10 Philippine indigenous plants proven to have medicinal benefits

By James Tababa

Medicinal plants were used to cure illnesses long before the development of modern medicine. Even today, plants are still natural sources of pharmaceutical derivatives for medicine. As people become more conscious of their health, they are inclined to consume natural products.

Under Republic Act 8423 or the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act (TAMA), the Department of Health–Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care (DOH-PITAHC) endorses ten plants for medical use. The DOH has validated these plants upon scientifically testing the plant’s efficacy and safety. However, it is still recommended that one consult a healthcare professional for a formal diagnosis and medical advice before taking any medicinal plants. 

Akapulko (Casia alata)

Akapulko or ringworm bush is locally known as bayabas-bayanasan, katanda (Tagalog), andadasi (Ilokano), and palochina (Bisaya). It is a shrub that can be found abundantly throughout the Philippines. The leaves have antifungal properties useful in treating skin diseases like eczema, athlete’s foot, ringworm, and tinea flava.

Akapulko (Photo by Manoranjan Mishra/Getty Image)

The leaves are ground and applied to the affected skin area two times daily within three weeks to kill the fungi completely. For sensitive skin, ground leaves are boiled and the decoction is used to wash the affected area.

 Ampalaya (Momordica charantia)

Ampalaya, bitter gourd (English), paria (Ilokano), and palia (Bisaya) is a vine vegetable commonly cultivated in the Philippines. It is clinically proven to reduce blood sugar levels. It is recommended to be consumed by people with diabetes.

Ampalaya (Photo by Queserasera99/Getty Image)

To help control blood levels for diabetic patients, one cup of young ampalaya leaves should be consumed twice a day as a salad or as an ingredient in meals. They may also boil two cups of sprouts in two glasses of water for 15 minutes. And drink the decoction three times daily, 30 minutes before each meal.

 Bawang (Allium sativum)

Bawang or garlic is a common kitchen spice in Philippine households. It is extensively grown in Batangas, Nueva Ecija, Ilocos Norte, Mindoro, and Cotabato. It is one of the earliest documented herbs used for treating diseases. 

Bawang (Photo by Burcak Gozcu/Getty Image)

The fresh cloves of bawang are used for lowering blood cholesterol levels and hypertension. Patients may be advised to eat 2-3 garlic bulbs three times a day during each meal.

Bayabas (Psidium guajava)

Bayabas or guava is a tropical fruit mostly found in Filipino backyards. Aside from the nutritional benefits of eating guava fruit, the leaves have been long used as an antiseptic and antibacterial in treating wounds.

Bayabas (Photo by balouriarajesh/Pixabay)

To treat scabies or wounds, boil one or two handfuls of leaves in a pot of water.  Wash the wound with lukewarm guava water twice a day until they heal. The water from the boiled leaves can also be used for bathing to help relieve skin itchiness.

 Lagundi (Vitex negundo)

Lagundi is also known as dangla (Ilokano), five-leaved chaste tree, or horseshoe vitex. It can also be found throughout the Philippines. Lagundi is a well-known herbal medicine. Some pharmaceutical companies have already commercialized this plant as cough syrups and food supplements.

Lagundi (Photo by Subas Chandra Mahato/Getty Image)

Lagundi helps relieve cough, asthma, and pharyngitis. To use as a treatment, boil crushed lagundi leaves in a pot with two cups of water until only half the mixture is left. The amount of crushed leaves according to the patient’s age is as follows: 1 ½ tablespoons (2-6 years old); 3 tablespoons (7-12 years old); 6 tablespoons (13 years old and above).

 Niyog-niyogan (Quisqualis indica)

Niyog-niyogan is a shrub that bears beautiful flowers. Aside from its medicinal properties, it is sought after by some plant lovers and gardeners for its ornamental value. It is also known as tartaraok (Tagalog), balitadham (Bisaya), Rangoon creeper, Chinese honeysuckle, and liane vermifuge.

Niyog-niyogan (Photo by songphon/Getty Image)

Niyog-niyogan is used for the treatment of intestinal worms. The seeds are obtained from the withered fruit of the plant. The seeds are taken orally. Dosage of seeds to eat based on the patient’s age: 4-5 seeds (4-6 years old); 6-7 seeds (7-12 years old); 8-10 seeds (13 years old and above).

Sambong (Blumea balsamifera)

Sambong is a flowering herbal shrub. It is also called lakad-bulan (Bikol), bukadkad (Bisaya), sudsud (Ilokano) and Ngai camphor (English). Sambong is commonly found in open fields, roadsides, grasslands, and mountainous regions.

Sambong (Photo by Joloei/Getty Image)

Sambong is also a popular medicinal herb. The Philippine National Kidney and Transplant Institute recommend taking sambong for patients with kidney problems. It is known to dissolve kidney stones.

To treat kidney stones, boil the minced sambong leaves in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes. Let it cool. Divide it into three portions. Each portion Is taken three times a day. The dosage of minced sambong leaves is based on the patient’s age: 3 tablespoons (7-12 years old); 6 tablespoons (13 years old and above).

 Tsaang gubat (Carmona retusa)

Tsaang gubat is a medicinal shrub originating from most of the Philippine forests. It is now commonly seen as an ornamental plant. It is also known as putputai (Bikol), alangit (Bisaya), and forest tea.

Tsaang gubat (Photo by jobrestful/Getty Image)

Tsaang gubat is medicinally used to treat stomach aches as a mouthwash and body cleanser.

To treat stomach pains, boil the chopped leaves of tsaang gubat in 1 glass of water for 15 minutes. Let it cool. The amount of chopped leaves is based on age: 1 1/2 tablespoons (7-12 years old); 3 tablespoons (13 years old or older); not recommended for children below seven years old.

 Ulasimang-bato (Peperomia pelucida)

Ulasimang-bato is a succulent herb found in damp, shaded areas like nooks, walls, and roofs.  Ulasimang bato also goes with the name pansit-pansitan (Tagalog), olasiman-ihalas (Cebuano, Bisaya), tangon-tangon (Bikol), and peperonia (English).

Pansit-pansitan (Photo by warayoo/Getty Image)

Eating ulasimang-bato is a traditional treatment for gout. Eating 1 cup of ulasimang-bato as a salad three times a day is advised to control the uric acid. Alternatively, it can be boiled in 1 1/2 glasses in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes. Then drink 1/3 glass of the boiled water three times every meal.

 Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii)

Yerba Buena, or wild peppermint, is an aromatic herb commonly regarded as a weed in rice paddies. Its analgesic property is effective in relieving aches and pains.

Yerba Buena (Photo by seven75/Getty Image)

For headache and stomach pains, boil chopped leaves in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes. Divide the water into two parts and drink one part every 3 hours.

It can also relieve cough and cold by soaking ten fresh leaves in hot water and drinking it as a tisane.

For toothaches, cut the fresh leaves and squeeze the sap. Soak a piece of cotton in the sap and insert it in the aching tooth.

Most Dangerous Ways To School | PHILIPPINES | Free Documentary

Most Dangerous Ways To School - Philippines. The children from Madibago in the southern Philippines have one of the most spectacular and dangerous ways to school in the world. Some walk alone through the jungle for hours, others risk their lives, in order to make it past a steep face of rock and boulders, overgrown with moss and tree roots. On the peninsula Zamboanga del Norte in the southern Philippines, the thinly populated coastal strip gives way to sharply rising mountains. Eleven-year-old Aible lives close to the sea, but her school is located in the heart of the mountains. A ride on a motorbike taxi costs only one US-Dollar, but Aible’s family simply doesn’t have the money, like most of the families here. So for decades, children from Madibago have been taking the shortcut through the jungle. They call it Pam-Pang: A gigantic wall that the children must climb every single day – in the hopes of a better future. In some places its slope is 90 degrees. Many people have fallen here. Some have critically injured themselves while trying to climb Pam-Pang. The weather can change suddenly in the Philippines. Thanks to the high humidity, short, heavy rain showers tend to be the rule – even in the dry season. And for Aible this means even greater danger on her way to and from school. The roots, the rocks, the soil – all becomes even more slippery than usual. But that doesn’t keep the children from chasing their dreams.

Am Freitag! Verdi-Streik an vielen Flughäfen

Vom Streik betroffen sind die Flughäfen in Frankfurt am Main, München, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Dortmund, Hannover und Bremen

Foto: Christoph Soeder/dpa

Die Beschäftigten der Betreibergesellschaften werden häufig nach den Tarifverträgen der Kommunen bezahlt. Mit den jetzt fortgesetzten Warnstreiks wollen die Beschäftigten ihren Forderungen im laufenden Tarifstreit des öffentlichen Dienstes von Bund und Kommunen Nachdruck verleihen. Bis zur zweiten Runde der Tarifverhandlungen am 22. und 23. Februar sind weitere Warnstreiks unter anderem in Hessen, Baden-Württemberg und Nordrhein-Westfalen angekündigt.

 Verdi warnt vor einer weiteren Abwanderung.

In den laufenden Tarifverhandlungen fordern Verdi und der Beamtenbund dbb 10,5 Prozent mehr Einkommen, mindestens aber 500 Euro mehr für die rund 2,5 Millionen Beschäftigten im öffentlichen Dienst von Bund und Kommunen. Die Laufzeit des neuen Tarifvertrags soll zwölf Monate betragen. Die Arbeitgeber haben die Forderungen bislang zurückgewiesen.

Verdi hatte im Januar bereits in zwei anderen Tarifkonflikten die Flughäfen in Berlin und Düsseldorf bestreikt. In der NRW-Hauptstadt ging es um einen neuen Abschluss beim Bodenabfertiger Aviapartner, in Berlin streikten die Beschäftigten der Betreibergesellschaft, der Bodenverkehrsdienste sowie die Luftsicherheitskontrolleure. In Berlin wurde nach dem Warnstreik eine Einigung erzielt.

Der Luftverkehr ist wegen der zersplitterten Dienstleister extrem streikanfällig, weil viele kleine, sicherheitsrelevante Gruppen streikmächtig genug sind, den Betrieb lahmzulegen. Im Grunde reicht der Streik der Flughafenfeuerwehr, um den gesamten Betrieb stillzulegen. 

Der bisher letzte große Warnstreik mit ähnlichen Folgen liegt bereits einige Jahre zurück: Im April 2018 mussten deutschlandweit Hunderte Flüge annulliert werden, weil die Tarifverhandlungen für die Beschäftigten der Kommunen und des Bundes nicht vorankamen. In acht Bundesländern legten daher bei einem Warnstreik Zehntausende Beschäftigte die Arbeit nieder. Neben Flughäfen waren vielerorts auch der städtische Nahverkehr, Kitas, Kliniken, Verwaltungen und Hallenbäder betroffen.

(bw/dpa)

Here are over 200 ways of saying ‘I love you’ in Philippine languages and dialects

The document shows a list of how "iniibig kita" or "I love you" is expressed in over two hundred Philippine languages (UP Department of Linguistics/Facebook)

By James Patrick Cruz 

There are hundreds of ways to express love.

This was proven by a document shared by the UP Department of Linguistics. 

The document showed a list of how “iniibig kita” or “I love you” is expressed in over two hundred Philippine languages and dialects. 

This was compiled by linguist Ernesto Constantino and other members of the linguistic department in 1967. 

According to Ethnologue Languages of the World, there are 186 established languages in the Philipines, with four of which now extinct. 

Of the living languages, 41 are classified as institutional, 72 are developing, 46 are vigorous, 13 are in trouble, and ten are dying.

On February 6, the House of Representatives approved on final reading a bill that seeks to suspend the use of the mother tongue as the primary medium of instruction in early-grade education.

This bill is a response to the scarcity of learning materials in the mother tongue.  

In October last year, there was also a push to remove Mother Tongue as a subject in Grade 1 to 3 classes. 

Education Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said, “there is no need to teach it (mother tongue) to the children because this is already their everyday language in the school and community and family.”

While others have welcomed this suggestion, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) expressed concern saying that the “step will make learning recovery more difficult and shows how the agency lacks real appreciation of the Mother Tongue’s role in learning.”

New Zealand declares national emergency

By Agence France-Presse

SAVE ME A helicopter locates a catamaran in distress, with a single sailor on board, near the city of Whangarei, Northland region, northern New Zealand on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. NEW ZEALAND DEFENSE FORCE PHOTO VIA AFP

AUCKLAND, New Zealand: Cyclone "Gabrielle" swept away roads, inundated homes and left 225,000 people without power in New Zealand on Tuesday, prompting the government to declare a national state of emergency.

High winds and driving rain lashed the country's populous North Island, in what Prime Minister Chris Hipkins called the "most significant weather event New Zealand has seen in this century."

"The impact is significant and it is widespread," he said. "The severity and the damage that we are seeing has not been experienced in a generation."

Daylight on Tuesday revealed the severity of the disaster: roads eaten away by landslips and collapsed homes buried in mud, silt and a slew of storm detritus.

Falling trees smashed power lines and floodwaters blocked several major roads, leaving communities stranded.

Local media reported that some people were forced to swim from their homes to safety. Others waded through stormwaters on foot. Some were forced to shelter in place.

"During the night a huge tree came down in front of our house, just missing my Ute. It blocked the road and we couldn't get out," 53-year-old Whangamata resident Brendon Pugh told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"It's been scary. I am an ex-coast guard, but I have never seen anything like it in 20 years living here," he said.

"The water in our road was up to my shins, then waist-deep in places. We were without power from 10 p.m. last night until about 3 p.m. today and we had no internet," he added.

Celeste Cortesi on first acting job, life after Miss Universe

Nathalie M. Tomada - The Philippine Star 

Celeste Cortesi shared that she would love to explore the world of showbiz after her first acting experience in Mars Ravelo’s Darna. The surprise appearance in the series finale last Feb. 10 was quick to trend on social media.

The Miss Universe Philippines played the role of Kevnar, the Queen of Marte, who showed up before the titular character Darna (played by Jane de Leon) to thank her for keeping the planet safe and protected.

“It was a surprise for my fans and I’m happy I did it,” Celeste told The Philippine STAR and a few other members of the press in a chance interview on Monday.

“It was such a good opportunity because Darna is one of the most iconic characters in the Philippines, and it was my national costume in the Miss Universe. The script was in Tagalog and not even an English word. But I managed. I had like three days to really study. It was a very fun experience. It was very challenging actually. It was my first time to do, like, a whole script in Tagalog and a script in general as I’ve never really done acting,” she said.

“It was just a few days before (that JRB Creative Production offered the role) and I was also very surprised but I really took the challenge. It was my first acting experience. It was my first experience acting in Tagalog. I’m really grateful. I just did my best as I always do. I hope more doors will open.”

She was also grateful for the chance “to work with very professional and talented people.”

Celeste in costume for her role as Kevnar, the Queen of Marte who appears in the series finale of Mars Ravelo’s Darna.

“That’s the most important thing for me. The fact that I have so much to learn and so much to explore and I’m really looking forward to what’s going to happen after Miss Universe.”

Joining showbiz fully could be the next step for the Fil-Italian beauty and she’d welcome it. “I would love to. Honestly, now, I’m really exploring. I’m looking forward to my next step. I’m learning to speak Tagalog so I’m very focused on that. I have time to learn,” she shared.

“I’m really just excited about what’s to come. I want to grow, I want to really step out of my comfort zone, which is what I’ve been doing for a very long time. I am excited to try new things. There’s always an opportunity. When a door closes, there’s another one wide open.”

By “door closed,” Celeste meant her failed bid at the 71st Miss Universe held last month in New Orleans. The international pageant was won by Miss USA, R’Bonney Gabriel, who happens to be Filipino-American.

“Of course, everybody is very heartbroken about what happened in Miss Universe, and me as well. But I’m very grateful because I had a chance to represent the Philippines. And I worked very, very hard. I felt the love, I felt the support. At the end of the day, I’m just very grateful,” Celeste said.

While she didn’t get the chance to bond enough with R’Bonney during the competition, Celeste said she’s very happy for her. “I remember we took a photo together, I remember we danced together during a dinner. She’s really nice and I think that she’s been working very, very hard for the crown. I always said it is destiny, it’s her destiny. I’m happy for her and I think she’s gonna do great things as Miss Universe.”

The STAR got to interview Celeste on the sidelines of the launch of Stanible app, which works as a one-stop shop for unique digital collectibles from celebrity creators. She said, “I can learn a lot of things about NFT. I’m here with my boyfriend. I’m here also to have a new experience.”

On a highlight of her life that can be shared on the Stanible app, she said, “To be honest, to be able to win the crown of Miss Universe Philippines was the best moment. It was a really good comeback for me. And I really felt the love of Filipino people. I’m just grateful.” Prior to Miss Universe Philippines, she was Miss Earth Philippines in 2018.

When asked about what she did shortly after Miss Universe, she shared, “I had two weeks like I was eating everything hahaha. So good. Just two days ago, I started working out again since I wanted to continue my career. I wanna stay fit, I wanna stay healthy. But it’s good sometimes to let go after a lot of months of dieting and sacrifices. You need a break and you really need to also consider your mental health somehow. Now, I’m back, I wanna focus on new goals, so that’s it.”

The search for Celeste’s successor is already ongoing with applications being currently accepted until Feb. 17.

Told by a reporter that aspiring contestants last Feb. 13 included a mother, she said, “I think that Miss Universe has entered a new era, very inclusive of every single woman. And I think a woman, especially a mother, can be whatever she wants to be, she can have a family, she can have a career, she can also be Miss Universe,” she said.

The Fil-Italian beauty queen channels the iconic character Darna in her national costume at the 71st Miss Universe held in January in New Orleans, US.

“I wanna really meet the candidates. I want to give advice and you know, it’s the time for a new queen to be crowned and represent the Philippines so I’m really, really excited for them.

“My advice would be to really enjoy the experience, to work very hard, to not forget where you came from, to always be humble in every situation and to enjoy. Because sometimes, we have so much pressure, opinions from so many people. But as long as you remain yourself, as long as you respect yourself first, everything would be OK. And I always say the same thing: Miss Universe is destiny. Whatever is gonna happen, I’ll be very, very happy to see who’s gonna be the next Miss Universe Philippines.”

DOH: PH's 1st XBB.1.5 case a Filipino with no travel history

Philstar.com

This undated National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH handout photo obtained August 1, 2021, shows a transmission electron color-enhanced micrograph of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, isolated from a patient.

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s first confirmed case of Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 was a Filipino with no recent travel history, the Department of Health said on Tuesday.

“This is a local detection. There was no history of any type of travel. His exposure is unknown,” Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing. The patient had already recovered after experiencing mild symptoms of COVID-19.

Vergeire added that the patient’s close contacts were all asymptomatic.

Experts suggest that XBB.1.5 — an offshoot of the Omicron XBB subvariant — is the most transmissible variant of the virus that causes COVID-19.

The World Health Organization’s rapid risk assessment showed there is moderate-strength evidence for XBB.1.5’s increased risk of transmission and immune escape. However, studies do not suggest any differences in disease severity compared to the original Omicron variant.

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control classified XBB.1.5 as a variant of interest.

Monitoring CH.1.1

In the same briefing, Vergeire said the department is closely monitoring CH.1.1, a sublineage currently reported under Omicron BA.2.75.

WHO classified CH.1.1 as a variant under monitoring. It has a mutation seen in the Delta variant, which was found to be more transmissible and potentially more severe than the original strain of the virus that causes COVID-19.

The Philippines has so far detected three CH.1.1 cases.

“We will continuously monitor the situation. There are safeguards such as strengthened surveillance because we’d like to monitor the effects of newer subvariant in the country,” Vergeire said.

In an update sent to reporters, the DOH said all areas in the country have started to show plateauing in recent days. It added that while the decline in intensive care unit admissions has slowed down, the number of severe or critical admissions remains on a downward trend in recent weeks.

The Philippines recorded 1,101 additional COVID-19 infections and 98 fatalities in the past week. There are currently 9,137 active cases.

IBP members set mandatory national convention in Davao City Feb. 16-18

by Jeffrey Damicog, MB

Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) 

After four years, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) is set to hold its first in-person mandatory national convention for lawyers starting Thursday, Feb. 16, in Davao City.

“More than 3,500 lawyers are expected to attend one of the biggest gatherings held by the IBP thus far,” the IBP said in a statement.

It said the event will be held at the SMX Convention Center until Feb. 18.

The IBP, the official national organization of lawyers founded in 1973, will also be celebrating its golden anniversary with the theme “IBP at 50: Looking Back, Moving Forward.”

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It said the Davao City event will provide “a forum for discussion on the IBP’s former leaders and the significant events and programs that have shaped the IBP, the legal profession, and the rule of law in our nation, as well as how all of these have affected the administration of justice.”

It also said the convention will “cover topics about the IBP’s activities, allowing a chance for the leadership to accept resolutions from the membership during the plenary session on proposals about the IBP, much like any event where the topic of justice is at the center of the debate.”

“Moreover, the 2023 National Convention of Lawyers will also be a chance for the attendees and participants to engage in meaningful discourse with the members of the Supreme Court and the judiciary, in eager anticipation of what the future holds for the IBP and the legal profession as a whole,” it added.

Rising seas threaten exodus of ‘biblical’ scale — UN

by Agence-France-Presse

An aerial photo taken on February 14, 2023 shows the Waiohiki bridge and surrounds inundated by the Tutaekuri River after Cyclone Gabrielle made landfall near the city of Napier. New Zealand declared a national state of emergency on February 14 as Cyclone Gabrielle swept away roads, inundated homes and left more than 100,000 people without power. (STR/AFP)

UNITED NATIONS — The UN Secretary-General warned Tuesday that global warming could force a mass exodus “on a biblical scale” as people flee low-lying communities and called for legal frameworks to be implemented in preparation, especially for refugees. 

“The danger is especially acute for nearly 900 million people who live in coastal zones at low elevations — that’s one out of ten people on Earth,” Antonio Guterres told the UN Security Council.

“Low-lying communities and entire countries could disappear forever… We would witness a mass exodus of entire populations on a biblical scale,” he said.

It is not only small island states at risk as sea levels rise, he added.

Countries such as Bangladesh, China, India and the Netherlands are all in danger, Guterres said, while “mega-cities on every continent will face serious impacts” — from Cairo to Jakarta to Los Angeles to Copenhagen.

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The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says sea levels rose by 15-25 centimeters (6-10 inches) between 1900 and 2018.

If the world warms by just two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to the pre-industrial era, then those levels will rise again by 43 centimeters by the year 2100.

But if it warms by three or four degrees Celsius, sea levels could rise by as much as 84 centimeters, the IPCC says.

The problem must be addressed “across legal and human rights frameworks,” Guterres warned.

Rising sea levels means shrinking land mass, he said, which could drive possible disputes over land and maritime space.

“The current legal regime must look to the future and address any gaps in existing frameworks,” including in international refugee law, he said. 

It must also provide for the future of states that face losing their land territory completely.

Guterres said the Security Council has a “critical” role to play in addressing “the devastating security challenges arising from rising seas.”

The issue has been controversial in the past: In 2021, Russia vetoed a resolution linking climate change and global security, which was supported by the majority of the Council members.

Francis Toral named new head of ABS-CBN News, Nadia Trinidad is News Digital Media head

by Manila Bulletin Entertainment

Francis Toral

ABS-CBN has appointed Mary Anne Francis Toral as the new head of ABS-CBN News, succeeding Regina “Ging” Reyes who retired on Dec. 31, 2022.

Prior to her appointment, Francis served as ABS-CBN’s News Production head and was instrumental in the successful 2022 Halalan marathon coverage. She also led ABS-CBN News’ DocuCentral group that produced several award-winning documentaries, including “Di Ka Pasisiil,” a documentary on the Marawi siege that won a Gold World Medal in the New York Festivals – World’s Best TV & Films in 2018.

During her tenure as ABS-CBN head of Breaking News and Live Events, Francis was also responsible for the special coverage of the Visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines in 2015 and “PILIPINAS 2016,” the Presidential Town Hall Debate held in Pangasinan. 

Dan ‘Baroy’ Morga

Francis, a 25-year veteran of ABS-CBN News, rose from the ranks and produced various programs including “The World Tonight” with Angelo Castro Jr. and Tina Monzon Palma, “Talkback” with Tina Monzon Palma, and “Beyond Politics” with Lynda Jumilla.

She graduated magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines with a degree in Broadcast Communication in 1998. In 2009, Francis was awarded the Benigno and Corazon Aquino Fellowship by the United States Embassy in Manila.

Meanwhile, Nadia Trinidad has been appointed as News Digital Media head, and will now be responsible for ABS-CBN News Online and its digital news properties. Nadia was previously the head of the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) prior to her new appointment.

Nadia Trinidad

She began her career as a reporter and news advisory anchor for Studio 23 and eventually took on bigger roles including being the North America Bureau chief in 2011, News Production head in 2013, and managing director in 2021. Nadia is a Communication graduate of Ateneo De Manila University and holds a postgraduate degree from Stanford University as a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow.

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She succeeds Lynda Jumilla who retired last Dec. 31 after serving as news digital head for three years. A veteran broadcast journalist, Lynda was named the Marshall McLuhan fellow in 2012 by the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines. She was the anchor of “Beyond Politics” on ANC and previously served as ABS-CBN chief of reporters.

Taking the helm as the new ANC head is Alvaro Dan “Baroy” Morga. He will be in-charge of ANC’s content production and lead its editorial production teams. He previously served as ABS-CBN News’ head of Strategy and New Business. Baroy graduated with a degree in Economics from Ateneo De Manila University.