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Thursday, January 26, 2023
6 foreign envoys visit VP Duterte’s office, but why?
by Raymund Antonio
Foreign ambassadors trooped to Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte’s main office in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday, Jan. 25, to discuss various programs and projects that aim to help the country’s development in education, peace and security, labor force, renewable energy, and other shared interests.
The Vice President’s official Facebook page made several posts to show her meetings with Ambassadors Christian Halaas Lyster of Norway, Dr. Titanilla Tóth of Hungary, Franz Michael Skjold Mellbin of Denmark, Laure Beaufils of the United Kingdom, Marat Ignatyevich Pavlov of Russia, and Miguel Utray Delgado of Spain.
Aside from thanking the foreign envoys for visiting her office, Duterte also shared the topics discussed during their meetings.
Lyster, she said, recognized the “quality” of the Filipino labor force.
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“Ipinaabot niya ang paghanga sa mga manggagawang Pinoy lalo na sa mga seafarers na bumubuo ng malaking bilang sa (He extended his recognition of the Filipino workers especially seafarers who make up a large part of the) maritime industry ng (of) Norway,” Duterte wrote.
The official added that she and the envoy also discussed their countries’ development agenda, such as renewable energy, peace and security, and education.
The Philippines and Norway will celebrate the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this March.
The Vice President also wrote about Tóth’s visit to her office as this year also marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Hungary and the Philippines.
The envoy introduced her country’s The Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Program, which aims to provide free support for Filipino students.
“Dagdag pa niya, ang programang ito ay nakatutok sa (She added that this program is focused on) undergraduate, masters at (and) doctorate studies sa larangan ng agrikultura (in the fields of agriculture), sustainable development, water management engineering and hydrology, architecture and protection of cultural heritage, natural sciences, environmental studies, at iba pang larangan ng interes sa Pilipinas (and other interests of the Philippines),” Duterte, who sits as Education chief in a concurrent capacity, said in a post.
The Danish envoy also visited the official to talk about his government’s interest in investments, education, and peace-building.
Mellbin also plans to visit Davao City for their project in agriculture and other investment opportunities, Duterte said.
She also took the opportunity to invite the ambassador to attend the Basic Education Report 2023 by the Department of Education (DepEd) on Jan. 30.
Meanwhile, the British ambassador shared in a tweet her visit to the Vice President’s office.
Sharing two photos, Beaufils said in her post that she visited Duterte to discuss about education.
“Great meeting with @indaysara @VPPilipinas. We spoke about @DepEd_PH’s determination to make quality, inclusive, and relevant education available to all Filipino learners and UK’s contribution to this vision. #EducationDay,” she wrote.
Pasinaya is back, better and bigger
Attracting more than 27,000 people with approximately 75,000 audience viewership pre-pandemic, Pasinaya is undoubtedly the biggest multi-arts festival in the country.
After three years of cancellation and online editions, the CCP Pasinaya Open House Festival, the largest multi-arts festival in the country organized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, returns this year from Feb. 3 to 5 in various venues inside the CCP Complex, located along Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City.
The festival highlights the different outdoor venues such as the CCP Front Lawn, Liwasang Kalikasan, Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez and its surroundings, and parade ground of Vicente Sotto Street, among others.
“This year, Pasinaya follows the theme ‘Piglas Sining.’ We are breaking away from the notion that the CCP is just the building. We are emphasizing that CCP can be anywhere,” said CCP artistic director Dennis N. Marasigan.
Pasinaya continues its experience-all-you-can, pay-what-you-can scheme. For a suggested donation price of ₱50, participants may go in and out of the different CCP venues to attend the 30-minute workshops in various art disciplines conducted by leading artists, resource persons and teachers, or watch as many shows, screenings, and activities as they can.
Registration starts at 6:30 a.m., at the Bukaneg side of the Front Lawn and at Vicente Sotto Street.
On Feb. 3, there will be a Pagtitipon, an invitational gathering of the Kaisa sa Sining (KSS) regional partners. There are 59 regional partners from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in the KSS network, with three new partners joining. A program of the Cultural Exchange Department, the KSS aims to further strengthen the CCP linkages and cooperations with local organizations in the different regions of the country.
Palihan and Palabas happen on Feb. 4 and 5, with the opening salvo kicking off at the CCP Front Lawn with a parade and special program. In Palihan, audiences can join the different workshops while they watching unlimited shows, featuring more than 3,000 artists from different art fields, in Palabas.
Festival programmers and art groups will meet in Palitan on Feb. 4 and 5, on-site at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater) and online via Zoom.
The open house festival partners with various galleries, museums, and art spaces around the metro to put the spotlight on communal artistic spirit and collaborations. For this segment, the Paseo Museo, there will be hop-on, hop-off shuttle vans that will go around the participating arts spaces for free on Feb. 4 and 5.
Through the Pasinaya, the CCP aims to provide a platform for the artists and cultural groups to showcase their talents while nurturing the broadest public and creating new audiences through interactions and performances. Attracting more than 27,000 people with approximately 75,000 audience viewership pre-pandemic, Pasinaya is undoubtedly the biggest multi-arts festival in the country, and still getting bigger and better on its 18th year.
Hala bira!
by AA Patawaran
SM Group throws massive support behind Dinagyang, the mother of Philippine festivals
Over the weekend, cheers of “Hala Bira!” and “Viva Pit Señor” filled the streets of Iloilo City and, more
than expressions of deep devotion to the Sto. Niño, the Infant Jesus, these cheers have also been about rah-rah-ing the Ilonggos and their visitors to shout for joy about all that is worth shouting about in Iloilo.
There was more to shout about this year, the return of Dinagyang to the streets after two years of pandemic restrictions, for one, but more because with Joe Mari Layson chairing the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI), no stone had been left unturned in making the comeback a roaring success.
No less than the SM Group, well-represented by the sprawling, 170,000-square-meter SM City Iloilo, the eighth of the chain’s supermalls, on Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue in Mandurriao, threw massive support behind what is generally considered the “mother of Philippine festivals,” donating a hefty amount to the cause. SM Supermalls president Steven Tan flew in to hand over ₱10 million in cash to the IFFI in simple ceremonies over lunch at Breakthrough in Villa Arevalo, with Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas as witness.
The donation, topped by ₱7 million more in kind from SM City Iloilo, would go a long way now that the IFFI had introduced the latest of Dinagyang innovation, the Ilomination, held the night before Dinagyang, on Saturday night, with seven tribes representing the seven districts of Iloilo City—City Proper, Jaro, La Paz, Lapuz, Mandurriao, Molo, and Villa Arevalo—competing against each other with dazzling performances in their uniquely illuminated costumes and props.
Although the stage where the performances were held spanned the whole stretch of Iloilo Diversion Road in Mandurriao, from Atria Park to the Iloilo Business Park, the main judging area was right at the entrance of SM City Iloilo. It was also where the VIPs congregated, led by Mayor Treñas, Senator Franklin Drilon, and Senator Pia Hontiveros. Present were ambassadors like Tull Traisorat of Thailand, Xiomara Perez Rodriguez of Panama, Agus Widjojo of Indonesia, Borhan Uddin of Bangladesh, Folakemi Ibidunni Akinleye of Nigeria, Christian Halaas Lyster of Norway, and Raduta Dana Matache of Romania. Also spotted were sensational blogger Small Laude, and media darlings Tim Yap, Tessa Prieto, and Karen Davila.
Emerging as champion for the first-ever Dinagyang Ilomination competition was Tribu La Paz, which, also cited as best in music and best in musical direction, received the grand prize of ₱1 million in cash. Tribu Molo came in second, also bagging the awards for best in light and best light designer while Tribu Mandurriao came in as third, also winning awards for best in costume design and headdress and best costume designer.
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As for Dinagyang proper, held the following day at the New Iloilo Freedom Grandstand on Muelle Loney Street in Iloilo City Proper, the grand winner of Dagyang sa Barangay, the main event of the annual festival held every year on the fourth Sunday of January, in which eight barangay clans competed, was Tribu Parianon of the Molo district, bagging the ₱1 million cash prize, along with the awards for best in music, best in choreography, and best in performance. Tribu Molave kang Salog, previously called Tribu Barangayan, was first runner-up, also cited as the people’s choice, best in costume design and headdress, and best in production design. Tribu Familia Sagasa was second runner-up.
It was a crazy weekend with simultaneous events and parties going on, including the Batchoy Festival at SM Southpoint, the AweSM PCCI-ILOBEX Dinagyang trade fair, the Viva Music Festival at the SM South Point Parking, and the AweSM Iloilo musical fireworks and drone show.
SM Supermalls president Steven Tan flew in to hand over ₱10 million in cash to the IFFI in simple ceremonies over lunch at Breakthrough in Villa Arevalo, with Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas as witness.
Mayor Treñas hosted a VVIP dinner at the grand ballroom of the Park Inn by Radisson Iloilo in honor of Steven Tan, from which we all proceeded to the pool deck to watch the fireworks and dance the night away with Bacolod band Mojo Nova. But we still had enough energy to go to an afterparty at the Azul Latin Bistro, where all of Manila showed up, including fashion maverick Chris Nick de los Reyes, hair stylist Jing Monis, chef Francis Tolentino, Globe Telecom’s Mic Coson, and H&M Philippines’ Dan Mejia. From there, with Iloilo cuisine and culture advocate, chef Tibong Jardeleza, Tessa, Tim, and I, joined later by publicist Keren Pascual, proceeded to Luna’s to cap the night with arroz caldo.
As if it wasn’t busy enough, on Sunday afternoon, we joined First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and Mayor Treñas, as Steven Tan representing SM Foundation Inc. (SMFI), with SMFI health and medical programs director Connie Angeles, turned over the newly upgraded pediatric ward of the Western Visayas Sate University Medical Center (WVSUMC) to WVSUMC president Dr. Joselito Villaruz and WVSU hospital director Dr. Dave Endel R. Gelito III.
While the pediatric ward, which offers procedures such as IV insertion, chemotherapy, and lumbar puncture, treating a whole range of illnesses and diseases, from pneumonia, gastroenteritis, and malnutrition to epilepsy, seizures, brain tumors, and cancer, is designed principally to serve patients from Iloilo City’s underserved communities, it also serves other cities and municipalities in the region, including Antique, Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, and even Palawan and Negros Occidental.
SMFI has refurbished the ward’s step-down NICU, pediatric ward for non-infectious cases, and treatment room and equipped it with specialized medical appliances and devices, such as pediatric cribs, bassinets, treatment beds, nebulizers, gun thermometers, and a mini refrigerator for vaccines. The center also received breastfeeding chairs, divan chairs, office tables and chairs, beddings, pillows, TV, water dispenser, and ceiling fans. Moreover, the SMFI upgraded the hallway, toilet, and hand washing area. To date, SMFI has renovated more than 170 health and wellness centers and served more than one million patients on its medical missions.
Iloilo City is such a happening place. There really are many reasons to scream “Hala Bira!” if what we mean is “Keep going, Iloilo! Go! Go! Go!” There really are many things to thank the Sto. Niño for.
Ill-fated PAF plane headed back to base when crash happened
by Martin Sadongdong
The crashed SIAI-Marchetti SF260-TP training aircraft of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) was on its way back to its base in Sangley Point, Cavite City when it met the accident that killed its two pilots onboard.
This was the result of the initial investigation conducted by the PAF on the SF260-TP training aircraft that crashed on a ricefield in Pilar, Bataan on Wednesday, PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said on Thursday, Jan. 26.
According to Castillo, the plane was detected by the Manila Control Tower moments before it crashed as it managed to send a transmission that they were already headed back to their base.
“Manila approach ‘yong path ng ating aircraft mula sa Bataan pabalik sa Sangley Air Base. Ang nabalitaan natin, nagkaroon ng transmission na pabalik na sana sila sa base at natapos na ang training flight (The path of our aircraft was Manila approach from Bataan to Sangley Air Base. What we have learned is that there was a transmission that they were already enroute to their base after finishing the training flight,” Castillo said in a radio interview with dzBB.
The two fallen pilots onboard were on a recurrency training flight from Sangely Point, Cavite City to Bataan to enhance their proficiency in flying PAF planes. Their bodies were already recovered and brought back to the PAF headquarters in Villamor Air Base, Pasay City on Wednesday night.
Castillo said all the transmissions made by the aircraft were also being cross-checked with their Surface-to-Air Python and Derby (SPYDER) Medium Range Ground-Based Air Defense System (GBADS) which tracked the military plane.
What caused the crash remains a mystery to investigators as they try to connect the pieces of evidence they gathered on the crash site to get the whole picture.
“Investigation is ongoing. It’s going to be a very thorough and extensive investigation. We’re going to look at all angles,” she noted.
Among the angles being considered as the possible cause of the crash is bad weather.
“Minsan kahit clear ang skies hindi natin masabi kung hindi maganda ang hangin at biglang may clouds na nagbu-build up (Sometimes even if the skies are clear, we cannot really say if the wind is calm and there are sudden cloud formations that are building up),” she said.
“We cannot rule out anything right now, we can only pinpoint the reason after the investigation,” she noted.
Ejection system
Castillo also revealed that the aircraft was not equipped with an ejection system although the pilots were equipped with a parachute so they could get out of the plane in case of an emergency.
“Pero ang SOP [standard operating procedure] kasi natin is to lead the aircraft to a safe and clear landing zone bago maglast resort na mageject (But our SOP is to lead the aircraft to a safe and clear landing zone before you make a last resort to ejection),” she explained.
“Sa long history ng air force, wala pa pong nagattempt na magbailout during an emergency. Trained kasi kami na kapag ganitong mga situation that would warrant an emergency landing, we really have to make sure that the aircraft would land on a clear space para walang maapektuhan (In the long history of the air force, there was nobody who attempted to bail out during an emergency. We are trained that during these situations that would warrant an emergency landing, we really have to make sure that the aircraft would land on a clear space so that no civilian would get hurt),” she added.
The PAF spokesperson said the SF260TP aircraft first came in the fleet in 1992. To date, there are three remaining active SF260TP in the PAF inventory but all of them were grounded after the incident.
DND, AFP mourning
Following the accident, the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AF) said they were grieving the death of the two PAF pilots as they offered condolences to the bereaved families of the fatalities.
“The Department of National Defense offers its deepest sympathies and sincerest condolences to the bereaved families of the Philippine Air Force Pilots who perished in the SF260-TP aircraft mishap in Pilar, Bataan,” DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said.
“All SF260 are now grounded while the investigation is ongoing to establish the circumstances behind the incident and for the safety of our airmen,” AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar stated.
Maegan Aguilar to father Freddie: ‘Kailangan ko kayo ngayon’
by Neil Ramos
Maegan Aguilar reached out publicly to her father, iconic singer-songwriter Freddie Aguilar, in an effort to patchy things between them.
In an appearance on “Raffy Tulfo in Action,” Maegan maintained she is not out to create controversy coming out to air her rift with her father.
According to her, she only did so as last recourse.
She said, “Hindi po ako makalapit kay Tatay. Hindi ko po ma-explain ‘yung dahilan…he has his reasons na hindi ko na po alam kung ano ‘yun. Kaya wala po akong ibang choice kung hindi lumapit sa iba.”
Apart from ending their estrangement, Maegan is reaching out to Freddie to ask for financial assistance.
Apparently, she needs to be hospitalized due to hyperthyroidism.
Her message to her dad:
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“‘Tay, wala po kasi akong ibang tatay, kayo lang. Hindi ko na po alam kung paano ito ayusin, unless din po na maging willing din kayo na tanggapin ako for who I am, what I am. Kasi ‘yun po ang ginagawa kahit sa magkakaibigan lang. Tinatanggap po nila ang isa’t isa for what they are, kahit may mga flaws, kahit hindi perfect. Ako po ‘yun. ‘Tay, I am imperfect. I am flawed. I don’t know how to fix, ‘Tay, pero sa totoo lang kasi kailangan ko kayo ngayon…
“‘Tay I needed to stay pa sa hospital kasi nga personally wala na po kaming pera…kumbaga ‘Tay hindi pa ako dapat nandito ngayon, dapat po nasa ospital pa ako.
“Siguro nga po ‘Tay, may purpose pa ako kay God, may purpose pa ako as a human being at may purpose pa ako bilang anak niyo. Siguro po, ‘Tay, dapat magkaayos tayo at some point. Bago tayo mawala at wala nang chance para ayusin ang lahat.”
The people behind the program tried to reach out to Freddie but he refused to speak on the matter on air.
Creamline banners cast in PVL All-Filipino opener
by Kristel Satumbaga-Villar, MB
Multi-titled Creamline headlines the early cast of teams that are scheduled to raise the curtain when the Premier Volleyball League returns with a re-branded All-Filipino Conference on Feb. 4 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Cool Smashers are set to clash with the Petro Gazz Angels at 6 p.m. in a rematch of last year’s Open Conference finals where Creamline won the crown.
Akari and Choco Mucho clash in the 4 p.m. appetizer with the two teams out to parade their beefed-up roster that include Dindin Manabat, Bang Pineda and Eli Soyud for the Chargers, and a new coach in Dante Alinsunurin for the Flying Titans.
Other squads competing in the conference are PLDT, F2 Logistics, Chery Tiggo, Cignal and Army.
The PLDT High Speed Hitters and the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers will open their campaign on Feb. 7 at 4 p.m. at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City, followed by the Chery Tiggo Crossovers and the Cignal HD Spikers at 6 p.m.
The Army Lady Troopers will start their bid on Feb. 11 against the Crossovers also at the Philsports Arena.
Creamline, winner of five conferences including two last year, is expected to parade an intact lineup composed of Jema Galanza, Jia De Guzman, Ced Domingo and Tots Carlos.
Skipper Alyssa Valdez is hoping to get back in full strength in time for the conference after sustaining a knee injury late last year.
Petro Gazz, meanwhile, will play under its new coach in Oliver Almadro as it hopes to extend its supremacy after winning the Reinforced Conference last December.
𝟏𝟗 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐁𝐫𝐠𝐲. 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐬
Despite the heavy rains on Tuesday, January 24, a total of 19 families from Brgy. Andap in New Bataan got a PHP 381k worth of housing units each during the ceremonial turnover led by the National Housing Authority (NHA) in partnership with the PAO-Housing and Homesite Division (HHD) of the provincial government and other stakeholders.
Anna Jane S. Pedro, 25, a beneficiary, expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the national and local government units for the provision they received.
"Karun nga napadulong (na) gyud mi sa offsite (pabahay), nga totally naa amoa nagyud ni siya. Wala ko nagtuo nga ingon ana siya kanindot, daghan na-amaze dili lang kami nga benipisyaryo. Number one ko nga blessed jud kaayu ug dakog pasalamat sa tanan nga nahimong kabahin ani" Pedro said.
Meanwhile, in a one-on-one interview with Maricel L. Lindaan, 40, also a beneficiary, she extended her appreciation to the government and is looking forward to more programs and projects for them.
"Manghinaot ko nga naa pay muaabot nga kining amoang kapanginabuhian gawas sa among pabahay nga na-avail para maka-sustain pud sa among panginahanglan", Lindaan said.
Aside from the turnover of symbolic keys, the beneficiaries acquired their Certificate of Award which denotes the ownership of their new house. These beneficiaries are among those individuals who were once affected by the wrath brought by typhoon Pablo in 2012 and were initially included under the New Bataan Resettlement Project 2.
Acting Provincial Administrator Fatima Montejo representing Governor Dorothy Gonzaga congratulated the beneficiaries and stated that the delay of the turnover was due to occurrences that must be settled such as processing the legal documents so that they will not encounter any problems in the future and be protected by their rights of owning the residence.
In addition, it can be remembered that the Relocation Site located in Purok 5A, where the said beneficiaries formerly lived, has been declared a danger zone as the land constantly moves during heavy rains, making it susceptible to landslides.
Thus, in a message from Mayor Geraldford Balbin, he said that the new sites, where these new houses are constructed, are declared by Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) as a secure area, ensuring the protection of the people.
Further, this PHP 7.2M Balai Maal-lag or Mahayag nga Balay Housing Project (offsite) consists of 19 one-story houses with 30 sq. meters in floor area having two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a sink each. These houses are built into the beneficiaries' individual properties or the properties of third parties who offered the use of their lands in favor of the beneficiaries herein, subject to the limitation that the property is located in Brgy. Andap.
NHA XI District Manager Engr. Sonia Bulseco, in her speech, encouraged the beneficiaries to take good care of what the government has given to them. (J. Fernandez, Photos by J. Cadiz)
Oyster bar’s statement on food poisoning claims draws flak from diners
A popular oyster bar in Makati City’s statement addressing online allegations of food poisoning earned flak from diners who claimed to have experienced such.
Oyster bar’s statement on food poisoning claims draws flak from dinerson Wednesday said that it takes customer feedback and reviews “very seriously,” adding it is “taking it to heart.”
“We always strive to provide freshly prepared meals while adhering to critical safety and health standards,” it added.
The Poblacion-based oyster bar said it has “addressed each issue in a timely fashion requiring the necessary details in a fair and scientific manner.”
It added that the laboratory tests conducted on samples from the dates they received complaints “have shown a negative result for bacteria and thus clearing the possibility of any food poisoning.”
Wantusawa lamented continuously receiving “social media bullying” despite its efforts, laboratory tests and health clearances.
“In our pursuit of truth and due process, we shall likewise review our options to take any legal action against these purveyors of bullying and untruth,” it said.
The oyster bar added that it hoped the statement could assure the community “that any complaints made will be taken seriously, investigated thoroughly, and dealt with fairly in a timely manner.”
The statement came after several Facebook users left bad reviews about the food establishment after experiencing stomach aches and food-related illnesses.
These diners claimed of feeling stomach discomfort after allegedly consuming meals from the oyster bar.
Among them was Facebook user Coco Eje who called the attention of the Food and Drug Administration, as well as the city government of Makati, on Monday.
She shared screenshots of various reviews from other users who claimed to have had unpleasant experiences after dining from Wantusawa.
These complaints reportedly include vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, cramps, bloating and other symptoms.
“Wantusawa, I would leave a review on your page but I’m afraid it’s just gonna be shrugged off like all the other reviews [that are] already there. This needs urgent action,” Coco wrote on January 23.
“For public awareness and for the sake of honesty: the food is good but look at all these food poisoning complaints the past three weeks alone. Are all of these still isolated cases?” she added.
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