Ara Mina recalls reaching out to homeless veteran star Deborah Sun: 'Hangga't kaya ko, andito lang ako'

BY ROBERT REQUINTINA

Jul 5, 2023 01:18 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Asked about her message to Deborah, Ara said: "May God bless you always. Hangga't kayo ko andito lang ako and I really hope na marami kang magawang project. You'll never know baka sa mas malaking (bahay) ka na tumira. Basta ipagpatuloy mo lang ang iyong pagiging renewed person at mabuting tao. Kahit hindi ako madalas sumasagot sa mga words of wisdom mo, binabasa ko po yun. She knows na andito lang ako."

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Ara Mina (Nice Print Photography)

Actress-businesswoman Ara Mina recalled the time she reached out to veteran star Deborah Sun who at that time was having a difficult time.

At the sidelines of the press conference for her upcoming movie "Litrato" under 3:16 Media Network in Quezon City last July 4, Ara said that she really feels uncomfortable discussing her assistance with other people. But since Deborah already mentioned it in the interview, it's okay for her to talk about it. The actress said it started when Deborah sent her inspiring text messages on a daily basis.

"Everyday she sends me words of wisdom, Bible verses. Kahit hindi ako nakakareply everyday niya ako pinapadalhan. Sumasagot lang ako mg emoticon or amen dahil busy rin naman ako."

"Nawala na sa isip ko na seven years na pala yun. One time tinawagan ko siya kasi I've never visited her. Pumunta ako doon one time pero hindi ako pumasok. Pero sobrang tagal na pala nun," she added.

It was Deborah who revealed to the media that Ara was really all-out in helping during an interview for the YouTube show of actress Snooky Serna recently.

"Sabi ko kumusta na kayo dyan, video-han mo tita para makita ko kung maayos ba dyan or may kulang pa kayo. So ayun, umiyak lang siya. Sabi niya aayusin ko muna anak. Sabi ko huwag ka ng umiyak. Sabi niya pina-paalis mo na ba ako? Sabi ko hindi," Ara said.

"That was my first investment. Siguro una ko siyang na purchase. Mga 1997 or 1998 the time when I left That's Entertainment.

"Masarap tulungan si Tita Deb. She's appreciative. Lagi niyang sinasabi papatayuan na kita ng monumento," Ara laughed.

Ara said that she also endorsed her other friends in showbiz who have no work. She's happy that Debrah is slowly going back to showbiz.

"Yung mga kaibigan kong artista na walang work ine-endorse ko rin. Hindi lang si Tita Deborah. Pero I'm happy may nagma-manage na sa kanya. Si Tyron Escalante. So puwede na po ninyong kunin sa work si Tita Deborah," she also said.

Ara Mina with daughter Amanda Gabrielle Meneses and husband businessman Dave Almarinez (Instagram)

Ara believes that Deborah has changed for the better and prays for her showbiz comeback.

"Matagal na buo ang tiwala ko na hindi na siya babalik sa old ways. The fact na pinatira ko siya doon sa condo, may tiwala ako.

"Dati plano ko ibenta yung condo. Nahihiya talaga ako sa kanya na maliit yung condo ko. Pero na-appreciate niya ng sobra. Meron kasing bang tinulugan mo hindi mo ramdam yung appreciation. Pero si Tita Debs ramdam mo na hiyang-hiya Talaga siya," she added.

"Very honest siya. Minsan sinasabi niya wala talaga silang pangkain ngayon. Ang birthday niya is Dec. 31. Busy lahat ng tao. Lagi na siyang kasama sa hinahanda ko na food para sa birthday niya sa salubong sa bagong taon na kahit papaano may pagkain sila," Ara said.

Asked about her message to Deborah, Ara said: "May God bless you always. Hangga't kayo ko andito lang ako and I really hope na marami kang magawang project. You'll never know baka sa mas malaking (bahay) ka na tumira. Basta ipagpatuloy mo lang ang iyong pagiging renewed person at mabuting tao. Kahit hindi ako madalas sumasagot sa mga words of wisdom mo, binabasa ko po yun. She knows na andito lang ako."

On cloud nine

Ara, 44, is also on cloud nine these days after she finally fulfilled one of her dreams after 30 years.

For the first time, Ara will host her magazine talk show entitled "Magandang Araw" on Net25.

"It's a travel magazine show. May pagka-reality rin. Anything I can tackle like yung mga side ng artista na hindi alam ng tao like mga talent nila. Meron din health, beauty, wellness, fitness, and motherhood. May D.I.Y. din. It's a co-production," she said.

Ara and Dave (Instagram)

Ara revealed that Oprah Winfrey was her peg in fulfilling her dream project.

"It's my dream project after 30 years. I've been watching Oprah since I was a teenager. Sabi ko sana magkaroon ako ng ganung show. Bata pa ako nun at saka puro movies ako nun. This is special to me kasi marami akong gustong i-share sa tao," she said.

"Sobrang happy ako noong lumabas yung permit ng MTRCB. Iba yung feeling! Hands-on kasi ako pagdating sa editing, contents, scriptwriting. Halos lahat ng inputs meron ako," Ara added.

Ara said that she's happy her husband Philippine International Trading Corporation President and CEO Dave Almarinez has adjusted to her busy schedule in showbiz.

"Ako na ang nagrequest kay Dave na next year na kami magka-baby. Plinano namin na next year na kasi parang next year na talaga nakatadhana na magkaroon kami ng baby.

"Sabi naman niya, 'bigyan mo na ako ng date para magbakasyon naman tayo ng apat na araw bago tayo umariba muli sa trabaho. Itong July we will have a date.

"Hindi ko pa alam kung saan kami kasi mag-bi-birthday na rin siya. Sabi ko puwede bang two-in-one na lang. Alam mo na kapag may asawa ka na, anak, at business, nagtitipid na rin naman," Ara said.

Ara also revealed her other dream projects in showbiz.

"I want to have a Cinemalaya project. Hindi ko pa yun nagagawa. I think hindi ko pa talaga nagagawa in my entire career is rom-com. Parang Julia Roberts type. Pero bawal na ako sa kissing scene. Siguro dayain na lang. Gusto ko rin ng theater. It's part of your learning. You never stop learning kapag matagal ka na sa industriya," she said.

A scene from the movie 'Litrato' under 3:16 Media Network

Ara also said that she's willing to accept an international project even if the talent fee is not big.

"We can work it out naman kasi kung maganda naman yung role. Naging producer din ako so alam ko yung feeling nila. Lalo na ang local movie industry hindi pa bumabalik as before," she added.

Ara also reiterated that her sexy roles in the movies are over. "Tapos na tayo sa mga sexy scenes. Baka sabihin ng iba si Ara walang pinagkatandaan. Ibigay na natin yun sa iba. Ibang chapter na tayo ngayon. We need to breakaway from roles. Pero depende kung pang-award ang role. Kung pang Oscars yun why not? Ngayong married na ako, lahat ng gagawin ko I consult with my husband. Supportive siya sa akin."

Ara also considers her husband Dave her lucky charm. "After ko mag-asawa ang dami kong blessing. Ang daming projects na dumarating. Usually pag nag-aasawa ka, lie low ka muna."

On finances, Ara said: "Tulungan kami. Nagbibigay siya ng money sa akin pero hindi naman ako nagbibigay sa kanya. One thing na maganda sa kanya is may kusa siya. Hindi ako humihingi ng allowance sa asawa ko. Kung ano ang ibinigay niya, I just accept it. That's why he loves me. He's very generous. I can say I'm happy and content with my life now."

The storms in our life

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

THAT gospel episode where the apostles found themselves in a storm in the middle of the lake (cfr. Mt 8,23-27) teaches us a great lesson about absolute trust in God’s providence amid the twists and turns, the ups and downs in our life here on earth.

We cannot avoid storms and other forms of negative happenings in our life. But before this fact of life, what we have to do is to try our best to remain calm and just go to God to ask for help. He’s always around. He may appear asleep and oblivious of our predicaments, but he actually knows everything that happens in our life and is there to help us.

To be sure, the storms and the negative things in our life were not part of the original plan of God for us. They only came out as a consequence of sin, that of our first parents as well as those of ours which are still a continuing affair for us. God allows these things to happen to respect our freedom which we often misuse and abuse. But he also knows what to do with them.

On our part, whatever storms we encounter in life, whether material, temporal, or spiritual and moral, our attitude and reaction should be that we can precisely use these storms to approach our Lord, begging for help. It would be wrong and would make things worse if we choose to run away from him. God is all there to help.

No matter how guilty we may be with respect to the predicaments that befall us, God is not scandalized by any wrongdoing we do. He may be angry for a while, but his mercy will always prevail. And his anger and the punishment that may go with it are always meant for our own good.

And when problems and difficulties beyond our control take place, we should just trust God’s providence and be ready for wherever divine providence would take us. We have to be open to it all the time, developing a faith-guided adventurous outlook. 

Even as we make our plans and pursue them truly as our own, we should not forget that nothing in our life is actually outside the providence of God who can adapt himself to us, even in our worst situations and predicaments, and can still lead us to himself.

The only thing to remember is that God is always around and is actually intervening and directing our life to him. That is part of his omnipotence which he exercises both from all eternity and in time since our creation and all the way to the end of time.

There will be things in our life that will be beyond our human notice, and much less, our human control. We have to trust God’s providence even if things look terrible, impossible, or inhuman when judged simply by human standards.

Let’s again remember that episode of the apostles in a boat that was about to sink because of the big waves. (cfr. Mt 8,23-27) Christ reproached them for their lack of faith. And in that parable of the wheat and the weeds, (cfr. Mt 13,24-30) Christ was clearly telling them and us that we should just go on doing a lot of good even if we are disturbed by many evils, because in the end Christ would make the proper judgment.

He assures us that with him we will never work in vain and everything would just work out for the good. (cfr. Is 65,23; Rom 8,28) 

7 weather systems to bring above normal rain, 2 to 4 storms in July

By Arlie O. Calalo

July 5, 2023 10

AT least seven weather systems will likely affect the country aside from two to four tropical cyclones that may enter or develop inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) during the month of July, the state-run weather agency said on Wednesday.

Dra. Esperanza Cayanan, officer-in-charge, of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services (Pagasa), told The Manila Times that based on their weather outlook, the rainfall forecast for the month shows that generally near to above normal conditions will be likely experienced in most parts of Luzon and Visayas.

"However, near normal rainfall event is expected in Mindanao except Davao del /sur which will likely be below normal," Cayanan said.

Pagasa said the weather systems are the easterlies, localized thunderstorms, intertropical convergence zone, low pressure areas, high pressure areas, southwest monsoon and shear line.

Generally, the Pagasa official said, near average to above average surface air temperatures are predicted in most parts of Luzon and Mindanao while most parts of Visayas will likely have near to below average temperature.

She said the predicted temperatures are as follows: 13.5 degree Celsius to 26 degree Celsius over the mountainous areas of Luzon, 16.9 degree Celsius to 38.8 degree Celsius for the rest of Luzon; 19.6 degree Celsius to 36.5 degree Celsius in the Visayas, 16.0 degree Celsius to 33.0 degree Celsius over the mountainous areas of Mindanao, 20.7 degree Celsius to 38.4 degree Celsius over the rest of Mindanao and 22.2 degree Celsius to 36.4 degree Celsius to 36.4 degree Celsius in Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, she said Pagasa will continue monitoring the El Nino phenomenon marked by dry spells and droughts.

Climate change is a societal issue. Why is teaching it limited to memorizing science?

 

Gaea Katreena Cabico, Cristina Chi - Philstar.com

Climate change is a societal issue. Why is teaching it limited to memorizing science?

While DepEd requires climate change to be taught in an “integrated and multidisciplinary” approach, students and teachers interviewed by Philstar.com say that there is little opportunity for science and social science teachers to collaborate on teaching climate change.

MANILA, Philippines — Anita Napoto was only six years old when Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) — one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded — pummeled her hometown of Quinapondan in Eastern Samar in 2013.

At the time, Napoto had no idea what caused the monster storm that flattened her neighborhood. All she remembered was the fear she felt while staying inside her home’s comfort room as the floodwater rose and moving to a relative’s house where she and her family waited for the storm to pass.

Now 15, Napoto knows that climate change is fueling cyclones to become stronger. For survivors like her, Yolanda made it clear that climate change is a reality. 

And yet Napoto herself says she does not recall being taught what fossil fuels and local climate change policies are. Climate change “was not actually taught, but was only mentioned” in school, said the Grade 10 student.

Filipino children like Napoto continue to be disproportionately at risk of experiencing climate disasters. But climate change still does not feature as prominently in most class discussions in public schools, with lessons on climate change confined to being taught in just a single quarter — or two to three months — in Grade 9, DepEd’s Science curriculum shows. 

During this limited time, the topic of the factors that cause climate change are lumped together with the topic of the global climate phenomenon.   

While DepEd requires climate change to be taught in an “integrated and multidisciplinary” approach, students and teachers interviewed by Philstar.com say that there is little opportunity for science and social science teachers to collaborate on teaching climate change.

Unsatisfied with lessons on climate change, Napoto said there must be in-depth discussions on the causes of the crisis. 

“In that way, students will be more knowledgeable about this issue and can make actions to end this,” she told Philstar.com.

Climate change education still stuck to basics

Three students from Fortune High School in Marikina City similarly told Philstar.com that they are “not satisfied” with their lessons on climate change, with 15-year-old Elijah Chua remarking: “We want to know deeper. Not just the factors that affect the climate.”

Chua and his two classmates said that they were taught that "stopping fossil fuels" is one of the ways to curb the climate crisis. But they were not taught which countries needed to stop the use of dirty energy. 

"The countries that need to stop using fossil fuels were not mentioned in class. No specific country — but all countries," Chua said. Glossing over details like which countries produce the most emissions risks missing discussions on responsibility, and on loss and damage, and climate reparations.

How much time is typically devoted to teaching climate change? For instance, junior high schools in CALABARZON only tackle fundamentals of climate change for two weeks in Grade 9 science classes, according to its publicly available learning modules. In comparison, lessons on volcanoes are taught for four weeks.

he DepEd earlier said that “there is a need to strengthen [the presence of climate change concepts] in the curriculum by refining learning competencies and standards and monitoring learning delivery.”

In senior high school, a special subject called Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction is offered as part of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics strand. Climate change competencies can also be found in subjects such as earth science, and life science. 

Teaching climate change across subjects

According to the K to 12 curriculum, climate change concepts are supposed to be integrated in 12 subjects: Science, Health, Araling Panlipunan, Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao, Mathematics, English, Filipino, Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan & Technology and Livelihood Economics, and Music, Arts, and PE.

However, Leonora Calicdan, a Grade 9 science teacher from Mangaldan High School in Pangasinan, said she is mostly unaware of how climate change is taught in the social sciences. 

“I just do not know what competencies are in social science. But I know they are discussing this,” said Calidan, who has taught science for 25 years.

Mark Bello, Fortune High School’s Grade 9 science teacher, said that teachers from different subject areas usually have different schedules and have no time to “sit down” and plan an interdisciplinary class output on climate change.

Leah Cortez, a professor at the Philippine Normal University who teaches science teachers in graduate school, said that an interdisciplinary approach is essential in teaching a topic as complex and multidimensional as climate change. 

“We really have to understand community, environment, politics—those are not separate from climate change… We have to integrate this knowledge in various disciplines so they can develop a more holistic understanding,” Cortez said. 

Chuckie Calsado, who teaches biology subjects at the Philippine Science High School, incorporates social issues in class discussions so students can better understand the political and economic influences that impact climate change. 

“So if we do not include social issues in science discussions, we will be creating scientists and scholars—kabayo na may takip sa mata na nakatingin lang sa harap. You cannot see that around you there are issues that impact you,” he said.

Another problem: Bello also said that his students typically struggle with the application of climate change concepts learned in class, especially in their “daily life.”

Counterproductive school programs 

DepEd established its sole student-led environment organization YES-O in 2003 and now touts it as one of the ways students can apply what they have learned about climate change in class. The organization’s activities include tree planting, clean-up drives, waste management, and environmental information and education. 

“We make it fun. We make it happy. We do it to pass the time. We show students that we’re not just all about clean-ups,” said 15-year-old Jeremy Agullana, vice president of Fortune High School’s YES-O club. 

The problem is not all YES-O clubs are managed by science teachers with a comprehensive knowledge about climate change, Cortez said.

“Based on my students’ reports, they encourage their students to join these clubs. But once they’re (members), they don’t use or encourage students when it comes to actual climate change and environmental concerns,” the PNU professor added.

Calicdan said that the YES-O club in Mangaldan National High School focuses on waste segregation and planting activities, as well as joining interschool and interclass competitions related to these.

But well-intentioned programs on bottle recycling and class competitions based on reusing materials can be counterproductive and inadvertently encourage students to produce more waste, Cortez pointed out. 

These projects are “superficial” and not sustainable in the long run, the PNU professor said.

“I scold my students (who are public school teachers) in grad school. When they tell me that they ask their students to bring bottles for recycling, I tell them: you’re encouraging students to use more bottles because you incentivize them to bring as much as they can,” Cortez said in Filipino.

“In one instance, one teacher said they asked their students to create a gown using recyclable materials. Their students used newly bought plastic spoons and forks. What’s the logic of that?” Cortez said. 

With just slightly off-the-mark messaging, recycling programs can lead to the unintended consequence of getting students to compete against each other in terms of who can bring — therefore, create — the most trash, Cortez said.

‘Systemic, not individual issue’

Napoto said she is worried about how climate change will chart the course of the world and impact her future. 

The Yolanda survivor said this is why she “follows advice on doing good things like using eco-bags, paper bags, not cutting trees.”  

Calsado said that the challenge is still on how to shift the focus away from individual solutions to curbing waste to a more systemic approach.

“The challenge is: how do you make children understand and process by themselves, that it’s not an individual issue. It’s a systemic issue, it’s a class issue,” Calsado added.

Davao City set to phase out jeepneys by 2024

WAITING FOR A RIDE | Commuters wait for jeepneys to take them home in downtown Davao City, in this undated photo. Jeepneys will soon give way to buses with the Davao Public Transport Modernization Program set to start in 2024. (Photo from the Davao Region office of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board)

By: Frinston Lim - @inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:19 AM July 05, 2023

DAVAO CITY, Davao del Sur, Philippines — The phaseout of the ubiquitous jeepneys from the roads of Davao City and their replacement with public buses starting next year will usher in “green commuting” in this premier urban center of Mindanao as it lessens the carbon emissions generated by the public transport sector.

According to a document from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which is funding the Davao Public Transport Modernization Program (DPTMP) for $1 billion, the current mass transport system in the city of 1.8 million people, with public utility vehicles, more commonly known as jeepneys, as the main vehicles, has an estimated emission of 232,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year.

With the DPTMP, which costs some P73.3 billion, this emission level could be significantly lowered as 380 of the 1,100 buses to be deployed to cater to an estimated 800,000 passengers daily are electric-powered, which means it will have less air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.

The rest of the fleet will be Euro 5 standard diesel units, which also have lesser carbon footprints. The buses ranges from 12 meters to 18 meters long, and will be deployed to routes within the city and its immediate surrounding localities.

Meeting demand

The project is expected to contribute to the country’s commitment under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change of a 75-percent greenhouse gas emission reductions and avoidance target by 2030, ADB said. According to ADB, the city’s strong economic growth has increased the demand for travel across the expanding urban area that is mainly served by small vehicles, such as jeepneys.

“Public transport accounts for 80 percent of trips within the city but fails to keep up with changing travel demands and routing patterns because of fragmented ownership of vehicles and franchises,” ADB noted.

“As a result, severe congestion as well as vehicular pollution have been increasing, particularly over the last 10 years. Vehicular congestion has reduced travel speeds in the central business district of Davao City to less than 10 kilometers per hour at peak times. The opportunity cost in the form of lost income has also been increasing over time,” it added.The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said the project “will launch the Philippines’ biggest electrification initiative” in the public transport sector.

‘Very large leap’

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who witnessed the loan agreement signing between the government and ADB here on Saturday, said the project “heralds a very large leap to modernize our transport system.”

The DPTMP will rationalize the current 120 jeepney routes covering 670 km into only 30 bus routes; construct about 1,000 bus stops along bus corridors with shelters to protect passengers from the weather; implement minor road improvements, including identifying designated bus lanes for selected road sections; create queue-jump lanes for buses; build pedestrian crossings near bus stops and improve sidewalks near bus stops; establish bus priority traffic signaling and automatic fare collection system; and put up Wi-Fi connection in buses, terminals and depots, and other public waiting areas.

Comfortable commute

“As the country’s first integrated city-wide bus service, this landmark project promises a multitude of benefits for residents of Davao as well as tourists who frequent this beautiful city,” said Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista.

“The DPTMP will see the establishment of the first of its kind public transportation system that would set the standard for safe, efficient, and convenient high-priority bus system. The project aims to provide a more comfortable commuting experience for all,” Bautista added.

There will also be increased passenger safety as they would take the vehicles on curbside doors, not on the back doors which requires them to walk on the carriageways of roads. Of the total funding for the project, 60 percent will come from ADB, 40 percent from the DOTr, and the city government will chip in P1.5 billion.

Marcos assured the government will assist displaced jeepney drivers and their dependents, and others who will be affected.

Families who will be affected by the construction related to the project will be also relocated if needed, the president said.

The project is set to begin by the third quarter of this year and will begin to be operational by next year and will be fully operational by the end of 2025.