POC goes all out for Kayla Sanchez's eligibility for PH team

BY KRISTEL SATUMBAGA-VILLAR

  

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AT A GLANCE

• The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) vowed to exhaust all efforts to speed up the process of Olympian Kayla Sanchez’s eligibility to suit up for the national swimming team in the 19thAsian Games in Hangzhou, China and ultimately, a stint in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) vowed to exhaust all efforts to speed up the process of Olympian Kayla Sanchez’s eligibility to suit up for the national swimming team in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China and, ultimately, a stint in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Olympian swimmer Kayla Sanchez is being eyed to finally compete for the Philippine team in the Asian Games and the Paris Olympics. (MB File Photo)

POC President Bambol Tolentino said they are reviewing all the materials submitted following the transfer of Sanchez from representing Canada to the Philippines last year.

“Titingnan natin kung nasaang stage na, kung pwedeng mapabilis pa para makapag-compete na siya sa Asian Games,” Tolentino said.

Tolentino added they had already included Sanchez in the entry by name in case the 22-year-old would be finally given the green light to don the country’s colors.

“Madali lang namang magtanggal sa listahan. Ang mahirap, yung magdagdag. So we’re just making sure that if ever she’s okay to compete in the Asian Games, hindi na tayo mahihirapang idagdag ang pangalan niya,” Tolentino said.

Born to Filipino parents who trace their roots from Mabalacat, Pampanga and Baguio City, Sanchez won silver in the 4x100-meter freestyle and bronze in the 4x100m medley relay for Canada in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

She is currently entering her second of her three-year residency for the 2024 Olympics this year after switching to compete for the Philippines, but the POC said it would do its best to shorten it with the help of the World Aquatics and the International Olympic Committee.

“We’re doing everything we can to make it happen,” Tolentino said.

Only one swimmer won in the Olympics for Team Philippines: Teofilo Yldefonso, who won the men’s 200m breaststroke bronze both in the 1928 Amsterdam and 1932 Los Angeles editions.

Sanchez could easily give an Asian Games medal for Team PH as far as previous edition performances are concerned. Her personal best of 53.12 seconds in the 100m freestyle is better than the Asian Games record of 2018 gold medalist Rikako Ikee of Japan (53.27sec).

It was also slightly slower than the bronze-medal time of Australia’s Cate Campbell in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Why do you think so many Miss Universe winners come from the Philippines?

 

Robert Anthony Ramos

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Manila born and bred. Filipino since conception and proud of it.

Why do you think so many Miss Universe winners come from the Philippines?

Okay, first: we’re not the winningest country. That would be the United States with eight wins since the pageant started in 1952. We actually come across as fourth with Ms. Catriona Gray giving our country its fourth title. You can see the list here.

As you can see, second and third places are Latin American countries: Venezuela (2nd, with just one win below the US), and Puerto Rico (with just one win above us).

Now, beauty pageants aren’t my thing - I rarely watch them, and I personally think there are better ways to gauge the worth of women - and I have no access to information about how the judges made their decisions. This would be a nice thing for data scientists to do, though, looking for patterns in the way judges voted.

But, anyway, you did ask why so many winners come from the Philippines.

I’m doing this off-the-cuff and with what little knowledge I have (I’m not even Googling, to be fair) of the pageant and the winners, but it seems that Filipina Miss Universes have that winning combination of looks, intellect, and confidence. And, wit, too.

The Miss Universe pageant is about crowning the most beautiful human female. The “Universe” part of the title says it all, and you can consider this the “senior” pageant among the rest (e.g. Ms. World, Ms. Earth, etc.).

So it stands to reason that every single contestant is the most beautiful woman of their respective countries. So when they meet for Ms. Universe, you have to be able to bring more than just simple physical beauty to the table to stand out.

Filipina contestants have always acquitted themselves well in the pageant. We as a people expect our ladies to at least make it to the Top 20 (out of hundreds), and we almost always do. Most times, Ms. Philippines is a contender all the way to Top 5, and there are a good number of “First Princess” wins, too, and at least two “Should-have-beens” in Shamsay Supsup and Miriam Quiambao.

So what does the Filipina have over the other, equally stunning women from all over the world? Why are we the fourth winningest country in this pageant?

Because the Filipina is not only gorgeous.

She is brilliant.

She is witty.

She is elegant.

She is funny.

She is talented (that slow-mo turn!).

I may be biased here, but the Filipina just has quite the lead in being an all-around beauty.

And when everyone else is already very beautiful, the other beautiful traits of the Filipina shine through.

DdO new AMHOP officers sworn in, 248 health personnel by DOH deployed

 

Nabunturan, Davao de Oro  - The newly-elected officers of the Association of Municipal Health Officers of the Philippines (AMHOP)—Davao de Oro Chapter took their oath of office on Monday, June 5, 2023.

Governor Dorothy Montejo-Gonzaga administered the oath-taking ceremony at the Provincial Capitol Lobby right after the convocation and monthly eucharistic mass.

Dr. Cynthia M. Amoguis, Municipal Health Officer (MHO) Mawab, was elected president.

"I am humbled and honored to serve as the president of this association. Our vision is to provide the highest quality healthcare to our constituents", said Dr. Amoguis.

Dr. Amoguis thanked Governor Gonzaga and the Provincial Health Office for supporting the Department of Health programs. She emphasized the importance of working together to identify areas for improvement and ensure access to resources, capability building, training, and education for advancing medical practice that will benefit the constituents.

"Together we make real and lasting differences. I am confident that we can accomplish these things together as we strive to create healthier and more resilient communities", Dr. Amoguis added.

On May 5, 2023, the election of officers took place at General Luna town on the island of Siargao, Surigao del Norte. 

Among other elected officers were MHO Compostela Dr. Kay L. Rodriguez as Vice-president, MHO Monkayo Dr. Aldin S. Piamonte as Secretary, MHO Maco Dr. Lycel Kaye L. Alaba as Treasurer, MHO Pantukan Dr. Nina Kristine T. Arancon as Auditor, MHO Mabini Dr. Bernalisa B. Gesim as Public Information Officer, while MHO Nabunturan Dr. Danielo O. Rubillos, MHO Laak Dr. Julius Jaekel L. Remollo, MHO Maragusan Dr. Efren O. Pates, MHO Montevista Dr. Robert S. Solilap, and MHO New Bataan Dr. Aurea S. Solilap as members.

Moreover, Governor Gonzaga reminded the new officers to act in the best interest of the association and the people as a whole. She congratulated them as they embarked on ways to champion the province's healthcare system.

"Kahibalo ko dako kaayu ni silag tahas sa kinabuhi, imagine they are doctors, dili gyud nato ma deny kung unsa ka honarable that they chose to remain in the public service despite the opportunities for private practice, congratulations doctors!" Gov. Gonzaga added.

Meanwhile, Provincial DOH Office head Dr. Annie P. Larosa acknowledged and presented the 248 medical professionals deployed by DOH as their commitment to augment human resources for health for the province-wide health system in Davao de Oro.

"These are 9 Doctors to the Barios (DTTB), 9 doctors under the post-residency deployment program (3 for DDOPH Laak, 1 for DDOPH Maragusan, 3 for DDOPH Pantukan, 2 for DDOPH Montevista), 154 nurses, 40 midwives, 4 midwives (return service/DOH scholars), 11 medical technologists, 11 pharmacists, 2 physical therapists, 2 nutritionists, 3 dentists, and 3 molecular laboratory technologist," said Dr. Larosa.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Antonio P. Ybiernas, Jr represented by Asst. Provincial Health Officers Dr. Mary Cyril G. Pasaol and Dr. Abigail Amores, Acting Provincial Administrator Fatima Montejo, PG department heads, and capitol employees all showed full support for the momentous event. 

(Jaynus Fernandez, Photos by J. Cadiz)

Provincial Administrator’s Office – Information and Public Relations Division

4th Floor, Executive Building, Provincial Capitol Complex, Cabidianan, Nabunturan, Davao de Oro

Hitze-Wetter in Deutschland, Länder im Süden saufen ab – „Wer Urlaub am Mittelmeer plant, hat Pech“

Von: Teresa Toth, Merkur

Während sich Deutschland gegen einen Dürre-Sommer mit hoher Waldbrandgefahr wappnen muss, werden Italien, Kroatien und Spanien von heftigen Unwettern geplagt.

Kassel – Sonnenschein, kaum Wolken und Temperaturen über 20 Grad: Nachdem der Frühling eher nasskalt verlaufen war, darf sich Deutschland aktuell über bestes Sommerwetter freuen. Ein Ende ist erstmal nicht in Sicht. Doch die hohen Temperaturen sorgen im Juni für extreme Trockenheit, wie Wetterexperten warnen. Der Süden Europas dagegen muss mit heftigen Unwetter rechnen. 

Schwere Unwetter drohen etwa auch auf der beliebten Ferieninsel Mallorca. © Clara Margais/dpa

Wetter-Prognose: Niederschläge in Deutschland bleiben im Juni aus und sorgen für extreme Trockenheit

Vor vier Wochen hat das europäische Wettermodell noch einen regnerischen Juni prophezeit. Inzwischen ist jedoch klar, dass das Gegenteil der Fall ist und Deutschland sich stattdessen auf extreme Trockenheit einstellen muss. Laut dem Europäischen Zentrum für mittelfristige Wettervorhersage (ECMWF) bringt der Juni deutlich weniger Regen bei gleichzeitig höheren Temperaturen als bisher üblich – es droht ein Dürre-Sommer. Den ersten Hitzetag soll es am Freitag (9. Juni) geben. Im Westen, Süden und Osten sind dann bis zu 30 Grad und mehr möglich. 

Nachdem bereits der Mai vergleichsweise wenig Schauer gebracht hatte, könnte es im Juni ein Minus von mehr als 50 Prozent geben. „Das sind heftige Daten“, sagte Diplom-Meteorologe Dominik Jung. Auch einzelne Schauer und Gewitter, wie sie am Freitag im Westen Deutschlands zu erwarten sind, bringen kaum Entspannung. „Der berühmte Tropfen auf den heißen Stein“, so Jung.

Wetter in Deutschland und Europa: Wälder und Wiesen geraten bei der Trockenheit schneller in Brand

Mit den hohen Temperaturen steigt auch die Gefahr für Wald- und Wiesenbrände. „Da wird mal hier und dort eine Zigarette achtlos weggeworfen und schon geht es los“, warnt der Experte von wetter.net. Zuletzt war ein Feuer bei Kassel ausgebrochen. Zahlreiche Feuerwehrkräfte sowie ein Hubschrauber waren im Einsatz, um die Brände zu löschen.

Bilder aus dem Waldbrand-Gebiet bei Kassel

Fotostrecke ansehen

Ungemütliches Wetter in Südeuropa: Starke Unwetter plagen Mittelmeer-Region

In Südeuropa sieht die Lage völlig anders aus: Hier tummeln sich die in Deutschland fehlenden Niederschläge und sorgen für heftige Unwetter. Gewitter, Hagel, Starkregen und Sturmböen drohen. Aktuell sorgt das Mittelmeertief vor allem in Italien und Spanien für heftige Schauer und Gewitter – am Mittwoch (7. Juni) zieht das Tief weiter Richtung Kroatien, Slowenien und die Türkei. Zwar treffen die Unwetter nicht jeden Ort, doch die betroffenen Gebiete müssen mit Überflutungen, Hangrutschen und Hagel- sowie Sturmschäden rechnen.

Albay town gears up for possible Mayon eruption

BY NIÑO LUCES

Jun 6, 2023 01:02 PM

  

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LEGAZPI CITY, Albay -- The town of Sto. Domingo in this province is preparing for a possible eruption of Mayon Volcano after authorities raised the alert level from 1 to 2 on Monday morning, June 5.

Mayor Jun Aguas said that Mayon-unit barangay risk reduction and management councils (BDRRMCs) and other concerned LGUs will convene for preparation, evacuation and execution of the plan in case the volcano erupts.

A photo of Mayon Volcano with crater glow was taken by Erickson Balderama in Sto. Domingo town around 4:40 a.m. on Tuesday. Balderama said that the photo is a long exposure shot using 800 telephoto scope. (Photo by Erickson Balderama)

Mayor Aguas said that part of their action plan is to issue advisories on the current status of the volcano and prohibit entrance or human activity inside the 6-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ).

The local government will also establish a Mayon Volcano response cluster approach through an executive order.

The LOGU is also set to activate BDRRMCs and MDRRMC for alert preparedness and monitoring status and at the same time conduct inventory of BDRRMC and MDRRMC resources and rescue equipment.

Mayor Aguas said the province is now in the process of identifying the evacuation areas for the affected residents, and readying the needed materials and lifelines.

In their action plan, prepositioning of basic emergency supplies; establishing agreement with the transport sector for evacuation purposes and monitoring of affected communities are being done.

Paul Alanis, resident volcanologist of Phivolcs here, said that phreatic eruption may occur but there is a small chance of having a big eruption.

As of 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Phivolcs recorded at least 74 rockfall events at the crater of Mayon Volcano. Other parameters such as sulfur emission are above average and the slope of Mayon is inflated.

Press Briefing: Tropical Depression "#ChedengPH" Update Tuesday 11:30AM ...

Girls’ Generation’s Yuri to hold fan meeting in Manila

BY JONATHAN HICAP

Jun 5, 2023 04:04 PM

  

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Yuri, member of K-pop group Girls’ Generation, will be coming to Manila to hold a fan meeting in July. 

The official Twitter account of Girls’ Generation and Yuri made the announcement on June 5 as well as events company CNCA. 

Girls' Generation member Yuri (Instagram) 

(CNCA)

The K-pop idol will be holding her “Yuri 2nd Fanmeeting Tour: Chapter 2” in Manila on July 9, 7 p.m., at the New Frontier Theater. 

“Are you ready for a new chapter? YURI is finally coming for her first-ever solo fan meet in Manila on July 9, 2023 (Sunday) 7PM at The New Frontier Theater! Tickets will be available on http://ticketnet.com.ph or any TicketNet outlets later at 3PM!” CNCA posted on Twitter. 

Yuri’s second fan meeting will be held in Seoul on July 1 followed by Manila on July 9, Bangkok on July 22 and Taipei on Aug. 6. 

Besides singing, Yuri has also ventured into acting, starring in dramas such as “Good Job,” “Bossam: Steal the Fate” and “Fashion King.”

Heavy rainfall causes road inconvenience to Davaoeños

Vehicles wade through the flooded road in Lanang area of Davao City on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. Heavy rains on Monday night swamped many parts of the city causing traffic congestion and temporary closure of some business establishments. (MB Video by Keith Bacongco)

‘Increased unrest’: 74 rockfall events at Mayon Volcano in past 24 hours

BY ELLALYN DE VERA-RUIZ

Jun 6, 2023 09:49 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Phivolcs said the rockfall events lasted one to four minutes.
• “Moderate” degassing from the summit crater continued, which produced steam-laden plumes that drifted to the west-southwest. 
• Alert Level 2 was raised on June 5 due to the "increased unrest" at the Mayon Volcano. 

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The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded 74 rockfall events at Mayon Volcano in the last 24 hours as a result of the ongoing volcanic unrest.

In its bulletin issued at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, June 6, Phivolcs said the rockfall events lasted one to four minutes and “emplaced lava debris on the southern gullies within a kilometer from the summit crater.”

“Thin brownish-gray ash from the rockfalls also drifted to the general southwest,” it pointed out.

According to Phivolcs, “moderate” degassing from the summit crater continued, which produced steam-laden plumes that drifted to the west-southwest. 

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission averaged 208 tons per day when it was last measured on June 5.

Phivolcs’ visual and camera monitoring of the Mayon Volcano on June 5, 2023 (Screengrab from Phivolcs)

“Short-term observations from EDM and electronic tiltmeter monitoring show the upper slopes to be inflating since February 2023. Longer-term ground deformation parameters based on EDM, precise leveling, continuous GPS, and electronic tilt monitoring indicate that Mayon is still inflated, especially on the northwest and southeast,” Phivolcs said.

Alert Level 2 was raised on June 5 due to the "increased unrest" at the Mayon Volcano. 

“The public is reminded that there is current unrest driven by shallow magmatic processes that could eventually lead to phreatic eruptions or even precede hazardous magmatic eruptions,” Phivolcs said.

“Entry into the six-kilometer-radius permanent danger zone must be strictly prohibited to minimize risks from sudden explosions, rockfalls, and landslides. In case of ash fall events that may affect communities downwind of Mayon’s crater, people should cover their nose and mouth with a damp, clean cloth, or dust mask,” it pointed out.

Phivolcs also requested that authorities advise pilots to avoid flying near the volcano's summit because ash from a sudden eruption can be dangerous to aircraft. 

Shades of green: How to create a garden in shady areas

Gardening is a popular hobby that allows people to connect with nature and beautify their surroundings. However, not all gardens have access to abundant sunlight. Shady areas pose a challenge for gardeners, but with the right knowledge and techniques, it is possible to grow plants successfully even in these conditions.

BY JAMES TABABA

Jun 5, 2023 01:01 PM

  

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 (Priscilla Du Preez/Unsplash)

By JAMES TABABA

Gardening is a popular hobby that allows people to connect with nature and beautify their surroundings. However, not all gardens have access to abundant sunlight. Shady areas pose a challenge for gardeners, but with the right knowledge and techniques, it is possible to grow plants successfully even in these conditions.

Choosing the right plants

When it comes to gardening in shady areas, selecting the right plants is crucial. While not all plants thrive in shady areas, many shade-tolerant crops are available. Choose for shade-tolerant varieties that thrive with limited sunlight. There are several vegetables that can tolerate shade to some extent. Leafy greens like spinach, lettuce, kale, and herbs like parsley and mint can grow reasonably well in shady areas. However, it's important to note that most vegetables thrive in full sun. Additionally, many beautiful flowers are well-suited for shady gardens. Some popular choices include impatiens, begonias, and ferns.

Ensuring sufficient lighting

Although shade gardens lack direct sunlight, there are ways to maximize the available light. Trim or remove overhanging branches to increase the penetration of natural light. Additionally, consider using reflective surfaces such as light-colored fences or walls to bounce light onto plants. In extreme cases, supplementing with artificial lighting, such as grow lights, can help provide the necessary light spectrum for plant growth.

Controlling weed growth

Weed management is crucial in any garden, including shady areas. Weeds compete with plants for nutrients and resources, hindering their growth. To control weeds effectively, employ strategies like regular hand-pulling, using a hoe, or applying organic mulch. Mulching is particularly beneficial in shady gardens as it helps conserve moisture and suppress weed growth.

Pruning and maintenance

Proper pruning and general maintenance are essential for the health and appearance of shade plants. Pruning helps maintain the shape of plants, remove dead or damaged foliage, and promote airflow. Trim back overgrown branches to allow more light to reach the lower parts of the plants. Additionally, regularly check for signs of disease or nutrient deficiencies and take appropriate measures to address them promptly.

By choosing shade-tolerant plants, preparing the soil, providing adequate lighting, managing weeds and pests, and maintaining proper pruning and care, you can create a lush garden in even the shade-covered spaces.