BLACKPINK sets record as ‘Ddu-Du Ddu-Du’ MV reaches 2 billion views on YouTube

Published January 6, 2023, 8:26 AM

by Jonathan Hicap

K-pop girl group BLACKPINK set a new record with their music video “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du.”

On Jan. 4, “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” reached two billion views on YouTube and set the record of becoming the first music video by a K-pop group to achieve the feat. 

BLACKPINK’s “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” reached two billion views on YouTube on Jan. 4 (YG Entertainment)

The “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” music video was released on YouTube on June 15, 2018 and it first set the record of becoming the first music video by a K-pop group to reach one billion views on Nov. 11, 2019, or one year and five months since its upload.

The two-billion feat for “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” was achieved four years and six months after its release on YouTube.

“Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” is the main track of BLACKPINK’s first mini-album “Square Up” released on June 15, 2018.

According to YG Life, after its release, “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” reached “perfect all-kill” status on music streaming sites in South Korea. It also reached 40th and 55th places, respectively, on Billboard 200 and Hot 100 Chart, and also achieved 500 million streams on Spotify.

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BLACKPINK completed 26 performances in 15 cities under their “Born Pink” world tour and they will head to Asia and Oceania including the Philippines.

Meanwhile, BLACKPINK’s Jisoo will have her solo debut this year.

In YouTube’s most viewed music videos in the first 24 hours of release, BLACKPINK and member Lisa occupy four in the top 10.

YouTube’s All-Time Top 24 Hour Music Debuts as of Jan. 3, 2023:

1. BTS (방탄소년단) ‘Butter’ Official MV – 108.2 million views

2. BTS (방탄소년단) ‘Dynamite’ Official MV – 101.1 million views 

3. BLACKPINK – ‘Pink Venom’ M/V – 90.4 million views

4. BLACKPINK – ‘How You Like That’ M/V – 86.3 million views

5. BLACKPINK – ‘Ice Cream (with Selena Gomez)’ M/V – 79.0 million views

6. BTS (방탄소년단) ‘작은 것들을 위한 시 (Boy With Luv) (feat. Halsey)’ Official MV – 74.6 million views

7. LISA – ‘LALISA’ M/V – 73.6 million views

8. BTS (방탄소년단) ‘Permission to Dance’ Official MV – 72.3 million views

9. BTS (방탄소년단) ‘Life Goes On’ Official MV – 71.6 million views

10. Taylor Swift – ME! (feat. Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco) ft. Brendon Urie – 65 million views

 

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PhilHealth contribution hike freeze a relief for members

Published January 6, 2023, 12:05 AM

by Manila Bulletin

The decision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to suspend implementation this month of the scheduled increase in Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) premium rate and income ceiling is a welcome development.

Coming at a time when we are still reeling from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, it provides much needed relief, albeit temporary, for PhilHealth members who continue to deal with financial and medical challenges.

“In light of the prevailing socio-economic challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, and to provide financial relief to our countrymen amid these difficult times, please be informed that the President has directed the PhilHealth to suspend the above-mentioned increase in premium rate and income ceiling for Calendar Year 2023,” a PhilHealth statement said. 

Without the suspension, PhilHealth premium rate is supposed to increase from 4 percent to 4.5 percent and the income ceiling from ₱80,000 to ₱90,000 this year as mandated by Section 10 of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act. The UHC law mandates a yearly increase in member’s premium by 0.5 percent starting in 2021 until it reaches the 5-percent limit in 2025.

Reacting to the suspension, PhilHealth said current benefits won’t be affected and will remain the same — an announcement that reassures members.

“Despite the suspension, PhilHealth operations will not be affected and will have no effect on the overall implementation of the National Health Insurance Program,” PhilHealth corporate communications manager Rey Balena said in a statement. “Even with the suspension, we want to assure the public that delivery of services will continue — no diminution of or cut in benefits.”

Welcoming the suspension of contribution increase, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, said Congress was successful in pushing for a ₱79-billion allocation for PhilHealth, thus, he sees no reason why this would negatively impact the benefits and services that the state health insurance agency provides its members.

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While the suspension of premium increase and income ceiling is a welcome development, members should temper their expectations.

The increase, being mandated by law, will eventually be collected sometime in the future much like the previous suspension.

While we rejoice now at the suspension, be ready to pay for the retroactive differential when time comes.

Government sees inflation's peak as it misses target for second straight year

Ramon Royandoyan - Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines (Update 1, 11:04 a.m.) — Inflation accelerated to its fastest pace in 14 years in December, with the national government missing its annual target for the second straight year amid a supply-demand imbalance that has stoked painfully high price growth.

Inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, quickened to 8.1% year-on-year in December, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported Thursday. Data showed this was the fastest reading since November 2008.

For the entire 2022, inflation averaged 5.8%, way above the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ 2-4% target for this year. This means BSP Governor Felipe Medalla would have to explain to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office in June last year, why the inflation target was not met.

At the start of its term, the Marcos Jr. administration projected inflation would settle between 4.5-5.5% this year. But supply chain issues, expensive fuel prices, and a weak peso caused more problems than the government had thought they would. Economic managers later revised their annual inflation forecast to 5.8% in their year-end briefing. 

Core inflation, computed without volatile items such as fuel and food, rose to 6.9% year-on-year in December. 

Food prices were largely responsible for the uptick in December, peak spending season as Filipinos welcomed the holidays. National statisticians saw increases in the prices of vegetables (32.4%), rice (3.4%), and fruits and nuts (7.6%). 

The BSP, which aggressively hiked interest rates this year to temper resurgent demand and bring it in line with limited supply, projected inflation would peak in December. Likewise, the BSP expects inflation to slow down beginning in 2023.

Domini Velasquez, chief economist at China Banking Corp., said that while inflation likely peaked in December, "we are not out of the woods yet".

"In 2023, we expect inflation to breach the BSP’s target yet again, possibly higher than 5.0%. Key domestic risks are higher electricity and water tariffs, continued higher prices for food, and calls for wage and transport fare increases," Velasquez said.

"On the international front, oil prices will likely not fall as initially expected as China’s reopening will drive up demand for the commodity," she added.

BSP to stay hawkish?

National statistician Claire Dennis Mapa told journalists that the uptrend in food prices, especially vegetables, was due to typhoons that battered various parts of the country amid the monsoon season.

The inflation of vegetable prices averaged 7.8% in 2022. In December alone, vegetable inflation jumped 32.4% year-on-year, the highest since February 1999 when it hit 44%. The price of red onion, a staple vegetable that has proven to be more expensive by the day, increased in the weeks leading to December, according to the PSA’s monitoring.

Rice prices could see increases in the coming months as well. Regular rice, which cost P38 in 2021, rose to an average of P40 in 2022.

Even Noche Buena fixtures, such as ham (14.4%) and fruit cocktail (9.4%), saw prices shoot up in December.

The Marcos Jr. administration would need to mount a heftier policy response to inflation. Citing market force as largely responsible for the uptrend for most of the year, core inflation averaged 3.9% in 2022, an increase from the 3% average recorded in the preceding year. In 2019, this stood at 3.4%.

But analysts like Nicholas Antonio Mapa, senior economist at ING Bank in Manila, expect inflation to slow down this year.

“Storm damage to crops may have helped fan price pressures for basic food items but elevated transport and utility costs for nearly a year may have also contributed to price pressures spreading across the CPI basket.  Meanwhile, resurgent demand reflected in the stronger-than-expected GDP growth, fanned inflation even further with notable increases in inflation for the services sector,” he said in an emailed commentary.

The ING economist expects the BSP to keep a hawkish stance in the coming months.

Mapa also expects the BSP to match the US Federal Reserve’s moves to tame inflation. Experts everywhere expect the global economy to land face first into a recession in 2023, due in part to interest rate hikes by central banks.

“However, once the Fed carries out its much-anticipated ‘pivot’ we believe Governor Medalla could consider a pause of his own as policy rates are currently already in restrictive territory,” he added.

ETRAVEL CHANGES JANUARY 2023 | ALL PASSENGERS TO PHILIPPINES MUST HAVE ETRAVEL QR CODE

18,236 views Premiered Jan 4, 2023

THE NEW ETRAVEL - HERE IS THE LINK: https://etravel.gov.ph/

Olivia Culpo, Jeannie Mai Jenkins announced as hosts for 71st Miss Universe

Published January 5, 2023, 12:09 PM

by Manila Bulletin Entertainment

(L-R)American TV host Jeannie-Mai Jenkins and Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo with Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray and Access Hollywood correspondent Zuri Hall as backstage hosts (Facebook)

By Carissa Alcantara

It’s Girl Power once again at the 71st Miss Universe Competition.

After having Steve Harvey for five years, this year’s Miss Universe welcomes new hosts. 

Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo and Jeannie Mai Jenkins will join forces as the new hosts for the upcoming pageant.

While Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray and “Emmy award-winning television personality, “American Ninja Warrior” co-host and “Access Hollywood” correspondent Zuri Hall will serve as the backstage commentators.

In an exclusive report from Variety, Olivia shared how honored she is to be part of the event.

“I have so much respect for the continuous evolution of the Miss Universe Organization, including the new female ownership for the first time in the company’s history,” Olivia said. 

Olivia was crowned the Miss Universe 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Philippines representative then was Janine Tugonon, who won first runner-up in the same competition.

The competition is the latest TV event making a move to streaming, as The Roku Channel sealed a one-year deal to be the official English-language U.S. home for Miss Universe. The event also airs here in Spanish on Telemundo.

This year’s Miss Universe will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, on Jan. 14. (Jan. 15 in Manila).

From mere curiosity to serious commitment

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

THINGS like this can happen in life. What may appear at first as something insignificant and casual may end up as something extraordinary and very special. This was the case of St. Andrew, the apostle, who was simply curious at where Christ was staying after St. John the Baptist referred to Christ as the “Lamb of God.” 

He ended up as an apostle who had to give up everything just to follow Christ most closely. And he eventually invited his brother, Peter, the unlikely person to be the head of the apostles, to be the first Pope to whom the “keys of heaven” were first given. (cfr. Jn 1,35-42)

It can even happen that what may appear first to be something against the things of God can provoke an instant conversion, just like the case of St. Paul who in the middle of his campaign against the early Christians heard the voice of Christ that led to his conversion.

The providence of God, the ways of God, can certainly work beyond what we can imagine and expect. It can adapt itself to the ways of men and can take advantage of whatever human condition and circumstance there is to execute his divine designs for us. As is said, God can write straight with crooked lines.

There have been many stories of unlikely characters who became saints or at least made significant transformations for the better in their lives. That was the case of St. Augustine, for example. 

Of course, there also have been unfortunate stories of men and women who started well but ended badly. This only shows that in our relationship with God, there is always the interplay of God’s grace and our freedom at play. It’s in how we use our freedom that would determine whether things would go north or south.

What we should draw from this observation is that every event, condition and circumstance of our life, whether considered humanly good or bad, can be a pathway to God if we only know how to deal with these situations properly, as shown to us by Christ himself.

Yes, Christ has shown us how to deal with any situation, whether we are at the peak of human glory and success, or at the abyss of the worst human misery imaginable. That is why we can never overemphasize the need for us to know and follow Christ who himself said that he is “the way, the truth and the life” for us.

Making Christ the center of our life, making him alive in our life through our prayer, studying his life and words, and having recourse to the sacraments, etc., should be the main concern that we should have. After all, he is the one who will enable us to make any situation in our life as a way to heaven, a means to achieve our sanctification which is the fullness and perfection of our humanity.

That is also something that we have to be more aware of. The fullness and perfection of our humanity is when we truly become God’s image and likeness, sharers of his divine life and nature, as he wants us to be. This truth of faith may sound too incredible to us, but that is just how it is. 

Let’s remember that we are not meant to understand everything about God and ourselves. What we are meant is to be guided by faith, hope and charity more than anything else.

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

 Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

REAL WINNER IN MMFF 2022

By: ReniMV Valenzuela

The character of a nation cannot be far from the kind of movie it produces, watches and rewards with accolades.

On New Year's Day, I watched the movie Family Matters with my family and we liked it very much as we enjoyed every bit of it. There was no dull moment. It has depth. Everyone in the theater seemed to be in perpetual anticipation of what will happen next, and how might the story end. There were a few laughs in between and sometimes tears in the eyes.

I seldom appreciate a movie for its overall quality, but this one, for me, takes the awards if the awards were to be given based on correct criteria. Though, in fairness to the other Metro Manila Film Festival entries, I haven't seen any one of them. But having said that, it's a huge, huge wonder why Family Matters didn't win a single award except for Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Award, whatever that award means. Worse, its actors and actresses didn't even get to be nominated when they performed so well and I thought they had very good chances of winning the best acting and best supporting acting awards as they are all natural before the camera, including the children.

Family Matters can be likened to the 1975 movie, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It was a light but poetic drama. There were no spectacular scenes and acting in the movie but it was aptly applauded in the Oscars as a runaway winner, having bagged 35 awards, including best picture, best actor and best actress.  The only difference is that Family Matters lost, and lost big, during the MMFF awards night.

It's curious. Could there be manipulation or corruption among the festival's organizers/people?

Family Matters is an excellent drama movie without being excessively dramatic. It has profoundness in its story and script, and in the manner it was directed. The movie is intentional in teaching moral lessons and imbibing good values to its viewers. It is a drama about a fairly big family to which every Filipino family today can relate.

I liked the portions wherein some scenes would have evolved to transform the movie into a heavy drama flick, but each one was prevented from making the heavy drama happen because everyone involved in the squabble/fracas knew how to forgive.

The movie is a rebuke to the children who are uncaring to their elderly parents, to the busy parents who are irresponsible, and to the modern youths who are addicted to gadgets. The plot's heavy drama is left in the imagination of the viewers. Watch well every scene, listen intently to the words of the characters and fathom the message - and thus it is expected that one would leave the movie house a better child, a better father, a better parent, a better husband and wife and a better grandchild.

Actor Noel Trinidad's words rang a bell when he collected the phones and gadgets of every member of his entire family for a three-day special family bonding occasion: "In order to connect, you have to disconnect."

You lost, Family Matters, but cheer up! You won big in much greater aspects/categories, and in Heaven's eyes. You are the real winner.

Congratulations!

renivalenzuelaletters@yahoo.com

MIND YOUR MIND!

As human beings, we’ve all indulged in some form of negative self-talk in the past. In most cases, these types of unhealthy thinking patterns usually stem from mistaken beliefs — core beliefs we learned while growing up and were taught to us by authority figures such as parents and teachers. They refer to our “life outlook” or “attitudes,” and are unfortunately at the root of much of our anxiety.

Feelings can either be helpful or unhelpful. Helpful feelings give direction - like a compass. Unhelpful feelings overwhelm and paralyze. Most unhelpful feelings are fueled by mistaken or irrational beliefs. In other words, mistaken beliefs turn irritation into rage, sadness into depression, and appropriate nervousness into panic.

A mistaken belief accompanies each and every one of us daily. Incorrect decisions and wrong doings are part of our daily life.

It is almost a ridiculous fact that man wants to know certain truths about mundane things. But really he seems least interested in even mundane truths as can be read many times in newspapers for example. There seem to be too many rash judgments, and the readers absorb these and make these their own. A fatal attraction!

This is sometimes referred to as journalistic mentality wherein accusations are generously made without proof. Evolution started this trend, when scientists stated for example that man evolved from the apes, BUT without proof. The only proof they had was the missing link, and if I am not mistaken, it's still a missing proof until now.

To look for proofs is a mental activity, which is no longer a common thing nowadays, because it takes really time, effort and is too serious to think about. Yet, in Christian education, thinking right is very important.That's why Philosophy is important in Christian life. To avoid error in thinking, the rules of right reasoning must be studied and mastered. Is it really totally neglected in today's modern education?

Thinking is actually an enjoyable activity but when one is pressured to get a good job for one's sustenance, then the other more mundane becomes attractive. After all, great thinkers often do not get (good?) jobs... .

Spiritual writers like the British Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) noticed that mankind had stopped thinking even two centuries ago. That was during his age. Man probably stopped thinking even earlier. He has ceased many times to search for the truth. It's easier to listen to gossip and believe in it. What a sign of weak minds!

Too often are we blind to the truth and as a consequence we easily believe in lies we only have to like it. Too bad, if people always like to close their eyes and ears especially while experiencing the delusion of error. Countering mistaken beliefs may take a lot of time, energy and hard work, but remember that they will increase your level of self-esteem as you learn to respect and believe in yourself. But mostly, they’ll reduce unnecessary pain and suffering.

Bong Go seeks heightened monitoring of border control amid China’s COVID-19 surge

Published January 4, 2023, 9:24 AM

by Hannah Torregoza, MB

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has called on the government to strengthen its monitoring system in the country’s borders as more travelers coming from China raises concerns of a surge in more COVID-19 cases. 

“Secure our borders. Intensify our monitoring. Review our current protocols especially from incoming travelers from China because it has been reported that COVID-19 cases there are increasing and they are having lockdowns,” Go said in Filipino during an ambush interview in Misamis Oriental on Monday, January 2.

Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, likewise, urged the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) to review and strengthen COVID-19 guidelines in order to prevent the Philippines from being impacted by the surge of COVID-19 cases in China.

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“Reviewing the guidelines should be a daily basis so that not one positive for COVID can get through because it’s difficult to start all over again,” Go said.

“It is very difficult to put to waste what we worked hard for. We have come a long way in our COVID response and we don’t want to go back to what was done before, strictly imposing lockdowns. Many of our countrymen will lose their jobs again,” he added.

As far as he is concerned, the senator said Filipinos should not relax their vigilance as long as COVID-19 is still present. 

“It’s important for us to balance everything. While COVID is still here, it is still dangerous,” he said.

Go reiterated his call for people who are still unvaccinated to get jabbed and those who are eligible for boosters to get themselves boosted, stressing these are essential for combatting COVID-19.

“Vaccination is the only key or solution so that we can gradually return to our normal lives and have herd immunity. When we are vaccinated, we are more protected,” he stressed.

Local tourists spend long New Year weekend in Tanay, Rizal’s famous falls

by Nel Andrade

Tanay, Rizal’s famous water falls, the Daranak Falls, was filled with local tourists during the long New Year weekend.

Tourists, mostly coming from Metro Manila, spent the first and second day of the New Year by dipping into the refreshing water of Daranak Falls, one of the famous attractions in Tanay.

Most of the guests at the Daranak Falls were families amnd groups of friends who opted to spend the first long weekend of the year in Tanay.

Daranak Falls, which is managed and maintained by the Tanay Municipal Government, records hundreds of visitors during weekends and holidays.

Joicee Gapido of the office of Tanay Mayor Rafael “Lito” Tanjuatco told the Manila Bulletin that the local government has enough local government personnel, including life guards, to ensure the safety of the visitors going to the town’s tourist spots.

Parking attendants are also deployed to assist motorists.

Aside from Daranak Falls, other places worth visiting in Tanay are some upland resorts and restaurants which offer a scenic view of Rizal’s portion of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range.

Last December, at least three tourists spots in Tanay were recognized by the Department of Tourism-Region 4-A Office — the Tanay Highlands, for being a finalist and official nominee for Customer Service Excellence Award for Food and Beverage; Best Casual Dining Experience Innovation Award and Sustainability Award; and Pico De Pino Café and Restaurant as the People’s Choice Award for Restaurant during the 3rd Calabarzon Tourism Excellence Awards ceremony.

Tanay upland scenic spots and tourist destinations can be reached from Metro Manila by private vehicles via Ortigas Avenue by traversing the Antipolo City proper route towards the Sampaloc, Tanay Road.

Commuters can ride the tricycle from Tanay’s town proper or they can ride the jeepney at the town’s transport terminal in going to Daranak Road or Barangay Sampaloc.