PH Pop Rock Royalty named Academy of Rock Global Ambassador

Yeng Constantino, music teacher

By Tessa Mauricio-Arriola, Manila Times

It takes one to know one — and to mentor one. This is the eager conviction of Filipina singer-songwriter genius and Pop Rock Royalty Yeng Constantino as she takes on a brand-new role for the award-winning Singapore-based music school Academy of Rock (AOR).

As global ambassador of the Singaporean music school, which is franchised in several countries across Asia, Yeng Constantino looks forward to mentoring student-artists here and abroad.

As global ambassador of the Singaporean music school, which is franchised in several countries across Asia, Yeng Constantino looks forward to mentoring student-artists here and abroad.

In 2013, the brand opened its doors in the Philippines when Yeng was named national ambassador. Now, 10 years to the day, she has agreed to represent AOR in a broader capacity as global ambassador, which she announced will include mentoring student-artists whenever she can.

"Am I a patient person?" the multi-platinum recording artist wondered at loud when The Manila Times Entertainment asked her if she has this essential quality of teachers. "Malalaman po natin," she joked gamely.

More seriously, the voice behind the now classic OPM hit "Hawak Kamay," humbly says she believes she will do well in mentoring young musicians because she is familiar, first of all, with an artist's temperament.

"I think mas magkakaintindihan po kami kasi sabi nga nila ang artists may mga crazy sides yan. And sometimes the crazier the ideas [among artists], may mas magandang kinakalabasan," Yeng explained.

Moreover, she believes her experience as a young girl who only dreamed of becoming a singer-songwriter will be her greatest tool in becoming an effective mentor.

"Nanggaling din po kasi ako dyan kung nasaan sila ngayon," she said, adding that the time for her to give back and make others' dreams come true is now.

Yeng's sincerity in everything she said was proven by AOR's Singaporean founder Priscila Teo, who was in Manila for the signing of the global ambassadorship contract.

"The reason why I chose Yeng to be our ambassadress years ago was because of her authentic and genuine artistry, as well as her exceptional attitude that serves as a wonderful role model for our students," she said.

Free medical check-up bill to save lives and gov’t funds; Cong Duterte explains how

Published March 2, 2023, 9:43 AM

by Ellson Quismorio, MB

Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte has highlighted the need to provide free annual medical checkups for all Filipinos to ensure that they get access to preventive care and are able to address potentially serious health issues early on.

Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte (KEITH BACONGCO / MANILA BULLETIN) 

Duterte said that, with all Filipinos automatically becoming Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) members under the Universal Health Care Act, free medical check-ups should form part of their benefits.

For this purpose, Duterte, Benguet Rep. Eric Yap and ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Edvic Yap filed House Bill (HB) No.5074 with seeks to automatically entitle every Filipino to free blood sugar and cholesterol  tests each year.

The measure, titled, “An Act providing for a free annual medical check-up for Filipinos”, has already been approved by the House Committee on Health.

“To promote health, identify risks, and ensure early diagnosis, PhilHealth shall establish a system that allows access to a free annual medical check-up and ensure that Filipinos shall be accorded the quality health care services that they deserve,” read HB No.5074.

Duterte said that “Investing in free medical check-ups for every Filipino will help save lives and ensure that no one gets left behind when it comes to health care.”

Detecting potentially serious medical conditions in its early stages will not only benefit every Filipino but also PhilHealth, as this would bring down the costs of providing coverage for  expensive medical procedures that usually come with treating life-threatening diseases, Duterte added.

Under the bill, Filipinos can avail of the free medical check-up in any government-run  hospital or medical institution.

On top of free cholesterol and blood sugar tests, the three lawmakers also proposed the inclusion of expanded laboratory and diagnostic tests in the free annual medical check-up benefit “subject to the availability of Philhealth funds”.

“The State is tasked to institutionalize regular check-ups for its citizens in order to determine their potential health concerns and avoid further complications. Every citizen must be able to exercise his or her right to health without incurring any financial burden,” the bill’s authors said.

Sinking of MT Princess Empress: ‘Black, thick’ oil with foul odor emerges in Mindoro’s waters

by Martin Sadongdong

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday afternoon, March 1, confirmed the presence of “black and thick” oil with strong odor in the waters off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro after motor tanker (MT) Princess Empress capsized there.

Photo: Philippine Coast Guard / PCG

The sighting of the black and thick oil raised fears that the cargoes containing 800,000 liters of industrial oil onboard MT Princess Empress when it sank on Tuesday, Feb. 28, have already spilled. The features of the oil were different compared to the thin particles from the diesel of the tanker that caused the initial oil spill.

The PCG said they also found the possible source of the black oil at 7.4 nautical miles southwest off Balingawan Point, near the area where MT Princess Empress sank. 

BRP Melchora Aquino launched a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) to collect water samples from the water after the responders observed there was a foul odor coming from it.

“The Marine Environmental Protection Unit (PCG-MEPU) has observed a black and thick oil on the collected water samples,” the PCG disclosed.

However, the PCG has yet to confirm whether the presence of the black oil could be attributed to the spillage of the industrial oil, saying this is still being assessed by the responders.

The PCG said that its motor tugboat “Titan” sprayed oil dispersants in the area so the black oil could break down into smaller droplets and mix with the water. This will push the effects of the oil spill underwater.

Going beyond the material and the natural

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

WHEN Christ said, “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven,” (Mt 5,20) we have to understand that Christian life will involve the task of going beyond what simply is material and natural in our life. That’s because our life is meant to be spiritual and supernatural, since it is supposed to be a life of sharing with God’s life and nature.

In this regard, we have to see to it that our dealings with one another, and most especially with God himself, are not guided simply by human and natural standards. This Christ clarified when he said:

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘You shall not kill’; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.” (Mt 5,21-22)

This Christian duty, of course, will obviously require tremendous effort, given the way we are—always prone to think that we can only be guided by our own natural and human ways rather than by God’s ways. But even before thinking of the need for this tremendous effort, we have to realize, first of all, that with humility we need to ask for God’s grace. Only with his grace can we aspire to carry out this duty.

To be able to carry out this duty we always need to have in our mind and heart the example of Christ, and to feel his great love for all of us, irrespective of how we are. Let’s remember that he asked us to love even our enemies, and he lived by this standard when even on the cross, he offered forgiveness to those who crucified him.

It’s when we keenly feel this love of God for us that we can manage to love God and others the way Christ loved us, going beyond merely natural and human values. To be sure, loving God and others the way Christ loved and continues to love us, does not in any way go against our nature. It simply goes beyond it, purifying it and elevating it to the supernatural order, so we can share the very life and nature of God as we are meant to be.

In this regard, a certain 4th century Greek bishop by the name of Diadochus had something relevant to say: 

“The measure of a man’s love for God depends upon how deeply aware he is of God’s love for him. When this awareness is keen, it makes whoever possesses it to long to be enlightened by the divine light, and this longing is so intense that it seems to penetrate his very bones. He loses all consciousness of himself and is entirely transformed by the love of God.”

And he added even something very interesting that describes how going beyond our natural self to reach the supernatural life of God is: 

“Such a man lives in this life and at the same time does not live in it, for although he still inhabits his body, he is constantly leaving it in spirit because of the love that draws him toward God. Once the love of God has released him from self-love, the flame of divine love never ceases to burn in his heart and he remains united to God by an irresistible longing.” 

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com