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Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Flash flood, landslide warnings up in parts of VisMin due to trough of LPA
BY LIZST TORRES ABELLO
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned the public about potential flash floods and landslides in parts of Visayas and Mindanao as the trough of the low pressure area (LPA) will affect these areas within the next 24 hours.
PAGASA weather specialist Grace Castañeda said on Wednesday morning, Jan. 31 that the LPA has a slim chance of intensifying into a tropical depression or entering the Philippine area of responsibility but its trough or extension will still bring significant rains.
Cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms will be felt in Northern Mindanao, South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, General Santos, Caraga, Davao Region, Central Visayas, Biliran, Samar, Eastern Samar, and Southern Leyte.
PAGASA warned that moderate to heavy rains may cause flash floods or landslides in these areas.
Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon, locally known as "amihan," may bring cloudy skies with light rains to Cagayan Valley, Aurora, Quezon, Bicol Region, and Northern Samar.
Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains will be felt throughout Metro Manila, Western Visayas, and the rest of Luzon.
The rest of Mindanao will also have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms caused by the trough of the LPA T he public was also warned that severe thunderstorms may cause flash floods or landslides in the affected areas.
GMA claims dominance in airwaves, online
BY JAMES A. LOYOLA
Amid challenges faced by traditional media and competition from web-based services, local media giant GMA Network remains the undisputed leader on air and online for the full year 2023.
Nielsen TV Audience Measurement (TAM) ratings data from January to December 2023 show that GMA – together with GTV and digital channels I Heart Movies, Heart of Asia, Pinoy Hits, and Hallypop – tallied a combined people net reach of 94 percent or a projected total of 73 million viewers in Total Philippines.
The network’s main channel, GMA 7, remained the most dominant channel in Total Philippines, with a 93 percent net reach, or a projected total of 72 million viewers nationwide.
Meanwhile, GMA Network's flagship AM and FM radio stations maintained their top-ranking positions in 2023.
Super Radyo DZBB 594 recorded an audience share of 29.9 percent last year based on Nielsen Radio Audience Measurement (RAM) data, while closest competitor DZRH 666 tallied 28.9 percent.
The AM station’s successful performance extended beyond Mega Manila, with Super Radyo Iloilo emerging as the number one AM station in 2023 with a total audience share of 46.9 percent.
Barangay LS 97.1 Forever led other FM stations by a wide margin, averaging a 42.5 percent audience share against Love Radio 95.1’s 15.5 percent.
GMA’s FM stations ruled the airwaves outside Mega Manila as well. In Baguio, Barangay 92.7 (DWRA) recorded an audience share of 38 percent.
Listeners to Barangay FM 93.5 (DWTL) in Dagupan likewise tallied an audience of 44.5 percent. In Western Visayas, Barangay 93.5 (DYMK) Iloilo drew a 70.5 percent audience share.
GMA currently operates 108 TV stations and 21 radio stations throughout the Philippines, with more to come in 2024. Further strengthening its presence across different regions in the country through GMA Regional TV, the Network launched GMA Ilocos Norte, its 12th regional station, in March 2023.
Besides analog broadcast stations, the Network has also ventured into more digital and online platforms with the aim of making information even more accessible.
Based on Tubular Labs data, social media video views for all GMA online properties drew billions of views from January to December 2023.
Consolidated online viewership numbers reached 26.9 billion on Facebook and 8.9 billion on TikTok, as opposed to ABS-CBN’s pages, which got 20.8 billion views on Facebook and 7.9 billion on TikTok.
GMA Integrated News and GMA Public Affairs' social media pages drew billions of views from the same period. Online viewership numbers for these properties reached a total 21.9 billion views.
The umbrella account of GMA Integrated News alone drew 5.3 billion views, versus ABS-CBN News' 2.2 billion views. Meanwhile, GMA Public Affairs’ online platforms generated 13.9 billion views across popular social media platforms: 9.7 billion from Facebook, 2.5 billion from TikTok, and 1.7 billion from YouTube.
In total, GMA Integrated News and GMA Public Affairs properties boast a staggering following of over 220 million across social media platforms.
Sprinters Hoffman, Frank break PH records
AT A GLANCE
Filipina sprinters Lauren Hoffman and Angel Frank broke Philippine indoor records in their respective events in the 2024 Clemson Bob Pollock Invitational in South Carolina over the weekend.
Filipina sprinters Lauren Hoffman and Angel Frank broke Philippine indoor records in their respective events in the 2024 Clemson Bob Pollock Invitational in South Carolina over the weekend.
Hoffman, 24, clocked 53.91 seconds for a third-place finish in the women’s 400m category which shattered Kayla Richardson’s 54.94 mark in 2018 in Albuquerque, USA.
“My teammates and I intend to make that record even faster but I’m still gonna celebrate this achievement for now! All season long I’ll be celebrating small wins, big wins, and everything in between,” Hoffman posted on her Facebook.
The Virginia-native sprinter was behind Maya Singletary (52.34) and Clemson’s Ken’naria Gadson (53.69) who eventually sealed first and second places, respectively.
Recently, Hoffman also set the women's 600m record in the Hokie Invitational by registering 1 minute and 30.33 seconds which was enough to smash Daniel Quintero’s (1:36.93) in a Santa Barbara tilt in 2020.
On the other hand, Frank settled for 8th place in her stint but her 23.86-second performance eclipsed Zion Corrales-Nelson's 23.90 in the 200-meter race.
Hoffman and Frank bannered the Nationals in the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games last September alongside Robyn Brown and Maureen Schrijvers.
MTRCB prohibits airing of show for alleged explicit sexual discussion
BY NEIL RAMOS
The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) is seemingly on a roll.
After recently suspending for 28 airing days two shows on the Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), it has now prohibited the airing of "Private Convos with Doc Rica" on the One News Cable Channel, this, for supposedly appealing to the “prurient interest of the average person.”
Beyond that, the MTRCB is also prohibiting the “exportation, copying, distribution, sale, lease, exhibition” of the show in all media platforms within its jurisdiction.
In a statement, the MTRCB related how the decision came about, starting with their Monitoring and Inspection Unit (MIU) having been receiving numerous complaints relating the show, going on to flag in particular an episode that aired September 6 last year wherein show host Doc Rica allegedly discussed "sexual awakening" with her guest, during which explicit terms such as "self-masturbation, anal sex, and oral sex" were used.
In adherence to due process, those behind the show were immediately asked to appear before the MTRCB the same month to explain their position on the matter.
They supposedly asserted that the program is imbued with “educational and social value.”
The MTRCB demurred.
It maintained that the show’s use of explicit terms, coupled with the totality of actions and expressions of the host and her guest/s, “fall within materials which appeal to the prurient interest of the average person.”
The Board also raised concerns over the appropriateness of the show’s time slot considering its content.
“The Respondents are remiss for broadcasting the mentioned television program during Child-Viewing Hours, despite asserting that the Subject Episodes were merely used as fillers in the afternoon time slot,” it said.
“Additionally, the Respondents failed to implement the necessary MTRCB rating for the Television Program despite being aware that the subject matter is unsuitable for very young televiewers,” it added.
MTRCB Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Lala Sotto, maintained, "We unequivocally denounce any blatant disregard for the law. With the freedom to broadcast content comes a responsibility. We implore broadcasters and content providers to be circumspect and responsible in their creative processes, acknowledging the profound influence that on-screen content holds.”
Multi-hazard platform empowers Filipinos to report disasters in real-time
Gaea Katreena Cabico - Philstar.com
MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos can now report and share information about floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and cyclones in their communities directly from their mobile phones with the launch of a multi-hazard platform.
MapaKalamidad.ph is a crowd-based platform that provides real-time hazard information. The tool aims to enhance disaster preparedness and response efforts in the Philippines by empowering citizens to share critical information in the face of hazards.
The Philippines is one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including cyclones and floods. It is also highly exposed to geologic hazards, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
MapaKalamidad.ph harnesses the power of social media to gather disaster information from residents on the ground, who often have the most up-to-date information in their area. This real-time information, like a flood report, is then displayed on a web-based map.
The data can be used by authorities to coordinate response efforts.
“MapaKalamidad allows everyone access to this information on their mobile phones, which means every single resident can participate in this cooperative process to share what’s going on around them, to understand what’s going on around them,” Nashin Mahtani, director of Yayasan Peta Bencana (Disaster Map Foundation), told reporters during the platform’s launch Monday.
“That allows people to make critical decisions about safety and navigation during disasters instead of concentrating decision making tools in a small group of people sitting in a control room,” she added.
A pilot version of the platform was launched in 2020, covering only Quezon City and Pampanga. The reach of the tool was expanded nationwide in 2022, but was only limited to flood reports.
“Establishing and developing initiatives in the area of information sharing support the various aspects of our work in disaster risk reduction,” Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Operations Service Director Cesar Idio said.
How to report using the MapaKalamidad.ph
Social media users can search for @kalamidadbot on Telegram or @mapakalamidad on Facebook Messenger to report hazards in their communities.
A one-time link prompts them to input location, upload a photo, and describe the hazard. Then, users will receive links to their reports on the map.
“What makes MapaKalamidad stand out is that it’s not an app, and it plugs into existing social media channels. That’s what allows us to reach millions of users every day,” Mahtani said.
She added the platform was designed to encourage people to submit detailed information, minimizing the risk of false reports.
Government agencies like the OCD and local government units also help validate reports sent by users.
“Through those factors, we’re able to ensure that all of the reports come in real-time, but they’re all verified,” Mahtani said.
The MapaKalamidad.ph team is working on integrating SMS and radio services to allow residents without internet access to report hazards.
The multi-hazard platform has an Indonesian counterpart—PetaBencana.id—which was launched in 2013.