there’s one thing to be lauded, though, it would be Marcos’ stance on the West Philippine Sea. Sure, it’s a vast improvement. But never forget that his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, set the bar pitifully low. As we enter Marcos’ third year in office, his clout and influence as president are diminishing faster than he might realize. The space for meaningful and earth-shaking reforms is also fast dwindling. Best to pursue these reforms now, before politics distracts and gobbles up everyone starting next year. – Rappler.com JC Punongbayan, PhD is an assistant professor at the UP School of Economics and the author of False Nostalgia: The Marcos “Golden Age” Myths and How to Debunk Them. In 2024, he received The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award for economics. JC’s views are independent of his affiliations. Follow him on Twitter/X (@jcpunongbayan) and Usapang Econ Podcast. Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. I greatly appreciate Prof. JC Punongbayan for providing an accurate and realistic description of the Philippine economy during the first two years of President Marcos Jr.’s administration. He pointed out that the economy was experiencing inflation and was sluggish. Additionally, he cautioned that although the Presidential Wanderlust may seem to have attracted real investments and created jobs, these statistics are likely not credible. Finally, it wouldn’t be surprising if President Marcos Jr. fails to pursue reforms that benefit society, as his true intention appears to be protecting his family’s interests. How does this make you feel?

Rappler

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Credible

[Vantage Point] BBM Year 2: Hits and misses

Mia Gonzalez

30/06/2024 12:22

Raffy de Guzman The seed of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s return to Malacañang was planted way before the May 9, 2022, elections. Whoever engineered his rebranding –  widely believed to be Cambridge Analytica – took advantage of the early days of social media. Facebook, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and other platforms which had yet to gain entry in the Filipino psyche, were peppered with messages of revisionism with the end view of rebranding the image of the Marcos family. It was in 2013 when I first stumbled upon a YouTube video titled “The Truth About Hacienda Luisita” about the alleged “sins” of the late president Cory Aquino. The video was viewed a million times by Filipinos who many analysts suspect were made up mostly of millennials or Generation Y, who were born between 1981 and 1996. It was obvious that the rebranding campaign targeted the Aquino family which was blamed for whatever ills – imagined or otherwise – the country was suffering from. The campaign also exalted the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos who was painted to be “the best president” the Philippines ever had. It was Marcos Sr. who signed Proclamation No. 1081 on September 21, 1972, marking the beginning of a 14-year period of one-man rule which effectively lasted until he and his family were exiled from the country on February 25, 1986. Marcos Jr. may have lost his bid for the vice presidency in 2016, but the seed had grown. The hate campaign against Marcos Jr.’s political adversaries was relentless, so much so that the Liberal Party had to change its signature Cory Aquino “yellow” to “pink” during the 2022 presidential campaign which pitted former vice president Leni Robredo against Marcos Jr. The combined political war chest  of the camps of former president Rodrigo Duterte and the Marcoses dwarfed that of Robredo’s who suffered unimaginable vitriol from paid trolls. Her 15 million votes were not enough to overcome Marcos Jr.’s 31 million votes. Former Cambridge Analytica employee-turned-whistleblower Brittany Kaiser revealed to Rappler that the Marcoses had approached the now-defunct consulting firm to rebrand the family’s image. In her book Targeted, she talked about rampant microtargeting or “the practice of manipulating an individual’s thoughts and sentiments through disinformation tactics and the use of available personal data.” She described the Marcoses’ efforts to rebrand their family as “historical revisionism fueled by the use of online data.” Kaiser’s revelation was vehemently denied by the Marcos camp. Marcos Jr. retook Malacañang as the country’s 17th president, parrying all talks of a rigged election. He faced a complex and multifaceted landscape during his first two years in office, all the while navigating through an alley of suspicion among those who believe that he was not duly elected by the Filipino people. When he ran for the presidency, one major concern raised was how he, the son of an autocrat, would manage his relationships with political elites both here and abroad. Would he attempt to fulfill his father’s ideological goals? Did he have any ill will towards the families and conglomerates that could have acted against him, or had abandoned his family in the 1980s? Would the issue of the “unexplained” Marcos wealth continue to hound him? The answer eventually proved to be in the negative. Marcos Jr. has seemingly avoided controversy. To bring the political elites over to his side, he abandoned – and probably never even considered – the violent and controversial drug war of Duterte, and swung Philippine foreign policy towards its traditional western allies. For Roberto M. Herrera-Lim, managing director of New York-based global CEO advisory firm Teneo, it was a key move. He told Vantage Point, “Apparently, many urban and upper-income Filipinos, as well as the traditional institutions such as the press, were more uncomfortable and disdainful of the Duterte administration’s worst impulses compared to the faded and now somewhat diffused history of the Marcos family.” In short, Duterte had set the bar so low for the president who would come after him that he is now proving to be Marcos Jr.’s best public relations (PR) agent. One of the central pillars of President Marcos Jr.’s agenda has been economic revitalization. Like many countries, the Philippines faced severe economic disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He prioritized economic recovery through infrastructure development, investment in technology, and agricultural sector support. His administration’s push for infrastructure development is part of the “Build, Build, Build” program initiated by his predecessor. Under Marcos Jr., this initiative has seen continued expansion, aiming to improve transportation networks, digital infrastructure, and urban development. These projects are expected to stimulate job creation and economic activity in the country. In the first quarter of 2024, the national economy grew by 5.7% from 5.5% in the previous quarter. Instead of the previously set 6.5% to 7.5%, the government adjusted its 2024 economic growth targets downward, aiming for 6% to 7%. This also falls below the median forecast of economists at 5.9% and the slowest start of the year growth rate since the pandemic (Q1 2021 at -3.8). Government spending on the demand side rallied in Q1 2024, increasing by 1.7% after a contraction of -1.0% in the previous quarter. There was a slowdown, however, in household spending, from 4.6% compared to 5.3% last quarter. Investment (gross capital formation) contracted substantially to 1.3% from 11.6% in Q4 2023. On the other hand, exports of goods and services showed positive growth at 7.5%, while Imports of goods and services expanded to a more moderate 2.3%. On the supply side, services grew by 6.9%, industry by 5.1%, and agriculture by 0.4%. Although these results were lower than expected, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan noted that the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate is still in a good position regionally. Asian Development Bank (ADB) Philippines Country Director Pavit Ramachandran even described the Philippines as “one of the frontrunners in the growth leaderboard in the region, anchored on strong macroeconomic and fiscal policy effectiveness.” Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) chairman Jose T. Pardo told Vantage Point that the local market had a total of seven initial public offerings of primary and secondary shares since June 30, 2022, that generated a total of ₱18.41 billion capital. “We expect macroeconomic fundamentals to continue flourishing under President Marcos and his economic team, which should redound to higher growth of our listed companies” he said, expressing hope that “these will encourage and translate to even more companies considering to raise capital through the stock market, which will help further accelerate their expansion while fostering greater inclusive growth through the creation of more jobs and additional investment opportunities in the Philippines.” The local bourse registered ₱2.63 earnings per share (EPS) in the second quarter of 2023, compared to ₱2.09 of the same period in 2022. In the first quarter of 2023, EPS was ₱2.50, compared to ₱2.51 in the same quarter in 2022. For the full year of 2022, EPS was ₱9.12, compared to ₱11.33 in 2021. In 2023, the PSE reported around 1.91 million market accounts, which is an increase from the previous year. About 80% of these accounts were online trading accounts. Earnings of Filipino listed companies grew by 23% per year over the past three years, while revenues have grown 17% per year. At the beginning of the current year, the main index (PSEi), was down by 151 points, or 2.34% In a phone interview, First Metro Securities vice president Andoy Beltran said that one of the upsides of the local market moving forward is the growing popularity of Real Estate Investment Trusts or REITs among investors. The Real Estate Investment Trust Act of 2009 established the legal and regulatory framework and provided an enabling market environment for the development of Philippine REITs. It was one of the landmark pieces of legislation approved during the 14th Congress, aimed primarily at allowing both small and large investors to participate in the direct ownership of real estate – an alternative investment instrument to foreign and local investors. It also provides real estate companies a cheaper source of capital, while promoting economic development, growth in tourism, and liquidity in the capital markets. Beltran called the successful launch of REITs in the Philippines as a boon to the property market and the Philippine economy in general since it will likely attract local and foreign investments. He explained that REITs should also stoke the construction sector which has significant multiplier effects on the economy because “the REITs segment is going to provide additional support to the country’s economic growth beyond the pandemic.” REIT also places the Philippines on par with other Asian economies that have fully developed capital and real estate markets. Its continued implementation will result in the further differentiation and innovation of property development projects which should eventually benefit Filipino investors and end-users. US-based Institutional Investor fund manager Eric Jurado and Vantage Point analyzed key areas where Marcos Jr. has succeeded and failed so far. Successes 1. Philippine market’s performance (259 companies) from June 30, 2022, to June 21, 2024: 2. Consumer Discretionary (28 companies) This sector includes industries such as automotive, luxury goods, entertainment, retail, restaurants, and leisure products. Companies in this industry tend to be more sensitive to economic cycles, thriving in times of economic prosperity when consumers are more willing to spend on non-essential items, but often struggling during economic downturns as consumers prioritize essential spending. 3. Hospitality (17 companies) The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service sector that focuses on providing services to guests and includes lodging, food and beverage, event planning, theme parks, travel, and tourism. It encompasses hotels, restaurants, resorts, cruise lines, and other businesses that provide comfort, entertainment, and customer service. The industry is highly reliant on customer satisfaction and experience, often requiring a high level of service and attention to detail. The hospitality industry plays a crucial role in the economy, contributing significantly to employment and economic growth, and is heavily influenced by factors such as economic conditions, seasonality, and global travel trends. 4. Technology (9 companies) The technology industry comprises businesses and organizations involved in the research, development, and distribution of technologically based goods and services. This sector includes companies specializing in electronics, software, computers, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, telecommunications, and internet-related services and products. Failures However, while Marcos Jr.’s administration has undertaken various initiatives to promote economic prosperity, there have been several challenges and areas where it has faced criticism or fallen short. Some of the notable failures or criticisms include: 1. Inflation and rising prices 2. Slow bureaucratic reforms 3. Public debt and fiscal deficit 4. Agricultural sector struggles 5. Persistent poverty and inequality 6. Environmental and Disaster resilience 7. Human rights and governance issues These challenges highlight the areas where the administration’s efforts have been insufficient or where more focused and effective measures are needed to ensure sustainable and inclusive economic growth. As far as domestic policy is concerned, managing inflation remains the foremost challenge. While the  government’s baseline forecast assumes that inflation will return to within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ target range in 2024-2026, short-term risks remain tilted to the upside, due primarily to an unexpected increase in commodity prices brought about by the intensification of geopolitical tensions and trade restrictions. The prolonged episode of climate events such as El Niño and La Niña could also weigh on the domestic food supply and lead to an upswing in inflation. To effectively manage inflation, non-monetary measures must be used  to complement sound monetary policy to ensure better supply-and-demand management, and timely and adequate food imports. The government must likewise continue to provide social assistance to vulnerable groups that are disproportionately affected by high food inflation. It is the successful containment of inflation and the transition toward a more accommodative monetary policy that will bolster private domestic demand. Despite ongoing fiscal consolidation, public investment will likely be above 5% of GDP and remain supportive of growth. Meanwhile, export demand, led by robust service exports, is projected to strengthen over the forecast horizon. Through the improvement in global growth over the forecast horizon, goods trade activity is expected to bounce back between 2024 and 2026. The risks to the growth outlook remain tilted to the downside. Externally, these risks stem from heightened geopolitical tensions, further fragmentation in global trade policy, and weaker-than-expected growth in China. Heightened geopolitical tensions could lead to higher energy prices, which would reduce households’ disposable incomes. Further fragmentation of trade policies and increased trade protectionism would weigh on trade and could lead to increased global commodity prices. Domestically, a prolonged episode of El Niño and a stronger than expected La Niña could lead to damaged farm output, which could place upward pressure on food prices. Persistent high inflation could lead to reduced private consumption growth. In addition, it could result in further delays in monetary policy normalization which will diminish growth prospects. Lastly, delays in passing key reforms for fiscal consolidation could dampen the medium-term outlook. In order to sustain poverty reduction in the country, there must be robust growth and continued  labor market improvements to boost growth in household incomes. This positive economic outlook, coupled with quality job generation, will likely further improve household welfare. In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), for example, progress in poverty reduction will depend on sustaining the region’s inclusive growth momentum. Marcos Jr.’s presidency so far still lacks a defining idea or narrative. Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines) appears to be it, but there is little clarity as to what it means in terms of tangible and real outcomes, especially for the marginalized. For many Filipinos, the path to financial security still takes them foreign shores, as they search for stable and meaningful jobs. Marcos Jr.’s seemingly laidback style also raises the question of whether he is willing to pursue difficult but necessary political and economic reforms, from anti-corruption to reducing the distortive power of domestic vested interests – whether they be his allies’ or those of influential business groups and conglomerates. The President has maybe two, at most three, more years, to establish his administration on rock-solid ground because breathing down his neck are the Duterte patriarch and children, who see themselves as shunned and targeted by this administration, and they are out to exact political vengeance, first in 2025 and then in 2028. – Rappler.com This article is part of “Marcos Year 2: External Threats, Internal Risks,” a series of analyses and in-depth reports assessing the second full year of the Marcos administration (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024). Val A. Villanueva is a veteran business journalist. He was a former business editor of the Philippine Star and the Gokongwei-owned Manila Times. For comments, suggestions email him at mvala.v@gmail.com. Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. In the second year of BBM’s presidency, there have been significant successes that have mainly benefited the wealthy and failures that have disproportionately affected the poor. I disagree with the statement that “Marcos Jr.’s presidency lacks a defining idea or narrative.” It is clear that there is a defining idea, which is to demonstrate Marcos Jr.’s style of governance as part of the “Bagong Pilipinas” narrative, aiming for progress and providing government services to the Filipino people, particularly the marginalized. However, this multi-layered concept appears to prioritize his allies and influential business groups, and at its core, there seems to be a hidden agenda to protect his family’s interests. How does this make you feel?

Rappler

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Credible

LIST: Modern jeepney models and what to expect

lkyu0285

21/07/2024 18:36

MODERN. Drivers and mechanics of an automotive corporation inspect modern Dongfeng jeepneys imported from China at a plant in Project 4, Quezon City, on January 31, 2024. Jire Carreon/Rappler MANILA, Philippines – What will the modern “King of the Road” look like? Now that the consolidation phase for jeepneys is over, operators are expected to slowly upgrade their fleets of traditional jeepneys with modern units. The government expects to upgrade most of the country’s 150,000 jeepneys by 2030. (WATCH: [Under 3 Minutes] When will we see modern jeepneys on the road?) These new models must comply with the Philippine National Standard for public utility vehicles (PUVs), which is set by the Department of Trade and Industry. These outline specific requirements for the size and safety features of different PUV classes. They also require modern jeepneys to have either Euro-4-compliant, electronic, or hybrid engines, or better. As of June 20, 2024 there are 33 models of Class 2 PUV — the vehicle type most closely resembling jeepneys — that are approved by the government. Of these, 14 are imported, while 19 are considered locally manufactured or assembled. Note that a vehicle is already classified as “local” so long as at least 25% of its components are manufactured or assembled in the Philippines. That’s why models from Japanese brands such as Hino or Isuzu are considered local. Right now, there is the big problem of price. Government officials estimate the average price of a modern jeepney to be around P2.5 million, though it could be even higher. Using a list provided by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Rappler obtained an average price of P2.905 million based on the declared suggested retail price of at least 23 approved Class 2 PUV models. Some electric modern jeepneys imported from China cost over P6 million. This is far above the budget of many operators, even with the paltry P280,000 in government subsidies to offset the cost. For comparison, an average brand-new traditional jeepney costs P1.2 million only, industry sources tell Rappler. (READ: Could Maharlika Fund’s investment in a jeepney manufacturer save PUV modernization?) Some experts and manufacturers fear that the high cost of the units could raise jeepney fares, with operators struggling to pay for the monthly amortization of their new fares. “‘Yung jeepney price po na P2.5 million, mag-i-increase ang fare natin, possibly from P27 to P40 per [passenger]. So ‘yung sinasabi ng DOTr, LTFRB [Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board] na walang fare increase with modernization, hindi po yata totoo ‘yon,” said retired University of the Philippines professor and scientist Teodoro Mendoza. (With a jeepney price of P2.5 million, our fares will increase, possibly from P27 to P40 per [passenger]. So what the Department of Transportation and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board are saying, that there will be no fare increase with modernization, I don’t believe that’s true.) However, there is still hope that modern jeepneys will become more affordable. In fact, the government is banking on increased competition from local manufacturers to drive down price in the coming years. For instance, local manufacturer Francisco Motors is developing a new fully electric modern jeepney, and it plans to sell the first 1,000 units for just P985,000. Francisco Motors chief executive officer Elmer Francisco told Rappler that their latest prototype will be submitted to the DOTr for certification within July. “The 2025 model is not yet in that list, and our price is P1,997,000. This model has a range of 250 kilometers in one full charge using LiFePO4 battery already,” Francisco told Rappler on July 3. DOTr Undersecretary of Road Transport and Infrastructure Jesus Ferdinand Ortega has also stressed that operators need not rush to purchase the still-pricey modern jeepneys since they will be given about six years to slowly upgrade their fleets. “Just to be clear, wala pa pong bilihan ngayon ng sasakyan (there’s no requirement to buy vehicles right now),” Ortega said on June 17 at the Monday Circle Financial Forum. He also acknowledged that some modern jeepney models — including those imported from China — still lack materials for vehicle repair and maintenance here in the Philippines. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

LIST: SONA 2024 protests, activities

Vixey Marie

19/07/2024 16:27

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to deliver his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 22, at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City. Progressive groups and civil society organizations are coming together to amplify issues faced by their respective sectors through various protests and initiatives. Here is the list of events and activities leading up to the SONA: On the day of the SONA, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), along with other groups, will march along Commonwealth Avenue, calling out issues faced by various sectors, including inflation, workers’ salary, the West Philippine Sea dispute, human rights violations. During the protest, an oversized ball called “Binobolang Pilipinas,” featuring the Bagong Pilipinas logo and a depiction of Marcos, will be tossed around. BAYAN has also prepared an effigy illustrating the fractured unity between Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte. Several artists have prepared protest songs, slogans, and performances inspired by P-pop girl group BINI. Kilos Langunense is conducting a brown bag discussion to discuss this year’s SONA, with the aim to improve the youth’s understanding and knowledge about politics and good governance. The discussion will be via Zoom on July 22. Registration is open until July 20. Mayday Multimedia has curated a SONA 2024 playlist in anticipation of the President’s third SONA. The playlist features songs that highlight the conditions and stories of Filipino workers, two years into the Marcos’ presidency. See the discussion guide here. See the Youtube playlist here. BAYAN Timog Katagalugan is organizing the Southern Tagalog People’s SONA, “LAGABLAB Caravan 2024,” on the following dates and locations: BAYAN Central Visayas will join the nationwide People’s SONA, along with other organizations, on July 22. They will hold a protest featuring contextualized speeches and performances at the Fuente Osmeña Circle in Cebu City. Anakbayan Ottawa is leading a People’s SONA rally and discussion on July 21 at Ottawa Sign, ByWard Market. Filipino international students will address problems they face with migration, employment, tuition fees, and more. Anakbayan Toronto will hold its annual People’s SONA rally on July 21 at Bathurst-Wilson Parkette, Toronto, Canada. The Sulong and Anakbayan British Columbia, together with local organizations, will organize a People’s SONA rally at Metrotown Station, Vancouver, on July 21. The rally will feature speeches, chants, and performances celebrating the voices and culture of Filipinos. BAYAN Australia, along with Migrante Melbourne, Anakbayan Melbourne, Melbourne Coalition Against Charter Change and other Filipino groups, is leading the People’s SONA on July 21 at the State Library Victoria in Melbourne, Australia. Migrante Aotearoa is conducting a SONA discussion and Immigration and Employment Clinic on July 21 at First Union Office, 120 Church Street, Onehunga, New Zealand. The clinic will offer free employment advice and immigration services. BAYAN USA Northern California, Malaya Movement, and other members of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines in Northern California are hosting a People’s SONA on July 22 at the SF Philippine Consulate, Sutter Street, Northern California. BAYAN USA Seattle and Malaya Movement USA are leading the annual People’s SONA to discuss and amplify the voices of the Filipino community. The first part will be held on July 21 at Seacrest Park, Seattle, Washington. BAYAN Southern California is holding a rally and march for the People’s SONA on July 21 at the Los Angeles Philippine Consulate. – with reports from Hailie Tolentino & Gab Vizcarra/Rappler.com Hailie Tolentino is a Rappler intern from Far Eastern University. She is an incoming senior taking up Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Currently, she is a News and Editorial writer for IAS Paragon, the official student publication of the FEU Institute of Arts and Sciences. Gab Vizcarra is a Rappler intern from Far Eastern University Manila. She is currently an Interdisciplinary Studies student under the Urban Spaces and Transitions track. She serves her academic department as part of the FEU Interdisciplinary Studies Society. Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

HIGHLIGHTS: Philippines vs Chinese Taipei-Blue – Jones Cup 2024

jisaga0269

21/07/2024 18:45

Strong Group Athletics/Rappler MANILA, Philippines – Strong Group-Pilipinas reclaimed the William Jones Cup crown for the Philippines after a thrilling 83-79 overtime win over Chinese Taipei-Blue in the virtual championship match on Sunday, July 21. American import Tajuan Agee proved to be a stabilizer, while locals Kiefer Ravena and RJ Abarrientos delivered timely hits as Strong Group won the Philippines its seventh Jones Cup title by going unbeaten in eight games. Steady at the line, Agee finished with 21 points on a perfect 9-of-9 free throw clip to go with 9 rebounds, while Abarrientos and Ravena chipped in 14 and 9 points, respectively, on a combined 7-of-14 from beyond the arc. Chris McCullough struggled with 12 points on a paltry 4-of-16 shooting and fouled out in the extra period, but his basket off a goaltending gave Strong Group an 80-78 edge – a lead big enough to fend off the Taiwanese. DJ Fenner added 15 points and 9 rebounds for Strong Group, which became the first team from the Philippines to rule the Jones Cup since Mighty Sports won in 2019. All hope seemed lost for Strong Group in regulation after the hosts grabbed a 71-64 lead before the visitors unloaded a 9-0 run capped by a clutch Ravena three-pointer to seize the upper hand at 73-71. But Chinese Taipei-Blue knotted the score at 73-73 after a Gil Baker putback and eventually forced overtime after Ravena missed his potential game-winning jumper. Chinese Taipei-Blue absorbed its first loss and finished with a 7-1 record. Strong Group-Pilipinas goes for gold in its highly productive 2024 William Jones Cup campaign as it stakes its undefeated 7-0 record against fellow top squad Chinese Taipei-Blue in Taiwan on Sunday, July 21. Already beyond avenging Rain or Shine-Philippines’ lackluster run last year, the undermanned yet talented Strong Group looks for a perfect finish this time around as the likes of super import Chris McCullough and all-around guards Jordan Heading and RJ Abarrientos continue to fire on all cylinders. Even without naturalized Filipino Ange Kouame, Fil-Am veteran Caelan Tiongson, defense-first import Tajuan Agee, and Gilas Pilipinas high-flyer Rhenz Abando in the active roster, the Charles Tiu-coached squad proved it has more than enough firepower after last blasting Chinese Taipei-White, 96-70. McCullough lived at the line for 25 points on 10-of-13 free throws, while backcourt partners Kiefer Ravena and Abarrientos scored 14 and 13, respectively, to help keep Strong Group undefeated in the weeklong tournament with a brutal daily schedule, where the team with the best record at the end of the single round-robin bags the title. Expect the same core to keep up its stellar play as the prime Chinese Taipei team comes knocking on Sunday evening, carrying its own unbeaten slate. But Tiu said Abando and Kouame will play through their injuries, while Agee will be a game-time decision as the American import was discharged from the hospital on Saturday after suffering from food poisoning. “Rhenz’s hand is still swollen and the same goes for Ange’s knee, but they will play through it since this is an all-or-nothing game,” said Tiu. “They know how important this game is for the country.” Tiu added: “We will be watching Agee’s minutes closely since he has been very dehydrated because of the gastro issues he suffered. His health is important, but his presence on the court is also crucial for us.” Strong Group aims to keep its 43rd Jones Cup run spotless until the very end, while home team Chinese Taipei-Blue looks to ruin the visitors’ party with a last-minute golden heist. Tip off is at 7 pm. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

[ANALYSIS] High noon for Marcos

Miriam Grace Go

28/06/2024 18:30

Nico Villarete/Rappler In an interview, former president Ferdinand Marcos once described his children this way: Imee was his “intellectual twin” and Irene was “everybody’s sweetheart.” When it came to Bongbong, Ferdinand Jr., journalist Paulynn Sicam recalls that the dictator paused and said, “He has, um, good muscle coordination.” He then added that “like his mother,” Bongbong liked to party. Bongbong has come a long way from the party-loving son disparaged by his father, rising to the presidency in 2022 on the crest of about 60% of the vote – giving him the strongest mandate for president since his father’s rule. Two years into his presidency, Marcos has stepped up and has remarkably shown that he has a lot more than “muscle coordination.” He has laid out a foreign policy anchored on international law, standing up to China, and gathering international support for the Philippines’ bid to uphold its sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea. In enforcing the hard-won arbitral ruling debunking China’s nine-dash-line claim over the South China Sea, the Philippines has shown to the world that it is a gritty David going against a brutal Goliath, shining the light on Beijing’s dangerous maneuvers at sea to block resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal and scare off Filipino fishermen in Scarborough Shoal. The Philippines, which, in a way, isolated itself from the West during the Duterte administration, has returned to the international stage. Marcos has strengthened the alliance with the US as well as strategic partnerships with Japan, Australia, and Vietnam, and forged security cooperation with like-minded countries, among them Canada, France, UK, Sweden, Netherlands, and New Zealand. India and South Korea have recently joined the fold of countries supporting the 2016 arbitral ruling. Twice, the G7 – its leaders as well as foreign ministers – expressed serious concern over China’s dangerous actions towards Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, showering support for Manila. In what has been a hyperdrive of building friendships, the Philippines entered into new arrangements, primarily the much-heralded trilateral cooperation of the US, Japan, and Philippines, and the developing quadrilateral security cooperation of the US, Japan, Philippines, and Australia. Even the embattled Volodomyr Zelenskyy, fighting for his country’s survival, squeezed a visit to Manila to meet with Marcos, an unequivocal signal of where the President stands in the global geopolitics. Today, however, the escalating tension in the West Philippine Sea tests Marcos’s leadership as the China Coast Guard intensifies its maneuvers – blocking, intimidating, ramming, and spraying water cannons – against Philippine boats, injuring Navy personnel. The most violent skirmish, which took place on June 17, revealed a weak side of Marcos: his inability to harness his security team and handle a near-crisis. What happened that fateful day? For the first time, the China Coast Guard boarded a Philippine Navy ship, brandishing knives and machetes, puncturing inflatable boats, and seizing rifles. In the melee, a Navy man lost his thumb. The Navy failed in its mission to resupply the troops in the BRP Sierra Madre, the derelict ship that stands guard in Ayungin Shoal. This physical assault was a result of China’s new regulation that mandates its coast guard to detain foreign persons and vessels that trespass through the entire area it claims in the South China Sea. As it turned out, the June 17 mission was a unilateral move of the armed forces and the defense department, without the usual coast guard escorts, keeping the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea in the dark. The NTF-WPS usually coordinates Rotation and Resupply (RORE) missions in these contested waters. Far from the usual prompt reporting by the NTF-WPS on incidents at sea, this caught them unawares. It took the National Security Council more than 12 hours after China’s attack to issue a statement, but with sparse details. It was only two days later when Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Romeo Brawner gave the entire picture of the assault. China’s attack on the Navy showed a fissure in the President’s security team, giving rise to questions: It also showed the ineptness of the leader of the National Maritime Council, a high-level policy-making body meant to strengthen the country’s maritime security. In a hastily called press conference, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the council, appeared clueless and called the attack a “misunderstanding…[of] an accident.” This was shot down days later by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, who said it was deliberate and an “aggressive use of illegal force.” China is mounting a war of attrition. It will continue to pound Manila and pressure it until it gives up Ayungin Shoal. This will be a long drawn-out conflict. Thus, Marcos needs to run a tight ship. First, he needs to harness his security team in the Cabinet, make them march to the same beat and be clear on policies. Second, he has to decide on the role of the US military in the routine resupply missions. Should they join these ROREs? Third, he has to make a decision on how best to secure Ayungin Shoal. As he enters the third year of his presidency, Marcos has to make tough decisions to prevent flashpoints in the West Philippine Sea from flaring up – and Ayungin Shoal is only one of these. – Rappler.com This article is part of “Marcos Year 2: External Threats, Internal Risks,” a series of analyses and in-depth stories assessing the second full year of the Marcos administration (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024). Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. I agree about President Marcos Jr.’s weak spot: “his inability to harness his security team and handle a near-crisis.” Consequently, I doubt his ability to make “tough decisions to prevent flashpoints in the West Philippine Sea from flaring up.” However, he can and must improve his decision-making skills and attitude towards national security issues; otherwise, it is expected that the flashpoints in the West Philippine Sea will not only flare up but may even explode. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

How the queens of Binibining Pilipinas 2024 bagged their crowns

Jairo Bolledo

21/07/2024 18:00

DIAMOND QUEENS. The winners of Binibining Pilipinas 2024 pageant: (L-R) 1st runner-up Christal dela Cruz, Binibining Pilipinas International Myrna Esguerra, Binibining Pilipinas Globe Jasmin Bungay, and 2nd runner-up Trisha Martinez. Binibining Pilipinas Myrna Esguerra set her eyes on becoming a national titleholder and representing the Philippines in an international pageant. She clinched the top crown, the Binibining Pilipinas International title, during the pageant’s finals night on July 7. Myrna was easily a standout because of her golden complexion, towering height, fierce eyes, and long, straight black hair. During the swimwear competition, she strutted down the runway like a supermodel in a pink crystal-encrusted swimsuit. For the evening gown portion, she wore a silver crystal gown with a high slit that emphasized her figure. She won both the Best in Swimsuit and Best in Evening Gown awards, joining the leagues of Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2022 Gabrielle Basiano, and other Binibining Pilipinas titleholders who won both major awards during their Binibini stints. Myrna’s win was also quite historic as she shares the same name with the first ever Binibining Pilipinas winner, Myrna Panlilio, who was crowned in 1964. For Myrna, her victory was a testament to how she overcame challenges in life. Growing up, she was not confident of her skin color because of many Filipinos’ preference for fair-skinned women. But as she grew up and was exposed to different types of beauty, she learned to embrace her skin color and appreciate her beauty. “And it’s really beautiful because being a morena represents every Filipino. So I think that’s really something that we should always remember when talking about skin color. So being crowned by Angelica Lopez, it’s empowering,” Myrna said in a Rappler Talk interview on July 18. “My story is also a story of other people. Having dark skin, having morena skin. And I think it’s about time that we look beyond the skin color. But we [have to] look at what the girls can offer: What can she do? What’s her purpose? And I think that is what helped me to win [the] Pilipinas International crown.” Myrna was crowned by her predecessor, Binibining Pilipinas 2023 Angelica Lopez, who will represent the Philippines in Japan later this year. It was quite symbolic because Angelica and Myrna are both morenas, making them the most recent winners of Binibining Pilipinas International title who do not fit in the so-called Miss International prototype. Every competition has what fans call a “mold,” which means certain prototypes that the pageants use as standards for choosing their winners. Miss International, a Japan-based pageant, often crowns a “kawaii” queen or a candidate who has fair complexion and has doll-like features. The last Binibining Pilipinas International winners before Angelica and Myrna had doll-like features and fair skin, which conformed to the so-called prototype. But both Angelica and Myrna will display their golden skin in the international arena and will give their best to win the seventh and eighth Miss International crowns for the Philippines. Myrna said her victory indeed broke this so-called prototype, adding that not conforming to the prototype will also work to her advantage because “being different is going to make you stand out.” “And you really have to embrace who you are…[be] confident of who you are as a person, not just about your physical appearance, but what you can bring to the table,” Myrna said. Myrna also emphasized that, beyond being a pageant titleholder, a Miss International winner should understand that she has a job to help and inspire others, and promote the advocacies of the Miss International pageant, which include the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals. (READ: How Nicole Borromeo nailed Miss International 2023’s Q&A round) There are not many queens from Abra, a province located north of the Philippines, which Myrna represented. Abra Governor Joy Bernos said Myrna was the first Abrenian to represent and win in Binibining Pilipinas. That’s why when she clinched the top crown, her entire province, even the Cordillera region, celebrated. Myrna came home to Abra on July 15, a special day both for Myrna and her home region, the Cordilleras, because her homecoming coincided with the 37th Cordillera Day. Abrenians, led by its officials, welcomed Myrna with a community dance accompanied by gongs and drums. The queen shared with Rappler that, like any other pageant run, hers was not smooth either. All the preparations — like pasarela and public speaking training, among other things — were challenging. But when the competition started, Myrna said she felt the love and support of her fellow Abrenians. “I can really hear their support on social media. And I’m really grateful for that,” Myrna said. “We are very proud as Abrenians. Because even though we’re far away from the city, people [now] know that Abra exists, Abrenians exist. And we can do so much more. And I think that the people should watch out for that. I’m really expecting a lot of beauty queens coming from my province now that we’ve started it.” For Myrna, she did not only win the crown for her province, but also paved the way for other people to appreciate the beauty of Abra. This, she said, was among the powers of pageants: to promote a tourist spot and its people. Myrna was consistent in promoting her province all throughout the competition. For her tourism video, she featured Lusuac Springs in Lagayan and Mount Bullagao, also known as the Sleeping Beauty of Abra. She also promoted her province’s loom weaving industry. If there’s one thing that she learned from her home province, Myrna said it would be resilience. Abra has faced a lot of natural calamities and is often hit by earthquakes. Despite these, its people get up and start anew each time, Myrna said. “Because being in Binibining Pilipinas, we’ve faced lots of challenges…it’s important to remind yourself, as I’ve said before, to stick to your roots,” the Binibining Pilipinas International 2024 told Rappler. “And always remember your reason for being there. Because that’s going to be your fuel to continue.” “Silent killer” was the word used by pageant analysts to describe Jasmin Bungay. She is consistent all throughout the pageant’s duration, but she particularly shone during the pageant night. She won the other title during the finals night, Binibining Pilipinas Globe, and will represent the country at the Miss Globe pageant in Europe later this year. In an interview with Rappler, Jasmin said her ultimate goal was to represent the Philippines at the Miss International pageant. In college, she would tell her friends that she wanted the Binibining Pilipinas International title, even though the Miss Universe Philippines crown was still under the Binibining Pilipinas at the time. Jasmin said the previous format of the Miss International enticed her. Previously, the pageant had no question and answer (Q and A) round, unlike other pageants. Miss International only had a prepared speech round before. But don’t get it wrong, the question and answer round was actually Jasmin’s strong suit and what solidified her victory. She wowed the judges and audience alike during the finals night with her powerful response to the question, “If you were given 30 minutes to talk to the public, what would you talk about?” Jasmin responded: “If I would be given 30 minutes to talk to the public, I would like to talk about the passing of the SOGIESC bill. Because, in celebrations such as pageants, this community has contributed so much. And, in this regard, we can give back to them by supporting this cause because as an individual, it is our responsibility that we ensure that everyone is treated equally despite their SOGIE.” There is a bill that seeks to penalize discrimination based on someone’s sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression or SOGIE. But the proposed law has been languishing in Congress for over two decades. Jasmin said there were two things on her mind at the time: her story as an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) or SOGIE bill, and she chose to speak about the latter. While backstage during the finals night, Jasmin realized that most, if not all, the people who helped them prepare were part of the LGBTQ+ community, so she made sure to express her gratitude to them by using her platform to spread their message. “I just had a moment where it was like a surge of gratitude towards these people. They were so passionate. They were so passionate. They were also very emotional. They were very passionate about pageantry,” Jasmin told Rappler. “And I told myself that all the people there will see my performance. It’s an ode to them. It’s because of them. And it’s my way of giving back to them.” At 19 years old, Jasmin competed in Miss Millennial Philippines, a pageant organized and aired by noontime show Eat Bulaga! She won the Miss Pampanga pageant in 2016, earning the right to represent the Central Luzon province in the said pageant. She placed in the top 10, with Camarines Sur’s Julia Gonowon winning the crown. At the time, Jasmin said she did not take the competition seriously because she was very young and she just enjoyed it. There, she learned that, if you are not focused on winning and are half-hearted, you will not achieve victory. “So this year, when I decided to join Bilibining Pilipinas, I really took time to prepare myself in all aspects and tapped the right people,” Jasmin said. Before she joined the Binibining Pilipinas 2024 pageant, Jasmin was a successful model in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. She spent years there as an OFW, but left everything behind to pursue her Binibini dreams. The Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2024 titleholder’s work as an OFW helped her financially, as pageants also have financial requirements for gowns, national costume, and all. Aside from that, her exposure to modeling helped her in presenting herself on stage in front of thousands of people. While away from home, Jasmin used her time to contemplate joining. Every year in the last few years, she would ask herself if she would join or not. 2023 was the time she chose to fulfill her Binibini dreams. “So maybe that’s what fueled me, my wait for four years…. Everything that happened during those four years, [I hoped] it would translate to something…. Eventually, it was worth it,” Jasmin said. A heavy fan favorite, Christal Jean “Tala” dela Cruz did not disappoint as she clinched the first runner-up title. Inside the Araneta Coliseum, her fans were among the liveliest, chanting Tala’s name every time the candidate would be called. Tala swept many awards, such as Binibining Pizza Hut, Binibining Ever Bilena, Binibining Beautederm, and Binibining Creamsilk. Her performance was a solid one, from the swimsuit to evening gown rounds, where she donned a flowy sky blue gown. It was not Tala’s first pageant as she had already won the Supermodel International Philippines title in 2023. Unfortunately, she was not able to compete abroad, so Tala and her handlers decided that she would join Binibining Pilipinas instead. “So, why not join now? Because the pageant, it keeps on moving. And the momentum is there. And I really wanted to use that momentum, that adrenaline for me to perform. And [turn] all the things that I practiced into reality. So, we decided to go for it,” Tala told Rappler. In her hometown, she competed in the 2023 Binibining Zambales, where she met Anita Rose Gomez, Miss Universe Philippine 2024 top 10 finalist. Tala said her prior experience in other pageants shaped her as a woman and taught her to represent herself and her home province well. “That’s why I’m so grateful that I get to have all those experiences in my province and other pageants. Because [they] really honed me. I think all of us can agree that all the pageants that we’ve been through, [they] really shaped us into improving. Like every pageant that we go to, we improve, we change, and we become better,” she said. If there’s one thing Tala has learned from her Binibini run, it would be the importance of believing in oneself. “It should be about you. Because if you just think about what others think…it’s going to be their story. And what you want is to show yourself. Because if you show yourself, that’s when you get the inspiration, the drive to share it to other people. And that’s how you became a beauty queen that has truly the heart for everyone.” Trisha Martinez was a repeater. She joined Binibining Pilipinas 2023, won the best in evening gown award, but fell short of placing as a winner or runner-up. In the diamond edition, Trisha joined again and eventually clinched the second runner-up title. Trisha said her first try humbled her and changed her mindset. She realized that joining was not about winning awards, but rather showing the best version of oneself. She told Rappler she thought of closing her doors to pageantry because she was already satisfied with her previous runs. But people around her pushed and inspired her to battle it out one more time. Trisha realized that joining again was also for herself. “But I’ve realized lately that my participation, my comeback, it’s more of self-love. It seemed I’d forgotten myself in the process. When I pushed myself, my mindset, and fortitude, that’s when I realized that I could do more,” Trisha said in a mix of English and Filipino. Trisha is a licensed dentist. When she was asked in the Q and A portion about how she manages and balances her other duties with the demands of the pageant, she talked about her life as both a dentist and beauty queen. “How I manage my time? I got it from my purpose. I got it from my heart. I really want to contribute to the 60 amazing glorious years of Binibining Pilipinas, and that’s how I manage my time with the demands of a Binibini. And I am ready. After all, that is the Binibini I aspire to be — with the heart and dignity for the community,” Trisha said during the Q and A portion. Binibining Pilipinas was not Trisha’s first national pageant. She joined the Miss World Philippines in 2021, where she was crowned Miss Tourism Philippines. Trisha said she prepared for her international pageant at the time, and her family was equally excited, too. However, the international pageant did not push through and Trisha was not able to compete. Unlike Myrna and Jasmin, Tala and Trisha will not represent the country internationally because the Binibining Pilipinas pageant only holds the franchise for Miss International and Miss Globe. But for Trisha their journey is far from over. “But let’s see in the future…. You’ll never know. Suddenly, something might happen, right? So at least Tala and I are ready,” Trisha said. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. 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Credible

Why Fil-Am hurdler Lauren Hoffman made the big Philippine leap

Jasmine Payo

21/07/2024 17:57

While scrolling her time away on social media, Lauren Hoffman had a realization – she could actually represent the Philippines in international athletics events. A track star from Duke University, the Filipino-American Hoffman found out that her personal athletics records weren’t far off the Philippine marks, thus setting in motion a path that quite quickly landed her a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics. “I had followed a lot of the (Philippine) sprinters and hurdlers and pole vaulters. So, I really looked up to them for a long time,” Hoffman told Rappler in an online interview. “And my sophomore year of college, I ran somewhat close to the Philippine national record [in hurdles]. And I was like, ‘Oh, that’s exciting.’ I was thinking since I was so close to that national record as a sophomore in college, I was really excited to be a part of the team.” “I have the potential to be something great,” Hoffman added. “I’m on track to do something great. And I would love to represent the Philippines while I’m competing professionally. So that was the first moment where I was like, ‘I want to represent the Philippines,’ when I knew I was good enough to start competing internationally.” At that time, Hoffman had never been to her mom Laura’s home country. But, she grew up in Virginia learning the Filipino culture – “making mano (gesture of respect)” to her ninong (godfathers) and ninangs (godmothers), eating a lot of Pinoy food in gatherings, while belting her favorite tunes in karaoke. Most of all, what kept the Philippines close to Hoffman’s heart was the strong sense of family. After discovering her international potential, Hoffman decided to link up with Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA), then led by former Philippine Sports Commission chairman Philip Ella Juico. Hoffman first competed locally during the Philippine Athletics Championships, also known as the National Open, in Ilagan, Isabela, in February 2023, where she was able to bring along her mom and ninong. Things rolled quickly from there as she represented the country internationally in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in October 2023, ending up fifth in the meet with a time of 57.21 seconds in the women’s 400-meter hurdles. Returning to the US, she sustained her competitive streak, resetting the 400m hurdles Philippine record during the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational in Miami at 56.39, just a tad better than the previous mark of 56.44 by Robyn Brown. In April 2024, Hoffman then blew away the 15-year-old Philippine record of 13.65 seconds set by Sheena Atilano in the women’s 100m hurdles  by tallying 13.41 at the Duke International in Durham, North Carolina. But less than a month later, while competing in her second Philippine meet, Hoffman shattered the record anew at 13.34 seconds during the National Open at the PhilSports track in Pasig, where she was cheered on by relatives from Navotas and Antipolo. Hoffman’s sporting milestones didn’t stop there, just over a year since donning the Philippine colors. By July 2024, the 25-year-old Hoffman made history again by qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, earning just enough points in the world rankings to reach the cutoff mark in the women’s 400m hurdles. “I am one of the only 400 [female] hurdlers to, like ever… make it to the Olympics,” she said. “I think I’m only the second ever [from the Philippines]. So I feel there’s like a lot of history to be made.” “And I think we’re definitely getting better and better every year,” she added. “You know, coming off Hidilyn Diaz’s gold medal [in the Tokyo Olympics], I think that just inspired the country, too.” Growing up in the small, sleepy town of Haymarket, Hoffman first competed in running during her elementary school days, where she would participate in events like the 5km run. At 13 years old, Hoffman then decided to shift to hurdling, which she recalled loving right at the moment she leapt her first obstacle. In Battlefield High School, she was named a New Balance Nationals All-American, winning the state championship in the 4x400m relay and finishing fourth in the women’s 400m hurdles in 2017. The 5-foot-6 athlete also played volleyball, but was likewise relentless in academics, graduating summa cum laude. Heading into college, Hoffman had two choices – Harvard University over in the northeast, or Duke University, about 260 miles away southwest of her hometown. “It was a really tough decision for me because they’re both great universities. I knew I would get a great education, get good degrees,” recalled Hoffman. “But it came down to where I felt more at home. You know, who I vibed with, the ones who gave me a good feeling, which team felt like family. So, I just fell in love with the Duke track team.” Taking up evolutionary anthropology with the intention of taking up medicine afterwards, Hoffman made her mark with the prestigious sporting program under the tutelage of coach Mark Mueller, who coaches her up to this day. She was named to several All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) First and Second Teams and was hailed as part of the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-America First Team in the 2021 season. Hoffman was also recognized by the conference as part of its all-academic team, balancing her act well as a student and an athlete. As of February 2024, the Filipino-American track star remains the university’s standard in the 400m hurdles (55.47 seconds), and the owner of the best mark at Morris Williams Track and Field Stadium at 56.00, which she set as a management studies post-graduate student in 2022. She also clocked 56.58 seconds in the same event to set a Duke invitational record last April 13. Her 55.47-second finish earned her the bronze medal, and USTFCCCA All-America First Team honors, which broke the school record for the fourth time during that season. But from the school track, she now takes her act to the world’s biggest sporting stage. Hoffman will debut in the Olympics along with fellow hurdler John Cabang Tolentino, a Filipino who grew up in Spain who likewise qualified via world rankings. “I like the expectations. I think the pressure is good… We have high expectations for ourselves because we want to be great,” said Hoffman. “We’re snowballing. The success is snowballing. I think Team Philippines is on the way up.” Although this will be the biggest competition of her life, Hoffman opts to see it as just another tournament. “This is the same race I’ve done since college. [Some of my opponents will be the same] women I’ve competed against before. So, I feel like there’s an element of, ‘I’m here and I belong here. I’m an experienced runner,’” Hoffman said. “I’m reminding myself that I’m ready to do this, as well as also, taking in all the new factors as well.” – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

Marcos Year 2: In Bongbong’s Bagong Pilipinas, the promise of unity falls apart

Dwight de Leon

30/06/2024 10:00

Photos courtesy of Jasmin Dulay/Rappler, Lakas-CMD/Uniteam; Graphics by David Castuciano/Rappler Elders say you shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep. In the run-up to the 2022 elections, the media-elusive Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. snubbed debates, avoided specific questions on platforms, and mainly stuck to his message of unity. Unity was his motherhood statement, but it’s one that, for better or for worse, captured the imagination of the Filipino public. It was also his most striking – if not, only – campaign promise. Two years into his presidency, even that, he may have failed to keep. Marcos Jr., son of the late dictator, is entering his third year in office with the threat of political instability looming over his shoulder, in the form of Vice President Sara Duterte, his 2022 running mate and now-resigned Cabinet member. The duo, scions of major political families, forged a formidable alliance more than two years ago, one that was too high-maintenance to keep until it could no longer be saved. His third year in office is now shaping up to be a challenging political road for the President, who has been consolidating his allies to ensure success in the midterms, a vote that will be seen either as an affirmation or rejection of his administration’s policy direction. Analysts point to numerous clues that spelled the end for the so-called Uniteam, but no bigger single-day spectacle could match the January 28 showdown rallies in Manila and Davao between the two families. Held in the Philippine capital was the so-called Bagong Pilipinas (literally new Philippines) concert, a multimillion-peso event mounted by Malacañang to formally launch the administration’s supposed new brand of leadership. It was, as critics put it, a PR blitz that remains the subject of criticism up to this day, and was reminiscent of how Bongbong’s father, Ferdinand E. Marcos, resorted to buzzwords to keep the façade of good governance during the dictatorship years. The Dutertes matched that concert in Manila with their own rally in their hometown, attended not only by their most loyal supporters but also by former allies of the incumbent administration. The event sought to protest the government’s charter change agenda, but it also became an avenue for Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte to engage his successor in a bitter word war. It has been a downward spiral since then. Months later, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos would publicly admit her ill-feelings towards the Vice President, who allegedly laughed during that Davao City rally when her father accused the President of taking illegal drugs. Other signs painted a picture of a tumultuous situation within the administration – the Vice President’s public opposition to the revival of peace talks, her rift with House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and the removal of confidential funds from her office, among others. Just a week before the Marcos administration turned two, Sara Duterte put the final nail in the coffin of their alliance by resigning as deputy of the country’s anti-communist task force, and secretary of education. “Marcos won based on the framework of Uniteam even if it was just a hot air balloon, so it is important for him to pay lip service to the Uniteam. It wasn’t a simple win, it was a historic win because 61% of voters picked him,” former presidential political adviser Ronald Llamas told Rappler. “He wanted to maintain that status semblance to manage that,” he added. “But now, he can no longer manage it.” In Philippine politics, the dissolution of a marriage of convenience like that of Bongbong and Sara was not difficult to imagine. In fact, many had boldly predicted it even before the two officials took their oaths of office. The two families – dynasties in their bailiwicks – go way, way back, but the Dutertes’ relationship with Marcos Jr. is remarkably fragile. Insiders say Bongbong and Sara didn’t really have a solid foundation of friendship to begin with before they ran as a tandem. The Duterte patriarch, meanwhile, admired the senior Marcos, but not the son, whom he called “weak.” It was also, however, not far-fetched to assume that Bongbong would become a continuity president, having run his campaign alongside allies of the Dutertes. Raised by an authoritarian, Bongbong could have also had a worldview that aligned with his predecessor’s leadership style. But once Marcos Jr. took helm of Malacañang, he gradually distanced himself from what made the old man from Davao a pariah in the international arena. The latter set a very low bar on human rights, it didn’t take long for Marcos to overcome it. Drug war deaths under Duterte neared 20,000 in his first two years only, based on human rights groups’ tally; the number was down to under 400 after Marcos’ first year as president. Duterte touted a shoot-to-kill rhetoric; Marcos said he is against addressing the drug menace by confrontation and violence. Duterte coddled Apollo Quiboloy; now that Marcos is president, the fugitive doomsday preacher is in hiding and could not get special treatment. Duterte persecuted former senator Leila de Lima and journalist Maria Ressa, who were among his staunchest critics; under Marcos, charges are slowly being dropped against them, and De Lima is completely free. “Under BBM, we are given the opportunity to make use of a democratic space in transition from the authoritarian regime that was Duterte’s,” De Lima said in February. Duterte’s government nurtured an environment that allowed Philippine offshore gaming operators to thrive; Marcos’ anti-crime body in Malacañang has doubled down on its crackdown on POGO hubs. Duterte fostered closer ties with Beijing and set aside an important arbitral ruling on the West Philippine Sea; Marcos has toughened the line on China and clung to the Philippines’ Hague victory. It’s a funny irony that Marcos would share similarities with former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. While both hail from the ruling elite, their fathers were rivals in Philippine history, with one being accused of orchestrating the assassination of the other. But Marcos’ second year in office was accentuated by their parallels. Like his late predecessor, Marcos showed a certain resolve in asserting Manila’s claims in the West Philippine Sea, and tried to rally nations in support of the Philippines against China’s expansive claims in the disputed waters. “I don’t see it. I don’t see it at all, because, well, I just don’t see it,” Marcos said emphatically, when asked about the comparisons to Aquino during an interview with Philippine media in Washington in April. His pivot from China towards the US has made him a new rockstar of sorts on the global stage, despite sporadic and embarrassing reminders about his family’s history of excesses. He secured prestigious speaking engagements, delivering high-profile speeches before the Australian parliament and the premier defense forum Shangri-La Dialogue, where he was introduced as “one of Asia’s most dynamic leaders.” “The Philippines will not give a single square inch of our territory to any foreign power,” Marcos would say, over and over, as tensions in the West Philippine Sea took a turn for the worse. Marcos got to visit the US four times since he became president, something he could not do in the past due to the risk of arrest in connection with his father’s Martial Law sins. He was able to return to Hawaii, the land of his exile, in November as a seemingly triumphant man with the power of reframing the years surrounding his family’s downfall in 1986. “We landed here with nothing,” he said, even though all the jewelry they brought to the island would say otherwise if only they could talk. In his last trip to Washington, he rubbed elbows with Japan’s Fumio Kishida and US President Joe Biden, in a landmark trilateral summit that sought to address their mutual China problem. He became the new poster boy for international rules-based order, and was included in TIME Magazine’s annual list of the world’s most influential people. “Bongbong has stood steadfast against Chinese aggression in the disputed South China Sea and bolstered his nation’s alliance with the US,” the publication wrote. “By trying to repair his family name, Bongbong may reshape his country too.” Whether or not defending Philippine territories against foreign power would become a campaign issue in 2025 remains to be seen, although some surveys have shown that the West Philippine Sea is a lesser priority for Filipinos than economic concerns, such as arresting inflation, creating more jobs, increasing workers’ salaries, and reducing poverty. The Marcos government has packaged his constant travels – for which his office had a billion-peso budget this year – as a means to woo foreign investors to the country, but it’s uncertain how the public resonates with that justification. While he continues to have majority support, Marcos has seen his approval score tumble, based on Pulse Asia’s most recent numbers. Sara faces a similar predicament – an indication that she’s not as invincible as her populist father – although she continues to be the country’s most trusted in government. In that same survey, Marcos’ trust rating saw its biggest drop in Mindanao – a whopping 32-percentage points – while Sara’s numbers remained steady in the region. Managing the Dutertes, just like how it has been in the last two years, continues to be a recurring theme – or headache – of the Marcos presidency, casting a long shadow on elections that are decided not only by how effective aspirants are in presenting themselves as the solution to the country’s most pressing problems, but also by how they counter their opponents. The Dutertes are a wildcard for the 2025 midterms. If Sara were to be believed, her father and her two siblings will all gun for the Senate at the same time, a scenario that puts into question who will be left in their hometown to take charge of the city hall that they haven’t given up in more than two decades. There are a lot of ways to position themselves – as underdogs, especially in the face of Duterte’s potential arrest by the ICC for his anti-drug campaign; as the bullied, in light of budget cuts for Representative Paolo Duterte and Vice President Sara’s offices; as the new opposition, to maintain their relevance on the national stage. Sara’s regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, which was part of the 2022 Uniteam alliance, is unlikely to be part of the 2025 coalition that the Marcos administration is building. His political vehicle, the young Partido Federal, has been coalescing with older, more established parties composed of the same, old dynasties in Philippine politics. Opposition forces since 2016 have not fully established their plans for 2025, but the Liberal Party of the late president Aquino has not closed its doors to the idea of teaming up with Marcos’ party. It’s a possibility that would taint LP’s long anti-Marcos history, but one that could also strengthen the anti-Duterte network heading to 2025. Such an option – which was unthinkable years ago – offers a chance for Marcos to reinvent the promise of unity he declared over and over during his campaign, in a “new Philippines” that he supposedly wants to achieve. “Bagong Pilipinas is not a new partisan coalition in disguise,” he asserted in January. “Bagong Pilipinas serves no narrow political interest. It serves the people.” The President has yet to prove that these are more than just words. If a presidency is defined by promises kept and promises broken, how can Marcos carve his legacy? – with reports from Kaycee Valmonte/Rappler.com This article is part of “Marcos Year 2: External Threats, Internal Risks,” a series of analyses and in-depth reports assessing the second full year of the Marcos administration (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024). Error. 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Credible

Marcos Year 2: Status of the administration’s promises, progress, and backlogs

mjmcatequista0325

21/07/2024 17:30

Bpngbong Marcos/Facebook Two years since his election, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has yet to deliver on a number of promises and plans he made to woo voters, from lowering rice prices to a fostering genuine national unity. As the President delivers his 3rd State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 22, Rappler’s community partners — the #FactsFirstPH, #AtinAngPilipinas, and #CourageON: No Lockdown on Rights coalitions — collaborated to identify compile the promises made by Marcos and his administration, and key issues in their sectors. Bookmark this list to track the status of these promises and plans going into the President’s third year in office. In 2022, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) aimed to build 1 million houses per year or 6 million housing units by 2028. In 2024, the government slashed the goal to 3 million houses by the end of the Marcos presidency, citing funding concerns. Marcos requested Pag-IBIG to make home loans more accessible. DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino “Jerry” Acuzar mentioned that P20.17 billion was approved to aid the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) program for the construction of 17,791 houses. In June, DHSUD sought for funding guarantees for the project and to certify as urgent the bill seeking to institutionalize the 4PH program. For fiscal year 2024, the General Appropriations Act (GAA) allocated P750.81 million for the 4PH interest subsidy. Senate bills 2409 and 2108 by Senators JV Ejercito and Christopher Lawrence Go, respectively, seek to institutionalize the 4PH program. Both bills are pending at the committee level. The Marcos administration allocated over P541 million from the People’s Survival Fund for six new climate adaptation initiatives in 2024. In February, President Marcos facilitated a deal with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) for the Philippines to receive international aid for climate adaptation. On July 9, the country was selected to host the board of the Loss and Damage Fund, a global fund that will help vulnerable nations deal with the adverse effects of climate change. The Department of Energy (DOE) reported that, as of April, it was on track to add 1,984.775 megawatts of solar energy to the nation’s grid this year. According to the United States’ Department of Agriculture January 2024 Rice Outlook, the Philippines is projected to overtake China as the world’s top rice importer. Projects of the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture intended to boost the farming sector include the introduction of D4AgPH, an online platform for optimizing agriculture practices, and rice irrigation strategies called “Alternate Wetting and Drying” and “Quick Turn Around” to help farmers conserve water for continuous crop production during El Niño. In the first quarter of 2024, crop production volume reached 25.07 million metric tons from 23.89 million metric tons in the same period of 2023. This increase was driven by the 17.2% increase in sugarcane production. Based on government figures, 5.45 million international visitors arrived in the Philippines in 2023, significantly surpassing the 4.8 million visitors targeted by the Department of Tourism (DOT). They brought in P480 billion. The country’s tourism receipts from January 1 to March 31, 2024, added up to around P157.62 billion, which is an estimated 120.70% recovery rate from the revenue gained from the same period in 2019. As of April 24, 2024, a total of 2,010,522 international visitors entered the country, 15.11% higher than the international arrivals recorded in the same period last year. The President’s many foreign trips brought in a reported P4 trillion in investments to the country, as of December 2023, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). However, about a third of this money was still in the planning stage, the department said at the time. In February, Malacañang said that $14 billion of these investments had been “actualized.” Clark International Airport remains underutilized. The national government has allotted P22.98 billion to improve health facilities in 2024. In June, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) board approved the increase of Konsulta Package’s financial assistance for the dialysis of diabetic patients from P2,600 to P4,000 per treatment. The increase still falls short of PhilHealth’s initial aim of providing P5,200 per dialysis session. The Department of Finance (DOF) is on track to meet its three medium-term fiscal framework (MTFF) goals: In September 2023, the Philippines’ House of Representatives approved a bill seeking to reform the military and uniformed personnel pension system with the following improvements: The Presidential Communication Office (PCO) launched a Media and Information Literacy (MIL) campaign on August 14, 2023. The campaign features an MIL summit and a community campus caravan, but fact-checking is not part of its focus. Based on recent update, the PCO met with New Zealand journalists to discuss the MIL campaign, the Philippine media landscape, and combating disinformation. According to Ilog Pasiglahin, the Inter-Agency Council for the Pasig River Urban Development (IAC-PRUD) or any related government agency has yet to hold a community consultation on the Pasig River rehabilitation project. There is also no community member or local government unit representative in the IAC-PRUD to ensure that the Pasig River rehabilitation will be people-centric. Aside from the garbage clean-ups and Pasig River Esplanade (PARES) phases 1 and 2 in Ermita and Intramuros, respectively, there are no other specific projects lined up as of yet for the river’s improvement. The master plan submitted by Housing Secretary Acuzar, who chairs the IAC-PRUD, has been approved by Marcos. Acuzar unveiled the plan in August 2023, months after the creation of the inter-agency council. Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary Edu Punay said preparations for the full implementation of the Food Stamp Program (FSP) are underway after a successful six-month pilot implementation in several parts of the country. Punay said FSP will be implemented in 10 regions and 21 provinces with an initial target of 300,000 families who were validated and registered in June. Beneficiaries will use Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to purchase select food commodities from eligible partner merchant stores. In April, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla described the country’s electricity situation as a disaster after the national power grid successively went under red and yellow alerts. Full electrification is estimated to require P72 billion in funding. Meanwhile, the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection and the Cebu-Negros Panay Link are aimed at improving power distribution and accessibility across regions, ensuring a more stable power supply. In April 2024, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) launched the National Fiber Backbone (NFB) Phase 1 Project, which will expand the internet capacity of 14 provinces across Northern Luzon and Central Luzon. During the Build Better Infrastructure Forum in New Clark City, Tarlac, last July 14, DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy said that the country now has an overall Internet penetration of 73.6% after their implementation of the Common Tower Policy. The Broadband ng Masa Program, which establishes the national fiber backbone and middle-mile connectivity, and the Free Public Internet Access Program provide free, secure internet at 13,462 sites nationwide, according to Uy. The Marcos administration is hopeful that a total of 9.8 million users can benefit from free internet services in 125,000 sites nationwide by 2028. The classroom shortage figures nationwide are at 165,444, Tara Rama, director III of the Department of Education (DepEd) Government Assistance and Subsidies Office, confirmed during a hearing by the Senate panel on basic education last March 20. Students from Kinder to Grade 12 in Calabarzon, National Capital Region, BARMM, Central Luzon, and Central Visayas are among those most affected. Meanwhile, the MATATAG Curriculum has been rolled out in 35 schools out of 47,678 schools in the Philippines. DepEd reported that 267,900 teachers and personnel had been trained for its implementation. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said this new curriculum is focused on improving both coverage of competencies and student confidence. This year, Marcos ordered that skills development be integrated into the K-12 curriculum, and vowed to remain committed to providing free education in state universities and colleges. In March, Marcos assured the public that the Philippines would maintain its independent foreign policy. In the context of the West Philippine Sea dispute, he clarified that the Philippines will act according to its own interest, making foreign policy decisions that prioritize the wellbeing of the nation. “We continue to chart an independent foreign policy in keeping with our constitutional mandate. We pursue [this] through international engagements that seek to strengthen existing alliances [and] build new partnerships with like-minded states,” Marcos told diplomatic corps in a vin d’honneur in Malacañang last June 12. The main office of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) moved to The Upper Class Towers along Quezon Avenue corner Scout Reyes in Quezon City for a more accessible location and to enhance bureaucratic efficiency. The office offers the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) for Filipino emigrants and the Guidance Counseling Program (GCP) for partners and spouses of foreign nationals. In a press release, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced that it allocated P15.3 billion for the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), which includes the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Emergency Repatriation Program to assist forcibly repatriated overseas Filipino workers. According to LILAK, a collective of women advocates for indigenous women’s rights, indigenous women farmers and small food producers in different parts of the Philippines continue to experience hunger while lacking response and support from the Marcos administration. “As they face the challenges of climate change and rising commodity prices, the influx of applications for corporate-driven projects such as in the extractive industries that will destroy the environment and the entry of energy projects within agricultural and ancestral lands.” LILAK said. According to the June 2024 Mines & Geosciences Bureau report, 38 mines across the country have been approved and registered since 2021, and 148 more applications are being processed. President Marcos issued Executive Order No. 51, creating a special committee on LGBTQIA+ affairs. In a statement on December 23, 2023, Malacañang said the President saw the need to “reinforce the Diversity and Inclusion Program (DIP) and reconstitute its Inter-Agency Committee to ensure the country’s continuous compliance with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.” The SOGIESC equality bill remains excluded from the updated priority measures in the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council as of June 25, 2024. Many Filipinos continue to face challenges due to low wages. As of June 2024, the average daily nominal minimum wage across all regions stands at P442, while a family of five should receive a living wage of P1,210 per day to live decently. The scarcity of decent work and sustainable livelihoods are also driving more Filipinos into hunger and poverty. According to IBON Foundation, the informal employment population estimate is at 20.4 million workers. When it comes to health workers’ Health Emergency Allowance, the DBM said that it would release the remaining P27.4 billion and COVID-19 sickness and death claims of healthcare workers on July 5, 2024. By July 9, the Department of Health received the sub-allotment release order, and the allowance will soon be received by the healthcare workers who served the country during the pandemic. Marcos ordered the completion of water projects countrywide to mitigate the impacts of the drought and improve water security, acknowledging that water scarcity is now a constant threat due to climate change. Last July 10, President Marcos celebrated the completion of the construction of the Upper Wawa Dam, which, as a part of the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project, will fill the needs of Metro Manila residents that the Angat Dam is not capable of. The President continuously calls on leaders of both public and private sectors to work together to make clean water available to the 40 million Filipinos who currently do not have access. Under Executive Order 62, Marcos cuts the tariff on imported rice to 15% to lower the rice prices. However, several farmer groups reject the proposal since reduced rice tariffs only lead to more rice imports. As of the first phase of April 2024, the average retail price of rice was at P51.39, higher than the rice prices during the first and second phase of March, at P51.14 and P51.21, respectively. In September 2023, Marcos imposed a price ceiling on rice. Under Executive Order No. 39, the price ceiling of rice is P41 for regular milled rice, P45 for well-milled rice, and P52 for imported rice. The price ceiling remains unless lifted by the President. Since the original deadline of June 2020 for the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), the deadline for consolidation was extended six times following multiple transport strikes. No extension was given after April 30, 2024. July 2024 figures provided by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) show that 159,914 out of 191,730 (83.41%) public utility vehicles (PUVs) consolidated before the deadline. Meanwhile, 1,749 transport cooperatives with around 262,870 members, and 1,088 corporations have been formed. Additionally, only 24% of local public transport route plans (LPTRPs) in all LGUs have been approved, which are needed before fleets are modernized. The DOTr estimates it may take until 2030 before the majority of jeepney fleets (150,000 vehicles) are modernized. Transport groups are still hoping for the program to be scrapped. Since the deadline, fewer jeepneys have been operating in Cagayan de Oro. In Bacolod, Undoc-Piston said at least 1,700 of its members could no longer operate and drive jeepneys legally, and Bacod-Manibela said around 10,000 of their dependents were suffering from the “negative economic impact” of the PUVMP. The jeepney operators forced to consolidate have not received any proper training and support from the government to navigate the complexities of operating within consolidated transport service entity (TSE). Meanwhile, Marcos held a public town hall about traffic concerns. He talked about alternatives to alleviate the traffic situation. To improve mass transport in Metro Manila, the administration thinks of improving commuter railways and highways. Marcos also presented updates to key infrastructure projects, including railway developments and the Metro Manila Subway project. In a meeting with stakeholders last June 5, Metro Manila train operators presented how they would address the problems of the train systems failing PWDs. Marcos created a “super body” to enhance the protection of human rights. However, Human Rights Watch senior researcher Carlos Conde stated that he fears this special committee would only serve as propaganda to defend the administrations against human rights abuses. According to Amnesty international, they see no progress regarding human rights issues under the Marcos administration. Dahas Project reported that about 329 people in 2023 were killed. The Marcos administration has consistently said that it would not cooperate in the International Criminal Court’s probe into former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war as it does not recognize its jurisdiction over the Philippines. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Why society needs to address loneliness

Chito de la Vega

21/07/2024 15:48

Doctorxgc/wikimedia commons Several scientific studies have found that loneliness can lead to poor physical and mental health. The absence of high-quality social connections has been linked to depression, dementia, cardiovascular diseases and even early death. Chronic loneliness can have the same effect on your physical and mental health as obesity, physical inactivity and smoking. According to the US Surgeon General, the mortality effect of loneliness is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The World Health Organization has described loneliness as “a pressing health threat”. Loneliness rose alarmingly during the COVID-19 pandemic because of physical isolation, lockdowns and remote work and education. Although people may seem more connected via social media, research shows that while these platforms may help people connect with each other, those using social media to maintain relationships feel lonelier than those who use it for other reasons. Social isolation is not limited to certain age groups. The WHO estimates that between 5 and 15% of adolescents experience loneliness. Research has shown that overall loneliness is more prevalent in the young than the middle-aged and more in the middle-aged than older people; more in men than women and more in those living in individualistic societies rather than collectivist ones. There is also a high prevalence of loneliness and social isolation among transgender and gender diverse people and those with disabilities. Loneliness can have an acute impact on the wellbeing of older adults as they live longer and have to contend with declining health, poor family support and limited social engagement. A society or community’s safety, prosperity and effective governance depend greatly on the quality of the social connections within its neighborhoods, communities, workplaces and schools. Although loneliness and social isolation have serious impacts on physical and mental health, there is no pharmacological intervention for treating them. There is also no one-size-fits-all social intervention. However, solutions do exist in different cultures and societies to counter loneliness. Dealing with the loneliness epidemic, therefore, needs national policies, community initiatives and personal practices. These could include volunteering, consciously connecting with friends and family routinely, having a regular exercise regime and psychological interventions designed to tackle individual needs as required. – 360info/Rappler.com Originally published under Creative Commons by 360info™. Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Angara vows support for teachers’ salary raise, career progression

Bonz Magsambol

21/07/2024 12:43

File photo of Education Secretary Sonny Angara during a budget deliberations at the Senate Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB MANILA, Philippines – While he thumbed down proposals to raise entry-level salary of teachers to P50,000, newly installed Education Secretary Sonny Angara expressed confidence that teachers would see a better compensation package under the Marcos administration. “It’s only a question of how much and when tataas ‘yan, pero I’m confident during the Marcos administration na tataas ang suweldo nila,” Angara said on the sidelines of his oath-taking ceremony in Malacañang Palace on Friday, July 19. (It’s only a question of how much and when it will be raised, but I’m confident that it will happen during the Marcos administration.) Improving the welfare of teachers was one of the directives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Angara. 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, many of them have been leaving the country in their quest for better pay and working conditions. But Angara said that it is impossible to give teachers a P23,000 increase, adding that the government cannot afford it. “Kung P23,000 [increase] times 900,000 [teachers], mas mataas pa ‘yun sa national budget, sa totoo lang,” he said. (If we give them a P23,000 increase, multiply that by 900,000 teachers, then the total amount would be higher than the national budget, truth be told.) Aside from better compensation package, the education chief vowed to fix the career progression of teachers. “Narinig natin ‘yung mga reklamo na ‘yung mga labing limang taon, Teacher 1 pa lang sila. So, ayusin namin ‘yung promotion system sa gobyerno. Tingnan natin ‘yung mga benepisyon nila, ‘yung teaching load nila,” Angara said during a separate event in Quezon City on Saturday, July 20. (We heard complaints that there are teachers who have been in service for 15 years, yet still at Teacher 1 level. So we will fix the promotion system of the government. We will check their benefits and teaching load.) Recognizing that teachers are the biggest input to students’ learning, Angara promised to provide more trainings to them so they could improve their teaching quality. According to a World Bank study in 2016, the knowledge of teachers and the method they use to teach a subject were “important determinants of student learning outcomes in the Philippines.” The study showed that “knowledge of subject matter among elementary and high school teachers is low in most subjects.” For instance, the World Bank study revealed that a mathematics teacher in high school was only able to answer 31% of the questions “completely correctly,” far from even half of the questions. “Since the tests are closely aligned with the curriculum, the results suggest that teachers face significant challenges in teaching a considerable portion of the current K to 12 curriculum,” the study said. Angara replaced Vice President Sara Duterte as education chief. 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 Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Writing 77: The Baguio Midland Courier

Mia Gonzalez

21/07/2024 12:00

FINAL ISSUE. The front page of the final issue of the Baguio Midland Courier on July 21, 2024 BAGUIO, Philippines – Baguio was always a newspaper town. Back in 1939, when the literacy rate of the country was below 50%, the city already had a weekly paper. The Manila Daily Bulletin, the forerunner of the Manila Bulletin but then an American-owned paper, had a weekly supplement on Baguio called Baguio Bulletin. Most of the contents were on the Americans in the city and some of the prominent Filipinos. In the 1930s, Jane Noble Garrott opened a bookshop in the basement of a bank at Session Road. This attracted bored American housewives who started a book club and poetry readings. Later some of the Japanese residents in the city (most of the fathers worked to build Kennon Road and decided to stay) started their haiku society at the Sayote Hotel in what is now Hotel Veniz and Sunshine Grocery at the foot of Abanao St. This was probably where the young Hamadas (Sinai and Oseo) got their taste of literature. Sinai would soon enroll at the University of the Philippines and finish journalism and law. He would also become the editor in chief of the Philippine Collegian. He also wrote short stories that dumbfounded many Manila writers at that time. How can a Japanese-Igorot, who grew up in a place practically still governed by the Bureau of Non-Christian Tribes, write so prodigiously? His 1932 short story, “Tanabata’s Wife,” was hailed by Franz Arcellana as the “The Finest Love Story Ever Written by a Filipino.” And then, just like that, he returned to Baguio and became a people’s lawyer in 1939. It was a hard choice for Sinai to defend his people. He would spend his early years defending drunks (People vs. Cayat, 1939) and tribal feuds. And then, on April 28, 1947, Sinai and brother Oseo with half-sister Cecile Okubo started the Baguio Midland Courier. Most of the stories were about the city’s reconstruction after World War II. Cecile would hold on to the tradition of Baguio Bulletin with her gossip of the few remaining Americans. And when she took over from Sinai in the 1990s, she became a feisty environmental and cultural activist. The paper would have journalist and folklorist Lawrence Wilson as contributing editor and Eduardo Masferre as assistant editor. Wilson already published Igorot Mining Methods and Ilongot Life and Legends before joining Midland. Later, he compiled his columns in The Skyland of the Philippines and Tales from the Mountain Province. Masferre would soon become a full-time photographer and is acknowledged as the “Father of Philippine Photography” for his documentary photographs of the Cordilleras. And then there is the young Primitivo Mijares, who first apprenticed in Midland and soon became the “ear and mouth” of then-president Ferdinand E. Marcos. Later he would have a change of heart and turn his back on the Marcoses, writing The Conjugal Dictatorship, which would cost him his life and that of his young son. Midland would also bring out The Collected Stories of Sinai Hamada in 1975. A.S. Florentino came out with his Piso Books for the National Bookstore and published The Woman Who Looked Out the Window: Selected Stories by Sinai Hamada in 1973. Another side publication for the Baguio Midland Press was the collected columns of William Henry Scott. Quite a roster of characters for the early Baguio Midland Courier. The four pages of Midland would grow into eight and then 16 and 32 pages and more. On several issues, they would reach 100 pages. The first issue had 100 copies. By the 1960s, they reached 3,600 copies. The greatest achievement for Midland was that it would become the longest newspaper to publish continuously. It was published without fail from April 1949 till July 21, 2024. This constancy was propelled by what local observers knew as the “Sunday habit.” Most of the buyers of Midland were said to be those who attended the Sunday masses and the promenaders of Session Road. They were said to be either the old people who would buy Midland to look at the carefully laid-out obituaries of their friends and neighbors, people out to look for jobs and transient spaces, and children of oldtimers. Also add those who genuinely care about the city and had to know the ins-and-outs, as one of the column titles went. These readers are creatures of habit, that is why the column of former fiscal Benny Carantes was reprinted three years after he died. But some said that Midland actually stopped printing. Those who researched on the microfiche of Midland would say that there were missing issues from September 24 and 31, 1972. According to former Midland editor in chief March Fianza, Sinai was among those called to Camp Dangwa right after the declaration of Martial Law on September 21, 1972. Sinai was not detained because Ben Palispis agreed to have him under his custody. But, even then, Fianza was told by those in the know that Midland was able to print out 250 copies, mostly for advertisers, courts, and other interested parties. He said that Sinai secretly kept his copies but failed to give them to their archive. Another time that Midland almost did not come out was during the July 16, 1990, earthquake. That was a Monday and the whole city was crippled even after a week. Because it was “an act of God,” the double issue that came out on July 30, 1990, was considered a continuation of the July 15, 1990, issue. Another tradition that Midland had was the “Nominations of the Year.” It was a feature that came out at the start of the year with serious and funny nominations coming mostly from readers. Finding who made it to the list made the New Year’s issue their perennial bestseller. It started in 1948 with “Highlights of the Year.” The 1949 edition had Major Bado Dangwa as “Man of the Year” and Mrs. Gene O. de Guia as “Sweetheart of the Year.” The “Question of the Year” in 1949 was, “What holds that strapless gown up?” From now until January 5, 2025, the “Questions of the Year” would be “Why did we allow this to happen, and what do we do now?” These are the questions we would not easily find the answers to. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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IN PHOTOS: Our favorite looks at the GMA Gala 2024

Ysa Abad

21/07/2024 13:51

GMA GALA 2024. Kapuso celebrities grace the annual charity event. Bianca Umali, Gabbi Garcia, Julie Ann San Jose's Instagram MANILA, Philippines — Some of the country’s biggest and brightest stars came together on Saturday, July 20, for the 2024 GMA Gala Night at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Newport, Pasay City. Notably, GMA’s most well-known talents, particularly from their in-house agency Sparkle, were not the only ones who graced the annual event; even Kapamilya celebrities from ABS-CBN were also present. With the theme “Bling,” this year’s edition saw these celebrities show off their glamorous black-and-white ensembles and sparkling accessories. Here are some of our favorite looks: Marian Rivera has long perfected the art of pulling off classic and minimalist ensembles. For this year’s gala, she wowed fans again in a custom Nicole + Felicia couture strapless black gown. The crystal-studded rosettes adorning the neckline elevated the seemingly simple piece. A fashion list wouldn’t be complete without style icon Heart Evangelista. The socialite was a vision in white, thanks to a creation from Italian house Giambattista Valli. Her halter-style gown is characterized by a high neckline, floral and ribbon detailing, embellished sides, and a balloon skirt. Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee went for a subtle, sexy look in her black strapless sheer gown with tulle skirt from Francis Libiran. Encantadia star Glaiza de Castro was a standout in her silver strapless gown. The sheer piece was adorned with fringes and sparkly embellishments. She completed her look with a mesh shawl. You can never go wrong with a classic, and Barbie Forteza knows that. The custom strapless white ball gown by Mak Tumang featured a deep neckline and floral appliques at the skirt’s hems. Leave it to Bianca Umali to put a chic spin on menswear. Designed by Joey Samson, the reimagined tuxedo featured a high-collared pleated top with a black bow tie. The whole piece was completed by a high-waisted asymmetrical maxi skirt and pointed heels. Donning an Alaïa creation, Bea Alonzo looked ethereal in the classic white turtleneck and long-sleeved gown. Her silhouette was highlighted by the large textured floral embellishments on the hip part of the bodice. Even with her previous GMA Gala looks, Gabbi Garcia was never the one to shy away from dramatic sillhouettess. For this year, she was a sight to behold in a metallic structural gown by Rick Owens. Always the one to command attention, Vice Ganda was a sight to behold in a black strapless leather gown. Kyline Alcantara looked captivating in her nude gown with symmetrical cording. Actress-singer Julie Anne San Jose channeled old Hollywood with her feathered gown from Michael Cinco. Who are the other stars that made it to your best-dressed list? – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Redemption run: Rianne Malixi rules US Girls’ Junior Championship in record fashion

delfin.dioquino editor

21/07/2024 13:51

CHAMPION. Rianne Malixi lifts the trophy after winning the 2024 US Girls' Junior Championship. Mike Ehrmann/USGA MANILA, Philippines – Rianne Malixi refused to be on the receiving end of another heartbreak. The Filipina ruled the US Girls’ Junior Championship a year after settling for runner-up, toppling Asterisk Talley in the final at the El Caballero Country Club in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 20 (Sunday, July 21, Manila time). Prepared for her big moment, Malixi won in record fashion, with her 8-and-7 triumph over the American being the biggest winning margin in tournament history. Malixi, 17, redeemed herself from a stinging one-hole loss to Filipino-American Kiara Romero last year as she became the second golfer representing the Philippines to capture the championship after Princess Superal first achieved the feat in 2014. “I’m getting pretty emotional right now because I know how much hard work I’ve put in the past years,” said a teary-eyed Malixi. “I’m not the only one who made a lot of sacrifices. I’d like to credit my family, especially my dad.” “He sacrificed a lot of time for me, just to accompany me training, and just really providing what is best for me to become a better player.” Malixi came out with guns blazing in the first half of the 36-hole clash, taking a commanding 6-up lead by the 18th after firing nine birdies. Talley cut her deficit to 5-up by the 24th hole, but Malixi got the job done as she birdied the 25th and 27th holes then went for par at 29th, which the American bogeyed, to go 8-up and clinch the crown with seven holes to spare. Malixi sank 14 birdies in total and recorded no bogeys. “I was just really playing good golf this week. I was not expecting it today. My putter was just so hot all day. Credit to my putter,” said Malixi. Finishing stroke play as the second seed, Malixi beat Annie Jin in the round of 64, Kennedy Swedick in the round of 32, Yanling Elaine Liu in the round of 16, Madison Messimer in the quarterfinals, and Jasmine Koo in the semifinals. Her victory over Talley earned Malixi a spot in the 2025 US Women’s Open, where Japan’s Yuka Saso – who won the major for the Philippines in 2021 – seeks to defend her crown. Malixi plans to attend Duke University in 2025. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Tropical Storm Carina strengthens again, seen to affect Batanes, Cagayan

Acor Arceo

21/07/2024 14:05

CARINA. Satellite image of Tropical Storm Carina (Gaemi) as of July 21, 2024, 11 am. JMA MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Storm Carina (Gaemi) continued to intensify over the Philippine Sea on Sunday morning, July 21, and is already on track to reach severe tropical storm status within the day. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in a briefing past 11 am on Sunday that Carina’s maximum sustained winds increased from 75 kilometers per hour to 85 km/h. The tropical storm’s gustiness is now up to 115 km/h from the previous 90 km/h. It was last spotted 350 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora, moving west at a faster 20 km/h from only 10 km/h earlier. Carina is not expected to make landfall in the Philippines, but its outer rainbands will affect the provinces of Batanes and Cagayan, including the Babuyan Islands. PAGASA warned that the rain may trigger floods and landslides. Below is the weather bureau’s updated rainfall forecast for the tropical storm. Sunday noon, July 21, to Monday noon, July 22 Monday noon, July 22, to Tuesday noon, July 23 Tuesday noon, July 23, to Wednesday noon, July 24 PAGASA might also raise Signal No. 1 for extreme Northern Luzon and the northeastern part of mainland Cagayan by Sunday evening or Monday, July 22, “in anticipation of strong winds associated with Carina.” By Monday evening, Carina could already be a typhoon. “Rapid intensification within the forecast period is possible,” according to the weather bureau. Carina is also enhancing the southwest monsoon or habagat. Here is PAGASA’s latest rainfall forecast for the enhanced southwest monsoon, with more areas — including Metro Manila — possibly rainy on Monday, the day of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address. Sunday, July 21 Monday, July 22 Tuesday, July 23 Floods and landslides are likely, too. The enhanced southwest monsoon will also bring strong to gale-force gusts to the following areas: Sunday noon, July 21, to Monday noon, July 22 Monday noon, July 22, to Tuesday noon, July 23 Tuesday noon, July 23, to Wednesday noon, July 24 In addition, Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon will cause moderate seas in the northern seaboard of Northern Luzon (waves 1 to 2.5 meters high), western seaboards of Central Luzon and Southern Luzon (waves 1.5 to 2.5 meters high), and eastern seaboard of the country on Sunday (waves 1 to 2.5 meters high). PAGASA advised small boats to take precautionary measures, or if possible, avoid sailing altogether. Carina is seen to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Wednesday night, July 24, or early Thursday morning, July 25, while moving near the islands of Japan’s Ryukyu archipelago. It is the Philippines’ third tropical cyclone for 2024. The second, Tropical Depression Butchoy, left PAR on Saturday morning, July 20. Butchoy and Carina both developed on Friday evening, July 19. By that time, Butchoy was already moving away from Philippine landmass, with no direct impact. But as a low pressure area, it had affected parts of the country earlier in the week, alongside the southwest monsoon. PAGASA previously estimated there may be two or three tropical cyclones in July. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Redemption run: Rianne Malixi rules US Girls’ Junior Championship in record fashion

delfin.dioquino editor

21/07/2024 13:51

CHAMPION. Rianne Malixi lifts the trophy after winning the 2024 US Girls' Junior Championship. Mike Ehrmann/USGA MANILA, Philippines – Rianne Malixi refused to be on the receiving end of another heartbreak. The Filipina ruled the US Girls’ Junior Championship a year after settling for runner-up, toppling Asterisk Talley in the final at the El Caballero Country Club in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 20 (Sunday, July 21, Manila time). Prepared for her big moment, Malixi won in record fashion, with her 8-and-7 triumph over the American being the biggest winning margin in tournament history. Malixi, 17, redeemed herself from a stinging one-hole loss to Filipino-American Kiara Romero last year as she became the second golfer representing the Philippines to capture the championship after Princess Superal first achieved the feat in 2014. “I’m getting pretty emotional right now because I know how much hard work I’ve put in the past years,” said a teary-eyed Malixi. “I’m not the only one who made a lot of sacrifices. I’d like to credit my family, especially my dad.” “He sacrificed a lot of time for me, just to accompany me training, and just really providing what is best for me to become a better player.” Malixi came out with guns blazing in the first half of the 36-hole clash, taking a commanding 6-up lead by the 18th after firing nine birdies. Talley cut her deficit to 5-up by the 24th hole, but Malixi got the job done as she birdied the 25th and 27th holes then went for par at 29th, which the American bogeyed, to go 8-up and clinch the crown with seven holes to spare. Malixi sank 14 birdies in total and recorded no bogeys. “I was just really playing good golf this week. I was not expecting it today. My putter was just so hot all day. Credit to my putter,” said Malixi. Finishing stroke play as the second seed, Malixi beat Annie Jin in the round of 64, Kennedy Swedick in the round of 32, Yanling Elaine Liu in the round of 16, Madison Messimer in the quarterfinals, and Jasmine Koo in the semifinals. Her victory over Talley earned Malixi a spot in the 2025 US Women’s Open, where Japan’s Yuka Saso – who won the major for the Philippines in 2021 – seeks to defend her crown. Malixi plans to attend Duke University in 2025. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

Writing 77: The Baguio Midland Courier

Mia Gonzalez

21/07/2024 12:00

FINAL ISSUE. The front page of the final issue of the Baguio Midland Courier on July 21, 2024 BAGUIO, Philippines – Baguio was always a newspaper town. Back in 1939, when the literacy rate of the country was below 50%, the city already had a weekly paper. The Manila Daily Bulletin, the forerunner of the Manila Bulletin but then an American-owned paper, had a weekly supplement on Baguio called Baguio Bulletin. Most of the contents were on the Americans in the city and some of the prominent Filipinos. In the 1930s, Jane Noble Garrott opened a bookshop in the basement of a bank at Session Road. This attracted bored American housewives who started a book club and poetry readings. Later some of the Japanese residents in the city (most of the fathers worked to build Kennon Road and decided to stay) started their haiku society at the Sayote Hotel in what is now Hotel Veniz and Sunshine Grocery at the foot of Abanao St. This was probably where the young Hamadas (Sinai and Oseo) got their taste of literature. Sinai would soon enroll at the University of the Philippines and finish journalism and law. He would also become the editor in chief of the Philippine Collegian. He also wrote short stories that dumbfounded many Manila writers at that time. How can a Japanese-Igorot, who grew up in a place practically still governed by the Bureau of Non-Christian Tribes, write so prodigiously? His 1932 short story, “Tanabata’s Wife,” was hailed by Franz Arcellana as the “The Finest Love Story Ever Written by a Filipino.” And then, just like that, he returned to Baguio and became a people’s lawyer in 1939. It was a hard choice for Sinai to defend his people. He would spend his early years defending drunks (People vs. Cayat, 1939) and tribal feuds. And then, on April 28, 1947, Sinai and brother Oseo with half-sister Cecile Okubo started the Baguio Midland Courier. Most of the stories were about the city’s reconstruction after World War II. Cecile would hold on to the tradition of Baguio Bulletin with her gossip of the few remaining Americans. And when she took over from Sinai in the 1990s, she became a feisty environmental and cultural activist. The paper would have journalist and folklorist Lawrence Wilson as contributing editor and Eduardo Masferre as assistant editor. Wilson already published Igorot Mining Methods and Ilongot Life and Legends before joining Midland. Later, he compiled his columns in The Skyland of the Philippines and Tales from the Mountain Province. Masferre would soon become a full-time photographer and is acknowledged as the “Father of Philippine Photography” for his documentary photographs of the Cordilleras. And then there is the young Primitivo Mijares, who first apprenticed in Midland and soon became the “ear and mouth” of then-president Ferdinand E. Marcos. Later he would have a change of heart and turn his back on the Marcoses, writing The Conjugal Dictatorship, which would cost him his life and that of his young son. Midland would also bring out The Collected Stories of Sinai Hamada in 1975. A.S. Florentino came out with his Piso Books for the National Bookstore and published The Woman Who Looked Out the Window: Selected Stories by Sinai Hamada in 1973. Another side publication for the Baguio Midland Press was the collected columns of William Henry Scott. Quite a roster of characters for the early Baguio Midland Courier. The four pages of Midland would grow into eight and then 16 and 32 pages and more. On several issues, they would reach 100 pages. The first issue had 100 copies. By the 1960s, they reached 3,600 copies. The greatest achievement for Midland was that it would become the longest newspaper to publish continuously. It was published without fail from April 1949 till July 21, 2024. This constancy was propelled by what local observers knew as the “Sunday habit.” Most of the buyers of Midland were said to be those who attended the Sunday masses and the promenaders of Session Road. They were said to be either the old people who would buy Midland to look at the carefully laid-out obituaries of their friends and neighbors, people out to look for jobs and transient spaces, and children of oldtimers. Also add those who genuinely care about the city and had to know the ins-and-outs, as one of the column titles went. These readers are creatures of habit, that is why the column of former fiscal Benny Carantes was reprinted three years after he died. But some said that Midland actually stopped printing. Those who researched on the microfiche of Midland would say that there were missing issues from September 24 and 31, 1972. According to former Midland editor in chief March Fianza, Sinai was among those called to Camp Dangwa right after the declaration of Martial Law on September 21, 1972. Sinai was not detained because Ben Palispis agreed to have him under his custody. But, even then, Fianza was told by those in the know that Midland was able to print out 250 copies, mostly for advertisers, courts, and other interested parties. He said that Sinai secretly kept his copies but failed to give them to their archive. Another time that Midland almost did not come out was during the July 16, 1990, earthquake. That was a Monday and the whole city was crippled even after a week. Because it was “an act of God,” the double issue that came out on July 30, 1990, was considered a continuation of the July 15, 1990, issue. Another tradition that Midland had was the “Nominations of the Year.” It was a feature that came out at the start of the year with serious and funny nominations coming mostly from readers. Finding who made it to the list made the New Year’s issue their perennial bestseller. It started in 1948 with “Highlights of the Year.” The 1949 edition had Major Bado Dangwa as “Man of the Year” and Mrs. Gene O. de Guia as “Sweetheart of the Year.” The “Question of the Year” in 1949 was, “What holds that strapless gown up?” From now until January 5, 2025, the “Questions of the Year” would be “Why did we allow this to happen, and what do we do now?” These are the questions we would not easily find the answers to. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

The making of Kat Sumagaysay and Richard Salvadico’s Cinemalaya entry ‘Tumandok’

Ysa Abad

21/07/2024 10:22

Still from ‘Tumandok,’ longtime collaborators Kat Sumagaysay and Richard Salvadico’s debut feature at this year’s Cinemalaya. Kat Sumagaysay and Richard Salvadico After making the laureled short film Dribol for Cinemaybank, a film festival of Maybank Philippines, in 2018, filmmakers Kat Sumagaysay and Richard Salvadico, also romantic partners in real life, have since made a pact to never direct a film separately. This, despite the former pinning her hopes on becoming a writer and working abroad. “Like an Emily in Paris kind of vibe,” Sumagaysay tells me. “It was Richard who really wanted to become a filmmaker since he was in high school.” At the time, Sumagaysay was still a mass communication student at Central Philippine University, while Salvadico already completed his digital media and interactive arts degree at the same institution. Since then, they have worked on several shorts such as Chok (2019), Utwas (2020), and Mga Handum nga Nasulat sa Baras (2022) – projects that in many ways informed them what it means to truly build communities and to see filmmaking as a gesture of care. Their collaboration in Dribol, shot in an Ati community in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, would lead them to create more work for the municipality and visit seven more Ati communities, including Sitio Kabarangkalan, where they filmed Tumandok, their debut feature at this year’s Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. Utwas and Mga Handum nga Nasulat sa Baras were their previous entries in the festival’s short film competition. “In 2019, we went to have a cultural mapping in the municipality, and that was the first time that we had been to Sitio Kabrangkalan and met the real En-en who inspired the lead character in our film,” says Sumagaysay. She adds, “As we were having a Q&A session with the community, En-en stood up and said that there were lowlanders entering their community and threatening them. At that moment, we suddenly felt guilt – the guilt of not trying hard enough to hear the stories of these communities.” Sumagaysay’s initial response was to write a fiction based on what they had heard, but realized later on that the community’s stories overpowered what she thought would best help them. “We decided to try seeing the story from the perspective of the community and of En-en, our translator, our tour guide, our interviewee who later on became our friend,” shares the director. The duo then consulted the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to learn more about the issues of the community and discovered that the tribe needed about half a million to a million Philippine pesos to fast-track the processing of their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) – a process that has been in place since 2007. The Atis of Sitio Kabarangkalan are among many indigenous communities in the country who have long been struggling to exercise their right to self-determination and safeguard their ancestral lands and identities, especially against corporate mining giants, as previously reported by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and Rappler. “We aren’t millionaires, nor do we have the right connections to make such an amount. So, we decided to use our privilege to be able to make films for a higher purpose and use the power of cinema and Cinemalaya to reach out to potential sponsors and to shed light on the stories of the community,” explains Sumagaysay. This is chiefly the reason why the directors were in tears when they received the email from Cinemalaya stating that they made the cut. “We have gone through so much crafting this film,” admits Salvadico. Tumandok, a docu-fiction film, tracks the life of “a 16-year-old chieftain’s daughter as she fights tooth and nail with her people for their ancestral land.” True to its commitment in recognizing its genesis, the film centers on first-time, all-Ati actors, led by Jenaica Sangher and Felipe Ganancial. Its visual lexicon is shaped by Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland (2020), Sarah Polley’s Women Talking (2020), and Alejandro Loayza Grisi’s Utama (2022). “Nomadland for the production setup (we were just a small crew) and cinematography (the use of largely available light); Women Talking for the lengthy but gripping conversations, although Sarah Polley had the convenience of doing a scene for so many takes and we didn’t; and Utama obviously because we are dealing with the story of an indigenous people,” says co-director Salvadico. Sumagaysay worked on the script alongside Arden Rod Condez, of Cinemalaya 2019 best film John Denver Trending – a gestation period that she describes as “tedious” and “very brain-wrenching.” “He would often ask me to rewrite and clarify things for him because I would often have typos, and he forgives me for that. We have had multiple days of lock-ins in Pasig and Iloilo, where we would spend time writing and jotting down our ideas. He would sometimes pinch my arm for slacking,” she says of Condez, who also served as producer for Mga Handum nga Nasulat sa Baras. Particularly challenging for the text, apart from the four revisions it has gone through, notes Sumagaysay, is the shift between languages. “After finalizing the script, we had to translate it from Filipino to Hiligaynon and then to Inati, the language of the Ati. I can understand and speak a few words of their language, but to be sure, we gave the script to En-en and let the community read it. So I would like to believe that they are also writers of the film.” Sumagaysay says further that working with a non-professional acting ensemble factors into the artistic process. “Especially the actors of the Ati community, because some of them have yet to know how to read and even count. So we would often stay up until 11 at night to dictate their lines and teach them techniques on how to throw lines naturally. Most, if not all of them, are also aloof from lowlanders and outsiders; understandable because of the threats that they have been experiencing from lowlanders or uta as they call them.” While the film, accompanied by a terrific poster from Justin Besana, was shot for only seven days, the director and the rest of her team lived in the community two months prior to the shoot to establish trust and rapport. “One of the main issues I had to consider was whether my participation might be tantamount to exploiting the Ati community when involving them as actors. This concern has preoccupied me since pre-production until now. We kept asking each other if their stories were presented true and respectfully. We have always asked: How can we make sure that the community’s involvement in this film could be termed empowering rather than exploitative? This made us think twice about everything starting from securing informed consent to ensuring equitable and fair pay, up to ensuring that they are comfortable with their roles, wardrobe, and scene.” Sumagaysay adds, “Then, there were very difficult personal questions regarding how one can amplify the Ati community’s voice yet respect their privacy and dignity. It forced us to figure out how to honestly depict their experiences without exaggerating their hardships or reducing their lives to mere storylines for the screen.” Salvadico also weighs in on this. “I think the most important thing that we did to address this was to spend two days with them before shooting. We gathered the community and explained to them thoroughly the main purpose of the film [and] they wholeheartedly agreed with it. Even those who were hesitant to go near were suddenly participative during production. I’d like to say that it has become a bayanihan or dagyaw for them. That’s why I always say that this is theirs, not ours.” “Walang halong showbiz, doing the film with them was such a soul-enriching journey,” he points out. At a time when environmental plunder is heightened due to corporate greed and state violence and surveillance, displacing our indigenous peoples in the process, the directors ultimately hope that, by putting the struggles of the Atis to the screen, audiences can look past their resilience and actively forged better conditions for them and all oppressed sectors at large. More than anything, Tumandok is a demonstration of the power of community, an insistence that a more humane, livable world is possible now. “Hopefully, it will inspire more people to take action and support efforts to secure land rights for indigenous communities,” says Sumagaysay. – Rappler.com This year’s Cinemalaya is set to run from August 2 to 11 at select Ayala malls. Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

Angara vows support for teachers’ salary raise, career progression

Bonz Magsambol

21/07/2024 12:43

File photo of Education Secretary Sonny Angara during a budget deliberations at the Senate Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB MANILA, Philippines – While he thumbed down proposals to raise entry-level salary of teachers to P50,000, newly installed Education Secretary Sonny Angara expressed confidence that teachers would see a better compensation package under the Marcos administration. “It’s only a question of how much and when tataas ‘yan, pero I’m confident during the Marcos administration na tataas ang suweldo nila,” Angara said on the sidelines of his oath-taking ceremony in Malacañang Palace on Friday, July 19. (It’s only a question of how much and when it will be raised, but I’m confident that it will happen during the Marcos administration.) Improving the welfare of teachers was one of the directives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Angara. 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, many of them have been leaving the country in their quest for better pay and working conditions. But Angara said that it is impossible to give teachers a P23,000 increase, adding that the government cannot afford it. “Kung P23,000 [increase] times 900,000 [teachers], mas mataas pa ‘yun sa national budget, sa totoo lang,” he said. (If we give them a P23,000 increase, multiply that by 900,000 teachers, then the total amount would be higher than the national budget, truth be told.) Aside from better compensation package, the education chief vowed to fix the career progression of teachers. “Narinig natin ‘yung mga reklamo na ‘yung mga labing limang taon, Teacher 1 pa lang sila. So, ayusin namin ‘yung promotion system sa gobyerno. Tingnan natin ‘yung mga benepisyon nila, ‘yung teaching load nila,” Angara said during a separate event in Quezon City on Saturday, July 20. (We heard complaints that there are teachers who have been in service for 15 years, yet still at Teacher 1 level. So we will fix the promotion system of the government. We will check their benefits and teaching load.) Recognizing that teachers are the biggest input to students’ learning, Angara promised to provide more trainings to them so they could improve their teaching quality. According to a World Bank study in 2016, the knowledge of teachers and the method they use to teach a subject were “important determinants of student learning outcomes in the Philippines.” The study showed that “knowledge of subject matter among elementary and high school teachers is low in most subjects.” For instance, the World Bank study revealed that a mathematics teacher in high school was only able to answer 31% of the questions “completely correctly,” far from even half of the questions. “Since the tests are closely aligned with the curriculum, the results suggest that teachers face significant challenges in teaching a considerable portion of the current K to 12 curriculum,” the study said. Angara replaced Vice President Sara Duterte as education chief. 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 Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

Sports under Marcos Year 2: More help needed

delfin.dioquino editor

20/07/2024 11:54

Cignal TV MANILA, Philippines – Philippine sports has enjoyed a steady rise over the past years. The number of Filipino participants in the Paris Games is enough proof to that notion, with the Philippines sending 22 athletes for its biggest Olympic delegation since 1992. And hopes of exceeding or matching the Philippines’ historic four-medal haul in the previous Tokyo Games, which included a breakthrough gold, two silvers, and one bronze, is no longer a lofty goal as the likes of pole vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnast Carlos Yulo, and boxers Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, and Eumir Marcial provide promising chances. But the lack of support for Filipino athletes remain. Even President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. admitted to be “embarrassed” of the insufficient financial backing Filipino athletes receive from the government that he doubled the cash incentives for medalists in the 2023 Southeast Asian Games and ASEAN Para Games. “I am always a little embarrassed when I see that we are not supporting our athletes and our coaches and our trainers and all the support groups, even the families,” said Marcos. “[C]onsidering the honor and the pride that you bring to the Philippines, it seems that it is not commensurate for the great service that you do to our country and to our people.” “We need to repay the sacrifice and the honor that you gave our beloved Philippines,” Marcos added in Filipino. “Rest assured that this administration will do everything to support and bring out the athletes’ talent and skills.” As usual, though, Filipino athletes continue to pull through and deliver – no matter the circumstances. The SEA Games in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia, saw the Philippines net its biggest overseas gold-medal haul in the biennial showpiece in nearly four decades as it won 58, its most since capturing 59 in the 1987 edition. In total, the Philippines bagged 260 medals, including 85 silvers and 117 bronzes, to finish fifth overall. Yulo emerged as the Philippines’ best performing athlete for the third straight SEA Games, churning out two golds and two silvers despite a medal limit imposed by host Cambodia in gymnastics. Also rising to the occasion, Gilas Pilipinas regained SEA Games supremacy after overcoming a souped-up Cambodian squad bolstered by five naturalized players from the United States in the final. Para athletes were phenomenal as well. The Philippines produced its best campaign in ASEAN Para Games history by capturing 34 golds on top of 33 silvers and 50 bronzes for a total of 117 medals. Para chess standout Darry Bernardo starred for the Philippines with six golds, while para swimmer Angel Otom made a splash, claiming four golds. Respectable results in the international scene will not be possible without a consistent grassroots program. Under Marcos’ administration, Palarong Pambansa made its comeback in 2023 after being shelved for four years due to the coronavirus pandemic, with Marikina City serving as host. Marcos underscored the importance of nurturing the Philippines’ future sports heroes. “I assure you that this government remains steadfast in developing the prowess of our young athletes and in championing their wellbeing. This administration believes in a transformative power of sports, not only in improving one’s strength and agility, but also in building up character and discipline,” Marcos said. “These kinds of events, the Palarong Pambansa, the Palarong Panlalawigan, our regional meets, these are where we find our future champions.” “With consistent and diligent effort, I am confident that they will eventually bring glory to our nation, not only in the field of sports, but also in other endeavors that they will choose to pursue.” The 2024 Palarong Pambansa hosted by Cebu City then saw the debut of student-athletes from the National Academy of Sports (NAS), which opened classes in 2021 after being signed into law by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2020. As NAS was established during the pandemic, it held only virtual classes starting September 2021. Construction of the campus, too, got delayed and physical classes started only in January 2024. Fielding 47 student-athletes, the NAS – which is located in New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, and overseen by the Department of Education and Philippine Sports Commission – nailed one gold, five silvers, and two bronzes for a total of eight medals in the Palaro. With hardly any surprise, National Capital Region maintained its Palarong Pambansa dominance by clinching its 17th straight overall championship on the back of a 98-gold, 66-silver, 74-bronze haul. “This event is more than just an inter-school, an inter-regional competition. It is also a platform where we discover, where we develop and hone future professional athletes, Olympians, and servant leaders,” said Marcos. Perhaps the biggest sporting challenge of Marcos’ second year in office was the Philippines’ co-hosting of the FIBA World Cup with Japan and Indonesia. Coincidentally, it marked the first time the country hosted the global hoops showdown since 1978, when his father and late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was also the president. The price of hosting was originally pegged at P800 million by the government, but reportedly ballooned to over P1 billion. Most of it was expectedly spent on logistics and operational cost, with Marcos also creating an inter-agency task force for the monumental event. “The successful organization and hosting of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 requires the involvement, coordination, and support of all concerned government agencies, local government units (LGUs), and the private sector,” the administrative order said. Marcos tasked agencies such as the Foreign Affairs, Internal and Local Government, Public Works and Highways, Transportation,  Health,  and Tourism departments, Customs and and Immigration bureaus, Philippine National Police, and the Metro Manila Development Authority, with the duty of “streamlining, integrating, harmonizing, and coordinating” all government efforts for the hosting. The Philippines served home to 16 of the 32 qualified squads in the group stages from August to September 2023, including powerhouses USA and Serbia, with the last teams standing from Japan and Indonesia also converging in Manila to play the final phase. Germany, led by tournament MVP Dennis Schroeder, lifted the Naismith Trophy after an enthralling run that saw it survive Latvia in the quarterfinals, stun the USA in the semifinals, and edge Serbia in the finale for its first-ever World Cup crown. The USA missed the podium for the second straight edition after bowing to Canada in the bronze-medal game – a loss that forced the Americans to bring out the big guns as they tapped NBA superstars LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant for their title-retention bid in the Paris Olympics. Gilas Pilipinas, meanwhile, delivered a performance to remember at home by beating China for its first World Cup win since 2014. In danger of becoming the first World Cup host to go winless since Colombia failed to notch a victory in 1982, the Philippines rode on the hot hands of NBA player Jordan Clarkson as it ended a nine-game skid in the World Cup. While the World Cup satisfied Filipino fans’ hoop passion, with NBA stars Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, and Anthony Edwards all representing their countries, and basketball greats Dirk Nowitzki, Carmelo Anthony, and Luis Scola all coming to the Philippines as ambassadors, there were quite a few hitches. The low fan turnout in some games due to the high ticket cost at the Araneta Coliseum and Mall of Asia Arena stood out, prompting FIBA to admit “unsuccessful” ticket pricing. Still, Filipinos made sure to support its home team as a FIBA record 38,115 – including Marcos – watched Gilas Pilipinas’ opener against Dominican Republic at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan. But in the end, the hosting delivered gains in the economic front as the hosting showcase gave “the country a much-needed infusion following three years of constrained business activities during the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to several tycoons, including Manny V. Pangilinan and Ramon S. Ang, who put in major stakes in the global basketball event. All eyes are now on Filipino athletes who will compete in Paris as the Philippines celebrates its 100th year of Olympic participation since it debuted in 1924 in the same French capital. Obiena, Yulo, Petecio, Paalam, Marcial, golfer Bianca Pagdanganan, judoka Kiyomi Watanabe, weightlifter Elreen Ando, and swimmer Kayla Sanchez, formerly of Canada, return for their second Olympic stints, while the rest of the Philippine delegation see action in the Games for the first time. This group of Filipino athletes bear the weight of immense pressure and expectation, especially after weightlifting star Hidilyn Diaz ended the Philippines’ long search for an Olympic gold when she reigned supreme in the Tokyo Games in 2021. Diaz fueled the Philippines’ biggest medal haul in Olympic history as Petecio and Paalam each contributed a silver and Marcial added a bronze. But with Diaz missing the Olympics after four consecutive appearances, the task of building on the Philippines’ gains in Tokyo now falls on the shoulders of its Olympic holdovers and first-timers. While the PSC, the government’s sporting arm, funded the campaign, the Filipino bets also got a boost from the private sector, like the Philippine Olympic Committee and Cignal TV organizing a monthlong training camp for the first time in Metz, France to help the athletes’ Paris 2024 buildup. “As you step on to the global stage, hold our flag high and show the world what a Filipino is made of,” said Marcos when he sent off Team Philippines on June 21. “We believe in you, we are proud of you, and we will be with you every step of this remarkable journey.” With the promised support, from moral to financial, hopefully it won’t be another waiting game for some of the country’s best. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

Shorthanded Creamline averts disastrous start to PVL Reinforced tilt; PLDT, Chery rise to 2-0

jisaga0269

20/07/2024 21:36

BOUNCED BACK. The Creamline Cool Smashers huddle after a point in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference PVL Images MANILA, Philippines – Perennial PVL contender Creamline averted a disastrous start to its 2024 Reinforced Conference campaign after powering past upstart Farm Fresh in a four-set breakthrough, 24-26, 25-23, 25-21, 25-16, at the PhilSports Arena on Saturday, July 20. Import Erika Staunton redeemed herself after a somewhat muted 20-point debut in the Cool Smashers’ five-set loss to PLDT, rallying with a better 26-point outing on 23 attacks and 3 blocks to go with 14 excellent receptions against the Foxies for a 1-1 record. Still without former PVL MVPs Alyssa Valdez, Tots Carlos, and Alas Pilipinas national team commit Jema Galanza, Creamline’s local cast found its leader in veteran hitter Michele Gumabao, who supported Staunton with 21 points on 19 attacks, 1 block, and 1 ace. Reigning All-Filipino Best Setter Kyle Negrito commanded the offense with 20 excellent sets as Bernadeth Pons recorded an all-around line of 9 points, 19 excellent receptions, and 12 excellent digs. Import Yeny Murillo paced Farm Fresh’s second straight loss with a game-high-tying 26 points, as local opposite hitters Caitlin Viray and Trisha Tubu each supplied 12 points. Meanwhile, the Chery Tiggo Crossovers rolled to an easier decision, cruising over the Nxled Chameleons, 25-16, 25-20, 25-23, for a 2-0 start to the conference. Import Khat Bell led all scorers with a 21-point eruption in just three sets, while veteran Ara Galang, donning a Slam Dunk-inspired Hanamichi Sakuragi red hairdo, scrapped her way to an 11-point finish built on 7 attacks and 4 blocks to go with 11 excellent digs. Wingers Lycha Ebon and Jho Maraguinot paced Nxled’s slide down a 1-1 slate with 8 and 7 points, respectively. Lastly, the PLDT High Speed Hitters rolled to the triple-header’s most lopsided affair as they pummeled the Galeries Tower Highrisers, 25-19, 25-16, 25-17, to rise alongside Chery Tiggo with identical 2-0 cards atop Pool A play. Super scorer Lena Samoilenko posted a game-high 14 points on 11 attacks and 3 blocks. Fiola Ceballos scored 10, while Kath Arado led the defensive end with 16 excellent digs and 9 excellent receptions. France Ronquillo paced Galeries’ second straight loss with 11 points. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

The making of Kat Sumagaysay and Richard Salvadico’s Cinemalaya entry ‘Tumandok’

Ysa Abad

21/07/2024 10:22

Still from ‘Tumandok,’ longtime collaborators Kat Sumagaysay and Richard Salvadico’s debut feature at this year’s Cinemalaya. Kat Sumagaysay and Richard Salvadico After making the laureled short film Dribol for Cinemaybank, a film festival of Maybank Philippines, in 2018, filmmakers Kat Sumagaysay and Richard Salvadico, also romantic partners in real life, have since made a pact to never direct a film separately. This, despite the former pinning her hopes on becoming a writer and working abroad. “Like an Emily in Paris kind of vibe,” Sumagaysay tells me. “It was Richard who really wanted to become a filmmaker since he was in high school.” At the time, Sumagaysay was still a mass communication student at Central Philippine University, while Salvadico already completed his digital media and interactive arts degree at the same institution. Since then, they have worked on several shorts such as Chok (2019), Utwas (2020), and Mga Handum nga Nasulat sa Baras (2022) – projects that in many ways informed them what it means to truly build communities and to see filmmaking as a gesture of care. Their collaboration in Dribol, shot in an Ati community in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, would lead them to create more work for the municipality and visit seven more Ati communities, including Sitio Kabarangkalan, where they filmed Tumandok, their debut feature at this year’s Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. Utwas and Mga Handum nga Nasulat sa Baras were their previous entries in the festival’s short film competition. “In 2019, we went to have a cultural mapping in the municipality, and that was the first time that we had been to Sitio Kabrangkalan and met the real En-en who inspired the lead character in our film,” says Sumagaysay. She adds, “As we were having a Q&A session with the community, En-en stood up and said that there were lowlanders entering their community and threatening them. At that moment, we suddenly felt guilt – the guilt of not trying hard enough to hear the stories of these communities.” Sumagaysay’s initial response was to write a fiction based on what they had heard, but realized later on that the community’s stories overpowered what she thought would best help them. “We decided to try seeing the story from the perspective of the community and of En-en, our translator, our tour guide, our interviewee who later on became our friend,” shares the director. The duo then consulted the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to learn more about the issues of the community and discovered that the tribe needed about half a million to a million Philippine pesos to fast-track the processing of their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) – a process that has been in place since 2007. The Atis of Sitio Kabarangkalan are among many indigenous communities in the country who have long been struggling to exercise their right to self-determination and safeguard their ancestral lands and identities, especially against corporate mining giants, as previously reported by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and Rappler. “We aren’t millionaires, nor do we have the right connections to make such an amount. So, we decided to use our privilege to be able to make films for a higher purpose and use the power of cinema and Cinemalaya to reach out to potential sponsors and to shed light on the stories of the community,” explains Sumagaysay. This is chiefly the reason why the directors were in tears when they received the email from Cinemalaya stating that they made the cut. “We have gone through so much crafting this film,” admits Salvadico. Tumandok, a docu-fiction film, tracks the life of “a 16-year-old chieftain’s daughter as she fights tooth and nail with her people for their ancestral land.” True to its commitment in recognizing its genesis, the film centers on first-time, all-Ati actors, led by Jenaica Sangher and Felipe Ganancial. Its visual lexicon is shaped by Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland (2020), Sarah Polley’s Women Talking (2020), and Alejandro Loayza Grisi’s Utama (2022). “Nomadland for the production setup (we were just a small crew) and cinematography (the use of largely available light); Women Talking for the lengthy but gripping conversations, although Sarah Polley had the convenience of doing a scene for so many takes and we didn’t; and Utama obviously because we are dealing with the story of an indigenous people,” says co-director Salvadico. Sumagaysay worked on the script alongside Arden Rod Condez, of Cinemalaya 2019 best film John Denver Trending – a gestation period that she describes as “tedious” and “very brain-wrenching.” “He would often ask me to rewrite and clarify things for him because I would often have typos, and he forgives me for that. We have had multiple days of lock-ins in Pasig and Iloilo, where we would spend time writing and jotting down our ideas. He would sometimes pinch my arm for slacking,” she says of Condez, who also served as producer for Mga Handum nga Nasulat sa Baras. Particularly challenging for the text, apart from the four revisions it has gone through, notes Sumagaysay, is the shift between languages. “After finalizing the script, we had to translate it from Filipino to Hiligaynon and then to Inati, the language of the Ati. I can understand and speak a few words of their language, but to be sure, we gave the script to En-en and let the community read it. So I would like to believe that they are also writers of the film.” Sumagaysay says further that working with a non-professional acting ensemble factors into the artistic process. “Especially the actors of the Ati community, because some of them have yet to know how to read and even count. So we would often stay up until 11 at night to dictate their lines and teach them techniques on how to throw lines naturally. Most, if not all of them, are also aloof from lowlanders and outsiders; understandable because of the threats that they have been experiencing from lowlanders or uta as they call them.” While the film, accompanied by a terrific poster from Justin Besana, was shot for only seven days, the director and the rest of her team lived in the community two months prior to the shoot to establish trust and rapport. “One of the main issues I had to consider was whether my participation might be tantamount to exploiting the Ati community when involving them as actors. This concern has preoccupied me since pre-production until now. We kept asking each other if their stories were presented true and respectfully. We have always asked: How can we make sure that the community’s involvement in this film could be termed empowering rather than exploitative? This made us think twice about everything starting from securing informed consent to ensuring equitable and fair pay, up to ensuring that they are comfortable with their roles, wardrobe, and scene.” Sumagaysay adds, “Then, there were very difficult personal questions regarding how one can amplify the Ati community’s voice yet respect their privacy and dignity. It forced us to figure out how to honestly depict their experiences without exaggerating their hardships or reducing their lives to mere storylines for the screen.” Salvadico also weighs in on this. “I think the most important thing that we did to address this was to spend two days with them before shooting. We gathered the community and explained to them thoroughly the main purpose of the film [and] they wholeheartedly agreed with it. Even those who were hesitant to go near were suddenly participative during production. I’d like to say that it has become a bayanihan or dagyaw for them. That’s why I always say that this is theirs, not ours.” “Walang halong showbiz, doing the film with them was such a soul-enriching journey,” he points out. At a time when environmental plunder is heightened due to corporate greed and state violence and surveillance, displacing our indigenous peoples in the process, the directors ultimately hope that, by putting the struggles of the Atis to the screen, audiences can look past their resilience and actively forged better conditions for them and all oppressed sectors at large. More than anything, Tumandok is a demonstration of the power of community, an insistence that a more humane, livable world is possible now. “Hopefully, it will inspire more people to take action and support efforts to secure land rights for indigenous communities,” says Sumagaysay. – Rappler.com This year’s Cinemalaya is set to run from August 2 to 11 at select Ayala malls. Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

Alex Eala bags doubles crown, reaches singles final of W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz

Jasmine Payo

21/07/2024 9:46

CHAMPS. Alex Eala and Estelle Cascino celebrate winning the W75 Croissy-Beaubourg doubles title. ALEX EALA FACEBOOK PAGE MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala and Estelle Cascino showed their partnership has become even more lethal as the Filipino-French partners captured their second doubles crown in the ITF W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain on Saturday, July 20. Seeded No. 3, Eala and Cascino proved steadier when it mattered to ward off the tough challenge from Lia Karatancheva of Bulgaria and Diana Marcinkevica of Latvia, 6-3, 2-6, 10-4, in the women’s doubles final at the Peña Vitoriana Tenis Club. The first time Eala and Cascino of France teamed up in the ITF W75 Croissy-Beaubourg last March, they were an unseeded pair who surprised the field and copped the championship after upsetting the second seeds in the quarterfinal and the top seeds in the finale. This week in Spain, Eala and Cascino showed their partnership has become deadlier as they waylaid all their opponents in straight sets en route to a spot in the championship round. The unseeded Karatancheva and Marcinkevica, though, were looking to duplicate their performance in the semifinal where they stunned top seeds Eden Silva of Great Britain and Valeriya Strakhova of Ukraine, 3-6, 6-3, 12-10. Eala and Cascino would have none of it. They buckled down to work early by opening a 4-2 lead in the first set, breaking serve twice to sandwich the fourth game where Cascino dropped her serve. They breezed through the set the rest of the way to win, 6-3. But Karatancheva and Marcinkevica came back in the second set with bad intentions. They broke Eala twice and Cascino once to score a breakaway victory, 6-2, and extend the final to an appropriate conclusion, a super tiebreak. Yet the deciding set proved anti-climactic as it was anything but close. From 1-1, Eala and Cascino scored the next seven points to pull away, 8-1. The closest they allowed their Bulgarian and Latvian foes was at 9-4. It was all over after an hour and 12 minutes as Eala and Cascino remained undefeated as a duo and with their second ITF doubles trophies in tow. Eala will have a chance for a double victory celebration as she also made the final of the singles competition after a straight-set victory over Maria Jose Portillo Ramirez of Mexico, 6-2, 6-1, also on Saturday. The fifth-seeded Eala never dropped her serve the entire match while breaking Portillo Ramirez five times. Eala, who just hit a career-high ranking at world No. 155,  has not dropped a set this entire week in singles. And Eala looks to sustain that in the women’s singles finale on Sunday at 6 pm, Philippine time, in a battle featuring a tantalizing matchup between two promising teen prospects. The 19-year-old Filipina will face off against 18-year-old Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva of Andorra, who posted an impressive 6-2, 6-2 win over second seed Jessika Ponchet of France in the semifinal. While Eala is a former US Open girls singles champion and former No. 2  junior player in the world, Jiménez Kasintseva won the Australian Open girls singles and became the No. 1 junior player when she was just 14 years old. Both Eala and Jiménez Kasintseva have won four ITF singles titles apiece and will be quite familiar with each other’s game. The two teamed up as doubles partners in the 2021 ITF W25 Madrid where they reached the quarterfinals. Over in Thailand, the Philippines’ top men’s doubles player Francis Casey Alcantara and Thai teen standout Maximus Jones won the championship of the ITF World Tour M6 The duo defeated Adil Kalyanpur and Vishnu Vardhan of India, 2-6, 7-5, 10-8, in the final also on Saturday at the Walailak University Tennis Centre in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. This is the second title in two weeks and third straight finals appearance in three weeks for the 32-year-old Alcantara and the 19-year-old Jones. They emerged champions of last week’s ITF World Tour M5 at the same venue. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

HIGHLIGHTS: Philippines vs Chinese Taipei-Blue – Jones Cup 2024

jisaga0269

21/07/2024 18:45

Strong Group Athletics/Rappler MANILA, Philippines – Strong Group-Pilipinas reclaimed the William Jones Cup crown for the Philippines after a thrilling 83-79 overtime win over Chinese Taipei-Blue in the virtual championship match on Sunday, July 21. American import Tajuan Agee proved to be a stabilizer, while locals Kiefer Ravena and RJ Abarrientos delivered timely hits as Strong Group won the Philippines its seventh Jones Cup title by going unbeaten in eight games. Steady at the line, Agee finished with 21 points on a perfect 9-of-9 free throw clip to go with 9 rebounds, while Abarrientos and Ravena chipped in 14 and 9 points, respectively, on a combined 7-of-14 from beyond the arc. Chris McCullough struggled with 12 points on a paltry 4-of-16 shooting and fouled out in the extra period, but his basket off a goaltending gave Strong Group an 80-78 edge – a lead big enough to fend off the Taiwanese. DJ Fenner added 15 points and 9 rebounds for Strong Group, which became the first team from the Philippines to rule the Jones Cup since Mighty Sports won in 2019. All hope seemed lost for Strong Group in regulation after the hosts grabbed a 71-64 lead before the visitors unloaded a 9-0 run capped by a clutch Ravena three-pointer to seize the upper hand at 73-71. But Chinese Taipei-Blue knotted the score at 73-73 after a Gil Baker putback and eventually forced overtime after Ravena missed his potential game-winning jumper. Chinese Taipei-Blue absorbed its first loss and finished with a 7-1 record. Strong Group-Pilipinas goes for gold in its highly productive 2024 William Jones Cup campaign as it stakes its undefeated 7-0 record against fellow top squad Chinese Taipei-Blue in Taiwan on Sunday, July 21. Already beyond avenging Rain or Shine-Philippines’ lackluster run last year, the undermanned yet talented Strong Group looks for a perfect finish this time around as the likes of super import Chris McCullough and all-around guards Jordan Heading and RJ Abarrientos continue to fire on all cylinders. Even without naturalized Filipino Ange Kouame, Fil-Am veteran Caelan Tiongson, defense-first import Tajuan Agee, and Gilas Pilipinas high-flyer Rhenz Abando in the active roster, the Charles Tiu-coached squad proved it has more than enough firepower after last blasting Chinese Taipei-White, 96-70. McCullough lived at the line for 25 points on 10-of-13 free throws, while backcourt partners Kiefer Ravena and Abarrientos scored 14 and 13, respectively, to help keep Strong Group undefeated in the weeklong tournament with a brutal daily schedule, where the team with the best record at the end of the single round-robin bags the title. Expect the same core to keep up its stellar play as the prime Chinese Taipei team comes knocking on Sunday evening, carrying its own unbeaten slate. But Tiu said Abando and Kouame will play through their injuries, while Agee will be a game-time decision as the American import was discharged from the hospital on Saturday after suffering from food poisoning. “Rhenz’s hand is still swollen and the same goes for Ange’s knee, but they will play through it since this is an all-or-nothing game,” said Tiu. “They know how important this game is for the country.” Tiu added: “We will be watching Agee’s minutes closely since he has been very dehydrated because of the gastro issues he suffered. His health is important, but his presence on the court is also crucial for us.” Strong Group aims to keep its 43rd Jones Cup run spotless until the very end, while home team Chinese Taipei-Blue looks to ruin the visitors’ party with a last-minute golden heist. Tip off is at 7 pm. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

HIGHLIGHTS: Philippines vs Chinese Taipei-Blue – Jones Cup 2024

jisaga0269

21/07/2024 18:45

Strong Group Athletics/Rappler MANILA, Philippines – Strong Group-Pilipinas reclaimed the William Jones Cup crown for the Philippines after a thrilling 83-79 overtime win over Chinese Taipei-Blue in the virtual championship match on Sunday, July 21. American import Tajuan Agee proved to be a stabilizer, while locals Kiefer Ravena and RJ Abarrientos delivered timely hits as Strong Group won the Philippines its seventh Jones Cup title by going unbeaten in eight games. Steady at the line, Agee finished with 21 points on a perfect 9-of-9 free throw clip to go with 9 rebounds, while Abarrientos and Ravena chipped in 14 and 9 points, respectively, on a combined 7-of-14 from beyond the arc. Chris McCullough struggled with 12 points on a paltry 4-of-16 shooting and fouled out in the extra period, but his basket off a goaltending gave Strong Group an 80-78 edge – a lead big enough to fend off the Taiwanese. DJ Fenner added 15 points and 9 rebounds for Strong Group, which became the first team from the Philippines to rule the Jones Cup since Mighty Sports won in 2019. All hope seemed lost for Strong Group in regulation after the hosts grabbed a 71-64 lead before the visitors unloaded a 9-0 run capped by a clutch Ravena three-pointer to seize the upper hand at 73-71. But Chinese Taipei-Blue knotted the score at 73-73 after a Gil Baker putback and eventually forced overtime after Ravena missed his potential game-winning jumper. Chinese Taipei-Blue absorbed its first loss and finished with a 7-1 record. Strong Group-Pilipinas goes for gold in its highly productive 2024 William Jones Cup campaign as it stakes its undefeated 7-0 record against fellow top squad Chinese Taipei-Blue in Taiwan on Sunday, July 21. Already beyond avenging Rain or Shine-Philippines’ lackluster run last year, the undermanned yet talented Strong Group looks for a perfect finish this time around as the likes of super import Chris McCullough and all-around guards Jordan Heading and RJ Abarrientos continue to fire on all cylinders. Even without naturalized Filipino Ange Kouame, Fil-Am veteran Caelan Tiongson, defense-first import Tajuan Agee, and Gilas Pilipinas high-flyer Rhenz Abando in the active roster, the Charles Tiu-coached squad proved it has more than enough firepower after last blasting Chinese Taipei-White, 96-70. McCullough lived at the line for 25 points on 10-of-13 free throws, while backcourt partners Kiefer Ravena and Abarrientos scored 14 and 13, respectively, to help keep Strong Group undefeated in the weeklong tournament with a brutal daily schedule, where the team with the best record at the end of the single round-robin bags the title. Expect the same core to keep up its stellar play as the prime Chinese Taipei team comes knocking on Sunday evening, carrying its own unbeaten slate. But Tiu said Abando and Kouame will play through their injuries, while Agee will be a game-time decision as the American import was discharged from the hospital on Saturday after suffering from food poisoning. “Rhenz’s hand is still swollen and the same goes for Ange’s knee, but they will play through it since this is an all-or-nothing game,” said Tiu. “They know how important this game is for the country.” Tiu added: “We will be watching Agee’s minutes closely since he has been very dehydrated because of the gastro issues he suffered. His health is important, but his presence on the court is also crucial for us.” Strong Group aims to keep its 43rd Jones Cup run spotless until the very end, while home team Chinese Taipei-Blue looks to ruin the visitors’ party with a last-minute golden heist. Tip off is at 7 pm. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

Alex Eala bags doubles crown, reaches singles final of W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz

Jasmine Payo

21/07/2024 9:46

CHAMPS. Alex Eala and Estelle Cascino celebrate winning the W75 Croissy-Beaubourg doubles title. ALEX EALA FACEBOOK PAGE MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala and Estelle Cascino showed their partnership has become even more lethal as the Filipino-French partners captured their second doubles crown in the ITF W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain on Saturday, July 20. Seeded No. 3, Eala and Cascino proved steadier when it mattered to ward off the tough challenge from Lia Karatancheva of Bulgaria and Diana Marcinkevica of Latvia, 6-3, 2-6, 10-4, in the women’s doubles final at the Peña Vitoriana Tenis Club. The first time Eala and Cascino of France teamed up in the ITF W75 Croissy-Beaubourg last March, they were an unseeded pair who surprised the field and copped the championship after upsetting the second seeds in the quarterfinal and the top seeds in the finale. This week in Spain, Eala and Cascino showed their partnership has become deadlier as they waylaid all their opponents in straight sets en route to a spot in the championship round. The unseeded Karatancheva and Marcinkevica, though, were looking to duplicate their performance in the semifinal where they stunned top seeds Eden Silva of Great Britain and Valeriya Strakhova of Ukraine, 3-6, 6-3, 12-10. Eala and Cascino would have none of it. They buckled down to work early by opening a 4-2 lead in the first set, breaking serve twice to sandwich the fourth game where Cascino dropped her serve. They breezed through the set the rest of the way to win, 6-3. But Karatancheva and Marcinkevica came back in the second set with bad intentions. They broke Eala twice and Cascino once to score a breakaway victory, 6-2, and extend the final to an appropriate conclusion, a super tiebreak. Yet the deciding set proved anti-climactic as it was anything but close. From 1-1, Eala and Cascino scored the next seven points to pull away, 8-1. The closest they allowed their Bulgarian and Latvian foes was at 9-4. It was all over after an hour and 12 minutes as Eala and Cascino remained undefeated as a duo and with their second ITF doubles trophies in tow. Eala will have a chance for a double victory celebration as she also made the final of the singles competition after a straight-set victory over Maria Jose Portillo Ramirez of Mexico, 6-2, 6-1, also on Saturday. The fifth-seeded Eala never dropped her serve the entire match while breaking Portillo Ramirez five times. Eala, who just hit a career-high ranking at world No. 155,  has not dropped a set this entire week in singles. And Eala looks to sustain that in the women’s singles finale on Sunday at 6 pm, Philippine time, in a battle featuring a tantalizing matchup between two promising teen prospects. The 19-year-old Filipina will face off against 18-year-old Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva of Andorra, who posted an impressive 6-2, 6-2 win over second seed Jessika Ponchet of France in the semifinal. While Eala is a former US Open girls singles champion and former No. 2  junior player in the world, Jiménez Kasintseva won the Australian Open girls singles and became the No. 1 junior player when she was just 14 years old. Both Eala and Jiménez Kasintseva have won four ITF singles titles apiece and will be quite familiar with each other’s game. The two teamed up as doubles partners in the 2021 ITF W25 Madrid where they reached the quarterfinals. Over in Thailand, the Philippines’ top men’s doubles player Francis Casey Alcantara and Thai teen standout Maximus Jones won the championship of the ITF World Tour M6 The duo defeated Adil Kalyanpur and Vishnu Vardhan of India, 2-6, 7-5, 10-8, in the final also on Saturday at the Walailak University Tennis Centre in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. This is the second title in two weeks and third straight finals appearance in three weeks for the 32-year-old Alcantara and the 19-year-old Jones. They emerged champions of last week’s ITF World Tour M5 at the same venue. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

Poet, translator Marne Kilates dies at 71

Ysa Abad

20/07/2024 19:12

REST IN PEACE. Filipino poet Marne Kilates died. Marne Kilates' Facebook MANILA, Philippines – Multi-awarded Filipino poet and translator Marne Kilates passed away on Saturday, July 20. He was 71. The Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas, the largest organization of Filipino writers in the country, made a post on Kilates death on its Facebook page. He was a member of the UMPIL board of directors. National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario was among those who paid tribute to his fellow poet. “Ang ating kaibigan at dakilang makata at tagasalin, MARNE KILATES, dakilang anak ng Bikol, ay pumanaw ngayong hapon, Hulyo 20. Nawalan ang ating bayan ng isang malikhain at makabayang tinig sa panitikan. Hinihiling ko ang panalangin ng pakikiramay sa pamilya,” Almario wrote in a Facebook post, adding details on how the public can send financial donations to the bereaved family. (Our friend, a great poet and translator, MARNE KILATES, outstanding son of Bicol, passed away this afternoon, July 20. Our country has lost a creative and patriotic literary voice. I ask for your prayers and condolences for his family.) In a separate Facebook post on Sunday, July 21, Almario also shared a poem he wrote for Marne. Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda mourned the passing of Kilates, describing the poet as a “guiding light to Albay in our ethnographic efforts.” Kilates was born in Daraga, Albay, Kilates has six books of poetry: Children of the Snarl (Aklat Peskador, 1987), Poems en Route (UST Publishing, 1998), Mostly in Monsoon Weather (UP Press, 2007), Pictures and Poems and other (Re)visions (UST Publishing, 2012), Time’s Enchantment & Other Reflections (Ateneo de Naga University Press, 2014), and Lyrical Objects: New and Selected Poems (UST Publishing House, 2015). He translated the works of fellow Filipino poets Virgilio Almario, the late National Artist Bienvenido L. Lumbera, Rogelio Mangahas, and Fidel Rillo, among others. Kilates won the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature and the Manila Critics Circle’s National Book Award for Poetry for his works. His other recognitions include the Southeast Asian Writers Award, Poet of the Year at the Nick Joaquin Literary Awards, Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas from Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas, and the Bulawanan na Bikolnon Award from the Ateneo de Naga University. Kilates received the Most Outstanding Albayano for Literary Arts award in 2014. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Tropical Storm Carina slightly intensifies over Philippine Sea

Acor Arceo

21/07/2024 8:40

CARINA. Satellite image of Tropical Storm Carina (Gaemi) as of July 21, 2024, 5 am. NOAA MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Storm Carina (Gaemi) slightly strengthened over the Philippine Sea before dawn on Sunday, July 21, with its maximum sustained winds increasing from 65 kilometers per hour to 75 km/h. The tropical storm’s gustiness is now up to 90 km/h from the previous 80 km/h. As of 4 am on Sunday, Carina was located 490 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora, moving west northwest at only 10 km/h. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its 5 am bulletin that Carina is still expected to remain far from the country’s landmass. The tropical cyclone’s outer rainbands, however, may affect some northernmost areas in the next two days. Floods and landslides are possible. Monday, July 22 Tuesday, July 23 PAGASA added that it might raise Signal No. 1 for extreme Northern Luzon and the northeastern part of mainland Cagayan by Sunday evening or Monday, July 22, “in anticipation of strong winds associated with Carina.” Carina is still projected to strengthen into a severe tropical storm by Monday, and into a typhoon by Tuesday, July 23. “Rapid intensification within the forecast period is possible,” the weather bureau warned. Carina is also enhancing the southwest monsoon or habagat. In a separate advisory at 11 pm on Saturday, July 20, PAGASA provided this rainfall forecast for the enhanced southwest monsoon: Sunday, July 21 Monday, July 22 Tuesday, July 23 The weather bureau warned that floods and landslides are likely in areas to be affected by the enhanced southwest monsoon. The southwest monsoon will also bring strong to gale-force gusts to the following areas: Sunday, July 21 Monday, July 22 Tuesday, July 23 In addition, Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon will cause moderate seas in the northern seaboard of Northern Luzon, western seaboards of Central Luzon and Southern Luzon, and eastern seaboard of the country on Sunday. Waves are 1 to 2.5 meters high, so small boats must take precautionary measures, or if possible, avoid sailing altogether. Carina is seen to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Wednesday, July 24, while moving near the islands of Japan’s Ryukyu archipelago. It is the Philippines’ third tropical cyclone for 2024. The second, Tropical Depression Butchoy, left PAR on Saturday morning. Butchoy and Carina both developed on Friday evening, July 19. By that time, Butchoy was already moving away from Philippine landmass, with no direct impact. But as a low pressure area, it had affected parts of the country earlier in the week, alongside the southwest monsoon. PAGASA previously estimated there may be two or three tropical cyclones in July. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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[Two Pronged] I still love my husband, but I’m having an affair with my ex-boyfriend

Ysa Abad

20/07/2024 19:00

Rappler’s Life and Style section runs an advice column by couple Jeremy Baer and clinical psychologist Dr. Margarita Holmes. Jeremy has a master’s degree in law from Oxford University. A banker of 37 years who worked in three continents, he has been training with Dr. Holmes for the last 10 years as co-lecturer and, occasionally, as co-therapist, especially with clients whose financial concerns intrude into their daily lives. Together, they have written two books: Love Triangles: Understanding the Macho-Mistress Mentality and Imported Love: Filipino-Foreign Liaisons. Dear Dr. Holmes and Mr. Baer: Last year, I met again my first love and first boyfriend, which started when I was in my 2nd year of high school. Now I’m 42 and married with four kids. We’re starting a very complicated relationship. We still love each other. He’s married, and his wife works as a manager in Singapore. What should I do? I still love my hubby, but why have I fallen in love once again with my ex-boyfriend? Please enlighten me. Thanks. Rita Dear Rita, Thank you for your message. Just as it is not a given that each of us will be fortunate enough to meet a soulmate, so it is often the case that we may fall in love with more than one person in our lives. This is potentially problematic of course if one or both parties are already married at the time. Faced with this dilemma, we have to juggle the competing interests of spouses, children, and ourselves, always within the context of cultural, societal, and religious influences. Why have you fallen in love again? Nobody can answer this better than you, Rita, but here are some starting points. Why did you and your ex-bf (let’s call him José) break up in the first place? What are the comparative attractions and deficiencies of your husband and José? Has your marriage become merely routine and thus “a very complicated relationship” adds a touch of spice and the thrill of the taboo to your life? How will you handle the fallout if your husband and/or José’s wife find out about your affair? What about your children? You ask what you should do. However, it appears that you have already decided what to do. Upon meeting José anew, you embarked on an affair despite its inevitable complications and seemingly without much hesitation. In the final analysis, you can take control of the outcome — leave your husband or José — or allow fate to dictate your future if and when the affair comes to light. Best of luck, JAF Baer Dear Rita: Thank you very much for your letter. Thank you too, Mr. Baer, for answering both of Rita’s questions. The first was: “What should I do?” to which you responded, in no uncertain terms, that the question is moot, because Rita has already done something — embark on a relationship with her ex-boyfriend. I agree that, after deciding on one course of action, Rita can still decide to continue or to stop, and maybe this column might help her clarify her needs vis a vis her wants even more. I feel Mr. Baer has also answered your second question: “Why have I fallen in love once again with my ex-boyfriend?” Thus, I hope you won’t mind if we explore the possible reasons you may have phrased the question the way you did. You see, phrasing your question in terms of love encourages us to answer focusing on love alone, thus encouraging your belief that the reason you have done what you did is simply because of love. An alternative way to phrase it could be: “Why was I so open to having a relationship with my ex-boyfriend, despite still loving my hubby?” It’s quite likely you would get different answers depending on how you phrased the question. The way you originally asked it increases the likelihood that answers would not necessarily discourage you from continuing the affair because it is focused simply on him and you. If you had asked the alternative question, you may have gotten a more realistic answer because it would include your life as it really is: a married woman with four children. Your way of asking is what is called a complex question; or, in Latin, plurium interrogationum (“ of many questions”). Why? Because your question involves a complex presupposition, presumed to be acceptable to the respondents (in this case, Mr. Baer and myself). For example, if one directly answered the original question, “Do you still beat your wife?,” it would mean the one who answered did, in fact, beat his wife, whether he answered yes or no to the original question. Your question, “Why have I fallen in love, once again, with my ex boyfriend,” presumes that you have fallen in love, instead of other possibilities like: “fallen in lust”, and/or “allowed myself to be seduced” etc. Your involving yourself in a complicated relationship could also be a fun, relatively romantic, way to wreak vengeance on your wayward husband (presuming he was wayward to begin with). Your asking, “Why have I fallen in love…”, instead of “Why have I done what I did?,” makes it a complex question because it immediately presumes that you actually did fall in love with your ex, rather than embarking on this relationship not because of love, but for other reasons (like those stated above). We Filipinos like to describe ourselves as a romantic people. What can be more romantic than falling in love with an ex? What can be less blameworthy than embarking on a relationship because of (a pure, more innocent, perhaps non-consummated since you were only a high school sophomore then) love? NOT an affair, mind you, but a relationship, complicated though it is, with someone you thought you (merely) once loved but, to your surprise, actually still love!! Your question inspires advice columnists to wax poetic: (You have fallen in love once again) “because first love never dies” or “because he is your soul mate” or “because his very being resonates with yours” or some other equally romantic but so hard-to-prove reason. Oh, Rita, if you only knew how many men and women have been seduced by the above rationalizations. The even more painful thing is, sometimes these reasons are true! What should you do? I honestly don’t know. All I hope is that you feel as strongly for him as he does for you, and that as you let your feelings soar to the skies, you also allow reason, generosity, and kindness (to yourself as well as to your husband, kids, and even to his wife abroad) to keep you grounded. All the best, MG Holmes – Rappler.com Please send any comments, questions, or requests for advice to twopronged@rappler.com. Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Palaro to Paris: Joanie Delgaco aces volleyball to rowing jump

Jasmine Payo

14/07/2024 18:25

For almost the entirety of her teenage years, Joanie Delgaco was hungry for a volleyball break. Standing at 5-foot-5 when she was 17 years old, Delgaco was not exactly tall enough for the sport. But she stood out as a setter for Camarines Sur in the Palarong Pambansa, attracting volleyball scouts, including one, she said, from NCAA’s University of Perpetual Help. Despite receiving interest, Delgaco, who eventually became the first Filipina rower to qualify in the country’s 100-year history in the Olympics, felt her chance to shine in volleyball was slim. “In volleyball back then, I couldn’t see myself excelling [long-term],” Delgaco said in Filipino. From age 11 to 17, Delgaco had a volleyball career in sight, even idolizing former UAAP star Alyssa Valdez. But eventually, the Iriga native gave herself a reality check. She felt the need to try something new, so when an opportunity to try out and train for a different sport in Manila came, a teenaged Delgaco took a leap of faith. Convinced by a rowing coach, Delgaco jumped into her new sport, betting on her physical tools and innate strength, which her mentors believed to be her biggest asset. “He really talked to me and my parents. I said alright, if I could do well in rowing, maybe this is really for me,” she said. Starting without any knowledge of the sport, Delgaco traveled to Manila for the first time in her life. She did not even bring a travel bag with her, using instead a cardboard box to pack her clothes and relocate to the city. Slowly, she grasped the fundamentals of rowing, building herself up to go for an Olympic standard 2,000-meter race. Rowing techniques included sculling backward, requiring leg and arm strength in pulling back the paddle – a stark contrast to  dragon boat, which propels the boat forward. From orchestrating plays for her volleyball team, Delgaco aced captaining her racing shell, the term used for competitive rowing boats. “When I started rowing, in under one year, I already won a medal,” shared Delgaco. “That’s when I felt like this is where I am going to excel. And then, every year after that, the blessings did not stop.” By 2024, her biggest blessing came. Delgaco booked a ticket to the Paris Olympics after placing fourth in the women’s single sculls in the World Rowing Asian and Oceanian Qualification Regatta in Chungju, South Korea, last April 21. The feat made her only the fourth rower – and just the first female – in Philippine history to advance to the Olympic games after Edgardo Maerina (1988 Seoul Games), Benjamin Tolentino Jr. (2000 Sydney Games), and Cris Nievarez (2022 Tokyo Games). “Isang malaking karangalan na makapasok sa Olympics lalo na sa sport namin na hindi talaga masyado alam (It is a big honor to advance to the Olympics, especially in a sport that many may not be familiar with),” Delgaco said. It took the 26-year-old three tries, though, noting she tasted defeat in her two previous Olympic attempts. In 2016, when she was only 18 years old, Delgaco lost her bid for an Olympic ticket, then fell short again in 2021 where she finished just a second shy of qualifying. Part of her up-and-down journey in the sport also saw her snagging the 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold in Manila, and then bowing out in last year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. But whichever way her campaigns end up, Delgaco always makes sure to represent the country well. More so now that she’s in the sport’s biggest stage. “Bihira lang mga atletang nakakapasok dito sa Olympic competition (It’s rare to be a part of this),” said Delgaco. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Who is Krishnah Marie Gravidez, Miss World Philippines 2024?

Ysa Abad

20/07/2024 15:38

WINNER. Baguio's Krishnah Marie Gravidez is Miss World Philippines 2024. Miss World Philippines' Facebook MANILA, Philippines – Krishnah Marie Gravidez bested 32 other candidates to take home the title of Miss World Philippines 2024 during the coronation night held at the Mall of Asia Arena, on Friday, July 19. The 23-year-old stunner from Baguio, succeeded Miss World Philippines 2022 Gwendolyne Fourniol to clinch her second crown from a national pageant. Describing her family situation as “far from ideal,” Krishnah said in her Miss World Philippines introduction video that she had to “step up out of necessity” as the eldest child in her family. The beauty queen revealed in a May 2019 Wowowin episode that her parents had been separated for 10 years and that she and her siblings had been living with their grandmother, their “mamalo.” In an Instagram post, she penned an appreciation post for her, saying her grandmother had dedicated her life to taking care of her and her cousins. “If I were to be asked who’s one of my biggest inspirations, without a doubt, it would be her. She’s the loveliest, most caring, and thoughtful person I know,” she said. “The thought of 11 years of her life that were given mainly to us without asking anything in return is unimaginable.” Despite their unusual set-up, Krishnah remained family-oriented. In an Instagram post, she recalled that her family had been supportive of her dream of becoming a beauty queen ever since she was six years old. “As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to realize that it’s all about the sacrifices of our parents, on how selfless they will be for us. How far they will go just to make our dreams happen,” she said. “I am so grateful that I have had the support of my parents, my relatives, and friends from years ago until now. They hold a piece of my dream, and I will forever cherish them.” Pageantry, Krishnah said, also played a big role in her financial situation, saying that she used her prize money in beauty pageants to pay for her tuition fee. She’s currently studying civil engineering — her dream course. Aside from joining competitions, Krishnah also started selling lip tints and ukay-ukay (pre-loved) clothes for extra allowance, and even worked in a fast-food chain. Now, the university student is also working as a model, content creator, and ad specialist. “I’ve been self-sufficient since I was 14. That shows that I’m a hard working and resilient woman. That’s why I want to impart to the youth that they are capable of greater things if they work hard for it,” she said in her personality interview for the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 pageant. She again echoed the same sentiment in her Miss World Philippines video, saying: “Although poverty seemingly limited my options, it did not limit my dreams. It opened the window to a world full of possibilities and kindness.” Her experience, she added, drove her to start an initiative called “Color the world with Kindness” to support youth welfare. Outside of pageantry, Krishnah continues to explore her musical passion and take care of her eight furbabies. “If you’ll ask me what’s my breather, it’s simply dogs,” she said in the Her Story video. “They hold a special place in my heart as they’ve seen me in my most vulnerable point.” Krishnah first made her presence known in a major pageant through the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 competition. However, in an August 2022 Instagram post, the Baguio native said that she almost gave up pageantry. “Three years ago, I let my doubts invade me, to the extent of making the decision to give up all the ambitions I have for pageantry,” she said. But Krishnah shared that she decided to continue as she’s been called for a “certain purpose.” While the Miss Universe Philippines 2023 competition was Krishnah’s first foray in a major local pageant, her stellar performance landed her a Top 5 finish. She was eventually named Miss Charm Philippines 2023. Although many pageant fans were looking forward to seeing Krishnah represent the Philippines on the international stage, she surprised her supporters in June 2024 when she announced that she was relinquishing her spot for the Miss Charm International competition. At the time of her announcement, Krishnah didn’t disclose any reason for her withdrawal. Days later, it was revealed that she was a candidate for the Miss World Philippines 2024 pageant. Krishnah was one of the early frontrunners from the start of the competition. She was among the delegates who topped several fast-track events, eventually winning the Miss Multimedia and Top Model fast-track competitions during the coronation night. At the finals ceremony, Krishnah continued to dominate the competition and earned the title of this year’s “hakot” (haul) queen after sweeping nine special awards apart from the crown. Her pageant performance earned her the recognition of Miss Photogenic, Best in Swimsuit and Evening Gown, as well as five more awards from sponsors. During the question and answer segment, Krishnah was asked: “Should inclusivity be a top priority among pageants? Yes or no? Explain your answer.” Her winning answer: “Pageantry is a platform where we express ourselves as women and men. I feel like this is a platform to promote our advocacies, the cause we are fighting for, and the things that we love. I think that in a world [that’s] evolving, we as humans, we should evolve too.” Krishnah will be representing the Philippines in the Miss World 2024 pageant, in hopes of clinching the country’s second Miss World crown. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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DTI suspends online sale of vape products

Mia Gonzalez

20/07/2024 14:48

DTI OFFICIALS. (Left to right) DTI-Fair Trade Group Assistant Secretary Agaton Uvero, DTI-Communications Undersecretary Ed Sunico, DTI Secretary Fred Pascual, DTI-Consumer and Legal Affairs Undersecretary Amanda Nograles DTI MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Saturday, July 20, ordered the immediate suspension of the online sale of vape products, citing their “significant threat” to the health of minors, in particular. Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual signed on Saturday Department Administrative Order (DAO) No. 24-03, series of 2024, which “suspends the online sale of vapor products, vapor product devices, and vapor product systems on marketplaces, effective immediately,” DTI said in a press statement. “The protection of our youth is non-negotiable. The proliferation of vapor products on online marketplaces has made these harmful substances easily accessible to minors, posing a significant threat to their health and well-being. This suspension is a necessary step to curb this alarming trend,” Pascual said. DTI said that Pascual issued the order following dialogues with  high-level stakeholders in the industry including manufacturers, importers, and distributors. “We want businesses to thrive, but it must be in line with the law. Let’s not profit from selling to minors. As long as you comply, we will support you. However, you must prove that you are preventing minors from buying these illegal products,” Pascual was quoted in the DTI statement as saying. Health experts have been calling for stricter rules against electronic cigarettes and vape pens, citing the aggressive sale and marketing promotion of these products to the youth. In December 2023, the World Health Organization called for “urgent measures” to control vapes. (READ: Ban flavored vapes, WHO says, urging tobacco-style controls) DTI said Pascual also cited the need for “(1) robust tracking systems to oversee product movement from importers to retailers, (2) holding manufacturers and importers responsible for illegal or defective products, not just retailers, and (3) ensuring that distributors educate retailers on the law’s limitations and restrictions to ensure compliance.” “Moreover, the DTI chief acknowledged concerns raised by manufacturers regarding unused inventory, noting that some had stopped ordering 90-day stock since the transitory period began. While the DTI prefers to avoid imposing new regulations, Secretary Pascual made it clear that severe consequences will result from non-compliance,” DTI said. DTI said DAO 24-03 is in line with Republic Act No. 11900 or the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act. “This law mandates measures to prevent minors from accessing vapor products, particularly through online channels. The suspension also aligns with the government’s commitment to promoting a healthy environment and protecting citizens from potential hazards associated with these products,” the department said. Since it was formed in April, DTI’s Task Force Kalasag has issued 78 notices of violation and confiscation of 64,359 violative vape products, valued at P29,487,100. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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‘Unrequited Love’: Why Filipinos should hold Duterte accountable for his China pivot

Bea Cupin

20/07/2024 21:00

UNREQUITED LOVE. Book authors Marites Vitug and Camille Elemia are joined by Senator Risa Hontiveros, retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, and journalist Christian Esguerra, during the book's launch on July 18. Risa Hontiveros MANILA, Philippines – Two years after Rodrigo Duterte exited Malacañang, former Supreme Court associate justice Antonio Carpio, the Philippines’ leading legal expert on the West Philippine Sea, is the first to admit that experts and pundits have fallen short of explaining to the public just how badly the former president positioned the country in its maritime and territorial disputes against superpower China. “Duterte remained popular, I think, because the Filipino people are not blaming Duterte for the actions of China. They are blaming China. We have not been successful so far in explaining to the people that Duterte is also responsible for that,” said Carpio on Thursday, June 18, in a panel discussion on Marites Vitug and Camille Elemia’s new book, Unrequited Love: Duterte’s China Embrace. The book, officially launched on Friday, July 19, chronicles not only Duterte’s “pivot to China,” but the origins of the former Davao mayor’s close ties with China. Journalists Vitug and Elemia’s painstaking research and field work chronicles the many promises China made to Duterte, and the betrayals the Davaoeño president made in the hopes of keeping close ties with Beijing — especially when it came to the Philippines’ rights in the West Philippine Sea. Carpio, who was joined by Vitug, Elemia, and Senator Risa Hontiveros in the panel, was answering a question from a college student: Given the Filipino public’s negative sentiment towards China and its actions in the West Philippine Sea, why isn’t it translating into “large-scale criticism” towards Duterte? “Why do people still like Duterte despite his pro-China policy?” said Vitug. “I don’t think that foreign policy figures in people’s minds when they vote for candidates, maybe a very minor number. That’s why it’s separated from Duterte as a person and foreign policy.” She pointed out that Pulse Asia surveys, through the years, show that foreign policy — issues concerning the West Philippine Sea, to be specific — never rank high among the top concerns of Filipinos. Instead, gut issues such as inflation, hunger, employment, and worker’s pay are consistently top concerns. Elemia highlighted the role of the Filipino public — who were not in favor of a pivot to China and do not appreciate its aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea — in keeping popular politicians like Duterte in check. “If we have a solid Filipino electorate or public that is aware of what’s happening, then whatever people in power want to do won’t be transferrable to the public,” she added. Hontiveros, who has been a member of the Senate minority since the Duterte administration, sees Filipino sentiment against Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea as a “unifying issue,” as affirmed by public surveys. “But, and we feel this especially every time we’re preparing for elections, and especially now, still, the top of mind or heart or stomach issues are economic. So, even on the economic front, we still have to show how Duterte’s misgovernance was responsible for that and how it’s tied in also with the issues of corruption including in POGOs [Philippine offshore gaming operations],” she said. Under Duterte and all the way up to the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration, most Filipinos think the Philippine government should assert the country’s rights in the West Philippine Sea, or part of the South China Sea that includes the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Two years after Duterte’s exit from the Palace, the Philippine government’s stance on the West Philippine Sea has changed rather dramatically. From refusing to uphold the 2016 arbitral award, which deemed China’s sweeping claim of the South China Sea invalid, among others, the Philippines refers to it as part of the foundation it stands on in arguing for its sovereign rights in those waters. The Marcos administration has also rallied allies and partners abroad — both old and new — to stand behind the Philippines in its efforts to uphold its sovereign rights as well as the rule of law in the West Philippine Sea. But Manila, after all, is playing catch-up on the six years that the arbitral ruling languished, left untouched by Duterte because he wanted to keep good ties with Beijing. Unrequited Love does not provide a solution to the puzzle of Duterte, and the popularity that he and his ilk continue to enjoy, but it’s part of a bigger attempt to make sure the history books get it right, and that we learn from the actions of leaders past. “It’s still a story in progress. Our relations with China, however, is a story that will be with us for generations,” said Vitug. – Rappler.com The book is now available via Ateneo Press’ official Shopee or Lazada accounts, as well as through the Ateneo Press Bookshop inside the Ateneo de Manila University Loyola Heights campus. Error. 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‘Hardest goodbye’: 3 young professionals on coping with grief, loss of parents

Steph Arnaldo

20/07/2024 19:24

MANILA, Philippines – “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” – Philippians 1:21. I first encountered this verse on my brother’s epitaph when I visited his final resting place as a child. Walking through the cemetery, I noticed this verse on many headstones, a testament to its deep resonance with those mourning their loved ones. My brother passed away when he was just 5 years old, after a brave battle with acute myelogenous leukemia, a form of blood and bone marrow cancer. In the 1990s, medical technology was not as advanced as today. Although I was born five years after his death, his story deeply touched me. Because of that, I dreamed of becoming a pediatric oncologist, inspired by the memory of my brother. Losing a loved one is a deeply personal and often isolating experience. The pain can be overwhelming, and each individual’s healing journey is unique. Grief can create a profound sense of loneliness, making it difficult to connect with others who haven’t experienced a similar loss. The world seems to move on, while your life feels like it has reached a standstill. This harsh reality means that even in the depths of mourning, we must find the strength to carry on, mask our pain, and navigate the complexities of daily existence. It’s not easy, and many struggle to cope. How can we try to move forward, amid life’s daily tasks and struggles? Rappler reached out to registered psychologist Shiela Manjares-Bulus to help answer three young professionals’ greatest questions on grief. Manjares-Bulus provides insights into the process of mourning, offering real-life advice to cope with loss. Together with the stories of these three young adults, we will find that the difficult path of grief can be navigated, through strength and comfort in shared experiences. Civil lawyer Jaybesar Tante, 27, is known for offering pro bono services to indigent clients. His background in psychology has significantly aided him in coping with personal loss and understanding the complexities of human behavior in his legal practice. However, Tante’s path to success was marked by profound tragedy. When he was 16, he lost his father unexpectedly. That fateful day began like any other: After a long day of Bible study, his father cooked dinner for the family and even agreed to let Tante go to Enchanted Kingdom with his friends the next day. Tante was excited about the trip, but life took a devastating turn when he woke up to his father’s unusual snoring. The family rushed him to the hospital, only to face the heartbreaking news that his father was dead on arrival. “I was so mad at the doctors that I told my friends anyone brought to that hospital would die, even if they had a 100% chance of surviving,” Tante recalled, still feeling the deep hurt and devastation when the doctors failed to revive his father. Manjares-Bulus, reflecting on such losses. “Typically, people initially experience shock or denial, but as the reality sinks in, feelings of guilt, regret, sadness, and helplessness can overwhelm.” After his father’s sudden passing, Tante was plagued with worries about the future. “How will we survive college?” he questioned. “Should I quit college and work? Who would hire a 16-year-old skinny boy only in his second year of college? What should I do to ease everything for Mom?” Amidst these doubts, Tante discovered a source of strength. He realized that despite his  worries, “God’s grace is sufficient.” Navigating the challenges of adulthood and grief, Tante found solace in the company of good friends. “Finding good company, truly good company, can help you through the rough patches of life,” he shared. “They may not be able to help financially, but spending time with them offers a much-needed breather and emotional support.” Support systems are crucial in helping individuals feel that they still belong and have someone to lean on. “We must validate their feelings and avoid pressuring them to ‘move on.’ Grieving timelines differ for everyone,” Manjares-Bulus said. Tante emphasized the importance of balance as he reflected on his journey through grief. Tante discovered a vital lesson that there are things beyond his control and those that should not control him; this newfound perspective became a cornerstone of his approach to life and coping with loss. “God helped me see what to celebrate in life, even amidst the loss in our family.” In his grief, Tante shared a poignant insight that losing a parent is a part of life. Moving on is not an option because our parents will always be a part of our lives. This perspective underscores parents’ enduring presence and influence, even after they are gone. He also said that when losing someone, “acceptance is always the first step” — the pivotal role of acknowledging one’s emotions and seeking support as essential components of the healing process after experiencing a significant loss. This sudden loss profoundly impacted Tante and shaped him into the compassionate and determined lawyer he is today. His journey through grief and resilience has fueled his commitment to justice and service in the legal field. “Maaasahan kang lagi, maging hanggang wakas nitong buhay.” (You can always be counted upon, even till the end of this life.) This was a line in the last song of Psalm Dominic Gregorio’s father before the latter’s death in August 2023. In an intimate reflection on loss and resilience, the 24-year-old Gregorio shared the profound impact of losing his father amidst the highs and challenges of his budding career. Joy and sorrow marked Gregorio’s journey. “The week I learned I would graduate with Latin honors, ranking second in my batch, was also the week we received confirmation of my father’s esophageal cancer diagnosis,” he said. Navigating the demands of preparing for board exams while working proved daunting. “With my first salary, I treated myself to fast food. As I sat alone, surrounded by happy families, the contrast hit me — my mom and dad were in the hospital,” he recalled. He had an emotional exchange with his father on the eve of his board exam. “Before leaving for the board exam, my father needed oxygen. I placed it on him and asked, ‘Daddy, papasa ako, ‘no (I’ll pass, right)?’ With great effort, he replied, ‘Oo naman (Of course).’ That goodbye was the hardest,” he said. Gregorio’s father died just days before the release of the results of the Psychometrician Licensure Exam. “God allowed my father’s words, ‘Oo naman (Of course),’ to come true,” he said, finding solace in aligning his personal milestones with his father’s hopes. Gregorio needed to step forward for his family, especially for his younger sister, Mariah, and navigate his family toward healing and acceptance. Manjares-Bulus said: “The loss of a parent means the loss of guidance, security, and protection, especially in our Filipino setting.” This often leads to family members assuming new roles, which brings new challenges while they are still grieving. Gregorio found solace in coping mechanisms, including connecting with others and keeping the faith. “My work as a guidance advocate gives me purpose through pain,” he shared. “Discovering my father’s Bible with annotations on [the book of] Job and learning about his last song have brought me comfort and strength.” His father’s memory motivated Gregorio to excel in his career and in his pursuit of a master’s degree in guidance and counseling. He said his further studies is “driven by the promise I made to my father to complete my education.” For those who had lost a parent, Gregorio said: “Balance your responsibilities with family time. Don’t use work or studies to avoid grieving. Seek a support system and cherish those around you. And if grief becomes overwhelming, seek help.” Manjares-Bulus said therapy can significantly aid in processing grief. “As trained professionals, we use evidence-based techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and acceptance commitment therapy to help individuals navigate their grief. Our goal is to guide them towards independence post-therapy.” She added: “While achieving milestones without our parents is heartbreaking, we must cherish their memory and the loved ones still with us. Take time to grieve, embrace your feelings, and remain hopeful for tomorrow. One day, understanding will come, and we will feel their warm embrace again.” Chrusita Maning, a 27-year-old corporate manager, recounted her late father’s courageous three-year battle with Stage 4B adenocarcinoma, a form of lung cancer linked to his work environment. The diagnosis came amid a global pandemic. “We were affected and shocked at that time since this is the first time we encountered cancer in our immediate family,” she shared. Maning recalled that during her father’s wake, she “found it hard to cry amidst the bustling activities and constant stream of visitors.” The weight of her loss became palpable in quieter moments, as she sought comfort in memories captured in photographs and her father’s cherished belongings like his jackets. As a client manager with a busy schedule, going through the grieving process while meeting the demands of adult life was a “constant struggle,” she said. “To create space for grieving amidst daily work pressures and the absence of my father’s daily presence is hard.” Manjares-Bulus stressed the importance of going on a bereavement leave. “Gradually returning to work allows individuals to desensitize and resume responsibilities without compromising their mental health.” Central to Maning’s coping mechanisms was embracing her emotions rather than suppressing them. “My sister’s reminder is to allow ourselves to cry,” she said. Sharing her feelings with loved ones and drawing strength from her faith played crucial roles in her journey. “Knowing my father’s faith sustains me, I find comfort in the belief that he rests in a better place.” Manjares-Bulus debunked several myths about grief, including the notion that strong people don’t grieve or that time alone heals all wounds. “Grieving is a natural response, and seeking help is okay. Time can soften grief, but active coping is essential.” “We experienced the outpouring of love and learned to trust God’s plan,” Maning shared. Her advice to others facing a similar loss? “Everyone grieves differently; it’s okay to seek help and lean on faith during these times.” “You’re not alone,” she said. “Grieving isn’t about rushing through the pain but acknowledging the depth of your loss while gradually finding ways to navigate life without them. It’s a process that reveals each person’s uniqueness and usually helps us grow and mature.” From the anguish of sudden goodbyes to finding solace in cherished memories, all their stories are testaments to the enduring impact of love and loss. Their journeys remind us that with the right support mechanism, grief can pave the path toward healing and resilience.  – Kila Orozco/ Rappler.com Kila Orozco is a Rappler intern. Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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US dining chain Dave & Buster’s to open first PH branch in OPUS Mall

Steph Arnaldo

20/07/2024 18:08

Dave and Buster's Instagram MANILA, Philippines – The Bistro Group is bringing Dave & Buster’s, the famous entertainment and dining chain from the US, to the Philippines! Hailing from Coppell, Texas, Dave & Buster’s is an arcade, drinks, and food destination, all-in-one. The brand is opening its first Metro Manila branch at the new OPUS Mall in Bridgetowne, Quezon City in 2025, set to take up a large area of the luxury mall’s third floor. Dave & Buster’s was founded in 1982 and has over 165 locations across the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Its first foray into the Philippines is part of its global expansion strategy. “We were impressed by Dave & Buster’s holistic offering in the hospitality industry where guests can eat, drink, play, and watch sports all in one location. It’s a pioneering concept for the Philippines,” Jean Paul Manuud, president of The Bistro Group, said in a statement. “It’s a place for everyone — parents can eat while their kids play games, young adults can dine, drink, and enjoy interactive games, and others can watch sports by the bar,” Manuud said. In the US, its attractions include bowling, laser tag, arcade games, and virtual reality. For its Philippine outpost, Antonio Bautista, chief international development officer at Dave & Buster’s, said they will tailor the menu for the local market with exclusive Filipino dishes. They will also host local entertainment, private events, and late-night programs. While typical store sizes in the US range from 2,500 to 5,000 square meters, the Philippine store will look into a minimum space of 1,500 square meters, depending on the location. Dave & Buster will be one of the latest additions to The Bistro Group, a homegrown restaurant arm behind other international franchises like Denny’s, Italianni’s, TGIFridays, Randy’s Donuts, Hard Rock Cafe, and more. – Steph Arnaldo/Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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‘Unrequited Love’: Why Filipinos should hold Duterte accountable for his China pivot

Bea Cupin

20/07/2024 21:00

UNREQUITED LOVE. Book authors Marites Vitug and Camille Elemia are joined by Senator Risa Hontiveros, retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, and journalist Christian Esguerra, during the book's launch on July 18. Risa Hontiveros MANILA, Philippines – Two years after Rodrigo Duterte exited Malacañang, former Supreme Court associate justice Antonio Carpio, the Philippines’ leading legal expert on the West Philippine Sea, is the first to admit that experts and pundits have fallen short of explaining to the public just how badly the former president positioned the country in its maritime and territorial disputes against superpower China. “Duterte remained popular, I think, because the Filipino people are not blaming Duterte for the actions of China. They are blaming China. We have not been successful so far in explaining to the people that Duterte is also responsible for that,” said Carpio on Thursday, June 18, in a panel discussion on Marites Vitug and Camille Elemia’s new book, Unrequited Love: Duterte’s China Embrace. The book, officially launched on Friday, July 19, chronicles not only Duterte’s “pivot to China,” but the origins of the former Davao mayor’s close ties with China. Journalists Vitug and Elemia’s painstaking research and field work chronicles the many promises China made to Duterte, and the betrayals the Davaoeño president made in the hopes of keeping close ties with Beijing — especially when it came to the Philippines’ rights in the West Philippine Sea. Carpio, who was joined by Vitug, Elemia, and Senator Risa Hontiveros in the panel, was answering a question from a college student: Given the Filipino public’s negative sentiment towards China and its actions in the West Philippine Sea, why isn’t it translating into “large-scale criticism” towards Duterte? “Why do people still like Duterte despite his pro-China policy?” said Vitug. “I don’t think that foreign policy figures in people’s minds when they vote for candidates, maybe a very minor number. That’s why it’s separated from Duterte as a person and foreign policy.” She pointed out that Pulse Asia surveys, through the years, show that foreign policy — issues concerning the West Philippine Sea, to be specific — never rank high among the top concerns of Filipinos. Instead, gut issues such as inflation, hunger, employment, and worker’s pay are consistently top concerns. Elemia highlighted the role of the Filipino public — who were not in favor of a pivot to China and do not appreciate its aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea — in keeping popular politicians like Duterte in check. “If we have a solid Filipino electorate or public that is aware of what’s happening, then whatever people in power want to do won’t be transferrable to the public,” she added. Hontiveros, who has been a member of the Senate minority since the Duterte administration, sees Filipino sentiment against Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea as a “unifying issue,” as affirmed by public surveys. “But, and we feel this especially every time we’re preparing for elections, and especially now, still, the top of mind or heart or stomach issues are economic. So, even on the economic front, we still have to show how Duterte’s misgovernance was responsible for that and how it’s tied in also with the issues of corruption including in POGOs [Philippine offshore gaming operations],” she said. Under Duterte and all the way up to the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration, most Filipinos think the Philippine government should assert the country’s rights in the West Philippine Sea, or part of the South China Sea that includes the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Two years after Duterte’s exit from the Palace, the Philippine government’s stance on the West Philippine Sea has changed rather dramatically. From refusing to uphold the 2016 arbitral award, which deemed China’s sweeping claim of the South China Sea invalid, among others, the Philippines refers to it as part of the foundation it stands on in arguing for its sovereign rights in those waters. The Marcos administration has also rallied allies and partners abroad — both old and new — to stand behind the Philippines in its efforts to uphold its sovereign rights as well as the rule of law in the West Philippine Sea. But Manila, after all, is playing catch-up on the six years that the arbitral ruling languished, left untouched by Duterte because he wanted to keep good ties with Beijing. Unrequited Love does not provide a solution to the puzzle of Duterte, and the popularity that he and his ilk continue to enjoy, but it’s part of a bigger attempt to make sure the history books get it right, and that we learn from the actions of leaders past. “It’s still a story in progress. Our relations with China, however, is a story that will be with us for generations,” said Vitug. – Rappler.com The book is now available via Ateneo Press’ official Shopee or Lazada accounts, as well as through the Ateneo Press Bookshop inside the Ateneo de Manila University Loyola Heights campus. Error. 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Shorthanded Creamline averts disastrous start to PVL Reinforced tilt; PLDT, Chery rise to 2-0

jisaga0269

20/07/2024 21:36

BOUNCED BACK. The Creamline Cool Smashers huddle after a point in the 2024 PVL Reinforced Conference PVL Images MANILA, Philippines – Perennial PVL contender Creamline averted a disastrous start to its 2024 Reinforced Conference campaign after powering past upstart Farm Fresh in a four-set breakthrough, 24-26, 25-23, 25-21, 25-16, at the PhilSports Arena on Saturday, July 20. Import Erika Staunton redeemed herself after a somewhat muted 20-point debut in the Cool Smashers’ five-set loss to PLDT, rallying with a better 26-point outing on 23 attacks and 3 blocks to go with 14 excellent receptions against the Foxies for a 1-1 record. Still without former PVL MVPs Alyssa Valdez, Tots Carlos, and Alas Pilipinas national team commit Jema Galanza, Creamline’s local cast found its leader in veteran hitter Michele Gumabao, who supported Staunton with 21 points on 19 attacks, 1 block, and 1 ace. Reigning All-Filipino Best Setter Kyle Negrito commanded the offense with 20 excellent sets as Bernadeth Pons recorded an all-around line of 9 points, 19 excellent receptions, and 12 excellent digs. Import Yeny Murillo paced Farm Fresh’s second straight loss with a game-high-tying 26 points, as local opposite hitters Caitlin Viray and Trisha Tubu each supplied 12 points. Meanwhile, the Chery Tiggo Crossovers rolled to an easier decision, cruising over the Nxled Chameleons, 25-16, 25-20, 25-23, for a 2-0 start to the conference. Import Khat Bell led all scorers with a 21-point eruption in just three sets, while veteran Ara Galang, donning a Slam Dunk-inspired Hanamichi Sakuragi red hairdo, scrapped her way to an 11-point finish built on 7 attacks and 4 blocks to go with 11 excellent digs. Wingers Lycha Ebon and Jho Maraguinot paced Nxled’s slide down a 1-1 slate with 8 and 7 points, respectively. Lastly, the PLDT High Speed Hitters rolled to the triple-header’s most lopsided affair as they pummeled the Galeries Tower Highrisers, 25-19, 25-16, 25-17, to rise alongside Chery Tiggo with identical 2-0 cards atop Pool A play. Super scorer Lena Samoilenko posted a game-high 14 points on 11 attacks and 3 blocks. Fiola Ceballos scored 10, while Kath Arado led the defensive end with 16 excellent digs and 9 excellent receptions. France Ronquillo paced Galeries’ second straight loss with 11 points. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Left something at NAIA? Don’t lose hope, as this Swedish traveler learned

Mia Gonzalez

20/07/2024 8:00

NAIA. Passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 line up on June 16, 2023. Jire Carreon/Rappler Swedish traveler Jouko Rantaniemi was at the Beijing Airport for a connecting flight to Stockholm on Thursday, July 18, when he realized that he had left his laptop at the final security check at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 (NAIA 1) hours earlier. Aware of past widely-reported incidents of theft committed by security personnel at the Manila airport, Rantaniemi was resigned that he would have to pay back his company for the office-issued laptop. “I had already lost it,” he told his Filipina wife, Ruby Gonzalez, who was with him. Gonzalez, a journalist, told Rappler that she had “50-50 hope” that her husband would get back the gadget. As they prepared to board their flight to Stockholm, the couple reached out to their family in the Philippines to try to contact NAIA authorities, and this was when they found out that NAIA had an official lost and found page on Facebook. The page, which seeks to help people who left personal items in all terminals of the Manila International Airport Authority, provides contact numbers. One can also send them a message to report the lost item. Before boarding their flight, Rantaniemi sent a message through the Facebook page to inform NAIA about his laptop, and got a prompt response that listed the details he must provide to aid the search. Over an hour later, he was informed that an item that fit the description he provided was among those turned over to the NAIA Lost and Found Section. He also received instructions on how to retrieve it through a representative since he was abroad. At the time, however, they were already en route to Stockholm and he only managed to check his messages once they landed. The NAIA Lost and Found Section Facebook page posts photos of all items turned over to them by airport staff, ranging from small items like earphones and ballpens to luggage. The laptop was among those featured on the page in a post on Thursday, July 18, alongside bags of Duty Free items, AirPods, and mobile phones, among other items. “It was like winning a small lottery,” Rantaniemi said, when he saw the photo of his laptop on the NAIA Lost and Found page. They were already on the flight to Stockholm when the photo was uploaded. Getting back a laptop left at an airport may not even be something to write about in most other countries, but not in the Philippines, where security screening officers at NAIA 1 had been caught stealing cash and a watch from tourists in separate incidents the past year. In September 2023, a viral video of NAIA security personnel swallowing three $100 bills that she had stolen from a passenger further highlighted the theft problems at the airport. While there have been many instances when airport workers turned over far more valuable items – like a bag with $10,000 in cash or a pair of socks stuffed with $18,000 – these acts of honesty often get overshadowed by the appalling schemes of some bad eggs in NAIA. NAIA has been listed as among Asia’s worst and “most stressful” airports – an “improvement,” considering that it was deemed the world’s worst airport in 2013. In September, the consortium led by Ramon Ang’s San Miguel Corporation will take over as the new NAIA operator, raising hopes about a new and improved international gateway. (READ: Ramon Ang wants an even bigger NAIA terminal than promised. Can he deliver?) – Mia M. Gonzalez/Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Back on top: Strong Group completes 8-0 sweep to reclaim Jones Cup title for Philippines

delfin.dioquino editor

21/07/2024 23:53

TEAM. Kiefer Ravena (15) in action for Strong Group-Pilipinas in the 2024 William Jones Cup. Strong Group Athletics Facebook page MANILA, Philippines – The William Jones Cup title is back at the hands of the Filipinos. After a disappointing seventh-place finish by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, the country’s representative last year, Strong Group-Pilipinas reclaimed the Jones Cup crown for the Philippines with a thrilling 83-79 overtime win over Chinese Taipei-Blue in their virtual gold-medal showdown on Sunday, July 21, at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in Taiwan. The Philippines last ruled the tournament back in 2019, under the Mighty Sports team, which was also coached by Strong Group tactician Charles Tiu. After missing Strong Group’s past two games due to food poisoning, American import Tajuan Agee carried the Philippines on his shoulders as he produced a game-high 21 points on a perfect 9-of-9 clip from the foul line, to go with 9 rebounds. Filipino-American guard DJ Fenner backstopped the 6-foot-9 Agee with 15 points and 9 rebounds, while Barangay Ginebra rookie RJ Abarrientos stepped up big with 14 markers on 4-of-8 shooting from deep, as Strong Group’s super import Chris McCullough struggled mightily the whole contest. For the first time in eight outings, McCullough did not lead the Philippines in scoring as he finished with a tournament-low 12 points on a lowly 4-of-16 field goal clip. Still, McCullough delivered when it mattered most as his lone basket in overtime prior to fouling out gave Strong Group a crucial 80-78 lead with 2:43 left in the game – which the Filipinos kept the rest of the way. With the erstwhile unbeaten Chinese Taipei-Blue threatening to pull away with a 71-64 advantage with just 1:08 to play in the final frame, Strong Group fought back and went on a huge 9-0 run, capped by a Kiefer Ravena triple, for a 73-71 lead with only 13.2 seconds remaining. However, Chinese Taipei-Blue’s naturalized player Brandon Gilbeck managed to tie the game in the next play with a putback layup off a blocked shot by Rhenz Abando. Strong Group had one final chance to win it all in regulation, but Ravena’s potential game-winning midrange jumper failed to hit the mark as time expired. In overtime, Chinese Taipei-Blue had an opportunity to tie the game once again at 80-all with 14.4 seconds left, but Jianhao Ma could only connect on one of his two free throws. Jordan Heading and Fenner then sealed the win for Strong Group with three straight charities as they completed the dominant 8-0 sweep of the single round-robin tournament. Ravena contributed 9 points on 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc, while Abando and Heading chipped in 6 and 4 markers, respectively. On the other side, Robert Hinton topscored for Chinese Taipei-Blue with 16 points, while Ying-Chun Chen added 13. Philippines 83 – Agee 21, Fenner 15, Abarrientos 14, McCullough 12, Ravena 9, Abando 6, Heading 4, Kouame 2, Tiongson 0. Chinese Taipei-Blue 79 – Hinton R. 16, Chen 13, Gilbeck 11, Xiangjun 10, Liu 8, Hinton A. 8, Ma 6, Su 5, Gao 2, Han 0. Quarters: 16-12, 41-34, 55-50, 73-73 (reg.), 83-79 (OT). – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Traffic advisory: Alternative routes in QC for Marcos’ SONA 2024

Angelo Gonzales

21/07/2024 23:15

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority begins its full implementation of the exclusive motorcycle lane, after a few weeks of dry run, traffic personnel begin to apprehend violators along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on March 27, 2023. Jire Carreon/Rappler MANILA, Philippines – The Quezon City government’s Facebook page on Sunday, July 21, announced the alternative routes for motorists in light of road closures along Commonwealth Avenue for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address 2024 on Monday, July 22. The advisory includes alternate routes for those coming from Fairview to the QC Circle and vice versa: Meanwhile, these are the routes for those coming from C-5 and vice versa: Rerouting plans for SONA 2024 have also been published: “Pinapayuhan ang mga motorista na dumaan sa mga sumusunod na alternatibong ruta dahil sa inaasahang mabigat na daloy ng trapiko sa Commonwealth Avenue at sa paligid ng Batasang Pambansa Complex,” the QC government said. (Motorists are advised to follow alternative routes due to expected heavy traffic on Commonwealth Avenue and around the Batasang Pambansa Complex.) – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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#WalangPasok: QC classes suspended for SONA 2024

Angelo Gonzales

21/07/2024 23:09

MANILA, Philippines – Classes at all levels in private schools in Quezon City are suspended on Monday, July 22, to give residents the opportunity to tune in to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA). The class suspension will also spare residents from being caught in heavy traffic. Various activist groups will be marching and holding protests in areas near Batasang Pambansa in time for the President’s speech. Classes in public schools have yet to start, but the city government said Brigada Eskuwela activities — the cleaning and sprucing up activities to prepare for the school opening on July 29 — will stop on SONA Day. The city government announced it on its official Facebook page, Saturday, July 20. The document for the order can be found here. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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HIGHLIGHTS: Philippines vs Chinese Taipei-Blue – Jones Cup 2024

jisaga0269

21/07/2024 18:45

Strong Group Athletics/Rappler MANILA, Philippines – Strong Group-Pilipinas reclaimed the William Jones Cup crown for the Philippines after a thrilling 83-79 overtime win over Chinese Taipei-Blue in the virtual championship match on Sunday, July 21. American import Tajuan Agee proved to be a stabilizer, while locals Kiefer Ravena and RJ Abarrientos delivered timely hits as Strong Group won the Philippines its seventh Jones Cup title by going unbeaten in eight games. Steady at the line, Agee finished with 21 points on a perfect 9-of-9 free throw clip to go with 9 rebounds, while Abarrientos and Ravena chipped in 14 and 9 points, respectively, on a combined 7-of-14 from beyond the arc. Chris McCullough struggled with 12 points on a paltry 4-of-16 shooting and fouled out in the extra period, but his basket off a goaltending gave Strong Group an 80-78 edge – a lead big enough to fend off the Taiwanese. DJ Fenner added 15 points and 9 rebounds for Strong Group, which became the first team from the Philippines to rule the Jones Cup since Mighty Sports won in 2019. All hope seemed lost for Strong Group in regulation after the hosts grabbed a 71-64 lead before the visitors unloaded a 9-0 run capped by a clutch Ravena three-pointer to seize the upper hand at 73-71. But Chinese Taipei-Blue knotted the score at 73-73 after a Gil Baker putback and eventually forced overtime after Ravena missed his potential game-winning jumper. Chinese Taipei-Blue absorbed its first loss and finished with a 7-1 record. Strong Group-Pilipinas goes for gold in its highly productive 2024 William Jones Cup campaign as it stakes its undefeated 7-0 record against fellow top squad Chinese Taipei-Blue in Taiwan on Sunday, July 21. Already beyond avenging Rain or Shine-Philippines’ lackluster run last year, the undermanned yet talented Strong Group looks for a perfect finish this time around as the likes of super import Chris McCullough and all-around guards Jordan Heading and RJ Abarrientos continue to fire on all cylinders. Even without naturalized Filipino Ange Kouame, Fil-Am veteran Caelan Tiongson, defense-first import Tajuan Agee, and Gilas Pilipinas high-flyer Rhenz Abando in the active roster, the Charles Tiu-coached squad proved it has more than enough firepower after last blasting Chinese Taipei-White, 96-70. McCullough lived at the line for 25 points on 10-of-13 free throws, while backcourt partners Kiefer Ravena and Abarrientos scored 14 and 13, respectively, to help keep Strong Group undefeated in the weeklong tournament with a brutal daily schedule, where the team with the best record at the end of the single round-robin bags the title. Expect the same core to keep up its stellar play as the prime Chinese Taipei team comes knocking on Sunday evening, carrying its own unbeaten slate. But Tiu said Abando and Kouame will play through their injuries, while Agee will be a game-time decision as the American import was discharged from the hospital on Saturday after suffering from food poisoning. “Rhenz’s hand is still swollen and the same goes for Ange’s knee, but they will play through it since this is an all-or-nothing game,” said Tiu. “They know how important this game is for the country.” Tiu added: “We will be watching Agee’s minutes closely since he has been very dehydrated because of the gastro issues he suffered. His health is important, but his presence on the court is also crucial for us.” Strong Group aims to keep its 43rd Jones Cup run spotless until the very end, while home team Chinese Taipei-Blue looks to ruin the visitors’ party with a last-minute golden heist. Tip off is at 7 pm. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Northern Mindanao voices: Urgent reforms, focus needed as Marcos enters 3rd year

Herbie G

01/07/2024 8:49

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 CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – As President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. enters his third year in office, Northern Mindanao’s public transport groups, labor advocates, LGBTQIA+ leaders, and anti-drug campaigners demanded focus and urgent action on reforms and unfulfilled promises that continue to impede their sectors. They said they were still hopeful that Marcos would listen to their pleas before completing his six-year presidential term to improve the lives of Filipinos. A local public transportation group in Cagayan de Oro, for instance, said it remains hopeful the Marcos administration would soften and consider their appeal to do away with the franchise consolidation component under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program. Since the franchise consolidation deadline two months ago, fewer public jeepneys are operating in Cagayan de Oro, displacing many drivers who relied on them for their livelihood. In one community in Opol town, Misamis Oriental, for example, the number of jeepneys serving residents dropped from over a dozen to just two in May. The consolidation has also increased costs for commuters. Previously, jeepneys took them directly to downtown Cagayan de Oro. Now, with fewer jeepneys and drivers finding other jobs, commuters must take motorcycle taxis to the highway, three kilometers away, to catch rides to Cagayan de Oro. Joel Gabatan, chairperson of the United Drivers Association (UNIDA), stressed that they were into modernizing their jeepneys for the betterment of the riding public, but he said it was disheartening for individual jeepney operators to surrender their hard-earned franchises. “Pila ka tuig among antos anang franchise sige bayad kada tuig, renewal pero pag-abot sa modernization, ibalhin lang sa coop. Wala nami gahom,” Gabatan told Rappler in an interview, emphasizing that all they want is for government to get rid of the franchise consolidation policy. (We have been working for so many years for our franchises, paying every year for renewal, but when the modernization program came, it all went to the cooperatives. We no longer have the power.) The deadline for franchise consolidation was April 30, and there was no extension provided. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) had said that franchises for individual PUV operators who failed to consolidate had to be revoked, preventing them from operating their routes. Meanwhile, a Cagayan de Oro-based labor leader said there were no major changes in the labor sector from past administrations until the leadership of Marcos Jr. Lawyer Proculo Sarmen, the legal counsel of the Federation of Freedom Workers, told Rappler that the workers are having difficulty exercising their basic rights because of “labor-only contracting,” which he said is the same practice that former president Rodrigo Duterte promised to remove but failed to fulfill. Sarmen said the government needs to strengthen policies to uphold the right of workers to self-organization, the right to collective bargaining and negotiation, and the right to stage strikes. “Mao kana ang pagkaluluoy nga kahimtang sa mga trabahante,” he said. (That’s the pitiful condition of the workers because without those rights, [the workers] are at the mercy of the businessmen and oligarchs),” he said. He said Marcos should have a labor secretary who would remove  “anti-labor union department orders.” For a local LGBTQIA+ group, the Marcos administration should institutionalize national governnent-funded standard assistance programs, campaigns, and activities, to help their sector. “We have not felt these. Hopefully, in the future, this would be included in their agenda,” Barbie Lindelle, president of the LGBTQ Federation of Cagayan de Oro, told Rappler. She said there were livelihood grants and other campaigns intended for the community but these were insuffiicient. On June 25, about 20 LGBTQIA+ members received P15,000 each in cash grants during the annual Pride Reception hosted by the Office of the Vice President in partnership with LGBT Pilipinas Incorporated. Other than that, they said there has not been much help from the national governnent. The federation said it has intensified a campaign that promotes the welfare of the LGBTQIA+ sector in Cagayan de Oro with the help of the local government and other stakeholders, but not much from the national governnent. Lindelle said the campaign includes an advocacy meant to make the Marcos Jr. administration see the “true value” of a bill against gender-based discrimination. She said they were dismayed because the bill was excluded from the administration’s priority measures for passage in Congress before May 2025. The Citizens Crime Watch (CCW) in Northern Mindanao, an anti-crime and anti-corruption watchdog, also urged the administration to intensify a non-violent campaign against illegal drugs. The group said illegal drug activities have become rampant in the last two years. Kennmarc Francisco, director of CCW Northern Mindanao, differentiated the anti-illegal drug campaign of Marcos Jr. from that of his predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who implemented a more focused but bloody approach to combat the drug menace. CCW strongly criticized the extrajudicial killings that happened under the administration of Duterte. “Dili pud ta maka-ingon nga napabayaan. Wala lang gyud natutoki sa insakto; wala mafocusi ang kampanya laban sa droga,” Francisco told Rappler. (We cannot say that there is neglect. It’s just not being focused on; the campaign against drugs has not been given enough focus.) But Brigadier General Ricardo Layug Jr., director of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Northern Mindanao, said they have been intensifying their anti-illegal drug operations in the region. He said this in a June 28 statement after police operatives confiscated P136,000 worth of alleged shabu in Barangay Igpit, Opol town, Misamis Oriental, on Thursday, June 27. “Again, we will not tolerate illegal drug activities in the region,” he said. – Rappler.com This article is part of “Marcos Year 2: External Threats, Internal Risks,” a series of analyses and in-depth stories assessing the second full year of the Marcos administration (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024). Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Obiena still optimistic of Olympic medal quest despite ‘physical problems’

delfin.dioquino editor

21/07/2024 20:37

GAZE. The Philippines' Ernest John Obiena reacts during the men's pole vault final in the 2023 World Athletics Championships. Aleksandra Szmigiel/REUTERS MANILA, Philippines – The road to the Paris Olympics has not been smooth sailing for Filipino pole vault star EJ Obiena. Obiena revealed he has been battling “physical problems” in the lead-up to the Games, but said he remains confident that he can compete at the highest level as he hopes to deliver the Philippines a prized medal. Ranked second in the world, Obiena is expected to end the Philippines’ medal drought in Olympic athletics since hurdler Miguel White won bronze in the 1936 Berlin Games. But that goal has been made more difficult as Obiena deals with training setbacks as he needs to undergo a “variety of medical procedures.” “If you had asked me a year ago, how I would envision the ‘perfect’ Olympic preparation, well it certainly wouldn’t be what has transpired! It has been what can only be termed a bumpy road this season,” Obiena wrote on his social media accounts. “Despite my best efforts at conditioning, fitness and discipline, I have been battling with various physical problems since April.” “I know and fully understand this can happen to athletes training at such intensity and no complaints…but why now? This has meant constant stops and stitching training and competition together with my team as well as we could.” “I have undergone in past months, weeks, and days a variety of medical procedures, to hopefully give myself the best shot at the Olympic Games.” Obiena started the outdoor season in May in style by striking gold in the Los Angeles Grand Prix in the United States, although the results that followed proved to be a mixed bag. He finished seventh in the Ostrava Golden Spike in Czech Republic, got back on the podium by sharing second in the Oslo Bislett Games in Norway, then wound up seventh again in the BAUHAS-galan in Sweden. After nailing a pair of golds in Poland in the Irena Szewińska Memorial, where he posted a year-best clearance of 5.97m, and in the Czeslaw Cybulski Memorial, Obiena missed the podium anew as he placed fourth in the Meeting de Paris – his final competition before the Olympics. While Obiena has faced struggles in his Olympic buildup, he continues to be optimistic about his chances as he looks to challenge defending champion and world record holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden. “Am I feeling confident with my preparation? Well, definitely not as much as I would like! Am I doing the best I can each day? Yes and most definitely yes!” said Obiena. “Not what I wanted but we’re still standing and I still have a few more days to prepare and sharpen.” “I know these things happen. All athletes at an Olympic level deal with such adversities. I know not everything is in my control. I am an optimist by nature. Can I perform at the highest level? Yes, I believe I can.” Obiena said his supporters can expect the best from him. “I am a proud Filipino and that means I am resilient and have weathered far worse situations. I promise you all I will give not 99% but all 100%,” he said. The men’s pole vault qualification is schedule on August 3 at the Stade de France. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Why Fil-Am hurdler Lauren Hoffman made the big Philippine leap

Jasmine Payo

21/07/2024 17:57

While scrolling her time away on social media, Lauren Hoffman had a realization – she could actually represent the Philippines in international athletics events. A track star from Duke University, the Filipino-American Hoffman found out that her personal athletics records weren’t far off the Philippine marks, thus setting in motion a path that quite quickly landed her a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics. “I had followed a lot of the (Philippine) sprinters and hurdlers and pole vaulters. So, I really looked up to them for a long time,” Hoffman told Rappler in an online interview. “And my sophomore year of college, I ran somewhat close to the Philippine national record [in hurdles]. And I was like, ‘Oh, that’s exciting.’ I was thinking since I was so close to that national record as a sophomore in college, I was really excited to be a part of the team.” “I have the potential to be something great,” Hoffman added. “I’m on track to do something great. And I would love to represent the Philippines while I’m competing professionally. So that was the first moment where I was like, ‘I want to represent the Philippines,’ when I knew I was good enough to start competing internationally.” At that time, Hoffman had never been to her mom Laura’s home country. But, she grew up in Virginia learning the Filipino culture – “making mano (gesture of respect)” to her ninong (godfathers) and ninangs (godmothers), eating a lot of Pinoy food in gatherings, while belting her favorite tunes in karaoke. Most of all, what kept the Philippines close to Hoffman’s heart was the strong sense of family. After discovering her international potential, Hoffman decided to link up with Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA), then led by former Philippine Sports Commission chairman Philip Ella Juico. Hoffman first competed locally during the Philippine Athletics Championships, also known as the National Open, in Ilagan, Isabela, in February 2023, where she was able to bring along her mom and ninong. Things rolled quickly from there as she represented the country internationally in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in October 2023, ending up fifth in the meet with a time of 57.21 seconds in the women’s 400-meter hurdles. Returning to the US, she sustained her competitive streak, resetting the 400m hurdles Philippine record during the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational in Miami at 56.39, just a tad better than the previous mark of 56.44 by Robyn Brown. In April 2024, Hoffman then blew away the 15-year-old Philippine record of 13.65 seconds set by Sheena Atilano in the women’s 100m hurdles  by tallying 13.41 at the Duke International in Durham, North Carolina. But less than a month later, while competing in her second Philippine meet, Hoffman shattered the record anew at 13.34 seconds during the National Open at the PhilSports track in Pasig, where she was cheered on by relatives from Navotas and Antipolo. Hoffman’s sporting milestones didn’t stop there, just over a year since donning the Philippine colors. By July 2024, the 25-year-old Hoffman made history again by qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, earning just enough points in the world rankings to reach the cutoff mark in the women’s 400m hurdles. “I am one of the only 400 [female] hurdlers to, like ever… make it to the Olympics,” she said. “I think I’m only the second ever [from the Philippines]. So I feel there’s like a lot of history to be made.” “And I think we’re definitely getting better and better every year,” she added. “You know, coming off Hidilyn Diaz’s gold medal [in the Tokyo Olympics], I think that just inspired the country, too.” Growing up in the small, sleepy town of Haymarket, Hoffman first competed in running during her elementary school days, where she would participate in events like the 5km run. At 13 years old, Hoffman then decided to shift to hurdling, which she recalled loving right at the moment she leapt her first obstacle. In Battlefield High School, she was named a New Balance Nationals All-American, winning the state championship in the 4x400m relay and finishing fourth in the women’s 400m hurdles in 2017. The 5-foot-6 athlete also played volleyball, but was likewise relentless in academics, graduating summa cum laude. Heading into college, Hoffman had two choices – Harvard University over in the northeast, or Duke University, about 260 miles away southwest of her hometown. “It was a really tough decision for me because they’re both great universities. I knew I would get a great education, get good degrees,” recalled Hoffman. “But it came down to where I felt more at home. You know, who I vibed with, the ones who gave me a good feeling, which team felt like family. So, I just fell in love with the Duke track team.” Taking up evolutionary anthropology with the intention of taking up medicine afterwards, Hoffman made her mark with the prestigious sporting program under the tutelage of coach Mark Mueller, who coaches her up to this day. She was named to several All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) First and Second Teams and was hailed as part of the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-America First Team in the 2021 season. Hoffman was also recognized by the conference as part of its all-academic team, balancing her act well as a student and an athlete. As of February 2024, the Filipino-American track star remains the university’s standard in the 400m hurdles (55.47 seconds), and the owner of the best mark at Morris Williams Track and Field Stadium at 56.00, which she set as a management studies post-graduate student in 2022. She also clocked 56.58 seconds in the same event to set a Duke invitational record last April 13. Her 55.47-second finish earned her the bronze medal, and USTFCCCA All-America First Team honors, which broke the school record for the fourth time during that season. But from the school track, she now takes her act to the world’s biggest sporting stage. Hoffman will debut in the Olympics along with fellow hurdler John Cabang Tolentino, a Filipino who grew up in Spain who likewise qualified via world rankings. “I like the expectations. I think the pressure is good… We have high expectations for ourselves because we want to be great,” said Hoffman. “We’re snowballing. The success is snowballing. I think Team Philippines is on the way up.” Although this will be the biggest competition of her life, Hoffman opts to see it as just another tournament. “This is the same race I’ve done since college. [Some of my opponents will be the same] women I’ve competed against before. So, I feel like there’s an element of, ‘I’m here and I belong here. I’m an experienced runner,’” Hoffman said. “I’m reminding myself that I’m ready to do this, as well as also, taking in all the new factors as well.” – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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LIST: Modern jeepney models and what to expect

lkyu0285

21/07/2024 18:36

MODERN. Drivers and mechanics of an automotive corporation inspect modern Dongfeng jeepneys imported from China at a plant in Project 4, Quezon City, on January 31, 2024. Jire Carreon/Rappler MANILA, Philippines – What will the modern “King of the Road” look like? Now that the consolidation phase for jeepneys is over, operators are expected to slowly upgrade their fleets of traditional jeepneys with modern units. The government expects to upgrade most of the country’s 150,000 jeepneys by 2030. (WATCH: [Under 3 Minutes] When will we see modern jeepneys on the road?) These new models must comply with the Philippine National Standard for public utility vehicles (PUVs), which is set by the Department of Trade and Industry. These outline specific requirements for the size and safety features of different PUV classes. They also require modern jeepneys to have either Euro-4-compliant, electronic, or hybrid engines, or better. As of June 20, 2024 there are 33 models of Class 2 PUV — the vehicle type most closely resembling jeepneys — that are approved by the government. Of these, 14 are imported, while 19 are considered locally manufactured or assembled. Note that a vehicle is already classified as “local” so long as at least 25% of its components are manufactured or assembled in the Philippines. That’s why models from Japanese brands such as Hino or Isuzu are considered local. Right now, there is the big problem of price. Government officials estimate the average price of a modern jeepney to be around P2.5 million, though it could be even higher. Using a list provided by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Rappler obtained an average price of P2.905 million based on the declared suggested retail price of at least 23 approved Class 2 PUV models. Some electric modern jeepneys imported from China cost over P6 million. This is far above the budget of many operators, even with the paltry P280,000 in government subsidies to offset the cost. For comparison, an average brand-new traditional jeepney costs P1.2 million only, industry sources tell Rappler. (READ: Could Maharlika Fund’s investment in a jeepney manufacturer save PUV modernization?) Some experts and manufacturers fear that the high cost of the units could raise jeepney fares, with operators struggling to pay for the monthly amortization of their new fares. “‘Yung jeepney price po na P2.5 million, mag-i-increase ang fare natin, possibly from P27 to P40 per [passenger]. So ‘yung sinasabi ng DOTr, LTFRB [Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board] na walang fare increase with modernization, hindi po yata totoo ‘yon,” said retired University of the Philippines professor and scientist Teodoro Mendoza. (With a jeepney price of P2.5 million, our fares will increase, possibly from P27 to P40 per [passenger]. So what the Department of Transportation and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board are saying, that there will be no fare increase with modernization, I don’t believe that’s true.) However, there is still hope that modern jeepneys will become more affordable. In fact, the government is banking on increased competition from local manufacturers to drive down price in the coming years. For instance, local manufacturer Francisco Motors is developing a new fully electric modern jeepney, and it plans to sell the first 1,000 units for just P985,000. Francisco Motors chief executive officer Elmer Francisco told Rappler that their latest prototype will be submitted to the DOTr for certification within July. “The 2025 model is not yet in that list, and our price is P1,997,000. This model has a range of 250 kilometers in one full charge using LiFePO4 battery already,” Francisco told Rappler on July 3. DOTr Undersecretary of Road Transport and Infrastructure Jesus Ferdinand Ortega has also stressed that operators need not rush to purchase the still-pricey modern jeepneys since they will be given about six years to slowly upgrade their fleets. “Just to be clear, wala pa pong bilihan ngayon ng sasakyan (there’s no requirement to buy vehicles right now),” Ortega said on June 17 at the Monday Circle Financial Forum. He also acknowledged that some modern jeepney models — including those imported from China — still lack materials for vehicle repair and maintenance here in the Philippines. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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How the queens of Binibining Pilipinas 2024 bagged their crowns

Jairo Bolledo

21/07/2024 18:00

DIAMOND QUEENS. The winners of Binibining Pilipinas 2024 pageant: (L-R) 1st runner-up Christal dela Cruz, Binibining Pilipinas International Myrna Esguerra, Binibining Pilipinas Globe Jasmin Bungay, and 2nd runner-up Trisha Martinez. Binibining Pilipinas Myrna Esguerra set her eyes on becoming a national titleholder and representing the Philippines in an international pageant. She clinched the top crown, the Binibining Pilipinas International title, during the pageant’s finals night on July 7. Myrna was easily a standout because of her golden complexion, towering height, fierce eyes, and long, straight black hair. During the swimwear competition, she strutted down the runway like a supermodel in a pink crystal-encrusted swimsuit. For the evening gown portion, she wore a silver crystal gown with a high slit that emphasized her figure. She won both the Best in Swimsuit and Best in Evening Gown awards, joining the leagues of Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2022 Gabrielle Basiano, and other Binibining Pilipinas titleholders who won both major awards during their Binibini stints. Myrna’s win was also quite historic as she shares the same name with the first ever Binibining Pilipinas winner, Myrna Panlilio, who was crowned in 1964. For Myrna, her victory was a testament to how she overcame challenges in life. Growing up, she was not confident of her skin color because of many Filipinos’ preference for fair-skinned women. But as she grew up and was exposed to different types of beauty, she learned to embrace her skin color and appreciate her beauty. “And it’s really beautiful because being a morena represents every Filipino. So I think that’s really something that we should always remember when talking about skin color. So being crowned by Angelica Lopez, it’s empowering,” Myrna said in a Rappler Talk interview on July 18. “My story is also a story of other people. Having dark skin, having morena skin. And I think it’s about time that we look beyond the skin color. But we [have to] look at what the girls can offer: What can she do? What’s her purpose? And I think that is what helped me to win [the] Pilipinas International crown.” Myrna was crowned by her predecessor, Binibining Pilipinas 2023 Angelica Lopez, who will represent the Philippines in Japan later this year. It was quite symbolic because Angelica and Myrna are both morenas, making them the most recent winners of Binibining Pilipinas International title who do not fit in the so-called Miss International prototype. Every competition has what fans call a “mold,” which means certain prototypes that the pageants use as standards for choosing their winners. Miss International, a Japan-based pageant, often crowns a “kawaii” queen or a candidate who has fair complexion and has doll-like features. The last Binibining Pilipinas International winners before Angelica and Myrna had doll-like features and fair skin, which conformed to the so-called prototype. But both Angelica and Myrna will display their golden skin in the international arena and will give their best to win the seventh and eighth Miss International crowns for the Philippines. Myrna said her victory indeed broke this so-called prototype, adding that not conforming to the prototype will also work to her advantage because “being different is going to make you stand out.” “And you really have to embrace who you are…[be] confident of who you are as a person, not just about your physical appearance, but what you can bring to the table,” Myrna said. Myrna also emphasized that, beyond being a pageant titleholder, a Miss International winner should understand that she has a job to help and inspire others, and promote the advocacies of the Miss International pageant, which include the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals. (READ: How Nicole Borromeo nailed Miss International 2023’s Q&A round) There are not many queens from Abra, a province located north of the Philippines, which Myrna represented. Abra Governor Joy Bernos said Myrna was the first Abrenian to represent and win in Binibining Pilipinas. That’s why when she clinched the top crown, her entire province, even the Cordillera region, celebrated. Myrna came home to Abra on July 15, a special day both for Myrna and her home region, the Cordilleras, because her homecoming coincided with the 37th Cordillera Day. Abrenians, led by its officials, welcomed Myrna with a community dance accompanied by gongs and drums. The queen shared with Rappler that, like any other pageant run, hers was not smooth either. All the preparations — like pasarela and public speaking training, among other things — were challenging. But when the competition started, Myrna said she felt the love and support of her fellow Abrenians. “I can really hear their support on social media. And I’m really grateful for that,” Myrna said. “We are very proud as Abrenians. Because even though we’re far away from the city, people [now] know that Abra exists, Abrenians exist. And we can do so much more. And I think that the people should watch out for that. I’m really expecting a lot of beauty queens coming from my province now that we’ve started it.” For Myrna, she did not only win the crown for her province, but also paved the way for other people to appreciate the beauty of Abra. This, she said, was among the powers of pageants: to promote a tourist spot and its people. Myrna was consistent in promoting her province all throughout the competition. For her tourism video, she featured Lusuac Springs in Lagayan and Mount Bullagao, also known as the Sleeping Beauty of Abra. She also promoted her province’s loom weaving industry. If there’s one thing that she learned from her home province, Myrna said it would be resilience. Abra has faced a lot of natural calamities and is often hit by earthquakes. Despite these, its people get up and start anew each time, Myrna said. “Because being in Binibining Pilipinas, we’ve faced lots of challenges…it’s important to remind yourself, as I’ve said before, to stick to your roots,” the Binibining Pilipinas International 2024 told Rappler. “And always remember your reason for being there. Because that’s going to be your fuel to continue.” “Silent killer” was the word used by pageant analysts to describe Jasmin Bungay. She is consistent all throughout the pageant’s duration, but she particularly shone during the pageant night. She won the other title during the finals night, Binibining Pilipinas Globe, and will represent the country at the Miss Globe pageant in Europe later this year. In an interview with Rappler, Jasmin said her ultimate goal was to represent the Philippines at the Miss International pageant. In college, she would tell her friends that she wanted the Binibining Pilipinas International title, even though the Miss Universe Philippines crown was still under the Binibining Pilipinas at the time. Jasmin said the previous format of the Miss International enticed her. Previously, the pageant had no question and answer (Q and A) round, unlike other pageants. Miss International only had a prepared speech round before. But don’t get it wrong, the question and answer round was actually Jasmin’s strong suit and what solidified her victory. She wowed the judges and audience alike during the finals night with her powerful response to the question, “If you were given 30 minutes to talk to the public, what would you talk about?” Jasmin responded: “If I would be given 30 minutes to talk to the public, I would like to talk about the passing of the SOGIESC bill. Because, in celebrations such as pageants, this community has contributed so much. And, in this regard, we can give back to them by supporting this cause because as an individual, it is our responsibility that we ensure that everyone is treated equally despite their SOGIE.” There is a bill that seeks to penalize discrimination based on someone’s sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression or SOGIE. But the proposed law has been languishing in Congress for over two decades. Jasmin said there were two things on her mind at the time: her story as an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) or SOGIE bill, and she chose to speak about the latter. While backstage during the finals night, Jasmin realized that most, if not all, the people who helped them prepare were part of the LGBTQ+ community, so she made sure to express her gratitude to them by using her platform to spread their message. “I just had a moment where it was like a surge of gratitude towards these people. They were so passionate. They were so passionate. They were also very emotional. They were very passionate about pageantry,” Jasmin told Rappler. “And I told myself that all the people there will see my performance. It’s an ode to them. It’s because of them. And it’s my way of giving back to them.” At 19 years old, Jasmin competed in Miss Millennial Philippines, a pageant organized and aired by noontime show Eat Bulaga! She won the Miss Pampanga pageant in 2016, earning the right to represent the Central Luzon province in the said pageant. She placed in the top 10, with Camarines Sur’s Julia Gonowon winning the crown. At the time, Jasmin said she did not take the competition seriously because she was very young and she just enjoyed it. There, she learned that, if you are not focused on winning and are half-hearted, you will not achieve victory. “So this year, when I decided to join Bilibining Pilipinas, I really took time to prepare myself in all aspects and tapped the right people,” Jasmin said. Before she joined the Binibining Pilipinas 2024 pageant, Jasmin was a successful model in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. She spent years there as an OFW, but left everything behind to pursue her Binibini dreams. The Binibining Pilipinas Globe 2024 titleholder’s work as an OFW helped her financially, as pageants also have financial requirements for gowns, national costume, and all. Aside from that, her exposure to modeling helped her in presenting herself on stage in front of thousands of people. While away from home, Jasmin used her time to contemplate joining. Every year in the last few years, she would ask herself if she would join or not. 2023 was the time she chose to fulfill her Binibini dreams. “So maybe that’s what fueled me, my wait for four years…. Everything that happened during those four years, [I hoped] it would translate to something…. Eventually, it was worth it,” Jasmin said. A heavy fan favorite, Christal Jean “Tala” dela Cruz did not disappoint as she clinched the first runner-up title. Inside the Araneta Coliseum, her fans were among the liveliest, chanting Tala’s name every time the candidate would be called. Tala swept many awards, such as Binibining Pizza Hut, Binibining Ever Bilena, Binibining Beautederm, and Binibining Creamsilk. Her performance was a solid one, from the swimsuit to evening gown rounds, where she donned a flowy sky blue gown. It was not Tala’s first pageant as she had already won the Supermodel International Philippines title in 2023. Unfortunately, she was not able to compete abroad, so Tala and her handlers decided that she would join Binibining Pilipinas instead. “So, why not join now? Because the pageant, it keeps on moving. And the momentum is there. And I really wanted to use that momentum, that adrenaline for me to perform. And [turn] all the things that I practiced into reality. So, we decided to go for it,” Tala told Rappler. In her hometown, she competed in the 2023 Binibining Zambales, where she met Anita Rose Gomez, Miss Universe Philippine 2024 top 10 finalist. Tala said her prior experience in other pageants shaped her as a woman and taught her to represent herself and her home province well. “That’s why I’m so grateful that I get to have all those experiences in my province and other pageants. Because [they] really honed me. I think all of us can agree that all the pageants that we’ve been through, [they] really shaped us into improving. Like every pageant that we go to, we improve, we change, and we become better,” she said. If there’s one thing Tala has learned from her Binibini run, it would be the importance of believing in oneself. “It should be about you. Because if you just think about what others think…it’s going to be their story. And what you want is to show yourself. Because if you show yourself, that’s when you get the inspiration, the drive to share it to other people. And that’s how you became a beauty queen that has truly the heart for everyone.” Trisha Martinez was a repeater. She joined Binibining Pilipinas 2023, won the best in evening gown award, but fell short of placing as a winner or runner-up. In the diamond edition, Trisha joined again and eventually clinched the second runner-up title. Trisha said her first try humbled her and changed her mindset. She realized that joining was not about winning awards, but rather showing the best version of oneself. She told Rappler she thought of closing her doors to pageantry because she was already satisfied with her previous runs. But people around her pushed and inspired her to battle it out one more time. Trisha realized that joining again was also for herself. “But I’ve realized lately that my participation, my comeback, it’s more of self-love. It seemed I’d forgotten myself in the process. When I pushed myself, my mindset, and fortitude, that’s when I realized that I could do more,” Trisha said in a mix of English and Filipino. Trisha is a licensed dentist. When she was asked in the Q and A portion about how she manages and balances her other duties with the demands of the pageant, she talked about her life as both a dentist and beauty queen. “How I manage my time? I got it from my purpose. I got it from my heart. I really want to contribute to the 60 amazing glorious years of Binibining Pilipinas, and that’s how I manage my time with the demands of a Binibini. And I am ready. After all, that is the Binibini I aspire to be — with the heart and dignity for the community,” Trisha said during the Q and A portion. Binibining Pilipinas was not Trisha’s first national pageant. She joined the Miss World Philippines in 2021, where she was crowned Miss Tourism Philippines. Trisha said she prepared for her international pageant at the time, and her family was equally excited, too. However, the international pageant did not push through and Trisha was not able to compete. Unlike Myrna and Jasmin, Tala and Trisha will not represent the country internationally because the Binibining Pilipinas pageant only holds the franchise for Miss International and Miss Globe. But for Trisha their journey is far from over. “But let’s see in the future…. You’ll never know. Suddenly, something might happen, right? So at least Tala and I are ready,” Trisha said. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. 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Biggest pro win: Alex Eala sweeps W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz singles, doubles titles

delfin.dioquino editor

21/07/2024 21:44

FOCUSED. Alex Eala readies to return a serve in the ITF W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain. RAFA NADAL ACADEMY MANILA, Philippines – In the biggest singles finals of her pro career against a foe who came in with impressive pedigree, Alex Eala stepped up to the plate and delivered a clinical display of relentless aggression combined with patient execution. The fifth-seeded Eala won her first-ever W100-level event when she disposed of Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva of Andorra, 6-4, 6-4, in a battle between two hard-hitting, left-handed teenagers in the women’s singles final of the ITF Vitoria-Gasteiz on Sunday, July 21. Eala’s title romp came just a day after the Filipina teen standout also bagged the doubles championship with French partner Estelle Cascino after warding off Lia Karatancheva of Bulgaria and Diana Marcinkevica of Latvia, 6-3, 2-6, 10-4, in the finale. “This win means the world to me, it even made me ugly cry,” Eala posted on her social media accounts on Monday, July 22. “I am so proud because this represents the culmination of so much hard work. Securing my biggest tittles yet in both singles and doubles is a fairytale finish, and I’m overwhelmed with emotion.“ “This will always have a special place in my heart, and I leave here with a pocket full of great memories and the will to work harder,” added Eala. The singles final matchup at the Peña Vitoriana Tenis Club in Spain between the two former junior standouts who have had similar career trajectories has long been awaited by hardcore tennis fans. World No. 155 Eala, who turned 19 last May, captured the US Open girls’ singles title in 2022 and was ranked the No. 2 junior player in the world. Jiménez Kasintseva, who will turn 19 years old in August, was the 2020 Australian Open girls singles champion and became the No. 1 junior player in the world when she was 14. The title match delivered the anticipated fireworks, with Eala matching her foe’s powerful groundstrokes while pushing Jiménez Kasintseva to be constantly on the move. The Filipina sent a strong message right off the bat when she broke Jiménez Kasintseva in the very first game of the opening set, then opened a 2-0 lead. She broke Jiménez Kasintseva anew in the fifth game and went up 5-2, but the Andorran managed to claim the next two games to inch closer at 4-5. Eala, though, made sure that was the nearest Jiménez Kasintseva would get, with the Filipina closing the opening set in the 10th game after going up 40-15 on her serve. The second set saw Eala once again erecting an early 2-0 advantage. But Jiménez Kasintseva found her groove and secured the next three games for her first taste of the lead at 3-2. Eala then showed her composure and maturity. Not only did she tie the count on her serve the very next game, but she broke Jiménez Kasintseva in the seventh game to regain the lead at 4-3. Although she lost her serve in the eighth game, Eala answered back in the ninth with her own service break, then held serve after to finish the final in 1 hour and 34 minutes. Both Eala and Jiménez Kasintseva were seeking their fifth career singles title in the pro tour, although their previous high title conquests were in W25-level events. Both were coming off impressive semifinal victories the previous day, with Eala blasting Maria Jose Portillo Ramirez of Mexico, 6-2, 6-1, and Jiménez Kasintseva making short work of second seed Jessika Ponchet of France, 6-2, 6-2. This week marked the best week of Eala’s pro career as she achieved the rare feat of winning both the singles and doubles titles. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Media groups’ SONA wishlist: Decriminalize libel, pass FOI law, end red tagging

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21/07/2024 19:07

AID FOR CARAGA. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. speaks before local officials and beneficiaries of a government aid program in Butuan City on Thursday, June 20, 2024. Butuan City PIO MANILA, Philippines – Ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA), media groups called on him to prioritize decriminalizing libel and enacting a Freedom of Information (FOI) Law. The conveners of the 1st Philippine Media Safety Summit asked Marcos to keep his promise of supporting a “press that is critical” by including these in his SONA legislative priority. “The President himself said it in April: ‘The principal role of the press is not to applaud those who govern, but you hold us accountable, without holding back in giving praise to those who deserve it. Along with that stance is our collective goal of protecting the welfare and lives of journalists,’” the conveners said in a statement on Sunday, July 21. “Now is the time for Mr. Marcos to keep his promise and include efforts to ensure a ‘truly free and safe environment for all journalists’ in his SONA legislative priority,” the group added. Lawmakers in both the House of Representatives and Senate have submitted several bills— SB1593, SB2403, HB1769 and HB5372 — seeking to decriminalize libel, but none have been signed into law. The media groups urged the President this time to “prioritize legislative measures that would decriminalize libel.” The groups described the current laws on libel as being “weaponized against journalists and used as a tool to shield public officials against criticisms and defamatory utterances.” (READ: [ANALYSIS] Decriminalizing libel) The conveners also said in their statement that a “legislated FOI, which has been supported by various business organizations and chambers of commerce, will promote transparency in government transactions regardless of whoever sits in Malacañang.” The conveners are as follows: Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication, Center for Community Journalism and Development, College of Mass Communication-UP Diliman, Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, Freedom for Media Freedom for All, Mindanews, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Peace and Conflict Journalism Network, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and the Philippine Press Institute. The administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte issued an executive order on FOI, but the measure only covers departments and offices under the executive branch. The eFOI platform, which facilitates FOI requests, has also been criticized for being slow to respond. (READ: How serious is the Duterte administration about FOI?) The groups also asked the President to “make a clear stance to end the practice of red tagging, which has been used to target journalists.” Related to this, the media groups pushed for the removal of a provision in the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2022 that includes journalists as possible witnesses in drug cases. “For as long as this provision is not removed, journalists are at risk of being cited for contempt or subjected to arrest warrants for not showing up in courts as witnesses in drug cases,” the conveners said. Marcos Jr. did not mention matters on press freedom and other media issues in his 2023 SONA. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Inflation still top urgent concern for majority of Filipinos – survey

Bonz Magsambol

21/07/2024 16:28

PUBLIC MARKET. A market in Sibalom, Antique. Contributed photo MANILA, Philippines – Two years since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office, majority of Filipinos are still concerned about “controlling the increase in prices basic goods and services, according to Octa Research survey released on Sunday, July 21. The survey showed that this issue was the top urgent concern for 65% of the Filipino respondents. “It is also the top concern across major areas and income classes,” Octa noted. The survey, taken from June 26 to July 1, 2024, included 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above. The pollster also said that the survey has a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level. Subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have the following margins of error at a 95% confidence level: ±6% for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Following inflation, Filipinos ranked “access to affordable food like rice, vegetables, and meat” at 40%, and “Increasing/improving wages or salaries of workers” at 33% as their second- and third-most urgent concerns, respectively. Octa noted that Metro Manila and Visayas respondents were concerned about “improving/increasing wages or salaries of workers,” with both geographic areas receiving 36% – higher than that of Balance Luzon (34%) and Mindanao (27%). Following four straight months of rising inflation, the rate of increase in the prices of goods and services finally eased to 3.7% in June. The latest figure is lower than the 3.9% recorded in May 2024 and the 5.4% in June 2023. Octa released the survey results a day before the third State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, June 22. Groups expect the President to discuss ways to curb rising prices of goods. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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HIGHLIGHTS: Philippines vs Chinese Taipei-Blue – Jones Cup 2024

jisaga0269

21/07/2024 18:45

Strong Group Athletics/Rappler MANILA, Philippines – Strong Group-Pilipinas reclaimed the William Jones Cup crown for the Philippines after a thrilling 83-79 overtime win over Chinese Taipei-Blue in the virtual championship match on Sunday, July 21. American import Tajuan Agee proved to be a stabilizer, while locals Kiefer Ravena and RJ Abarrientos delivered timely hits as Strong Group won the Philippines its seventh Jones Cup title by going unbeaten in eight games. Steady at the line, Agee finished with 21 points on a perfect 9-of-9 free throw clip to go with 9 rebounds, while Abarrientos and Ravena chipped in 14 and 9 points, respectively, on a combined 7-of-14 from beyond the arc. Chris McCullough struggled with 12 points on a paltry 4-of-16 shooting and fouled out in the extra period, but his basket off a goaltending gave Strong Group an 80-78 edge – a lead big enough to fend off the Taiwanese. DJ Fenner added 15 points and 9 rebounds for Strong Group, which became the first team from the Philippines to rule the Jones Cup since Mighty Sports won in 2019. All hope seemed lost for Strong Group in regulation after the hosts grabbed a 71-64 lead before the visitors unloaded a 9-0 run capped by a clutch Ravena three-pointer to seize the upper hand at 73-71. But Chinese Taipei-Blue knotted the score at 73-73 after a Gil Baker putback and eventually forced overtime after Ravena missed his potential game-winning jumper. Chinese Taipei-Blue absorbed its first loss and finished with a 7-1 record. Strong Group-Pilipinas goes for gold in its highly productive 2024 William Jones Cup campaign as it stakes its undefeated 7-0 record against fellow top squad Chinese Taipei-Blue in Taiwan on Sunday, July 21. Already beyond avenging Rain or Shine-Philippines’ lackluster run last year, the undermanned yet talented Strong Group looks for a perfect finish this time around as the likes of super import Chris McCullough and all-around guards Jordan Heading and RJ Abarrientos continue to fire on all cylinders. Even without naturalized Filipino Ange Kouame, Fil-Am veteran Caelan Tiongson, defense-first import Tajuan Agee, and Gilas Pilipinas high-flyer Rhenz Abando in the active roster, the Charles Tiu-coached squad proved it has more than enough firepower after last blasting Chinese Taipei-White, 96-70. McCullough lived at the line for 25 points on 10-of-13 free throws, while backcourt partners Kiefer Ravena and Abarrientos scored 14 and 13, respectively, to help keep Strong Group undefeated in the weeklong tournament with a brutal daily schedule, where the team with the best record at the end of the single round-robin bags the title. Expect the same core to keep up its stellar play as the prime Chinese Taipei team comes knocking on Sunday evening, carrying its own unbeaten slate. But Tiu said Abando and Kouame will play through their injuries, while Agee will be a game-time decision as the American import was discharged from the hospital on Saturday after suffering from food poisoning. “Rhenz’s hand is still swollen and the same goes for Ange’s knee, but they will play through it since this is an all-or-nothing game,” said Tiu. “They know how important this game is for the country.” Tiu added: “We will be watching Agee’s minutes closely since he has been very dehydrated because of the gastro issues he suffered. His health is important, but his presence on the court is also crucial for us.” Strong Group aims to keep its 43rd Jones Cup run spotless until the very end, while home team Chinese Taipei-Blue looks to ruin the visitors’ party with a last-minute golden heist. Tip off is at 7 pm. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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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 Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

Marcos, the inaccessible president

Gaby Baizas

01/07/2024 16:15

MARCOS AND THE MEDIA. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is asked about his family’s plunder during a sit-down interview for the ABC News program 7.30 on March 4, 2024. Screenshot from ABC News In late June, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. spoke to Filipino journalists about Vice President Sara Duterte’s exit from his Cabinet, what this means for the Uniteam, and his thoughts on the Duterte family’s plans to run for Senate positions in 2025. Media interviews with the President, like this one, don’t happen very often. “It’s a cause for concern, because you want to be able to hear regularly from the President outside of his speeches,” said an online news outlet reporter, who spoke to Rappler on condition of anonymity. A newspaper reporter, who also requested anonymity, told Rappler that the media was “pleasantly surprised” the President entertained all their questions. “Covering the Marcos administration, I would call it a mixed bag…. President Marcos, from time to time, grants ambush interviews, but there are times when he doesn’t entertain them,” the newspaper reporter said. Marcos has consistently been difficult to reach and access for journalists who cover him has been challenging. In the lead-up to his 2022 presidential victory, Marcos and his campaign made calculated efforts to shun the media. On his first day as president-elect, he invited only three reporters to a “press conference.” The first few months of his presidency saw pro-Marcos vloggers attempting to lobby for access to official Malacañang events, but they later disbanded. When Marcos became president, media access remained managed. “If you recall, during Marcos’ candidacy, their strategy was, ‘less talk, fewer mistakes,’ right? The President was criticized for avoiding debates and not granting interviews to some media entities. I think they are applying the same strategy now,” the newspaper reporter added. Rappler spoke to two Palace reporters about their firsthand experiences covering the President, as well as two experts familiar with the media landscape in the Philippines. How difficult is it for reporters to get in touch with President Marcos, and what does this mean in the bigger scheme of things? For the two Palace reporters who spoke to Rappler, among the biggest hurdles in covering the Marcos administration is the lack of a presidential spokesperson. Marcos abolished the position of presidential spokesperson in his second executive order. Instead, Marcos appointed a press secretary, and later the head of his Presidential Communications Office (PCO), whose functions are different from that of a spokesperson who can directly speak for the President. “In past administrations, if the president doesn’t speak [on a certain matter], there’s a designated spokesperson who can speak on behalf of Malacañang. These days, we don’t have that,” the online reporter explained. The newspaper reporter also said relaying of information is more “centralized” in the Palace, which can also be an issue for Palace reporters trying to source firsthand information. “For example, in the House of Representatives, there are more than 300 lawmakers to choose from to interview, right? Or the Senate, you’ll have over 20 senators to talk to…. In the Palace, you don’t interview the President often, so ideally, they’ll have a talking head. And if the talking head doesn’t speak, that’s when we’ll have a problem,” the newspaper reporter explained. So what do press briefings look like without a presidential spokesperson? Now, Palace press briefings under the Marcos administration typically cover updates from different government agencies, which can make it difficult for reporters who are expected to write about issues related to Malacañang. “Because these agency secretaries come to Malacañang, we Malacañang reporters – who aren’t familiar with those beats and agencies – are sometimes caught off-guard,” the online reporter said. Malacañang also currently has a “pool” system, which means only a handful of news organizations get access to certain events, the newspaper reporter explained. Prior to the Marcos administration, official Palace events were open to all media outlets, but now some events only have two, three, or five slots allocated to reporters. Sometimes slots are limited due to security reasons, such as when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Philippines. Here’s how it works: The PCO informs the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) about the number of available slots for a certain event, and MPC members get to signify whether they want to cover the said event. If the list of MPC members interested in covering goes beyond the number of allocated slots, the MPC draws lots using a randomized app. (Editor’s note: A previous version of this article said the PCO drew lots instead of the MPC. This has been corrected.) “In fairness to the Palace, they don’t dictate who covers the event. Fate will decide via the random app,” the newspaper reporter said. One-on-ones are also rare for Marcos. Arguably Marcos’ most memorable one-on-one with the media is his March interview with ABC journalist Sarah Ferguson, who called him out for laughing after she asked him about his family’s ill-gotten wealth. Ferguson later revealed in a TikTok video that Marcos’ staff had even tried to stop the interview. Danilo Arao, associate professor of journalism at the UP College of Mass Communication, said Ferguson was praised for confronting Marcos with tough questions as journalists in the Philippines aren’t typically given the same privilege. “The bigger question is why Filipino journalists – at least the more critical ones – are not given the same opportunity to have a one-on-one with Marcos Jr.,” he said. But the newspaper reporter explained that foreign media have more leeway to be critical of Marcos, as their interviews with the Philippine President are typically one-shot deals. Meanwhile, Malacañang reporters who have to maintain a good working relationship with the Palace have to be more practical and strategic about asking critical questions, so they avoid getting cut off for the rest of the President’s term. “If foreign journalists piss off Malacañang, and should Malacañang decide, ‘No, we’re not going to grant interviews to Ferguson anymore’…. They have nothing to lose. ABC can go on with its life covering other issues…. Malacañang reporters, especially, will not do that because of fear of loss of access,” the newspaper reporter said. Compared to his immediate predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos appears to be friendlier towards the press. But does this mean Marcos is a champion of press freedom? Far from it, experts say. Arao said the Marcos administration still lacks a clear policy in terms of promoting and upholding press freedom. “Their claims of being press freedom champions from time to time, as in the case of World Press Freedom Day, are obviously not enough,” he said. Jonathan de Santos, chairperson of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), acknowledged that Marcos has “been saying a lot of the right things” regarding press freedom. However, he’d like to see concrete follow-throughs, such as certifying the decriminalization of libel as urgent. “[It] would really be helpful to show that, ‘Yeah, we have a free press. We protect our journalists. Freedom of expression is alive….’ They’re already making that claim, but we know that isn’t true,” De Santos said. During Marcos’ first year as president, the Philippines received its highest World Press Freedom Index ranking in six years. Marcos may not curse and threaten the media the way Duterte did, but that doesn’t mean covering his administration is easy. For instance, the Marcos administration holds fewer press briefings. Under the Duterte administration, what was then the Presidential Communications Operations Office held daily briefings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Duterte’s spokespeople, such as Harry Roque and Salvador Panelo, also frequently faced the media. Now, the Palace typically only holds press briefings once a week. The newspaper reporter – who covered both Duterte and Marcos – said the current administration is slower to respond to, and issue statements about, sensitive breaking events, such as the June Ayungin Shoal incident and Sara Duterte’s resignation. Sometimes issues pass by without the Marcos administration ever issuing an official statement. The PCO also asks reporters to send in questions in advance, and insiders said the PCO will even refuse to entertain certain questions, especially if they’re about events that just happened. Ambush interviews are also closely managed by the PCO, where moderators call reporters one by one to ask questions. Despite his reputation as a press freedom predator, former president Duterte was open to talk about many issues with the press, the newspaper reporter told Rappler. Duterte usually accommodated questions from the media about any topic, except one – his health. Beyond accessibility and transparency, attacks and harassment against journalists have persisted under the Marcos administration. Alternative news sites Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly remain blocked two years after the National Telecommunications Commission order. “If we’re talking about a government that says, ‘We prefer a critical press,’ these two websites are very critical, which is why they were targeted…. It would be a good move or a good indicator of how free we are, or how tolerant [the] government is of the press,” De Santos said. An NUJP study released earlier this year found that more than half of red-tagging cases against journalists in the past eight years were state-sponsored. Out of a total of 159 incidents recorded between 2016 and 2024, 90 cases involved journalists from alternative media, while 69 cases involved journalists from dominant or mainstream media. De Santos also said media harassment may not be common in Manila, but that harassment against community journalists is “the same, if not worse” under Marcos. For instance, the Marcos administration has not taken any steps to free Tacloban-based journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, who marked her fourth year in jail after she was arrested over trumped-up charges. As of writing, a total of four journalists have been killed under Marcos’ term as president – Rey Blanco, Percy Lapid, Cresenciano Bunduquin, and Juan Jumalon. Blanco, Bunduquin, and Jumalon were based in different provinces across the country. Lapid was the only one killed in Metro Manila, and NUJP said this had “[indicated] how brazen the perpetrators were.” “There is a tendency for the government and those in power to label journalists as, at the very least, troublemakers…. That’s our common struggle as journalists. Whether you’re from mainstream media or alternative media outlet, or whatever your politics are, it’s the same. We shouldn’t be labeled as enemies or treated as such,” De Santos said. Arao said media repression has been “normalized” in today’s media landscape, no thanks to laws weaponized against journalists. “In the same way that a journalist’s obligation is to make the uninteresting interesting, a journalist cannot afford to make the unacceptable acceptable,” he said. The Philippines still has a long way to go in protecting journalists and allowing them to do their job to the fullest of their ability. The World Press Freedom Index saw the Philippines fall two places in 2024, and Reporters Without Borders said the country remains “one of the world’s most dangerous” for journalists. “Even after ’86, even if we say that was the return of democracy, of course, there were always attempts to, well, control the press. That’s why we need to keep fighting,” De Santos said. – Rappler.com This article is part of “Marcos Year 2: External Threats, Internal Risks,” a series of analyses and in-depth reports assessing the second full year of the Marcos administration (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024). *Quotes in Filipino were translated into English and some were shortened for brevity. Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

We ruined protected areas, now we must save them

Iya Gozum

13/07/2024 16:15

SPOTTED. One of four Philippine trogons spotted in the forests of Mount Apo in April 2024. DENR Soccsksargen MANP Cotabato DENR Soccsksargen MANP Cotabato The Instagram-famous limestone formations in Rizal seemed to have filtered through everybody’s timeline, including that of Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio. In his post, the actor supported the call of Masungi Georeserve, a party currently in the thick of conflict with the Philippine government. DiCaprio, whether he was aware of it or not, added fuel to the fire. “Now this success is in jeopardy, as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources threatens to cancel the agreement that protects this area from prolific land grabbing activities,” the post read. DiCaprio then proceeded to call on Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to “intervene and continue to protect Masungi.” In some ways, the Hollywood actor and environmentalist shares a similar experience in business and advocacy, being the owner of a 104-acre island in Belize developed into a luxury eco-resort. There was no response from the President. But the DENR reacted, issuing a statement a day after the post was made. “We appreciate the statements of concern for the Philippine environment from international celebrities who are distinguished in their respective fields,” the DENR said. A single-sentence paragraph followed: “However, no one is exempt from the law.” And the law mandates the DENR to protect Philippine environment and resources. The second year of the Marcos administration was marked by irregularities in the management of protected areas such as Chocolate Hills, Mt. Apo, parcels of land in Surigao del Norte and within the Upper Marikina Watershed. The environment department had since exercised its power to cancel the agreement with alleged cult Socorro Bayanihan Services Incorporated (SBSI), though late, as one senator pointed out early on in the investigation. It stopped operations of the illegal resort in Chocolate Hills in Bohol, and told House lawmakers back in May that the order allowing resorts in the protected area will be repealed. While the department has taken actions on these controversies, there is still unfinished business in Masungi. The DENR has the legal leverage as the Department of Justice already issued a formal opinion that Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc’s (MGFI) contract covering around 2,700 hectares of land in Upper Marikina Watershed is unconstitutional. Yet it stalls on a decision on whether or not to cancel the contract. The agency passed the ball to Congress, which has yet to conclude its probe into the matter. In the meantime, a slew of celebrities continue to voice out their support for MGFI. “In accordance with the legal system, the 2017 Memorandum of Agreement remains valid and binding unless declared otherwise by the courts,” the foundation maintained in a statement on July 8. The legality of the contract – leasing hectares of public land without a specified time limit to one institution – gets buried in the noise. As well as the fact that the contract in question does not cover the famed georeserve and its ethereal hanging web and bridges, but a separate parcel of land in Rizal. “It’s one thing to have the legal powers to do it, but legitimacy takes effort,” George Guerrero, an environmental lawyer from KLIMA of the Manila Observatory, told Rappler in an interview. According to Guerrero, public opinion plays a huge part in how political institutions enforce laws. For example, in the case of SBSI, the government was able to cancel the agreement because “there was a convergence of public opinion…and the legal powers of the DENR,” said Guerrero. SBSI’s leader, Jey Rence ‘Señor Aguila’ Quilario, was under fire after it was revealed in Senate hearings that there were cases of child marriages and abuses under his watch. Since 2004, the SBSI has had a protected area community-based resource management agreement with the government. In the aftermath of the cancellation of this agreement, Environment Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga said their approach is to remove settlers in the area “as humane[ly] and peaceful[ly] as possible.” While protected areas are within the purview of the national government, their everyday management relies on local players. Loyzaga had already ordered the evaluation and assessment of Protected Area Development and Management Board (PAMB) membership, a DENR representative told Rappler. The PAMB, created under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) law, oversees the implementation of a protected area’s management plan. The board is composed of the DENR regional executive director and representatives from local government, civil society, and indigenous cultural communities. They are not given any salary, but only allowances for their expenses while doing their work. “Is there actual capacity to manage?” said Neil Mallari, an ecologist from the Center for Conservation Innovations. Mallari pointed out that management of protected areas is just one of the long list of things that the environment department and its officials have had to deal with. In view of the gigantic task ahead of the DENR now, Mallari said the challenge for Loyzaga, whose leadership he compared to former DENR secretary and marine biologist Angel Alcala, is how to change the old ways of doing things. “Madaming moving parts ang environment sector,” said Mallari. (There are many moving parts in the environment sector.) As a response to crimes that imperil the environment, the DENR has recently taken a stronger stance in pushing for enforcement powers. The agency throws its support behind the bill creating the Environment Protection and Enforcement Bureau, which targets poachers, illegal loggers, and polluters. The bill sponsored by Senator Loren Legarda and which is currently pending in the committee level, says the “infraction of protected area laws, rules and regulations have brought numerous issues with tremendous economic problems.” On Friday, June 28, Loyzaga hiked the muddy trail from the remote village of Kagbana in Burauen, Leyte, to the site where two Philippine eagles were set to be released into the Anonang-Lobi mountain range. Going to Kagbana and into the eagle habitat, the environment secretary went through the Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park where Philippine ducks (Anas luzonica) swim in large lakes. The park is one of the protected areas listed under the Expanded NIPAS Act of 2018, covering 340.82 hectares. Up in Anonang-Lobi, the weather has been changing constantly. Up until the hour of release, conservationists were wishing for less rain and clear skies. Loyzaga arrived before noon, flanked by aides and welcomed by local officials and members of the press. “You owe me,” she told Dennis Salvador, executive director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation, once they reached the clearing where a program was ongoing. Salvador laughed. Anonang-Lobi is one of the key biodiversity areas in the country considered a highly suitable eagle habitat for repopulation. While not necessarily declared as protected areas, key biodiversity areas are places identified as priorities for conservation. The Philippine eagle is one of the species that got conservation funding in the 2024 budget, said Loyzaga during her speech on June 28. She mentioned the work of past leadership in the department for starting a series of field expeditions in 2015 to check for the bird’s presence (or more accurately, its absence) in Leyte after Super Typhoon Yolanda. “For a critically endangered species such as the Philippine eagle, with only about 392 pairs remaining in the wild, every single individual counts,” Loyzaga said. “Our hope therefore is that Uswag and Carlito will actually bear offspring that will help us reintroduce this species sustainably here in this part of the country.” There is a push now from advocates to declare eagle habitats as protected areas, to give the bird a fighting chance against poachers and illegal loggers. Advocating for a place to be declared a protected area is not altogether futile, despite the challenges of implementing laws. For one, it opens space for people to take matters into their own hands. “[W]hen something is deemed a protected area and there are clear strictures around it, when you try to do citizen action, you can campaign against someone on the basis of negligence of the protected area,” said Guerrero in a mix of Filipino and English. The conservation of the critically endangered species is inextricably linked to the protection of critical habitats. But not only wildlife are saved in the process of conservation swathes of forest lands, but humans too, from the impacts of climate change. According to climate scientist Lourdes Tibig, protected areas help reduce concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions as 25% of these emissions can be absorbed by plants. “[T]he greater the trees and the protected areas, the greater is the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed and leaving less in the atmosphere,” Tibig told Rappler. That afternoon when the raptors had flown away, the crowd slowly thinned out and the organizers started packing their things. One of the eagles was perched on a tree visible from the platform where it was released. The biologist who had taken care of the eagles when they were in captivity trained his camera on the bird. He was silent as he was taking photos. In principle, a pair of Philippine eagles needs around 6,800 to 7,400 hectares of forest lands to thrive. The Anonang-Lobi mountain range covers 110,000 hectares. The eagles would roam forest lands, especially in their younger years when they have yet to settle and find their territory. They are unaware of the lines humans draw on maps, that their presence could spur a whole legal structure in place over forest lands. Boundaries do not serve their nature. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Credible

Environmental issues the Marcos gov’t faced in second year in office

Lorenz Pasion

06/07/2024 10:42

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. underscored in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) in 2023 the importance of making the environment a priority, even stressing that climate change was made an “important criterion” in the country’s national policies, planning, decision-making, and implementation of programs. This promise was tested in Marcos’ second year as chief executive when he faced several environmental issues, from continued environmental defender killings in the country to ecological damage in the West Philippine Sea. In some issues, Marcos and his administration played catch-up in addressing the problems, while some issues seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. In its second year in office, the Marcos administration mostly provided Band-aid solutions to long-term environmental issues. Look back on the year that was for the Philippine environment. A decade later, Philippines still most dangerous country in Asia for envi defenders For the 10th straight year, the Philippines is still the most dangerous country in Asia for land and environmental defenders, according to a report from nongovernment organization Global Witness. Deadliest regions in the Philippines for environmental defenders Out of 334 environmental defenders killed in the country over the past two decades, 132 were from five provinces. ‘Duterte-era’ policies that persist also continue to endanger them. Other stories on environmental defenders: DENR set to review reclamation projects nationwide ‘Everything that comes down to us from the Philippine Reclamation Authority would be the subject of the review,’ says Environment Secretary Loyzaga. Where’s the suspension order for Manila Bay reclamation projects? It seems like the government needs a group chat to smoothen inconsistencies in the suspension of the Manila Bay reclamation projects. For one, a suspension order has not yet been made public. Whether such really exists is another question altogether. Other stories on reclamation projects: DENR to stop issuing permits, agreements for use of protected areas This comes after the DENR suspended its agreement with the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. that granted the latter use of over 300 hectares of protected land in Surigao del Norte. In Greece, PH commits to increasing protected areas by 2030 ‘To achieve the 30×30 targets by the decade’s end, the Philippines…is dedicated to significantly increasing protected areas on both land and seas,’ says Environment Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo Jr. Other stories on environmental protection: The poor’s 15 kilometers: Saving municipal waters from big fishing operators 15 kilometers from shore to sea is what small fishers get. Without updated vessel monitoring measures and robust law enforcement, they fear their livelihood is at risk. Top officials with private interests spoil effort to track big fishers Gamaliel Cordoba, who headed the NTC under Duterte, has a personal stake in commercial fishing because of his family’s business. During his time, the commission stopped issuing service numbers for trackers that would prevent unregulated fishing. Big fishers encroach on small fisherfolk’s municipal waters Municipal fisherfolk remain among the poorest Filipinos, earning only an average of P363 (US$6.45)* a day, and the possibility of losing preferential access to their fishing grounds poses an added threat to their existence. Other stories on fisheries: Is the mining fiscal regime bill good for the economy and climate agenda? Do the proposed reforms in the mining fiscal regime bill favor the industry, to the detriment of host communities and the government? Romualdez firm buying Leyte sand mining company for P5 billion Bright Kindle Resources and Investments Incorporated, a holding company owned by the family of House Speaker Martin Romualdez, is set to acquire a sand mining company for P5 billion. Other stories on mining: Groups urge gov’t to address mining issues as PH transitions to renewable energy The Philippine government should address issues in the mining sector as the country joins the transition from fossil fuel-based energy to renewable sources, several groups say. EXPLAINER: Recto eyes making companies pay for pollution they create Finance Secretary Ralph Recto is looking at putting a price tag on carbon emissions. Here’s a rundown of the pros and cons. Other stories on energy transition: Garbage crisis looms with coming closure of Metro Clark landfill in Tarlac More than 4,000 tons of wastes from 121 LGUs from 8 provinces are being brought daily to the Kalangitan sanitary landfill in Capas, Tarlac. Waste workers demand fair wages, treatment as they form national alliance The formation of the national alliance is called by groups as a ‘significant move for labor rights and environmental justice.’ Other stories on waste management: Disaster in Kusiong landslides: How politics killed non-Moro IPs Forced to vacate their shoreline homes in 2020, Teduray residents were buried in mud after fatal landslides triggered by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng hit them in October 2022. Private resorts have since taken over, one of them owned by a political family. When fighting for ancestral lands hits a dead end Since 2005, the Tedurays have been lobbying for the government’s formal recognition of their ancestral domain. The urgent priority should be the approval of an IP Code to address these land issues. Other stories on Kusiong Tragedy: A decade later: 15% of Yolanda houses unfinished, thousands unoccupied Three presidents have taken their seat in Malacañang yet tens of thousands of houses for Yolanda-hit communities remain incomplete. Part 2: Water, electricity issues bog Yolanda relocation plans In many housing sites, Yolanda survivors make do without water connections in their homes. These problems partly explain why some 30% of built housing units are unoccupied to this day. Other stories on Yolanda’s 10th year: Philippines gets a seat in inaugural board of loss and damage fund This has been a ‘long time coming’ after the Philippines spent decades ‘at the forefront of the negotiations for the loss and damage fund,’ says Philippine Environment Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga. Can the Philippines be a strong voice again at UN climate talks? For years, the Philippines has had a strong voice and was a big player in climate negotiations – until Duterte happened. Under Marcos, a climate expert says ‘we’re finding that voice again.’ Other stories on COP28: Flood-prone lifelines: Critical facilities at risk of flooding in Negros Occidental town Rappler’s data analysis of HazardHunterPH data shows that Sipalay has the most number of schools that double as evacuation centers during disasters, with a very high risk of flooding in Negros Occidental. Moving flood-prone gov’t facilities out of harm’s way is costly, time-consuming Experts say that moving all critical facilities away from flood zones is a complex process, and finding a solution that checks all the boxes takes time. Climate-vulnerable PH fails to fully spend disaster preparedness funds – study Local governments tend to be ‘reactive’ in their disaster spending, greatly underspending funds intended for more preemptive, long-term programs, according to an Oxfam Pilipinas study. Other stories on disaster risk reduction and management: DENR strips regional offices of power to grant ECC in protected areas Pending and future environmental compliance certificate applications within protected areas will now be escalated to the Environmental Management Bureau at the DENR’s Central Office. Ombudsman suspends Bohol governor, 68 officials over Chocolate Hills mess A resolution to repeal previous Protected Area Management Board orders that allowed structures in the Chocolate Hills Natural Monument, is already in the works, says Department of Environment and Natural Resources regional executive director Paquito Melicor. TIMELINE: The Chocolate Hills resort controversy Built on protected areas, the resort operated for months without an environmental compliance certificate and managed to get a business permit and a renewal. Other stories on the Chocolate Hills resort controversy: AFP suspects China of massive coral harvesting in West Philippine Sea The Armed Forces of the Philippines raises the alarm over what they suspect to be massive illegal harvesting of corals in Rozul Reef located in the West Philippine Sea. PCG: China should be held accountable for environmental damage in Pag-asa Island A Philippine Coast Guard official says China should be held accountable for environmental damage in and near Pag-asa Island (Thitu), located 300 nautical miles from Palawan. Scientists, economists, lawyers want to put price on damage in West Philippine Sea Experts from different institutions come together to survey the resources in the West Philippine Sea in the hope of providing a ‘framework or method to assess the damage’ in the area. SolGen mulls bringing China to Hague anew over coral reef destruction The Office of the Solicitor General’s latest move stems from the authorities’ discovery of extensive damage in the marine environment frequently visited by Chinese ships. Philippine heat has always been a problem – and it’s going to get worse Data shows that various areas in the Philippines have already been experiencing high heat index levels for the past 10 years. El Niño triggers job losses, lower crop yield The Philippines’ agriculture sector sheds 318,000 jobs in March 2024 compared to the prior month. Marcos says gov’t eyeing shift to old academic calendar in 2025 Originally, the education department announced a gradual transition to the old academic calendar, laying out a five-year transition timeline. In Philippine classrooms, weather’s too hot to handle While there are no studies yet that show the extent of learning loss for weeks of class suspensions, Philippine Business for Education executive director Justine Raagas says that long school breaks could result in learning loss. Other story on extreme heat: – Lorenz Pasion/Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Obiena still optimistic of Olympic medal quest despite ‘physical problems’

delfin.dioquino editor

21/07/2024 20:37

GAZE. The Philippines' Ernest John Obiena reacts during the men's pole vault final in the 2023 World Athletics Championships. Aleksandra Szmigiel/REUTERS MANILA, Philippines – The road to the Paris Olympics has not been smooth sailing for Filipino pole vault star EJ Obiena. Obiena revealed he has been battling “physical problems” in the lead-up to the Games, but said he remains confident that he can compete at the highest level as he hopes to deliver the Philippines a prized medal. Ranked second in the world, Obiena is expected to end the Philippines’ medal drought in Olympic athletics since hurdler Miguel White won bronze in the 1936 Berlin Games. But that goal has been made more difficult as Obiena deals with training setbacks as he needs to undergo a “variety of medical procedures.” “If you had asked me a year ago, how I would envision the ‘perfect’ Olympic preparation, well it certainly wouldn’t be what has transpired! It has been what can only be termed a bumpy road this season,” Obiena wrote on his social media accounts. “Despite my best efforts at conditioning, fitness and discipline, I have been battling with various physical problems since April.” “I know and fully understand this can happen to athletes training at such intensity and no complaints…but why now? This has meant constant stops and stitching training and competition together with my team as well as we could.” “I have undergone in past months, weeks, and days a variety of medical procedures, to hopefully give myself the best shot at the Olympic Games.” Obiena started the outdoor season in May in style by striking gold in the Los Angeles Grand Prix in the United States, although the results that followed proved to be a mixed bag. He finished seventh in the Ostrava Golden Spike in Czech Republic, got back on the podium by sharing second in the Oslo Bislett Games in Norway, then wound up seventh again in the BAUHAS-galan in Sweden. After nailing a pair of golds in Poland in the Irena Szewińska Memorial, where he posted a year-best clearance of 5.97m, and in the Czeslaw Cybulski Memorial, Obiena missed the podium anew as he placed fourth in the Meeting de Paris – his final competition before the Olympics. While Obiena has faced struggles in his Olympic buildup, he continues to be optimistic about his chances as he looks to challenge defending champion and world record holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden. “Am I feeling confident with my preparation? Well, definitely not as much as I would like! Am I doing the best I can each day? Yes and most definitely yes!” said Obiena. “Not what I wanted but we’re still standing and I still have a few more days to prepare and sharpen.” “I know these things happen. All athletes at an Olympic level deal with such adversities. I know not everything is in my control. I am an optimist by nature. Can I perform at the highest level? Yes, I believe I can.” Obiena said his supporters can expect the best from him. “I am a proud Filipino and that means I am resilient and have weathered far worse situations. I promise you all I will give not 99% but all 100%,” he said. The men’s pole vault qualification is schedule on August 3 at the Stade de France. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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HIGHLIGHTS: Philippines vs Chinese Taipei-Blue – Jones Cup 2024

jisaga0269

21/07/2024 18:45

Strong Group Athletics/Rappler MANILA, Philippines – Strong Group-Pilipinas reclaimed the William Jones Cup crown for the Philippines after a thrilling 83-79 overtime win over Chinese Taipei-Blue in the virtual championship match on Sunday, July 21. American import Tajuan Agee proved to be a stabilizer, while locals Kiefer Ravena and RJ Abarrientos delivered timely hits as Strong Group won the Philippines its seventh Jones Cup title by going unbeaten in eight games. Steady at the line, Agee finished with 21 points on a perfect 9-of-9 free throw clip to go with 9 rebounds, while Abarrientos and Ravena chipped in 14 and 9 points, respectively, on a combined 7-of-14 from beyond the arc. Chris McCullough struggled with 12 points on a paltry 4-of-16 shooting and fouled out in the extra period, but his basket off a goaltending gave Strong Group an 80-78 edge – a lead big enough to fend off the Taiwanese. DJ Fenner added 15 points and 9 rebounds for Strong Group, which became the first team from the Philippines to rule the Jones Cup since Mighty Sports won in 2019. All hope seemed lost for Strong Group in regulation after the hosts grabbed a 71-64 lead before the visitors unloaded a 9-0 run capped by a clutch Ravena three-pointer to seize the upper hand at 73-71. But Chinese Taipei-Blue knotted the score at 73-73 after a Gil Baker putback and eventually forced overtime after Ravena missed his potential game-winning jumper. Chinese Taipei-Blue absorbed its first loss and finished with a 7-1 record. Strong Group-Pilipinas goes for gold in its highly productive 2024 William Jones Cup campaign as it stakes its undefeated 7-0 record against fellow top squad Chinese Taipei-Blue in Taiwan on Sunday, July 21. Already beyond avenging Rain or Shine-Philippines’ lackluster run last year, the undermanned yet talented Strong Group looks for a perfect finish this time around as the likes of super import Chris McCullough and all-around guards Jordan Heading and RJ Abarrientos continue to fire on all cylinders. Even without naturalized Filipino Ange Kouame, Fil-Am veteran Caelan Tiongson, defense-first import Tajuan Agee, and Gilas Pilipinas high-flyer Rhenz Abando in the active roster, the Charles Tiu-coached squad proved it has more than enough firepower after last blasting Chinese Taipei-White, 96-70. McCullough lived at the line for 25 points on 10-of-13 free throws, while backcourt partners Kiefer Ravena and Abarrientos scored 14 and 13, respectively, to help keep Strong Group undefeated in the weeklong tournament with a brutal daily schedule, where the team with the best record at the end of the single round-robin bags the title. Expect the same core to keep up its stellar play as the prime Chinese Taipei team comes knocking on Sunday evening, carrying its own unbeaten slate. But Tiu said Abando and Kouame will play through their injuries, while Agee will be a game-time decision as the American import was discharged from the hospital on Saturday after suffering from food poisoning. “Rhenz’s hand is still swollen and the same goes for Ange’s knee, but they will play through it since this is an all-or-nothing game,” said Tiu. “They know how important this game is for the country.” Tiu added: “We will be watching Agee’s minutes closely since he has been very dehydrated because of the gastro issues he suffered. His health is important, but his presence on the court is also crucial for us.” Strong Group aims to keep its 43rd Jones Cup run spotless until the very end, while home team Chinese Taipei-Blue looks to ruin the visitors’ party with a last-minute golden heist. Tip off is at 7 pm. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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[OPINION] Grading Marcos admin’s performance on the climate agenda

Jee Geronimo

29/06/2024 13:00

At the start of his term, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. mentioned the climate crisis as a focus agenda of his administration. Within the next two years, its impacts have never been more directly experienced by Filipinos across the country in different forms. The most notable example of these is the recent El Niño, coupled with rising temperatures. Not only did it adversely affect the agricultural and water sectors, but it also normalized the trend of class suspensions due to extreme heat, a stark contrast to the usual basis of heavy rainfall or storms hitting communities. While the climate crisis as an issue remains not as well-understood in daily discourse, its effects on the economy, society, and environment are becoming more noticeable to policymakers, experts, and observers. From the energy and mining sectors to human rights and environmental justice, it is vital for the Philippine government to set the right direction on addressing arguably the biggest threat to the country’s pursuit of sustainable development. The question now is this: Has the Marcos Jr. administration done enough to enable effective climate action in the Philippines? In recognition of the evolving climate-related challenges and needs, different branches and agencies of the government are developing new bills and plans to address them. At the legislative branch, lawmakers have proposed legislation that responds to the needs of different sectors. One of the most contested bills is the low carbon economy bill, which would establish a carbon pricing framework and system as part of setting an economy-wide pathway for the country to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While still at the committee level, business and civil society groups are debating on the necessity and operationalization of this system. Another bill known as the climate accountability bill would strengthen business accountability for potential pollutive actions. It would also establish a national loss and damage (L&D) fund to support victims of climate-related catastrophes, a fitting proposal as the country recently commemorated the 10th anniversary of the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). The government also recently published its National Adaptation Plan, which presents the strategy to reduce climate vulnerabilities and protect communities and ecosystems from worsening impacts. Covering sectors such as agriculture, health, biodiversity, human settlements, and cultural heritage, it also defines outcomes and activities for the country to achieve its national development targets while enhancing resilience. Still on the pipeline are the country’s NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) Implementation Plan, which would define how it would reduce its GHG emissions by 75% within the current decade, and its updated Philippine Energy Plan that ideally would hasten the development of cleaner technologies and reduce emissions coming from energy, the nation’s most climate-pollutive sector. The government is also strengthening its partnerships with various sectors to further enable climate solutions. The coverage of these collaborations ranges from protecting blue carbon to enabling the attainment of net-zero emissions, although they need to be backed by comprehensive policies and plans that have yet to be developed or finalized. As good as these new policies and plans are, a deeper examination reveals that there remain several levels of disconnect within the Philippines’ climate governance system that would prevent their intended outcomes from being fully achieved. First, there is the incoherence of the supposed climate policies being championed by the current leadership. This is most evident in Marcos’ preferred energy options: a combination of renewable energy (RE), nuclear, and fossil gas to replace coal as the dominant parts of the country’s energy mix. While this is geared toward securing national energy supply, this policy direction is inherently contradictory, such that it would likely prevent the simultaneous attainment of climate, energy, and development targets. Second is the inconsistency between the government’s global positions and its local actions. For example, the Philippines is currently part of the L&D Fund Board and is openly bidding to be its host. While this is aligned with the country’s call for climate justice for the most vulnerable, there is no domestic L&D policy with a strong climate lens, with current policies more oriented on addressing losses and damages from disasters. Third is the discrepancy of the “whole-of-society” approach to climate governance among national agencies. Initiatives by the likes of the Climate Change Commission, Department of Agriculture, and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for involving nongovernment groups in decision-making are noteworthy. However, issues on the lack of transparency by some agencies, including during consultations at the national and local levels, and gaps in coordination about mandates related to climate action threaten to undermine these good practices on inclusion. Fourth is the poor protection of human rights, especially in marginalized communities. For instance, in the context of just energy transition, communities affected by mining for minerals needed to produce solar panels and storage batteries continue to experience harassment, abuse, and the pollution, if not destruction, of nearby ecosystems on which they depend. The disregard of the Commission of Human Rights by some of the higher-ups is another indicator of this issue that persists in the Philippines, one of the world’s most dangerous countries for environmental defenders. Any policy or plan is only as good as its implementation. As long as the usual problems of corruption, red tape, lack of transparency, exclusion of non-business, nongovernment stakeholders, and outright power-tripping persist within the Philippine government, climate action will be reduced to words of unfulfilled potential and lip service. We have seen this with how, despite the enactment of the RE Act 16 years ago, the share of RE in the national energy mix actually decreased since then. We have seen this with how protected areas and ecosystems of local and cultural significance that contribute to adaptation and mitigation continue to get polluted or destroyed. So far, the Marcos Jr. administration has actually fared better than its predecessor on advancing the climate agenda in the Philippines. But not by much. And on an absolute scale, until we see results, not good enough. – Rappler.com This article is part of “Marcos Year 2: External Threats, Internal Risks,” a series of analyses and in-depth stories assessing the second full year of the Marcos administration (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024). John Leo is the national coordinator of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas and the deputy executive director for Programs and Campaigns of Living Laudato Si’ Philippines. He has been representing Philippine civil society in United Nations climate and environmental conferences since 2016. He has been a climate and environment journalist since 2016. Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Ally or not? LGBTQ+ groups divided on Marcos’ stand for equality

Michelle Abad

29/06/2024 18:30

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. closes his second year in office, and his second Pride Month as the country’s top leader, with a piece of key legislation for the LGBTQ+ community still missing from his priority bills: the SOGIE Equality Bill. Marcos has taken progressive stands on various social issues, particularly on women and gender rights. In 2023, he said that the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer+ (LGBTQ+) community should be free from discrimination. This is why one might have expected the President to include in his pet bills a measure seeking to penalize discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression (SOGIE), but there’s been none so far. This, after the politically-divided LGBTQ+ rights movement banded together in what they called The Equality Alliance to appeal to Marcos to certify the SOGIE Equality Bill as urgent. It’s been languishing in Congress for over two decades now. The exclusion of the bill was disappointing to some advocates, but others choose to believe that the President is an ally just grappling with a legislature that still can’t agree on passing the bill. With the Marcos administration approaching its first half soon, his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte may not so much be a distant memory to some, especially since the two were vastly different on social stands. Duterte flip-flopped on his position on LGBTQ+ issues. He said he was once gay, but that he was “cured,” implying that being gay was a disease. In 2019, Duterte said he would certify the SOGIE bill as urgent, but took it back a day later. During the Duterte administration, Dindi Tan, national president of LGBT Pilipinas, wrote the zero draft of an executive order (EO) seeking to create a commission that allowed the LGBTQ+ community a place in the bureaucracy. Instead of providing stronger representation in the form of a commission, what the Duterte government approved instead was what Tan called a “watered down” version via EO 100, series of 2019, which created the Diversity and Inclusion Program. When Tan consulted her leaders in LGBT Pilipinas, they said it would “suffice for now,” which she said, consoled her. Meanwhile, Bahaghari chairperson Reyna Valmores noted the general climate of a “blatant disregard for human rights,” which included rights violations of the LGBTQ+ community. When COVID-19 lockdowns were in place, LGBTQ+ families were reportedly being denied aid because local governments refused to acknowledge them as legitimate families. Both Valmores and Tan noted instances like this. “There are many LGBTQ+ who are breadwinners… That gay person feeds his parents and his siblings, and sends his siblings to school. So if you question why we need to be given aid, it is like questioning their capability to be breadwinners,” said Tan. Valmores also lamented Duterte’s militaristic, punitive style of pandemic governance that may have influenced lower chief executives. In Pampanga, a barangay captain ordered three LGBTQ+ individuals who supposedly broke curfew rules to perform lewd acts. Enter Marcos, who had to undo not just the culture of misogyny his predecessor normalized, but also deal with an LGBTQ+ rights movement that mostly stayed stagnant at the national level. LGBT Pilipinas rallied behind Marcos in the 2022 elections, with Tan believing he was sympathetic to their cause. In a Pride Month message in 2023, Marcos said that the community should be free from discrimination. “We must applaud and be proud of them for demonstrating the talents of Filipinos. In this New Philippines, Filipinos are free…open-minded, and free from discrimination and ridicule,” he said in a YouTube vlog. Marcos also held a Pride Reception in Malacañang in June 2023. While Tan, whose group was invited to the affair, said that it was the “clearest evidence” that Marcos was determined to stand with the sector, Valmores of the national democratic Bahaghari noted how the reception was not inclusive of the broader LGBTQ+ movement. In December the same year, Marcos approved EO 51, creating a special committee on LGBTQ+ affairs. It aimed to strengthen “existing mechanisms to address the continued discrimination against the community and provide them an avenue to participate in policy formulation of the government.” “We can’t just sit and wait for it to be passed, because we might be dead in the future and it still isn’t approved in Congress,” said Tan. “If there was a deadlock in Congress, then there must be a way to do it via executive.” Half a year later, Tan, who is also a director at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, said that the committee is preparing for the full implementation of its mandate. While Valmores said all avenues for gender equality are appreciated, groups not aligned with the administration have yet to feel the EO’s effects, or to be included in its conversations. “While EO 51 claims to ‘bridge’ the government and the LGBTQ+ community to hear our concerns, nothing has changed in terms of policy nor real community involvement since EO 51 was made public,” said Valmores. Ryan Silverio, executive director of the ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, said they have not felt any outreach in their networks either, such as in Pride PH and Lagablab. “It’s an executive order that should benefit the broad range of the LGBTI movement. So, I hope it moves forward [benefiting] LGBT groups across the spectrum,” Silverio said. Valmores also said that Marcos has refused to listen to the demands of more progressive groups. He “dismissed” the community’s pleas for justice for Jennifer Laude, a trans woman killed in 2014 by a Duterte-pardoned US soldier, and instead approved more Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement sites for American soldiers on Philippine soil, Valmores said. Valmores added that Marcos “remains silent” on the continued red-tagging of LGBTQ+ activists. The SOGIE Equality Bill hurdled the committee level in the Senate in December 2022, but the Senate leadership has yet to calandar it for deliberations in plenary. Meanwhile in the House, it has reached plenary, but is still in the period of sponsorship. The goals of EO 51 tread closely to what the SOGIE Equality Bill aims to do. So if this is where Marcos stood, why couldn’t he list the bill as a priority measure? According to Bryon Neil Senga, SOGIESC consultant of the University of the Philippines Center for Women’s and Gender Studies (UP CWS), the “polarizing” nature of the bill may be the reason why Marcos has yet to make a national push for the bill. “It is possible that Marcos Jr….would not want to take risks by taking a strong stance on this. [He] would time and time again express pro-LGBTQI rhetorics but would not meet the actual demands of the community out of the perceived uncertainty of consequences,” he said. The religious sector has often been seen as the face of the opposition for the SOGIE bill, but Senga said it is not a monolithic bloc. Numerous faith-based groups have advocated in solidarity with the sector such as the Metropolitan Community Church and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, which has supported the non-discrimination of LGBTQ+ Filipinos. “It just so happens that faith-based groups who are against the bill have become more organized in recent years while faith-based allies are not yet as mobilized. The latter however is already being prepared,” said Senga. For Silverio, who uses the pronoun they, it’s a matter of making Marcos see how the SOGIE bill can fit into national priorities, like the continued reopening of the economy from the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think there’s a lot of need for us as a movement to recalibrate our strategy to make this a national agenda…. I don’t think LGBT rights are a priority of the President. I think he recognizes the sector at this point in time, but there are other bigger issues that he has to deal with,” they said. Silverio highlighted the need to quantify the economic contributions of LGBTQ+ workers, both local and overseas. Queer students who are free from discrimination in their schools will also be able to thrive. “If we invest a lot in education and technical and higher education training for LGBTI folks and removing all barriers to education, we can have better human development programs. We haven’t seen that yet,” they added. Tan also saw the need to reassess strategies. While her group was not against Pride parades, Tan pointed to the significance of celebrating Pride Month in more person-to-person engagements. LGBT Pilipinas has a champion in Malacañang: First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos. Tan calls her their “staunchest ally.” On Monday, June 24, the First Lady led the distribution of financial aid and free medical services to members of the LGBTQ+ community and their families in an event in Mandaluyong. “We see the First Lady as the mother who takes care of the LGBTQIA+ community. We owe so much to her because she really was the one who pushed for the signing of the EO 51,” said Tan. Even as the SOGIE bill does not make it to Marcos’ priority bills, Tan believes that there is still time in the Marcos administration to make it happen. “So, there is a presumption of regularity that given this possible prospect, we can still do more, because we are headed in the right direction,” said Tan. But for every day without a national law, members of the LGBTQ+ remain at risk to discrimination and hate crimes. While roadblocks remain at the national level, several local governments have gone ahead in passing ordinances that prohibit gender-based discrimination in their areas. Some of these include Quezon City, Manila, Cebu City, Iloilo City, and Davao City. Senga of the UP CWS said that apart from protecting LGBTQ+ Filipinos in their communities, ordinances like this signal to other LGUs that the passage of such laws is “possible and beneficial for their respective community.” “It also shows that there is a growing demand across the country for a national anti-discrimination law and for greater LGBTQI recognition and acceptance.” Quezon City, in particular, has been trailblazing in local policies beyond non-discrimination. Queer couples in the city have the Right to Care card, which legally enables them to make medical decisions for each other. Transgender individuals can also avail of free health services specialized for their sector. In a special graduation ceremony in the city on June 22 for LGBTQ+ students who were discriminated against for their SOGIE, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte talked about why the city stays steadfast in LGBTQ+ advocacy, even when it is polarizing. “The answer is simple. It is the right thing to do. We believe that we can only achieve our goal of becoming inclusive if we give every person the space to be who they are meant to be,” she said. Will Marcos ride on the momentum of the local governments, and see past conservative pressures? He has four more years to prove he is an ally beyond words. – Rappler.com All quotes have been translated into English for brevity. This article is part of “Marcos Year 2: External Threats, Internal Risks,” a series of analyses and in-depth stories assessing the second full year of the Marcos administration (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024). Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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Marcos Year 2: Status of the administration’s promises, progress, and backlogs

mjmcatequista0325

21/07/2024 17:30

Bpngbong Marcos/Facebook Two years since his election, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has yet to deliver on a number of promises and plans he made to woo voters, from lowering rice prices to a fostering genuine national unity. As the President delivers his 3rd State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 22, Rappler’s community partners — the #FactsFirstPH, #AtinAngPilipinas, and #CourageON: No Lockdown on Rights coalitions — collaborated to identify compile the promises made by Marcos and his administration, and key issues in their sectors. Bookmark this list to track the status of these promises and plans going into the President’s third year in office. In 2022, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) aimed to build 1 million houses per year or 6 million housing units by 2028. In 2024, the government slashed the goal to 3 million houses by the end of the Marcos presidency, citing funding concerns. Marcos requested Pag-IBIG to make home loans more accessible. DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino “Jerry” Acuzar mentioned that P20.17 billion was approved to aid the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) program for the construction of 17,791 houses. In June, DHSUD sought for funding guarantees for the project and to certify as urgent the bill seeking to institutionalize the 4PH program. For fiscal year 2024, the General Appropriations Act (GAA) allocated P750.81 million for the 4PH interest subsidy. Senate bills 2409 and 2108 by Senators JV Ejercito and Christopher Lawrence Go, respectively, seek to institutionalize the 4PH program. Both bills are pending at the committee level. The Marcos administration allocated over P541 million from the People’s Survival Fund for six new climate adaptation initiatives in 2024. In February, President Marcos facilitated a deal with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) for the Philippines to receive international aid for climate adaptation. On July 9, the country was selected to host the board of the Loss and Damage Fund, a global fund that will help vulnerable nations deal with the adverse effects of climate change. The Department of Energy (DOE) reported that, as of April, it was on track to add 1,984.775 megawatts of solar energy to the nation’s grid this year. According to the United States’ Department of Agriculture January 2024 Rice Outlook, the Philippines is projected to overtake China as the world’s top rice importer. Projects of the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture intended to boost the farming sector include the introduction of D4AgPH, an online platform for optimizing agriculture practices, and rice irrigation strategies called “Alternate Wetting and Drying” and “Quick Turn Around” to help farmers conserve water for continuous crop production during El Niño. In the first quarter of 2024, crop production volume reached 25.07 million metric tons from 23.89 million metric tons in the same period of 2023. This increase was driven by the 17.2% increase in sugarcane production. Based on government figures, 5.45 million international visitors arrived in the Philippines in 2023, significantly surpassing the 4.8 million visitors targeted by the Department of Tourism (DOT). They brought in P480 billion. The country’s tourism receipts from January 1 to March 31, 2024, added up to around P157.62 billion, which is an estimated 120.70% recovery rate from the revenue gained from the same period in 2019. As of April 24, 2024, a total of 2,010,522 international visitors entered the country, 15.11% higher than the international arrivals recorded in the same period last year. The President’s many foreign trips brought in a reported P4 trillion in investments to the country, as of December 2023, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). However, about a third of this money was still in the planning stage, the department said at the time. In February, Malacañang said that $14 billion of these investments had been “actualized.” Clark International Airport remains underutilized. The national government has allotted P22.98 billion to improve health facilities in 2024. In June, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) board approved the increase of Konsulta Package’s financial assistance for the dialysis of diabetic patients from P2,600 to P4,000 per treatment. The increase still falls short of PhilHealth’s initial aim of providing P5,200 per dialysis session. The Department of Finance (DOF) is on track to meet its three medium-term fiscal framework (MTFF) goals: In September 2023, the Philippines’ House of Representatives approved a bill seeking to reform the military and uniformed personnel pension system with the following improvements: The Presidential Communication Office (PCO) launched a Media and Information Literacy (MIL) campaign on August 14, 2023. The campaign features an MIL summit and a community campus caravan, but fact-checking is not part of its focus. Based on recent update, the PCO met with New Zealand journalists to discuss the MIL campaign, the Philippine media landscape, and combating disinformation. According to Ilog Pasiglahin, the Inter-Agency Council for the Pasig River Urban Development (IAC-PRUD) or any related government agency has yet to hold a community consultation on the Pasig River rehabilitation project. There is also no community member or local government unit representative in the IAC-PRUD to ensure that the Pasig River rehabilitation will be people-centric. Aside from the garbage clean-ups and Pasig River Esplanade (PARES) phases 1 and 2 in Ermita and Intramuros, respectively, there are no other specific projects lined up as of yet for the river’s improvement. The master plan submitted by Housing Secretary Acuzar, who chairs the IAC-PRUD, has been approved by Marcos. Acuzar unveiled the plan in August 2023, months after the creation of the inter-agency council. Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary Edu Punay said preparations for the full implementation of the Food Stamp Program (FSP) are underway after a successful six-month pilot implementation in several parts of the country. Punay said FSP will be implemented in 10 regions and 21 provinces with an initial target of 300,000 families who were validated and registered in June. Beneficiaries will use Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to purchase select food commodities from eligible partner merchant stores. In April, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla described the country’s electricity situation as a disaster after the national power grid successively went under red and yellow alerts. Full electrification is estimated to require P72 billion in funding. Meanwhile, the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection and the Cebu-Negros Panay Link are aimed at improving power distribution and accessibility across regions, ensuring a more stable power supply. In April 2024, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) launched the National Fiber Backbone (NFB) Phase 1 Project, which will expand the internet capacity of 14 provinces across Northern Luzon and Central Luzon. During the Build Better Infrastructure Forum in New Clark City, Tarlac, last July 14, DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy said that the country now has an overall Internet penetration of 73.6% after their implementation of the Common Tower Policy. The Broadband ng Masa Program, which establishes the national fiber backbone and middle-mile connectivity, and the Free Public Internet Access Program provide free, secure internet at 13,462 sites nationwide, according to Uy. The Marcos administration is hopeful that a total of 9.8 million users can benefit from free internet services in 125,000 sites nationwide by 2028. The classroom shortage figures nationwide are at 165,444, Tara Rama, director III of the Department of Education (DepEd) Government Assistance and Subsidies Office, confirmed during a hearing by the Senate panel on basic education last March 20. Students from Kinder to Grade 12 in Calabarzon, National Capital Region, BARMM, Central Luzon, and Central Visayas are among those most affected. Meanwhile, the MATATAG Curriculum has been rolled out in 35 schools out of 47,678 schools in the Philippines. DepEd reported that 267,900 teachers and personnel had been trained for its implementation. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said this new curriculum is focused on improving both coverage of competencies and student confidence. This year, Marcos ordered that skills development be integrated into the K-12 curriculum, and vowed to remain committed to providing free education in state universities and colleges. In March, Marcos assured the public that the Philippines would maintain its independent foreign policy. In the context of the West Philippine Sea dispute, he clarified that the Philippines will act according to its own interest, making foreign policy decisions that prioritize the wellbeing of the nation. “We continue to chart an independent foreign policy in keeping with our constitutional mandate. We pursue [this] through international engagements that seek to strengthen existing alliances [and] build new partnerships with like-minded states,” Marcos told diplomatic corps in a vin d’honneur in Malacañang last June 12. The main office of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) moved to The Upper Class Towers along Quezon Avenue corner Scout Reyes in Quezon City for a more accessible location and to enhance bureaucratic efficiency. The office offers the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) for Filipino emigrants and the Guidance Counseling Program (GCP) for partners and spouses of foreign nationals. In a press release, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced that it allocated P15.3 billion for the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), which includes the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Emergency Repatriation Program to assist forcibly repatriated overseas Filipino workers. According to LILAK, a collective of women advocates for indigenous women’s rights, indigenous women farmers and small food producers in different parts of the Philippines continue to experience hunger while lacking response and support from the Marcos administration. “As they face the challenges of climate change and rising commodity prices, the influx of applications for corporate-driven projects such as in the extractive industries that will destroy the environment and the entry of energy projects within agricultural and ancestral lands.” LILAK said. According to the June 2024 Mines & Geosciences Bureau report, 38 mines across the country have been approved and registered since 2021, and 148 more applications are being processed. President Marcos issued Executive Order No. 51, creating a special committee on LGBTQIA+ affairs. In a statement on December 23, 2023, Malacañang said the President saw the need to “reinforce the Diversity and Inclusion Program (DIP) and reconstitute its Inter-Agency Committee to ensure the country’s continuous compliance with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.” The SOGIESC equality bill remains excluded from the updated priority measures in the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council as of June 25, 2024. Many Filipinos continue to face challenges due to low wages. As of June 2024, the average daily nominal minimum wage across all regions stands at P442, while a family of five should receive a living wage of P1,210 per day to live decently. The scarcity of decent work and sustainable livelihoods are also driving more Filipinos into hunger and poverty. According to IBON Foundation, the informal employment population estimate is at 20.4 million workers. When it comes to health workers’ Health Emergency Allowance, the DBM said that it would release the remaining P27.4 billion and COVID-19 sickness and death claims of healthcare workers on July 5, 2024. By July 9, the Department of Health received the sub-allotment release order, and the allowance will soon be received by the healthcare workers who served the country during the pandemic. Marcos ordered the completion of water projects countrywide to mitigate the impacts of the drought and improve water security, acknowledging that water scarcity is now a constant threat due to climate change. Last July 10, President Marcos celebrated the completion of the construction of the Upper Wawa Dam, which, as a part of the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project, will fill the needs of Metro Manila residents that the Angat Dam is not capable of. The President continuously calls on leaders of both public and private sectors to work together to make clean water available to the 40 million Filipinos who currently do not have access. Under Executive Order 62, Marcos cuts the tariff on imported rice to 15% to lower the rice prices. However, several farmer groups reject the proposal since reduced rice tariffs only lead to more rice imports. As of the first phase of April 2024, the average retail price of rice was at P51.39, higher than the rice prices during the first and second phase of March, at P51.14 and P51.21, respectively. In September 2023, Marcos imposed a price ceiling on rice. Under Executive Order No. 39, the price ceiling of rice is P41 for regular milled rice, P45 for well-milled rice, and P52 for imported rice. The price ceiling remains unless lifted by the President. Since the original deadline of June 2020 for the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), the deadline for consolidation was extended six times following multiple transport strikes. No extension was given after April 30, 2024. July 2024 figures provided by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) show that 159,914 out of 191,730 (83.41%) public utility vehicles (PUVs) consolidated before the deadline. Meanwhile, 1,749 transport cooperatives with around 262,870 members, and 1,088 corporations have been formed. Additionally, only 24% of local public transport route plans (LPTRPs) in all LGUs have been approved, which are needed before fleets are modernized. The DOTr estimates it may take until 2030 before the majority of jeepney fleets (150,000 vehicles) are modernized. Transport groups are still hoping for the program to be scrapped. Since the deadline, fewer jeepneys have been operating in Cagayan de Oro. In Bacolod, Undoc-Piston said at least 1,700 of its members could no longer operate and drive jeepneys legally, and Bacod-Manibela said around 10,000 of their dependents were suffering from the “negative economic impact” of the PUVMP. The jeepney operators forced to consolidate have not received any proper training and support from the government to navigate the complexities of operating within consolidated transport service entity (TSE). Meanwhile, Marcos held a public town hall about traffic concerns. He talked about alternatives to alleviate the traffic situation. To improve mass transport in Metro Manila, the administration thinks of improving commuter railways and highways. Marcos also presented updates to key infrastructure projects, including railway developments and the Metro Manila Subway project. In a meeting with stakeholders last June 5, Metro Manila train operators presented how they would address the problems of the train systems failing PWDs. Marcos created a “super body” to enhance the protection of human rights. However, Human Rights Watch senior researcher Carlos Conde stated that he fears this special committee would only serve as propaganda to defend the administrations against human rights abuses. According to Amnesty international, they see no progress regarding human rights issues under the Marcos administration. Dahas Project reported that about 329 people in 2023 were killed. The Marcos administration has consistently said that it would not cooperate in the International Criminal Court’s probe into former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war as it does not recognize its jurisdiction over the Philippines. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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IN CHARTS: Marcos struggles in perking up business sentiment, taming inflation

Ralf Rivas

11/07/2024 14:55

MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s economic managers have repeatedly touted the bright economic prospects of the Philippine economy. In an economic forum last May 27, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said the Philippines is on course to “becoming an upper-middle income status by 2025, lifting 14 million Filipinos out of poverty by 2028, and positioning the country as the 13th largest consumer market globally by 2030.” “The Philippines is expected to become a trillion-dollar economy by 2033 and surpass France to become the 14th largest economy in the world by 2075,” Recto said. While the economic team has highlighted what the economy could be like five decades from now, sentiment from the business community, so far, has been tepid. The latest business expectations survey by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) revealed that business sentiment turned less upbeat in the second quarter due to softer demand for goods and services, ongoing international conflicts that may push oil prices higher, and a slowdown in business activity due to El Niño. Sentiment of respondents, drawn from the country's top 7,000 firms, also weakened for the next quarter and the next 12 months amid lower demand for products due to inflation. Construction and the services sectors were less optimistic due to various factors, including expectations of lower demand for manpower services, higher vacancies of city hotels and resorts, and adverse impact of geopolitical tensions overseas. The stock market was also relatively dull two years into the Marcos administration. With the lack of catalysts, companies have generally held back their plans to go public. Inflation was Marcos' first economic headache. Inflation was above the 2-4% target range for 20 months since Marcos became President, and only went down within target last December 2023. Prices of goods flared up due to a confluence of domestic and external factors, with the poorest households being hit the hardest. As of June, inflation for all income households tempered to 3.7%, but the poorest or bottom 30% income households saw an increase of 5.5%. Prices of rice, the Filipino household's staple food, remained at double-digit levels, rising to 22.5% in June. Costs of transportation, electricity, and other household expenses, however, have started to stabilize. Affordability of housing is another sticky issue under Marcos. Prices of housing units rose to 6.1% in the first quarter of 2024. Various researchers have pointed out that most Filipinos can't find suitable homes near jobs, nor afford the monthly amortizations needed to own them. Out of the different housing types, prices of duplex houses were the most erratic, jumping by 36.2%. Condominium units have gone up to double-digits once again, rising by 10.2%. Unemployment under the Marcos administration has remained low, but the quality of jobs and wages remains in question. As of May 2024, the unemployment rate stood at 4.1%, equivalent to 2.1 million jobless Filipinos. This is an improvement from the 4.3% posted last May 2023, equivalent to 2.17 million unemployed people. The underemployment rate fell to 9.9% in May 2024 from 11.7% in May 2023. There are currently 4.8 million employed Filipinos looking for more hours of work. The recent P35 minimum wage increase was met with strong criticisms, with labor groups calling the hike "laughable." To improve the quality of life of Filipinos, the government needs to spend for infrastructure and social services. Marcos, however, is operating under a tight fiscal space amid mounting debt. His predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte, borrowed a total of P6.8 trillion during his term, leaving Marcos with the problem of managing debt while maintaining economic growth. As of end-May, national government debt ballooned to P15.35 trillion. Of the total debt stock, 31.96% was external debt while 68.04% was domestic debt. Since the pandemic, the government accumulated debts that were falling due in the near term, instead of those with longer tenors. The government's economic managers, however, are confident that the country's debt pile is manageable. The debt-to-GDP ratio, which looks at debt relative to the size of the economy, is currently at 60.2%. The lower the ratio, the better the government's ability to service debt. To lower the financial pressure brought about by debt, the Marcos administration needs to find new revenue sources. Data from the Department of Finance showed that government expenditures are rising much faster than government revenues, resulting in a wider deficit. Marcos and his economic team will have to look for new revenue sources and improve tax collection to lower the deficit. – Rappler.com Error. Please abide by Rappler's commenting guidelines. There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation. How does this make you feel?

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