Moms making waves in MUPh 2023

BY ANNALYN S. JUSAY

May 7, 2023 07:13 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• When they walk the stage on the MUPH grand coronation night on May 13, they are not just doing it for themselves; they are also making their child proud and their community excited as they become part of  "herstory." Who knows, one of them could be proclaimed Miss Universe Philippines 2023!

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Historic. There's no other way to describe this year's batch of Miss Universe Philippines beauties who are the first qualifiers of the new rule to allow married or single moms to join the pageant. Standing tall and proud among their fellow candidates, the three mothers of MUPH 2023 are making waves with their talents, head-turning looks and unique life stories to tell.

When they walk the stage on the MUPH grand coronation night on May 13, they are not just doing it for themselves; they are also making their child proud and their community excited as they become part of  "herstory." Who knows, one of them could be proclaimed Miss Universe Philippines 2023!

Let us get to know the MUPH mommies one by one:

Miss Benguet Joemay-An Leo calls herself the first married woman to make it to MUPH. Aside from being a mom to her baby daughter Courkin, she is also the SK chairperson of the town of Tuba in her province. She wowed the crowd in the recently-concluded National Costume competition, emerging second place by parading around the stage with a salad of mountain-grown vegetables behind her back.

Joemay-An Leo

Joemay is no stranger to pageantry, having been proclaimed Miss Cordillera in 2016 when she was barely 20. She revealed that she joined Miss Universe Philippines to give a spotlight to her province, to showcase its products as well as its tourism spots and give the world an idea what an Igorota beauty is all about.

"I am not only an Igorota. I am a proud Ibaloi and Kankanaey from Mt. Province. My advocacy is cultural awareness and sensitivity. I aim to show the skills and talents of all indigenous peoples all over the Philippines, not only the Igorots," she told the Manila Bulletin after last month's press presentation.

Joemay revealed that it has been hard juggling pageant duties and being with her family. " I have been going to Benguet and travelling back to Manila. Pabalik-balik po ako just to see my family and join the activities. What's giving me the courage to continue is I know my baby will be proud of what I do now and she will be empowered just like me."

Miss Parañaque Clarielle (Clare) Dacanay is easily one of the most recognizable beauties in MUPH 2023 because she towers at 5'11 and sports short hair. Her recent feat was being named one of Aqua Boracay's Magic 8 finalists.

Clarielle (Clare) Dacanay

Clare said she is engaged to her partner and father of her 2 1/2 year old daughter. She is also an interior design student. " I was actually working under Asian Vision, It's a cable company, but I let it go since I wanted to focus on my daughter, my schooling, and the pageant," she disclosed.

"Joining the pageant was a spur-of-the-moment decision. When they removed the civil status requirement, I thought it was destiny because I always wanted to join ever since I was a kid. Then I had a baby so I thought it was game over but when they announced the new rule, I had no doubt in my mind and I just went for it," the 25-year old Clare revealed.

She added that "the best thing about joining the pageant is all the learning I get."

"My advocacy is maternal mental health, especially post partum depression or PPD. I was diagnosed with a major depressive disorder back in 2019 and I had suicidal tendencies. I was actually confined in a psych ward for maybe roughly a month. But when I found out about my pregnancy, I knew the importance of having to focus on your mental being before having a baby because you don't want to affect their growth. Luckily, I didn't experience any signs of PPD, just a few traces of sadness. But I wanted to advocate for it because I had a good friend who underwent a very bad case of PPD and I saw how much it affected not only her but also the baby," Clare stated.

The last mom-candidate is  Miss Quezon City Mary Eileen Gonzales. She is 27, businesswoman, actress and a middle child in a family of five. All her siblings are boys.

Mary Eileen Gonzales

Eileen dotes on her son Zohan, who she shares the same birthday with. "I am not the perfect mom but I just want to tell Z that everything I've done and will be doing is really for him. I want him to know that he has a mom who would do anything for him."

Eileen believes that she "manifested" being an MUPH candidate.

"Way back in 2019, I emailed the Miss Universe Organization that maybe one day, they will allow us (moms) to join the pageant. Being here today is something I am really proud of. I cannot wait to hear my son one day tell his friends that mommy is a Miss Universe Philippines candidate," Eileen said.

Beyond the bottom line: AboitizPower eco-warriors at work

BY MANILA BULLETIN

May 6, 2023 02:24 AM

  

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The surface of our tiny, blue dot in the vast universe is made up of about 70 percent water. Water is crucial for the sustenance of all living things on the planet, most obvious perhaps with that of marine life. While we humans are naturally surface-dwellers, modern day heroes scout the life aquatic by virtue of a profound purpose: the care and protection of our common home.

In celebration of Earth Day, employees of Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) in different parts of the country dedicated their time and the best of their abilities in making a better and cleaner Earth for all humans and animals.

The Balili River Clean-up

AboitizPower employees and community members from La Trinidad, Benguet team up for the Balili River Clean-up.

In northern Luzon, AboitizPower renewable energy subsidiary Hedcor, Inc. acted on their environmental protection goals with the collection of almost 246 kilograms of waste in its Balili River Clean-up Drive last March 24, a joint project with the Municipality of La Trinidad, Benguet.

The Balili River became infamous when it was pronounced biologically dead in 2004 by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). According to accounts of local old-timers, the river used to be so pristine that fishes thrived in it abundantly. An indigenous people’s mandatory representative from Barangay Balili even recalls washing her white school uniform in the river in the 1960s.

“The river used to be clean and unpolluted,” a local shared. The state of the river gradually deteriorated when establishments and settlers in La Trinidad grew exponentially.

This inspired the personnel of Hedcor to support the Balili River Clean-up.

“At Hedcor, we are taking concrete steps to further environmental sustainability for future generations," said Hedcor official Jay Kabamalan. "Hedcor recognizes that the health of the environment is vital to the well-being of local communities. As such, Hedcor aims to create a culture of environmental stewardship and encourage people to take responsibility for their surroundings."

Hedcor’s efforts were conducted in partnership with the local Municipal Environment Natural Resources Office (MENRO) and the Benguet State University (BSU). Hedcor also supports Barangay Balili’s local ordinance mandating its officials and residents to conduct a clean-up drive every first Saturday of the month. To date, Hedcor has collected over two million kilograms of waste, all of which were properly disposed.

Scubasureros

Scubasureros carefully remove garbage and other debris from corals.

On land, volunteers from TVI, TSI, and the local community work together to collect trash.

The “scubasureros” of AboitizPower subsidiary Therma Visayas, Inc. (TVI) conducted a coastal clean-up activity at the Bato Marine Sanctuary in Brgy. Bato, Toledo City in Cebu. The idea behind this environmental project came from TVI employees who are also scuba diving enthusiasts.

"Scubasurero is a portmanteau combining 'scuba diving' and 'basurero' or garbage collector," explained Therma South, Inc. (TSI) Reputation and Stakeholder Management Manager Lou Jason Deligencia. "We conducted this activity as part of our personal advocacy to help protect marine life."

The Bato Marine Sanctuary is a marine-protected area in the host community of TVI, and is home to various fish species, corals and marine creatures. With the increasing upsurge of marine pollution due to plastic and other non-biodegradable waste, the TVI scuba divers saw the need to support the Bato Marine Sanctuary and preserve the area’s marine life through the reduction of solid waste on the sanctuary’s sea bed.

The Scubasurero project is being managed in close coordination with the DENR - Tanon Strait Protected Seascape (TSPS), the Toledo City local government through the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), as well as the Toledo City Agriculture Office, Bantay Dagat, and the Philippine Coast Guard. The TSPS is  the biggest National Integrated Protected Areas System - Marine Protected Area (NIPAS-MPA) in the Philippines covering 534,589 hectares.

“Scuba divers and free divers from the local community, local fisherfolk and members of the Philippine Coast Guard continue to support us in this endeavor,” said TVI Vice President and Facility Head Noel Cabahug, who also partook in the activity being a scuba diving enthusiast himself.

In total, 280 kilograms of garbage were collected which is composed of 167 kg of residual waste and 113 kg of biodegradable waste.

Nursing endangered sea turtles back to health

Visitors to the Aboitiz Cleanergy Park see a rare and diverse ecosystem which includes a mangrove forest, marine turtle habitat and nesting area, and a fish sanctuary.

A female hawksbill sea turtle rescued by local fisherfolks is brought to the Aboitiz Cleanergy Park to be nursed back to health.

Another AboitizPower subsidiary, Davao Light and Power Co., Inc. (Davao Light), along with Aboitiz Foundation Inc. and in partnership with the DENR Region XI, continues to support the conservation efforts for sea turtles at the Aboitiz Cleanergy Park which is a pawikan rescue center facility.

Out of the seven sea turtle species in the world, three species of pawikan —  the olive ridley, the green sea turtle, and the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle — are at the park. The park is a known nesting ground for the hawksbill turtle and has released over 7,000 hatchlings since 2015.

There are currently seven rescued pawikans under the care of the Aboitiz Cleanergy Park. The latest addition is a  female hawksbill sea turtle (scientific name Eretmochelys imbricata) that was turned over to the eight-hectare ecological preserve and biodiversity conservation site at Sitio Punta Dumalag, Matina Aplaya, Davao City. The turtle was found caught weakly floating in a fish trap by fisherfolk led by Kagawad Ronel P. Simo in the sea near Purok Libra, Sitio Tambangan, Lasang, Davao City.

In coordination with the DENR Region XI, the endangered reptiles are provided with veterinary care and are being observed at the facility until they are fully recovered and can be released back into the wild.

“Pawikans are known to return faithfully to the same beach where they were born or previously nested,” said Davao Light President and Chief Operating Officer Rodger S. Velasco,. “With the sea turtles coming back and laying eggs through the years, the Aboitiz Cleanergy Park has successfully lived up to its objective of protecting and preserving the area and its flora and fauna, despite daily environmental threats such as pollution and soil erosion.”

The pawikan protection efforts, along with coastal clean-up and tree planting activities conducted frequently at the park, are aligned with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) [14], which aims to conserve life below water.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), sea turtles help maintain the health of seagrass beds and coral reefs. The critically endangered hawksbill sea turtles live on coral reefs, eating the overgrown sponges that suffocate slow-growing corals, resulting in a healthy reef and also helping to prevent the overpopulation of jellyfishes in the ocean.

The care and protection of the planet, our common home, is a joint human responsibility. Working together and taking responsibility is vital in ensuring a healthy and sustainable future for ourselves, the generations to come, and the animal kingdom.

“This year’s Earth Day theme, ‘Investing in our future,’ highlights the importance of dedicating our time, resources, and energy to the care of our environment,” said AboitizPower President and CEO Emmanuel Rubio. “We are happy that we are afforded with opportunities to help and contribute in leaving a positive impact to its protection.” 

Do you want to be mentored in writing for the stage?

Here’s your chance to learn from the best.

BY MANILA BULLETIN

May 5, 2023 07:56 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• This year, the VLF Writing Fellowship Program will be held from June 13 to 25, onsite at the CCP and other alternative venues, and will culminate with a staged reading of the fellows’ works on June 25 at the CCP.

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The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) through the Artist Training Division is now accepting applications for the Virgin Labfest (VLF) 18 Writing Fellowship Program. Deadline for application is on or before May 16, 2023.

The VLF 18 Writing Fellowship Program is a two-week mentorship program on the study and practice of dramatic writing for the stage. The fellows will take part in lectures, discussions, and workshops on playwriting and script critiquing. They will also be given tickets to this year’s festival plays, as well as the opportunity to participate in the talkback and interaction with known playwrights and directors.

This year, the VLF Writing Fellowship Program will be held from June 13 to 25, onsite at the CCP and other alternative venues, and will culminate with a staged reading of the fellows’ works on June 25 at the CCP.

Interested applicants should be a college student or a young professional, 29 years old or below. The applicant should not have any play produced by a professional theater company nor any play published in a literary journal. S/he must not have won in any national or international playwriting/screenwriting competition.

Applications should include duly accomplished and signed application form (download here: https://tinyurl.com/VLF18WFPAppForm), and a sample of their stage plays, full or excerpts. The real name/identity of the applicant must not be written on any part of the sample work(s).

Sample work/s should be written in Filipino or English, submitted in pdf format (12 points, double-spaced, 8” x 11” paper). The maximum total number of pages of the submitted sample stage play/s is 10 (whether one or two plays).

Applications must be submitted via email to the artist.training@culturalcenter.gov.ph with the subject “VLF18WFP Application - Surname.” Only complete application requirements will be considered.

Announcement of accepted applicants is on May 30, 2023. A minimal registration fee of ₱2,500 will be required of all accepted fellows. Fellows must be present for the entire duration of the program, rehearsals, and performance for the Culminating Showcase.

The Virgin Labfest, an annual festival of unpublished, unstaged, untried, and untested works of playwrights, directors, and actors. Co-produced by the CCP, Tanghalang Pilipino, and the Writer’s Bloc, the country’s biggest theater festival has gained a reputation of producing provocative and outstanding “virgin” plays, most of which have been recognized by the Palanca Awards for Literature.

Call the CCP Artist Training Division at +632 8832-1125 local 1605 (look for Kris Reyno) or email artist.training@culturalcenter.gov.ph.

Alyssa Valdez leads all-female PH cast in Cambodia SEAG opening rites

BY KRISTEL SATUMBAGA-VILLAR

May 5, 2023 01:39 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• The ceremony will have the traditional parade of athletes, general oath-taking, the lighting of the Games torch, cultural presentations and a fireworks display.

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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia—Organizers promised to mount a spectacular opening ceremony that is up to Olympic standards with Chinese flavor as Cambodia becomes the regional sporting hub for the next two weeks with the staging of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games here.

Alyssa Valdez was chosen as the country's flag-bearer in the opening ceremony. (Photo from Alyssa Valdez's Instagram)

The formal inaugurals will be held Friday, May 5, at the Morodok Techo Stadium – a new structure built and paid for by China that could accommodate 60,000 fans as Cambodia promises a festive atmosphere when they host the biennial meet for the first time in history.

As of Thursday, May 4, organizers have yet to release the program but it is expected that host’s top officials are going to be present.

Presentations are also expected to revolve on this edition’s slogan, “Sports: Live in Peace.”

The ceremony will have the traditional parade of athletes, general oath-taking, the lighting of the Games torch, cultural presentations and a fireworks display.

Cambodia was so eager and delighted to host the Games that its government announced last month that it would cover the expenses for all 11 participating nations. This includes transportation, accommodation and meals.

Organizers also offered free tickets to all sports, even the broadcasting rights, making it the first host country to cover all expenses for participating countries.

Seven locations in the capital city of Phnom Penh will also broadcast the opening ceremony on giant LED screens, with hopes of not only promoting sports but also boosting the country’s tourism in the post-Covid pandemic era.

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Bambol Tolentino and Team PH chief of mission Chito Loyzaga will head the PH delegation during the parade of athletes, which will feature an all-female group that include swimmer Chloe Isleta, sprinter Kristina Knott, basketball dribblers Afril Bernardino and Janine Pontejos, billiards cue artists Chezka Centeno and Rubilen Amit, to name a few – another first in SEAG history.

PH women’s volleyball team captain Alyssa Valdez will be the country’s flag-bearer.

Cambodia formally acknowledged the members of Team Philippines during the Team Welcome Ceremony Wednesday, May 3, with Deputy Chief of Mission Paolo Tancontian representing the delegation in the flag-raising rites also at the Morodok Techo Stadium.

Action already unfolded in various events for the past few days with Filipinos already assured of medals in chess ouk chaktrang and obstacle race.

PH bags 2 golds in SEA Games

Early victory Kaila Napolis (in red belt) pins Cambodia’s Jessa Khan in the jiu-jitsu -52 kg during the 32nd Southeast Asian Games at Chroy Changvar Hall B in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Thursday, May 4, 2023. PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO

By Niel Victor C. Masoy

May 5, 2023 210

(UPDATE) THE Philippines bagged two gold medals on Thursday in events that were already under way a day before the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, officially open.

Jiu-jitsu athlete Kaila Napolis had the distinction of being the Philippines' first gold medallist in this year's Games.

The 25-year-old Napolis dominated Jessa Khan of host Cambodia 2-0 in the women's 49kg final held at the Chroy Changvar Convention Center.

It was sweet revenge for Napolis who lost to Khan in the 2019 World Martial Arts Mastership Games in Chungju, South Korea.

Napolis started her quest for the gold with a triangle armbar submission victory against Singaporean May Yong in the first round.

She scored a 3-0 win over Thai Nuchanat Singchalad in the second round before scoring a kimura submission victory against Vietnamese Thi Huyen in the third round.

Huyen suffered an elbow injury after refusing to immediately tap out amid the Filipino's intense submission attack. Huyen eventually tapped out at the 2:31 mark.

In the final, Napolis found herself in a losing position as Khan pinned her down for the most of the 5-minute bout.

But the Filipina recovered in time to pull off the win.

Intermittent rain floods parts of Western Visayas

BY TARA YAP

  

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ILOILO CITY – Several areas in Western Visayas have been flooded due to intermittent rainfall in the past two days amid the searing heat.

As of May 4, the Western Visayas-Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council recorded flooding in parts of Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo.

A HIGHWAY in Dumalag town, Capiz province is flooded due to intermittent rain.  (Dumalag MDRRMO)

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The RDRRMC-6 said this was due to the low-pressure area and the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ).

In Capiz, the towns of Dumalag, Dumarao, Sigma, Cuartero, Dao, Panay, Mambusao, Maayon, and Tapaz were flooded.

In Iloilo, some areas in the towns of Pavia, Calinog, Bingawan, Lambunao, Duenas, Zarraga, and the component city of Passi were flooded.

The RDRRMC-6 recorded soil erosion in seven barangays Dumalag and Dumarao. The Mait Bridge in Dumalag was impassable.

The road and bridge in Barangays Agba-o, Ngingi-an, Bulabog, and Tapacon in Bingawan town, Iloilo was also impassable.

A landslide incident was recorded in Barangays Toyungan, Cahigon, and Binolosan Pequeno in Calinog.

The RDRRMC-6 is still collating data on the number of displaced people.

Many classes were suspended on Thursday in most areas of Panay Island due to the intermittent heavy rainfall.

Judy Ann takes the spotlight in Cinema One's Monday drama this May

Feel the love with Mother’s Day movie marathon coming this month

BY MANILA BULLETIN ENTERTAINMENT

May 4, 2023 09:08 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Witness Judy Ann’s remarkable acting prowess as the bride’s best friend and groom’s sister Abby in "Don't Give Up on Us" (May 8), empowered woman named Sabel in "Sabel" (May 15), loving wife Angie in "Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo" (May 22), and kindhearted daughter Mara in "Mara Clara: The Movie" (May 29) on Monday Drama airing Mondays at 9pm.

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Judy Ann Santos

Get ready to feel all the emotions as Kapamilya actress Judy Ann Santos stars in Cinema One's drama block while motherly love in all its forms will pour out during the Mother’s Day weekend marathon happening this month.

Witness Judy Ann’s remarkable acting prowess as the bride’s best friend and groom’s sister Abby in "Don't Give Up on Us" (May 8), empowered woman named Sabel in "Sabel" (May 15), loving wife Angie in "Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo" (May 22), and kindhearted daughter Mara in "Mara Clara: The Movie" (May 29) on Monday Drama airing Mondays at 9pm.

Cinema One also brings a special treat this Mother’s Day with films that showcase motherly love. Catch Nora Aunor’s “Mama Dito Sa Aking Puso,” Maricel Soriano’s “Ama, Ina, Anak” and “Bahay Kubo,”  Pokwang’s “A Mother’s Story” and “Call Center Girl,”  Eugene Domingo’s “Mamarazzi,” Zsa Zsa Padilla’s “Batang PX,” Agot Isidro’s “Way Back Home,” Ai-Ai delas Alas’ “Ang Tanging Ina” and “Ang Cute ng Ina Mo,” Vilma Santos’ “In My Life,” Angel Locsin’s “One More Try,” Sharon Cuneta’s “BFF: Best Friends Forever” and “Mano Po 6: A Mother’s Love,” Cherry Pie Picache’s “Foster Child,” and Sylvia Sanchez’s “Mama’s Girl,” airing from May 13 to 14.

Meanwhile, enjoy your weekend night with Blockbuster Sundays featuring Sharon Cuneta's "Three Words to Forever" (May 7), Coney Reyes' "Four Sisters and a Wedding" (May 14), Vilma Santos' "Everything About Her" (May 21), and Judy Ann and Angelica Panganiban's "Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes" (May 28), airing on Sundays at 7pm.

Cinema One, the home of Filipino blockbuster movies, is available on Cignal ch. 45, SKYcable ch. 56, GSat Direct TV ch. 14, and other local cable service providers. For more details, follow Cinema One on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Inflation slows down further in April

Consumer prices ease to 6.6%

BY CHINO S. LEYCO

May 5, 2023 09:17 AM

  

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Inflation slowed down further to 6.6 percent in April from 7.6 percent in the previous month, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported on Friday, May 5.

Last month's inflation settled within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' forecast of 6.3 percent to 7.1 percent, but still higher than the 4.6 percent in April 2022.

April inflation rate brought the coutry's four-month average to 7.9 percent, still above the government's revised full-year outlook of 5.0 percent to 7.0 percent.

The end-April average is also well above