Mayon eruption continues; 299 rockfall, 8 dome-collapse events in past 24 hours

BY ELLALYN DE VERA-RUIZ

  

---

Mayon Volcano continued to show signs of heightened activity between Wednesday, June 21, and Thursday, June 22, recording a “very slow” lava effusion, 299 rockfall events, and eight dome-collapse pyroclastic density currents (PDCs), based on the monitoring of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Phivolcs said in a bulletin released on Thursday that the effusive eruption of Mayon was still causing slow lava flows and collapsing debris in the Mi-isi and Bonga gullies on the south and southeast slopes, respectively.

Molten lava glows as it flows from the mouth of Mayon Volcano in this photo taken from Barangay Budiao in Daraga, Albay, on Saturday night, June 17, 2023 (Ali Vicoy/Manila Bulletin)

From the summit crater, the lava flows have advanced to “maximum lengths” of 2,500 meters and 1,800 meters along the Mi-isi and Bonga gullies, respectively, while collapsed debris has descended to a distance of 3,300 meters. 

Eight dome-collapse PDCs lasted two to five minutes long.

According to Phivolcs, PDCs are mixtures of fragmented volcanic particles or pyroclastics, hot gases, and ash that rush down the volcaninc slopes or rapidly outward from a source vent at high speeds.

‘Hazardous’ eruption still possible

Phivolcs said that Mayon’s current state could last for a few months and its alert status could be maintained. It has been on alert level 3 since June 8.

However, it pointed out that Mayon is still in a “relatively high level of unrest as magma is at the crater and hazardous eruption within weeks or even days is possible.”

The evacuation of residents within the six-kilometer permanent danger zone has been recommended due to the risk of PDCs, lava flows, rockfalls, and other volcanic hazards.

Phivolcs warned the public to be cautious of PDCs, lahars, and sediment-laden stream flows along channels draining the volcano edifice.

It pointed out that heavy rainfall could cause channel-confined lahars and sediment-laden stream flows on channels where PDC deposits were emplaced.

Likewise, it said that ash fall events may “most likely” occur on the south side of the volcano, based on the current wind pattern.

Phivolcs advised civil aviation authorities to ask pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano because ash from sudden eruption may pose hazards to aircraft.

A most timely and important reminder

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

“DO not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” (Mt 6,19-21)

These words of Christ are a most timely and important reminder to all of us who are now immersed in the many new and highly irresistible developments in the world today. We have to make a shout-out of this reminder, proclaiming it loud and clear, broad and wide. We really need to make a serious campaign to warn people of the dangers of the new developments which obviously also give us a lot of advantages, etc.

We cannot deny that what we are having these days can easily swallow us up and trap us in a world of our own, detached from where we ought to be! The powerful technologies and other developments we are enjoying these days can be so tricky that we may not even realize that we are already falling into pure self-indulgence, the opposite of love which is what is proper to us.

To be able to abide by this reminder we need to learn how to be most prudent, discerning and discriminating in our ways. This can only happen if we are guided only by one principle—that everything we do should be done with God and for God, since in the end that is the real purpose of our life here on earth. In other words, while we busy ourselves with our temporal affairs, we should try our best to remain recollected.

That’s actually a big challenge, since we are easily fascinated by the charms of our modern technologies and the other new developments we have today. We need to realize that these very attractive developments require of us nothing less than a more solid grounding in our spiritual life. Without this strong spiritual foundation, there is no way we can put ourselves in the proper path toward our real destination.

That is why Christ told us that to follow him, we should learn to deny ourselves and carry cross. (cfr. Mt 16,24) I don’t think Christ wants us to disengage ourselves from the things of this world. He just wants us to practice a certain detachment from the things of this world. It’s a detachment that would enable us to do things with God and for God while going about our temporal activities.

For this we need to have the right intention in anything we do, and rectify and purify it whenever our intention goes somewhere else. We need to convince ourselves that it is all worthwhile to do everything for God and with God. We need to see the truth of how such intention would actually give us our true joy, our true perfection, even if pursuing it would involve certain sacrifices.

             We need to realize then that we have to take utmost care of our intention, making it as explicit as possible, and honing it to get engaged with its proper and ultimate object, who is God. 

We should try our best to shun being simply casual or cavalier about this responsibility. We can easily play around with it, since intentions are almost invariably hidden from public knowledge. We are urged to be most sincere in directing our intentions properly.

What is to pray properly

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

CHRIST told us how to pray properly. “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words,” he said. “Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Mt 6,7-8)

In other words, we have to pray sincerely, avoiding just going through the motions of praying. We should see to it that when we pray, we get to have an intimate and direct conversation with God who is always with us and, like a father, treats us with love and solicitude. He actually is always eager to talk with us. Our problem is that we often ignore him, something that we should correct.

This will require faith, of course, since without it there is no way we can have a real conversation with God. Even if our faith is not that strong, we still can manage to strike a good conversation with God, precisely by asking with all humility and importance for that faith, echoing what a father of an epileptic son told Christ, “I believe, but help my unbelief.” (Mk 9,24)

And it’s interesting to note that after Christ told his disciples not to babble when praying, he told them the Lord’s Prayer which we usually refer to as the “Our Father.” “This is how you are to pray…,” (cfr. Mt 6,9-15) he said. It’s as if that prayer is the model prayer we have to follow in any personal prayer we do. We should express the same beliefs, attitude, intentions and petitions articulated in that prayer.

We therefore have to realize that prayer is how we maintain and nourish our relationship with God, and that relationship should be that of a father and a child. Prayer keeps alive our desire for God, a desire to be like God as we are meant to be.

We have to realize that praying is to our spiritual life what breathing and the beating of the heart are to our biological life. That is why St. Paul clearly said, “Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thes 5,17-18)

When we manage to truly pray, we can also manage to protect ourselves from all kinds of evil, and to heal whatever wounds and weaknesses we may have because of our sins. A sense of holy invulnerability can come to us. We can find peace and joy in spite of the drama of our life.

We have to be careful not to convert our prayer into something that is meant only to foster our pursuit for some self-interest that is separated from our desire to be like God. That is why in the Lord’s Prayer, we address God as our Father, and we express the desire that his kingdom come here on earth and that his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

And while we have many things to ask because of our personal needs, we should not forget that the more important thing to ask is forgiveness of our sins which will always be given as long as we also forgive others.

We just cannot resort to prayer during special occasions when we are faced with some difficulty. Prayer is not meant to be the remedy of last resort. It is what we have to do always, both in good times and bad.

ITCZ to continue to bring rain showers over Palawan, parts of VisMin

Scattered rain showers and thunderstorms may continue to affect Palawan, Visayas, and Mindanao due to the prevalence of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Thursday, June 22. (Video Courtesy of DOST-PAGASA)

Senators confront CebuPac with 3,000 flyer complaints

By: Marlon Ramos, Tyrone Jasper C. Piad - @inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:30 AM June 22, 2023

Wednesday’s four-hour Senate hearing chaired by Sen. Nancy Binay unloaded a heap of criticism on Cebu Pacific, whose passengers are seen disembarking in this December 2021 file photo. STORY: Senators confront CebuPac with 3,000 flyer complaints

TURBULENT DAY | Wednesday’s four-hour Senate hearing chaired by Sen. Nancy Binay unloaded a heap of criticism on Cebu Pacific, whose passengers are seen disembarking in this December 2021 file photo. (Photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate Committee on Tourism began on Wednesday its probe of the mounting passenger complaints against the Gokongwei-led Cebu Pacific Air, with senators unconvinced with the budget carrier’s explanation for its delayed and canceled flights as they zeroed in on its practice of overbooking, believed to be the main reason why many passengers were suddenly told that they could no longer board their plane.

Sen. Nancy Binay, who presided over the hearing as chair of the Senate committee, narrated that even some members of her staff had their own share of nightmarish tales about Cebu Pacific’s dismal performance and customer service.

Her office, she added, was able to compile more than 3,000 complaints against Cebu Pacific that were posted by exasperated passengers on social media.

The four-hour proceedings virtually turned into a “grief-sharing session” as passengers shared their ordeal after their flights were suddenly canceled or delayed for several hours.

One of the complainants, who participated in the hearing online, narrated the budget carrier’s shabby treatment of passengers when their return flight to Manila from Tokyo on June 5 was delayed due to “noise problems from the aircraft’s engine.”

The passenger, whose identity was withheld, also noted the inconsistencies in the explanation of Cebu Pacific’s staff as they were later told that the delay was caused by the late arrival of another plane.

“We were left there without food and any commitment for accommodation while waiting for our next flight,” said the woman, who said she, her husband, and their child were forced to sleep on the floor of Narita International Airport in Japan.

She said she and her husband also had to file an unscheduled leave from work while their child had to skip classes.

Another passenger said she nearly missed the dentistry board exam on May 3 when she was informed that her May 1 flight from Dumaguete City to Manila had been moved four days later.

“It caused me too much stress,” said the complainant, who noted that she learned about the cancellation only moments before she was about to board her flight.

She said she was surprised after her aunt, who was in Australia, was able to buy a ticket for a Cebu Pacific flight, which cost more than P10,000, on the morning of May 2.

“How is it possible that they were able to offer new seats to highest-paying customers when they knew for a fact that there are a lot of passengers (of the delayed flight) who want to come to Manila?” the complainant asked.

Unexpected challenges

During the hearing, Cebu Pacific blamed “freak incidents” and the global logistics slowdown for flight disruptions such as overbooking and canceled flights.

“Clearly, the challenges have been unprecedented, especially for Cebu Pacific, because of all of the freak incidents that we’ve had,” Airline president and chief commercial officer Alexander Lao said in response to a query by Sen. JV Ejercito.

“We express our sincerest apologies to our passengers for the disruptions and assure you that we are committed to resolving these challenges. We understand that this is still our responsibility,” he said.

Among the “freak incidents” that Lao mentioned were the frequent lightning and bird strikes, ground damage due to runway debris, and sudden severe weather disturbances.

He also said that one of their planes was damaged when its tire burst upon landing while another sustained damage while being towed by its maintenance provider.

According to Lao, “red lightning alerts” had become “more prevalent and are longer in duration this year.”

From April to June, he said Cebu Pacific recorded a total of 78 red lightning alerts that disrupted 535 flights.

“Some red lightning alerts take up to three hours, which require stoppage of operations and could affect flights that are flying to airports that can only operate before sunset and could eventually lead to cancellations,” Lao explained.

He said the delays in the maintenance service for its planes also adversely affected its operations, while Airbus itself failed to deliver new planes on time.

“These delivery delays necessitate changes to our flight schedules, including flight cancellations and equipment changes from larger to smaller aircraft, which may cause some passengers to be disrupted and cause the perception of overbooking,” Lao said.

“Rather than canceling the flight,” he said, “the use of smaller aircraft allows us to still bring as many customers as possible to their destination and lessen the number of disrupted passengers.”

Remedial measures

Despite the challenges, Lao said Cebu Pacific had been complying with the “Air Passenger Bill of Rights,” which the Department of Transportation implemented in 2012 to safeguard the interests of flight passengers.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Gokongwei-led airline said it has ramped up customer assistance, reduced scheduled flights, and increased standby aircraft to mitigate the surge in flight delays and cancellations due to fleet availability issues.

“We have established a disruption management team to augment our ground staff and help passengers during unexpected events. Additionally, Cebu Pacific has expanded its customer service capabilities by increasing the number of live agents who can assist our customers around the clock,” the airline added.

“Given the sudden unprecedented number of grounded aircraft, some of which will be out of service for a considerable amount of time, we have reduced our flight schedule to account for the long-term unserviceable aircraft and enabling more standby aircraft on the day,” it noted.

The airline said it now has four standby aircraft — which can accommodate passengers with same-day flight schedule change — from three previously and plans to increase this to six by year’s end.

The airline booked a net income of P1.08 billion in the first quarter this year, a turnaround from the P7.61-billion net loss in the same period last year, as passenger volume more than doubled to 4.8 million.

Regulators’ failure

During the hearing, senators also took to task officials of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines for their failure to crack the whip on Cebu Pacific and other erring airlines.

“You are inutile since nobody has been sanctioned and punished despite their repeated violations,” Sen. Raffy Tulfo bluntly told CAB executive director Carmelo Arcilla.

Senators Ronald dela Rosa and Grace Poe then joined Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Tulfo, and Binay in pushing for a law that would institutionalize the Air Passenger Bill of Rights.

Poe said the state regulators should also take stern actions to stem the abuses of airline companies, reiterating that “systemic delays and cancellations” of flights should not be the norm.

“Canceled flights are not solved merely by rebooking or refunding,” Poe said, adding: “This pressing public service issue calls for urgent effective solutions as it involves not only the air passengers’ rights but also the overall impact on the country’s tourism and economy.”

In the Lower House, meanwhile, Makabayan lawmakers also want their own probe of the complaints against Cebu Pacific.

The three-member bloc on Wednesday filed House Resolution No. 1093, which urged the House transportation panel to conduct an investigation in aid of legislation on the complaints.

The measure also called on the Department of Transportation and other government agencies “to review and strengthen the regulations on overbooking, compensation, and customer service in the airline industry.”

Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, for his part, pushed for the suspension of Cebu Pacific’s legislative franchise to punish it for its alleged “lousy, terrible” service amid complaints of delayed, canceled, and overbooked flights.

“Congress should temporarily withdraw such privilege from Cebu Pacific until such time that it can provide satisfactory service to the riding public,” noted the chair of the House constitutional amendments committee.

—WITH A REPORT FROM JULIE M. AURELIO

How our native trees and fruits will save us someday

Little known plants will play a huge part for Philippine agrobiodiversity

BY MANILA BULLETIN

Jun 21, 2023 09:52 PM

  

---

AT A GLANCE

• The Philippines hosts at least 10,107 plant species. Over 57 percent of our plants are endemic.

---

MANGO MANIA Pahutan mangoes, native to the Philippines, are harvested from the wild

By Gregg Yan

What are the most familiar Pinoy fruits? Mangoes, bananas, pineapples, and papayas probably come to mind—but did you know that Philippine forests harbor hundreds of lesser-known fruits, nuts, and herbs?
Alupag or the Philippine lychee tastes like the lychees originally imported from China. Saba or native bananas are loved by millions of Pinoys. Kamansi is our local version of langka. Sticky Tibig fruits are produced by our native fig trees. In our mountains sprout sour berries like Alingaro, Bignay, and Sapinit. And though most of the world’s mango trees originally hailed from India, we have our own indigenous mangoes like Pahutan and the fragrant Kuini.
The Philippines has strong agrobiodiversity resources. The pandemic and post-pandemic periods, coupled with intensifying climate change effects, have highlighted the importance of agricultural diversity and biodiversity-friendly agriculture, plus the global rethinking of our agriculture and food systems. These new concepts now form the foundation for economically viable, resilient, and sustainable agriculture.

BIGNAY, OH MY Bignay is a species of fruit tree commonly found in rainforests and tropical forests

Native trees and plants in UP Diliman
Inside the sprawling UP Diliman Campus in Quezon City lies the UP Institute of Biology and Energy Development Corporation’s (UPIB-EDC) Threatened Species Arboretum. An arboretum is a botanical garden that specializes in trees. Inaugurated in 2014, the one-hectare park features over 70 native tree species and serves two vital functions—as a gene bank for endangered trees in case wild populations drop below sustainable levels and to educate students and the greater public about the country’s native flora.

“We have so many indigenous tree species that very few Pinoys know about,” explains EDC BINHI forester Roniño Gibe. “One of our goals is to popularize the conservation of our native plants, especially our threatened Philippine native trees.”

In general, native plants naturally occur throughout a country, whereas indigenous plants thrive only in particular locales. Endemic plants can only be found in one country, whereas naturalized plants are exotic imports, which have settled into new countries over several centuries.

The Philippines hosts at least 10,107 plant species, as of a 2013 study by Barcelona et al. Over 57 percent of the country’s plants are endemic, as per a 1996 study by Oliver and Heaney. The great majority of plants currently cultivated in Pinoy orchards, farms, and gardens, however, are exotic or naturalized plants originally imported from other countries.

Pineapples, for instance, came from South America, papayas from Mexico, lanzones from Malaysia. The ubiquitous trees found in many abandoned lots, like sampaloc and aratilis, came from Africa and Central America, respectively. Despite being called the Philippine lemon, even the iconic calamansi probably originated from the Himalayas.

A TASTY TREAT Alupag, or the Philippine lychee, is similar in taste to the lychees originally imported from China

Some native Philippine plants, however, successfully broke through as mainstream products. “The pili nut is a great example of an indigenous tree, which became popular, with a following both in the Bicol Region and abroad,” explains botanist David Ples.
Abaca, which is made from the fibrous stalks of a native Philippine banana, is another indigenous cash crop. “The key is to recognize these plants’ value and create useful, viable products,” adds David. As pili trees and abaca plants have become economically valuable, their survival over the next generations is assured. The same cannot be said for other Philippine tree species.

Philippine Agrobiodiversity resources
As per the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), biodiversity provides primary medicine for four billion people while agrobiodiversity improves the lives of one billion undernourished people.

“Our indigenous fruits, herbs, nuts, and other products can provide vital nourishment for Pinoys, who might not have ready access to mainstream food. Indigenous plants also have important vitamins and minerals that are sometimes deficient in the typical Pinoy diet,” explains Department of Science and Technology Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) senior science researcher Charina Javier. “But many of our indigenous flora are neglected and underused, so their potential to provide us with nutrients is not fully utilized.”

The Philippine government has been working on the promotion of agrobiodiversity since 2015 and continues to achieve its agrobiodiversity targets under the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP). Its targets include maintaining and conserving the genetic diversity of cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and wild relatives, increasing agricultural areas devoted to all types of biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices, the formulation and adoption of enhanced Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUP) using the revised Housing Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) framework, which incorporates ecologically-sound agricultural land use plans and increasing  the number of recognized nationally-important agricultural heritage systems (NIAHS).

In some protected areas, the encroachment of agricultural lands has become so evident that the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) signed Joint Administrative Order (JAO) 2021-01 or Mainstreaming Biodiversity-friendly Agricultural Practices (BDFAP) in and around protected areas and promoting the same in wider agricultural landscapes.

The United Nations Development Program’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (DENR-UNDP BIOFIN) is currently assisting the two national agencies to enable the implementation of the JAO through by developing an agrobiodiversity framework for the country.

“We should do all we can to strengthen local agrobiodiversity, such as promoting our native fruits,” says DENR-UNDP BIOFIN national project manager Anabelle Plantilla. “Native and even naturalized plants can be used for a host of purposes. Alupidan and pandan leaves can be used to garnish dishes, batuan fruits for flavoring, and rattan vines to make furniture.”

ABACA KADABRA Abaca fiber is often used to hand-loom various Indigenous textiles in the country

According to the Forest Foundation Philippines, the promotion of native trees is beneficial for threatened native flora and fauna species as they help recover and expand forest habitats, protect watershed and freshwater resources, secure the livelihood of local people, and link protected areas with natural forests.

Food forests, where various combinations of cash-crops are planted in a natural setting, instead of the endless monocrop rows, which dominate large-scale agriculture, are slowly taking root.

At the Subic Bay Jungle Environment Survival Training (JEST) Camp, where participants learn to survive in a tropical rainforest, campers are taught how to make “jungle coffee” from Kupang seeds, how to use Gugo vines as “jungle soap,” how to fashion survival implements from bamboo, and which leaves one can chew on to help stave off hunger.

In the uplands of Sibalom in Panay, locals seasonally harvest the leaves and stems of bakan, balud, banban, and nito to make tourist souvenirs while locally grown tobacco leaves are ground and inserted into dried duhat leaves to make native cigarettes called Lomboy or Likit. Local knowledge is already boosting forest productivity.

KUINI SO TASTY Kuini fruits are known to have a sour or sweet taste when eaten

“The United Nations Development Programme promotes ethical, natural ways not just to produce food and other vital resources, but to find alternative livelihood opportunities for communities living in or near forestlands, and that are supportive of the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” adds UNDP resident representative to the Philippines Dr. Selva Ramachandran.

Established in 2012 and with a network comprising 41 countries in Africa, Europe, South and Central America, plus the Asia Pacific Region, DENR-UNDP-BIOFIN helps raise funds for smart agriculture to boost the productivity of ecosystems, while repurposing potentially harmful agricultural subsidies into effective conservation measures.

“Our forests serve many key functions. They provide habitats for wildlife, generate the oxygen we breathe, even offering us places to spiritually recharge,” concludes Anabelle. “We can make them worth more than logs or farmland by seeing them as our First-Nations people have for generations—as a pharmacy, a grocery, and an extension of our home.”

Visitors interested in learning more about native Philippine trees, fruits, nuts, and herbs can schedule a visit to the UPIB-EDC Arboretum in UP Diliman, where donations for upkeep and maintenance are appreciated.

Kylie Verzosa: Single, happy, and busy

BY ROBERT REQUINTINA

  

---

AT A GLANCE

• LVNA's brand will continue to sparkle for years and generations to follow. Their products have been admired and embraced by the most revered celebrities in the country, and they have been showcased in leading fashion and entertainment media journals, television, and news channels.

---

Kylie Verzosa (Images courtesy of Facebook)

Kylie Verzosa, the former beauty queen who is now an actress, is currently juggling multiple showbiz endeavors, making her one of the busiest celebrities around.

During an interview at the opening of the LVNA By Drake Fine Diamond Jewelry at the Shangri-la Mall in Mandaluyong City recently, Kylie said that she's excited about the upcoming series and several movies.

"I have an Amazon Prime movie and series coming up. And there's another movie from Viva Films," the stunning 2018 Miss International revealed.

Kylie has acknowledged that she is choosy when it comes to accepting roles in TV and movies.

"I've always been choosy with the projects I have done ever since siguro mga two to three years ago. But I'm still privileged to be given opportunities by Viva," she said.

At present, Kylie is prioritizing work over her romantic relationships. "Work talaga muna. I'm just focused on work."

When asked about the roles she dreams of playing, Kylie responded: "I don't think I've done a lot of movies yet, but I wanna do serious and dramatic movies. I would love to have an action film. I might have an international project very, very soon. I want to say it kapag super sure na."

Kylie expressed her desire to collaborate with foreign celebrities when it comes to dream co-stars. "That's really one of my main dreams."

In addition, Kylie expressed her passion for jewelry and mentioned that she sees it as a valuable investment.

"I think jewelry is a very good investment. I think the price of jewelry never decreases, so it's a good investment. That's why I also love being with LVNA because it's a good company and well-established. It's been going fast over the past years. I love their jewelry, super swak kami. And they have been so supportive of my projects. Even during my recent trip to Cannes, they helped me with my jewelry. I love necklaces, but I love wearing my ring jewelry because each piece of jewelry has a special significance," she said.

Drake Dustin Ibay and Kylie Verzosa

Kylie ensures that she doesn't go to bed while wearing her jewelry, which is a way for her to take good care of them.

On May 16, Kylie wowed the crowd when she stepped onto the red carpet in a custom gown designed by Mark Bumgarner at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in France.

Although Kylie admitted that she is not up-to-date with the pageant scene anymore, her passion for pageantry still burns brightly in her heart. "But I'm still very much in touch with Miss International."

Kylie shares her unsolicited advice to girls who want to become beauty queens. "Honestly just be themselves and study the pageant you're considering."

Love for gems

LVNA was founded by Drake Dustin Ibay as a luxury jewelry e-commerce store that showcases exquisite designs of artisanal fine diamond and gemstone jewelry. With its exceptional curation, it has flourished and now has multiple prime mall branches all over the Philippines.

As a lover of jewelry and a skilled artist, Ibay truly stands out. His love for gems and his belief in their otherworldly metaphysical properties has led him to start LVNA. His very passion turned into a leading fine diamond jewelry business in the Philippines that provides valued gemstones and minerals to the market.

By gaining fresh insight into the demands of jewelry consumers and possessing vast expertise in gemstones and diamond jewelry, he adeptly acquired and showcased affordably-priced jewelry that responded to the growing demand of jewelry aficionados in the Philippines. The response from consumers was overwhelmingly positive.

In May 2018, Ibay was able to secure a spot at a boutique namely Styled Pop-Up Store at Uptown Place Mall, BGC which ran from May 2018 to November 2018. Through this, his business growth further accelerated, furthermore, his clientele and online consumer trust further grew.

At present, LVNA has now grown several stores at premier luxury malls such as Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Powerplant Mall, Uptown Mall BGC, Estancia Mall At Capitol Commons, Molito Lifestyle Center Alabang, Il Terrazzo Mall, Ayala Malls and a coveted residency at The Peninsula Manila - Hotel.

The LVNA brand has received multiple awards, year after year such as "The Best Diamond and Gold Jewelries Provider in the Philippines" and at the very young age of 25, Drake Dustin himself was recognized as an "Outstanding Filipino Achiever for Entrepreneurship" for his efforts in demonstrating business excellence and the highest standard of ethical conduct, integrity, and civic and social responsibility in the Philippines.

LVNA's brand will continue to sparkle for years and generations to follow. Their products have been admired and embraced by the most revered celebrities in the country, and they have been showcased in leading fashion and entertainment media journals, television, and news channels.

Gwy Saludes on Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla: 'Sila po talaga yung dream ko makawork in the future'

BY CARISSA ALCANTARA

Jun 21, 2023 04:26 PM

  

---

AT A GLANCE

• Making waves with her university series, Gwy started writing her stories on Wattpad when she was 12. Since then her fans got a glimpse of different stories of love, heartbreak, and friendship through her words. 

---

Gwy Saludes (Instagram)

Gwy Saludes, the author of "The Rain in España", can't help but smile as she told her dream of working with one of the most well-known love teams in the industry: Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla. 

During her intimate press conference at the Limbaga 77 Restaurant in Quezon City on June 14, Gwy shared that KathNiel has always been a huge part of her inspiration since she started writing. 

"Before po kasi yung mga sinusulat ko po is puro Kathniel fanfiction po lahat yun, before the university series po Kathniel po lahat ng stories ko," Gwy said. 

(Before when I started to write all of Kathniel fanfiction, before the university series my stories were all about Kathniel) 

Gwy Saludes answers questions during an intimate presscon at Limbaga 77 Restaurant in Quezon City (Carissa Alcantara)

The 22-year-old writer said that she dreams of working with KathNiel in the future with one of her book adaptations. 

"Yung Twitterserye ko po na 'Along in España,' Kathniel din po yun, so sila po talaga yung dream ko na makawork in the future, kung mangangarap po talaga ako Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla po talaga," she added. 

(My Twitter series, Along in España, is also inspired by Kathniel, so they are the ones that I dream of working with in the future. If I had that dream, it would really be Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla

Gwy also said that during the time that she was making her Twitterserye, Kathryn had read it from start to finish, she even sent her a video message after reading the story.

"Binasa po ni Kath yung Along in España kasi sila po yung portrayer ko dun, and nakarating po sa kanya and after that po nagbigay po siya ng video greet sa akin," Gwy said. 

(Kath read Along in España because they are my portrayers there, and it reached her and after that, she gave me a video greeting) 

Being a big fan of Kathniel, Gwy and the couple met for the first time during the Guillermo Awards in 2019. 

Young writer 

Making waves with her university series, Gwy started writing her stories on Wattpad when she was 12. Since then her fans got a glimpse of different stories of love, heartbreak, and friendship through her words. 

Now 22, Gwy also mentioned that pressure still reels in whenever she writes a new story. 

"Happy po ako pero at the same time nandun yung pressure kasi syempre maraming nagaabang, maraming nagbabasa and maraming expectations sa akin, kunwari nagboom itong story na to tapos yung susunod, merong pressure na kailangan ko isurpass yung reads nung nauna," she said. 

(I'm happy but at the same time there's pressure because of course there are a lot of people waiting, reading, and a lot of expectations for me. For example, this story blows up and on the next one, there's pressure on me that I have to surpass the viewers of the first story).

But despite the pressure on her writing, Gyw continues to keep her passion going and create stories that the readers can relate to. 

Aside from becoming a writer, Gwy is now a graduate of Legal Management at the Ateneo De Manila University. According she plans on taking law school to fulfill her dream of becoming a Lawyer. 

Eala, partner book quarters berth in Spain tourney

BY KRISTEL SATUMBAGA-VILLAR

Jun 21, 2023 01:28 PM

  

---

AT A GLANCE

• Alex Eala and Indonesian Beatrice Gumulya made their title campaign felt in the W25+H Tauste-Zaragoza International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament after advancing to the quarterfinals Wednesday, June 21, in Aragon, Spain.

---

Alex Eala and Indonesian Beatrice Gumulya made their title campaign felt in the W25+H Tauste-Zaragoza International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament after advancing to the quarterfinals Wednesday, June 21, in Aragon, Spain.

Alex Eala and Beatrice Gumulya advance to the quarterfinals in the tournament. (File Photo/Alex Eala's Facebook page)

The unseeded pair hardly flexed their muscles in routing Serbian Elena Milovanovic and Spaniard Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers, 6-2, 6-1, to inch closer to the women’s doubles crown.

The victory set up Eala and Gumulya a Final 8 date with the dangerous unseeded tandem of Australian Alana Parnaby and Mexican Victoria Rodriguez, who pulled off a stunning 7-5, 6-7 (5), 10-4 upset triumph over Australian second seeds Talia Gibson and Petra Hule.

Eala’s doubles win came a day after she was booted out in the opening round singles with a 6-1, 6-2 defeat over Australia’s Destanee Aiava.

The 18-year-old Filipina, who recently graduated from the Rafa Nadal Academy, was seeded third in the event.

She decided to take a break from school to focus on her tennis career.

Aside from this tournament, Eala is also scheduled to compete in the W40 Palma Del Rio next week.