8 Philippine sites added to UNESCO World Heritage tentative list

STAR / File

MANILA, Philippines — Eight sites were submitted by the Philippine delegation to be included in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s tentative list of World Heritage sites.

Marc Jayson Cayabyab - The Philippine Star 

The prospective sites are the sugar cultural landscape of Negros and Panay, the historic towns and landscape of Taal volcano and its caldera lake, the colonial urban plan and fortifications of the Walled City of Manila, the Agusan Marsh wildlife sanctuary, the Kitanglad and Kalatungan Mountain Ranges: Sacred Sites of Bukidnon, the Samar Island natural park, the extension of the Cordillera rice terraces and the extension of the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary-Pujada Bay.

According to UNESCO, world heritage sites are “places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity and as such, have been inscribed on the World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.”

The Philippines sought the inclusion of the potential heritage sites on Feb. 2.

There are 16 more pending Philippine sites included in the list in 2015, 2006 and 1993.

One pending site is the Chocolate Hills Natural Monument, a declared UNESCO geopark, where controversy has arisen due to the construction of cottages and a swimming pool on its foothills.

The others are the Mt. Mantalingahan Protected Landscape, Mayon Volcano natural park, Turtle Islands wildlife sanctuary, Tabon cave complex, Cagayan Valley paleolithic archaeological sites, Butuan archeological sites, extension of the Philippine Baroque churches, Mt. Malindang Range natural park, Mt. Pulag national park, Apo Reef natural park, El-Nido-Taytay managed resource protected area, Coron island natural biotic area, Mt. Iglit-Baco national park, Northern Sierra Madre natural park and Batanes protected landscapes and seascapes.

The Philippines has six properties inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list – the Baroque churches of the Philippines, the historic city of Vigan, the Cordillera rice terraces, the Mt. Hamiguitan Range wildlife sanctuary, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River and the Tubbataha Reefs natural park.

There are 1,199 properties worldwide inscribed in UNESCO’s heritage list.

Walled City

The historic walls and forts of Intramuros in Manila have a chance to be recognized as a World Heritage Site.

The 67-hectare Walled City was erected using primarily volcanic tuff and brick through a plan in 1571 during the term of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the Philippines’ first Spanish governor-general, according to Intramuros’ entry posted on the UNESCO World Heritage Convention website.

The area within the walls of the current Intramuros district was the city of Manila during the Spanish colonial period.

SB19 Pablo collaborates with WWF-Philippines as Earth Hour 2024 music ambassador

BY MANILA BULLETIN ENTERTAINMENT

Mar 18, 2024 01:11 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• The annual Earth Hour celebration will be held at the Kartilya ng Katipunan in Manila City for its 16th anniversary. 

SB19 leader Pablo is WWF-Philippine's new Earth Hour Music Ambassador who will be the main guest of the annual switch-off event in Manila City on March 23, 2024.

“Pablo, for us, represents the passion and resilience of Filipinos, and we want these qualities to be front and center for the annual Earth Hour celebration, which will be the 16th anniversary in the Philippines,” Earth Hour Philippines National Director Atty. Angela Consuelo Ibay said. 

“As SB19’s songwriter, creative director, and CEO of their label, Pablo has masterfully infused his music with Filipino culture, flavor, and style. Earth Hour is a global grassroots movement for the environment and we celebrate it in our own unique Filipino way. Pablo is the perfect ambassador for Earth Hour,” Ibay said.

The annual Earth Hour celebration will be held at the Kartilya ng Katipunan in Manila City for its 16th anniversary. Earth Hour Philippines was celebrated for the first time in the Philippines back in 2008 at the CCP Complex grounds.

This yearly global switching off of lights will be observed from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm, local time. Over 190 countries and territories around the world will also follow suit as part of this one-of-a-kind global grassroots movement for nature. Since the first Earth Hour in Australia in 2007, millions of people worldwide participate every year in Earth Hour with the partnership of governments, businesses, civil-society groups, making it an authentic movement of humanity for the environment.

In partnership with the Manila City Local Government, the program will be held at the Kartilya ng Katipunan beside the city hall building, with the iconic Manila Clock Tower as the backdrop. Aside from Pablo, performers include Ched and Lirah Bermudez.

"All of us Filipinos are going to feel the impact of climate change through extreme storms, flooding, heatwaves, and droughts,” Ibay said. “Such a complex and multi-sectoral problem will likewise require solutions from all levels of society.”

“This is why Earth Hour is such a great platform to convene government, businesses, civil-society organizations, the academe, and of course, the very vocal and influential youth,” Ibay said. “Bringing everyone together for us to tackle and solve plastic waste pollution and environmental degradation is Earth Hour 2024’s main theme.”

Prior to the ceremonial switch-off at 8:30 pm, there will be a solutions fair for partner non-government organizations and social enterprises. The event will also mark the official start of the Earth Hour virtual run organized by Pinoy Fitness.

Visit www.earthhour.org to learn more about events happening this Earth Hour around the world. Follow WWF-Philippines on social media for updates and events related to Earth Hour Philippines 2024. Lend your support to the environment with the official Earth Hour hashtags #EarthHour2024 and #BiggestHourForEarth.

The 34 Very Best German Sayings…EVER! (XII): Butter bei die Fische

  

By: 

Marcel Iseli

12. Butter bei die Fische

This German saying sounds a little off. In fact, it sounds ungrammatical to a speaker of modern high German. Butter BEI DIE FISCHE?

Why is it DIE and not something like BEI DEN Fischen? or maybe Butter ZUM Fisch? Well, to be honest, I don’t know. But I will investigate that, and if something comes up, I will make sure to share it with all of you guys here.

Now, let’s get to the meaning of Butter bei die Fische, though. This German saying simply means that one should get to the point. So, one should not (anymore) beat around the bush.

Oh, and by the way, earlier in this article, we have seen that we do have a neat German saying for “to beat around the bush,” which is “um den heißen Brei reden,” remember?

But how the hell would you go about using “Butter bei die Fische” in an actual German sentence, then? Don’t worry. I will clear things up for you. NOW.  

 

Example:

A: Kannst du mir 30 Euro leihen?

B: Wozu brauchst du das denn?

A: Ich muss mir nen neuen Pullover kaufen! Geht das also in Ordnung?

B: Ich hab eben selbst nicht so viel Geld, hmm……lass mich mal überlegen….

A: Aber jetzt mal Butter bei die Fische! 30 Euro ist doch nicht viel, das kannst du mir doch ohne Probleme geben!

B: Ja, du hast eigentlich recht. Ok, hier hast du sie.   

 

Translation:

A: Can you lend me 30 euros? B: What do you need it for? A: I have to buy a new sweater! So is that okay?

B: I don’t have that much money myself, you know…let me think about it for a while…uhmm….

A: Come on, man. Let’s be real! 30 Euro is not that much, I am sure you can afford it!

B: Yes, you are actually right. Ok, here you go!    

BI urges public to exercise 'extreme caution' in online travel arrangements

BY JEFFREY DAMICOG

Mar 17, 2024 05:25 PM

  

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The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has urged the public to exercise extreme caution in making online travel arrangements.

“By raising awareness and promoting vigilance among travelers, we can effectively counter cybercrime and ensure a safer online environment,” said BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco.

Tansingco said prospective travellers should verify the legitimacy of websites and service providers before providing any personal or financial information. 

He urged the public to report suspicious websites and online activities to the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).

He reminded the public of  the existence of fake eTravel websites and other online scams.

He said that eTravel, which was launched earlier this year, “abolished the paper-based arrival and departure cards, as well as the quarantine form” and “serves as the single data collection platform for arriving and departing passengers” as well as “establishes an integrated border control, health surveillance, and economic data analysis.”

Last March 123, the CICC launched the "Online Bantay Lakbay” that was made in partnership with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Scam Watch Pilipinas. 

Tansingco said the “Online Bantay Lakbay” aims “to raise public awareness and combat travel scams, particularly those conducted online.”

“The Bureau of Immigration fully supports the 'Online Bantay Lakbay' initiative, which plays a crucial role in safeguarding the public against fraudulent travel schemes,” he also said.

Happiness: It’s not just an emotion, it’s a fundamental human goal

BY MANILA BULLETIN

Mar 17, 2024 00:20 AM  

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” More than 2,000 years ago, Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote that, and it is true until today.  Who can argue against the “broad term that describes the experience of positive emotions such as joy, contentment and satisfaction.”

The United Nations General Assembly recognizes this “fundamental human goal” and calls for “a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes the happiness and well-being of all peoples.”  On July 12, 2012, the UNGA in a resolution, proclaimed March 20 the International Day of Happiness, “recognizing the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives.”

In a few days, it will release the UN World Happiness Report 2024 which tracks how happiness can become an “operational objective of governments.” 
The 2023 report which commemorated the 10th anniversary of the UN proclamation of International Day of Happiness, noted: “Since then, more and more people have come to believe that our success as countries should be judged by the happiness of our people. There is also a growing consensus about how happiness should be measured. This consensus means that national happiness can now become an operational objective for governments.”
The World Happiness Report also releases a list of the happiest countries. In the 2023 report, Finland maintained its No. 1 position for the sixth time in a row. Following it were Denmark, Iceland, Israel, The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and New Zealand. The Philippines ranked No. 76. In 2022, the Philippines was recorded as the second happiest country in Southeast Asia, and ranked 60th out of 146 countries.

Governments have been working on the happiness factor of its peoples but have been calling the initiatives under other terms.  That comes under the many policies on good health, poverty alleviation, jobs and livelihood opportunities which will generate income to pay for the essential things in life, such as food.  Many studies have shown that good health is a big factor in happiness. 

In the 2023 World Happiness Report it was noted: “Having an effective government is also revealed to be a key factor in the happiness of the people, and this is measured by its ability to raise money, ability to deliver services, rule of law, and how it avoids civil war and repression.”

"Governments and international organizations should establish rights such as those in the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They should also broaden the Sustainable Development Goals to consider well-being and environmental policy dimensions jointly in order to ensure the happiness of future generations," the report read. 

We can all learn from Bhutan, a country which recognized the value of national happiness over national income since the early 1970s. It had adopted the goal of Gross National Happiness over Gross National Product. Bhutan had initiated the UN resolution that established International Day of Happiness.
Efficient  government leadership that duly recognizes emotional well being as a fundamental human right holds the key to the attainment of happiness by the entire citizenry.

Truth, justice, mercy always prevail in the end

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

WE have to build up our conviction in this truth of our faith. God always is in control of things, no matter how twisted things in our life can be. The truth that can only come from God, his justice and mercy will always prevail in the end. We may have to suffer for a while, but we should have no doubt as to how things will end.

This is what we can gather from the readings of the Mass for Monday of the 5th Week of Lent. The first reading (Daniel 13,1-9.15-17.19-30.33-62) presents to us the story of Susanna who was falsely accused by some malicious and lustful elders of cheating her spouse for having an illicit affair.

She almost got executed for that false accusation until the young Daniel managed to expose the ruse used by these elders. She was finally exonerated, and the accusers punished instead. The truth about the whole affair came out and justice was served on her.

The gospel (cfr. Jn 8,1-11) talks about a woman caught in adultery and presented to Christ by some scribes and Pharisees for due punishment which was that of stoning her. But Christ at first kept quiet, and when later he told the accusers that he who had not sinned may stone her, these accusers left one by one. Christ then just dismissed the woman with the admonition to sin no more. Here we can see Christ’s mercy dominating the whole incident.

These truths of our Christian—that is, that truth, justice and mercy always prevail in the end—are reiterated in the responsorial psalm, “Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side” (Ps 23,4) and in the verse before the gospel, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion, that he may live.” (Ez 33,11)

We should not waste time plunging ourselves in worries, sadness and depression whenever we are falsely accused or when we may commit a grave sin. No matter how complicated our problems may be, God will see to it that truth, justice and mercy will always prevail. We just have to strengthen our faith and to remain hopeful all the time, even oozing with confidence and peace.

We have to avoid brooding and focusing on the negative aspects and elements in our life. We should rather focus on the positive ones, because even if the negative things appear to be greater than the positive ones, if we believe in God and trust in his ways, we know that everything will always work out for the good. (cfr. Rom 8,28)

With all the pressures, challenges, trials, etc., that we have to face every day, all of them corrosive of our composure, we need to deliberately foster optimism if only to survive the day, if not to do well, what with all the possibilities that are actually staring at us also every day.

It’s really a matter of attitude, a matter of choice. We can choose to succumb to these negative elements, or to be hopeful, patient and optimistic, looking beyond the here and now and detaching ourselves from the unreliable play of our emotions, knowing that there is always meaning in everything that happens in life.

We need to build up our conviction of optimism and create its corresponding atmosphere and culture around, since we cannot deny that many people and a growing part of the world today are sinking into depression and despair.