Senior Filipinos at risk: the rise of cyber crimes targeting the elderly

#ScamWatchPH steps up to shield the vulnerable against tech frauds.

BY MB TECHNEWS

Aug 22, 2023 09:41 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Due to the digital shift during the COVID pandemic and their general nature of sympathy and limited tech savviness, senior Filipinos have become prime targets for online scammers and hackers.

• Concerned with the increasing trend of cyber frauds against seniors, the Manila Bulletin, and Truth360 launched Scam Watch Pilipinas or #ScamWatchPH. This initiative seeks to educate and empower Filipinos against cyber fraud and online scams.

• In case of cyber threats or breaches, individuals can report to the #ScamWatchPH hotline 1326 for guidance and to notify the appropriate authorities.

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In this age of instant and accessible digital connectivity, Senior Filipinos have become some of the most vulnerable to the sinister activities of cyber criminals. This has been the observation of Art Samaniego, Jr., TechNews Editor and IT Head of the Manila Bulletin. 

During the height of the COVID pandemic years of mandatory isolation in their homes, people relied heavily on online communication and services. Seniors were many of those who were exposed to so many diverse online messages, which scammers took advantage of. Because they tend to be more sympathetic to the plight of others, seniors can easily fall for the insidious sob stories of scammers. Likewise, with many of them not being tech savvy, their mobile and social media accounts are prone to the attacks of hackers.

Concerned with this alarming and relentless trend, Manila Bulletin stepped up to the plate by launching Scam Watch Pilipinas or #ScamWatchPH, which aims to empower Filipinos “to protect themselves against cyber fraud and online scams. The movement is a project of MB Technews, with the goal of transforming the section into a technology advocacy channel.” Samaniego and Jocel de Guzman, founder and president of startup Truth360, lead the movement as co-lead convenors. 

In line with #ScamWatchPH’s educational and awareness campaigns, Samaniego recently conducted an online Zoom session for the Seniors group of Jesus is Alive Community, D. Tuazon, Quezon City Homebase. In that session, he shared best practices in cyber security (how to secure mobile and online accounts), gave practical advice for identifying and avoiding scams (when a message is too good to be true, it is probably a scam. Or a text that says you won millions of pesos in a contest you did not join, that is a scam.), strongly urged skepticism towards unsolicited messages (do not reply to calls or messages from unidentified sources), verification of website authenticity (fake bank websites saying that there is a problem with your account and that you have to verify and update your details immediately. Banks will never ask for such verification. They already have that data, to begin with. Best to contact your bank itself to confirm.), and protection of personal information online (cloned accounts of friends asking for your contact info, supposedly to include in their own directories).

In an imperfect world, however, hackers and scammers will persist with their despicable deeds. And if these cybercriminals are still able to penetrate digital defenses, report the numbers or other relevant info to #ScamWatchPH hotline 1326, which can give instructions for how to proceed and elevate the concern to the proper agencies.

The DICT, NTC, NPC, and CICC established the Inter-Agency Response Center (I-ARC) and formed the Account Recovery Team (ART) to address the concerns of the netizens on cybersecurity, data privacy, cybercrime, and ICT Consumer Protection. Save these numbers in case of need: I-ARC Hotlines: 1326; 09914814225 for DITO; 09477147105 for Smart; and 09669765971 for Globe. (Malou Rosal)

Gela Atayde bringing acting, dancing together after World Hiphop Dance success

BY MANILA BULLETIN ENTERTAINMENT

Aug 21, 2023 08:54 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• The upcoming young actress and hiphop dancer shared her thoughts in a news conference organized by the Star Magic Philippines over the weekend, saying that she really likes to be recognized as a dancer and be able to hone her acting career at the same time.

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Gela Atayde

Barely half a month after winning a title in the World Hiphop Dance Championship in Phoenix, Arizona together with the Legit Status, Maria Angela “Gela” Campo Atayde is on a mission of bringing acting and dancing together in the showbiz world. 

The upcoming young actress and hiphop dancer shared her thoughts in a news conference organized by the Star Magic Philippines over the weekend, saying that she really likes to be recognized as a dancer and be able to hone her acting career at the same time.

“I think after this, one of the big reasons why I really wanted to enter also showbiz was to introduce dance,” the daughter of Art Atayde and veteran actress Sylvia Sanchez said. “I guess as a dancer, I realized that it is not as appreciated as we hope it really all we wanted to be.”

“So I guess for me since I was given the opportunity to do it, I want to explore and show everyone what actually dance is all about — not just the hiphop but maybe exploring other styles so that it can be talked about more often,” she added.

The 21-year-old Star Magic cast of the ABS-CBN’s upcoming series “Senior High” also shared that dancing and acting are the paths she always wanted to take since she was a little kid, noting that she fell in love with dancing and hoping to introduce it into the industry even more. 

“Aside from this, I think my main goal is to be able to make at least a movie or a series about dancing or anything related to dance,” Atayde, also the sister of Quezon City first district Congressman Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde, Ria and Xavi, said. 

Gela returned to Manila last Aug. 12 along with the other members of World Hiphop Dance champion (MegaCrew division) Legit Status after beating all 54 participants starting from the preliminary up to the final stage last Aug. 6.

Asked what’s the winning factor why the hiphop dancers from the Philippines were winners in the Worlds, Gela believes that Filipinos have the heart to what they do when everything gets tough.

“There are so many great dancers in the Philippines — and it’s really hard to answer that question because every Filipino has the heart to what they do,” she explained. “For the Legit Status, our eagerness and the perseverance to get there were the reasons why we won.” 

The UP Streetdance Club also nailed the bronze medal in the MegaCrew division. 

Gela as a Dance Princess? Why not?

“It would be great to have that title especially the dance on it. My biggest dream is to introduce dance into the industry so yeah,” said Gela, who is under the tutelage of Legit Status coach and trainer Vimi Rivera.

She added that she’s not afraid to be compared with anyone in the industry as long as she’s using her heart to what she’s been doing all the time to fight and persevere, according to the advice of her mommy Sylvia.

“I think there will be circumstances that we will be compared and I’m not scared because I will deliver. I want to think I am lucky because I have dance that set me apart with my siblings and mom. No pressure from them. I think I don’t have anything to prove,” Gela added.

Gela said before he knew that she wanted to become a dancer she knew that she wanted to become an actress too. “It was something I wanted since I was born. I was inspired by my mother while she’s working during her tapings. I still have so much to learn.”

The third year AB Communication Arts student from De La Salle University is also very thankful to the support of her family, relatives, friends and the Legit Status in her new career path as an actress and at the same time a world champion dancer.

Washington Post taps lady comics artist from Davao for investigative series drawings

BY KEITH BACONGCO

DAVAO CITY – Every comic artist dreams to get their work published on the pages of notable publications.

But for a 27-year-old Davaoeña comics artist, getting an email from one of the most respected newspapers in the world was the least she expected. 

REN Galeno shows her work for an anthology book ‘Ten Years to Save the World’ during the Philippine Book Festival at SMX Convention Center in Davao City. (Keith Bacongco)

“I didn't think it was real at first,” recalled Ren Galeno, adding that she was working when she received an email from Washington Post last February 24.

"I actually thought it was just a spam email," she told Manila Bulletin with a chuckle. Of course, I'm wishing for a big break but I did not expect this to happen this soon." 

Galeno was behind the evocative illustrations for the Washington Post’s “Searching for Maura,” an investigative series in an illustrated reporting form about the missing Filipino girl from Cordillera.

The story is about Maura, an 18-year-old Filipina who was taken to Saint Louis, Missouri for the World’s Fair in 1904.

"Maura fell ill and died, and records suggest a renowned Smithsonian anthropologist, Ales Hrdlicka, traveled to Saint Louis and took the cerebellum of her brain to study as part of his ‘racial brain collection,’” a part of the caption read. 

Galeno recalled that an editor of the Washington Post told her that they had read “I pray you're born with gills,” a short comic she made for Ten Years to Save the World book.

She added that she had online meeting with the editors and then with the other members of the team involved in the investigative story.

“I had sent a few drawings to see if my style was what they had envisioned, a few likeness studies and a location study. They responded positively to them, and we got to work as soon as the script was finalized.”

As part of the creative process, the team sent her pictures for references. 

Then she started working on the illustrations in April and eventually finished everything in June.

“They were incredible collaborators, I learned so much from this project. They were clear with their vision from the beginning,” she admitted.  “It was a great collaboration, and their passion for the investigation was infectious. It was my first time working with a writer and a team, and I'm really lucky I got to learn from them.”

The Searching for Maura was perhaps the first ever story of the Washington Post translated into Filipino.

Furthermore, Galeno admitted that, as a Filipino, there was a little bit of pressure when she was working on the drawings. "I felt the pressure and the responsibility to illustrate it accurately and with empathy."

Love for drawing

According to her father Ferdinand, her daughter started to scribble around two-years-old.

“I taught her how to draw by singing the nursery rhyme Small Circle Big Circle until it is formed into a teddy bear,” recalled Ferdinand, who runs a restaurant in this city.

Since then, he had already seen her daughter’s love for drawing.

Upon finishing high school, Ferdinand recounted that her daughter wanted to take up Fine Arts in college. “Since she was not yet 18-years-old, I encouraged her to take up architecture first because I believe that it’s a good foundation for drawing. And she agreed.”

After spending a year at Ateneo de Davao University, she moved to University of the Philippines-Mindanao here and took up Communication Arts for a year before moving to UP Diliman in Quezon City to take up Fine Arts.

"I've always loved to draw. I don't remember a time when I wasn't drawing. I knew I wanted to be some kind of artist, and for a while I thought that was a painter. After graduation I just returned to comics, the transition felt natural. I had always loved manga and comics, it felt like it made sense,” Galeno said.

Body of work

Prior to her collaboration with the Washington Post, Galeno’s biggest project was for the comic anthology “Ten Years to Save the World, ” a project supported by the British Council as part of a number of creative commissions in response to climate change and COP26.

She contributed the “I pray you're born with gills,” a sobering reflection on the anxiety of bringing children into a climate change world.

Currently, she is working on her first full graphic novel "Full of Grace," an official selection of the 2nd Philippine International Comics Festival (PICOF) in September.

Moreover, she has also produced seven mini-comic books:  II (2019), Sta. Monica Falls (2020), Egg (2020), Romaragit (2020), Aiyeee (2020), Sa Wala (2021), Mga Palaka ng San Antonio (2022).

Another upcoming graphic novel, "Sa Wala," is set to be released this year.

She left an advise to aspiring artists.

“Be curious and open to everything! Observe the world around you, know your interests, and allow yourself to try new things,” said Galeno.

Supporters of Ninoy Aquino gather in commemoration

3,813 views Aug 21, 2023 #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

On the 40th anniversary of his passing, supporters of the late senator Ninoy Aquino assemble at his monument in Ayala Avenue, Makati City, on Sunday, Aug. 20. (MB Video by Ali Vicoy)

Good prize, Sir!

I love Shakespeare! Most of his literary works can inspire one to prepare one write up after the next.

"All the world's a stage" and columnists sometimes might really roar like a lion. Being sure about their topics they don't have "much ado about nothing" now and then, or from time to time. Occasionally columnists and other writers or commentators feel like "love's labour's lost" by pointing defects and abuses but only receive discredit, misinterpretations, disapproval, disdain or indifference.

That causes me personally a certain uneasiness of mind. We all know that hell is paved with good intentions; but before we might miss the bus, let's give "caviar to the general '', and suddenly it's really NOT "much ado about nothing"! "Put money in thy purse" and go downtown. Trading and haggling at any corner is part of our daily life.

Being downtown in Davao several times and also visiting some other places in its surroundings I observed (again and again!) some traders, who try to sell puppies for hefty prizes up to 4,000 Pesos and even much more. Poor devil, that's really enough to drive me around the bend.

I really love dogs. I stressed before many times that I am happy and proud having six "TLC"-dogs at home: "True-Lasting-Company"-creatures... .

The primary reason that dogs are able to give so much love is because they, like humans, have the ability to release oxytocin when they interact with someone or something that they like. Oxytocin, also known as the 'love hormone' is a chemical that releases in response to activation of sensory nerves.

Loving animals is worth it. But look at those pitiful creatures, suffering in very small cages, and even being put into the murderous sun all day long. The cut-throat dealers even don't mind the heart-touching yelping and howling of those pitiful puppies.

I ignored one dealer's hints, who even tried to follow me in Ilustre Street while shouting: "Good prize, Sir!" Overstrained I "persuaded" myself to hold my explosive reaction and controlled my temper. I am pretty sure certain legitimacy could finish this awkward and flimsy business which is nothing more the animal tortures. By the way: while leaving Davao City in different directions, one can also encounter other dealers who love to sell snakes, birds and other creatures. It's distressing and really upsets me.

What is the love of animals called? Other words that can describe those who love animals more than humans include the nouns zoophilist, pet lover, pet person, and friend of animals or friend to animals. Since it's a bit less familiar, let's focus on one particular word: zoophilist.

The French Marquise de Pompadour (1721-1764), an influential lover of King Louis XV, stressed before in the Gilagemesch-epic-poem "Apres nous le deluge" ("After us the Flood'')! Objection my dear fellows! In this case my opinion is: Let's save our animals!

Spain reigns over England to win Women's World Cup for first time

BY AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Aug 21, 2023 08:25 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• The gripping encounter was a fitting conclusion to a tournament in Australia and New Zealand which has broken records and will be remembered for how the supposed minnows closed the gap on the sides at the top.

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SYDNEY (AFP) -- Spain won the Women's World Cup for the first time in its history with skipper Olga Carmona striking in the first half for a deserved 1-0 victory over England in Sunday's finals, Aug. 20.

Spain's players and officials celebrate with the trophy after winning the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women's World Cup final football match between Spain and England at Stadium Australia in Sydney on Sunday, Aug. 20. (AFP)

The gripping encounter was a fitting conclusion to a tournament in Australia and New Zealand which has broken records and will be remembered for how the supposed minnows closed the gap on the sides at the top.

In front of a packed crowd of nearly 76,000 at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Spain was the more accomplished side and had more chances, including missing a second-half penalty. 

Spain's triumph was vindication for Jorge Vilda and the Spanish football federation, who stuck with the coach even after 15 players last year said they no longer wanted to represent their country under him.

Defender Carmona scored what turned out to be the winner, rampaging from left-back to thrash the ball in low and hard on 29 minutes past England goalkeeper Mary Earps.

"It's difficult to describe, immense joy, I'm so proud of this team," said the 42-year-old Vilda, who was accused of being too strict, among a litany of complaints.

There was a smattering of boos when his image was put up at Stadium Australia during the game and again when he strode up to the podium before Spain lifted the trophy. 

"I'm so happy for everyone watching us right now, we've made them happy too. We're champions of the world," added Vilda, who recalled three of the 15 mutineers for the tournament but left several top players at home.

England coach Sarina Wiegman has now suffered back-to-back defeats in the final, and her European champions can have few complaints.

In front of the watching Queen Letizia, Spain won a penalty 20 minutes from the end when Keira Walsh was ruled to have handled in the box after a long VAR review.

But Jennifer Hermoso's weak penalty was easily saved by Earps to give England a lifeline and keep alive their dreams of winning the World Cup for the first time.

But if anything, Spain looked the more likely to score again.

Spain's players raced off the bench at the final whistle, while England's players were left distraught, some with their heads in their hands and others in tears. 

Spain are the fifth team to lift the World Cup since the tournament began in 1991, joining outgoing champions the United States, Germany, Norway and Japan.

 

Wiegman's final pain again

 

Wiegman, who suffered agony in the final four years ago when her Netherlands team lost 2-0 to the United States, had been aiming to join Alf Ramsey -- the only other manager to win a World Cup for England.

She admitted that Spain, who had never won a World Cup knockout game until this tournament, were the better team.

"Of course it feels really bad now. You go to the final, you want to give everything to win the final, then you lose it," said the Dutch coach, who took England to their first major title last summer by winning their home Euros.

"What we have done, how we have shown ourselves as a team, how we want to play, overcoming so many challenges, I feel we can be very proud of ourselves, even though it doesn't feel that way at the moment," she added.

Aitana Bonmati, one of the original refuseniks who returned for the World Cup, won the Golden Ball for the best player at the tournament while Japan's Hinata Miyazawa took the Golden Boot as top-scorer with five goals.

Earps, who was kept busy for much of the evening by a slick Spain, won the Golden Glove as best goalkeeper.

The 19-year-old Spain attacker Salma Paralluelo, who replaced reigning two-times Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas in Spain's starting lineup, was named best young player.

 

Minnows make mark

 

Women's football still faces a battle for equality with the men's game and several teams at the World Cup were in open dispute with their federations over pay and conditions.

Off the pitch, the biggest Women's World Cup in history, with 32 teams, was the best-attended ever and most games were played in front of bumper crowds.

On it, a tournament full of surprises signaled the end of the United States' long reign as the superpower of women's football as their dreams of an unprecedented third title in a row came to an end in the last 16, their earliest exit ever.

Sweden, who dumped out the Americans on penalties, finished third after beating Australia 2-0 on Saturday.

The Matildas had the consolation of capturing the hearts of the home nation, their exploits in reaching the semifinals for the first time splashed across the front and back pages of local newspapers on an almost daily basis.

THRILLMAKER: Bardagulan is real in Miss CosmoWorld PH

BY MANILA BULLETIN ENTERTAINMENT

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Among this year’s favorites are: Davao del Sur’s Elda Aznar; Malolos, Bulacan’s Rian Maclyn Dela Cruz; Calumpit, Bulacan’s Roella Frias; Carrascal, Surigao del Sur’s Jasmine Omay; Quezon Province’s Gezza Avila; Quezon City’s Vivian Vargas Hernandez; and Mandaluyong City’s Sheryl Patalinhog Velez, playing the underdog card.

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Meiji Cruz, Miss CosmoWorld 2022

One of the biggest concerns faced by most beauty pageants, male or female, especially those in their introductory editions, is the turnout of contestants. Without much background, most new competitions attract little participant interest, even in a supposedly pageant-crazed nation like the Philippines. Sadly, the quality of candidates dictates how fans will eventually judge pageants, whether they are major or minor competitions.

This is why it is a major surprise to most people how Miss CosmoWorld Philippines gathered a stellar roster of beauties for its inaugural search.  Aside from this year’s harvest of nationwide aspirants reaching a respectable number of 21, what’s more, surprising is the quality of those who wanted to win the prestigious crown. 

“Our auditionees reached far more than the number of candidates we eventually chose to make official,” reveals Meiji Cruz, the reigning Miss CosmoWorld and the Philippine search’s National Director. “Pero, we decided to keep our roster to only the best of the best. Ayaw namin ng masyadong maraming candidates tapos mag-su-suffer naman yung quality dahil the rest are mediocre.  That’ll be a waste of their (candidates’) time and resources and ours,” Cruz said.

Elda Aznar

Gezza Avila, Quezon Province

Rian Maclyn dela Cruz, Malolos, Bulacan

Roella Frias, Calumpit, Bulacan

Miss CosmoWorld is a Malaysia-based pageant that was little known in the Philippines until Cruz won the top international crown last year.  The pageant espouses women's empowerment through financial literacy, which makes perfect sense since it offers the most significant prize package in pageantry.  For bagging the 2022 plum, Cruz went home with roughly P25 million in total monetary rewards. 

“As the pageant’s National Director, I’d like to replicate the same kind of generosity that our Malaysian counterparts have shown to me as a pageant winner last year.  This is why I decided to give a P1 Million cash prize to whoever will inherit my crown on top of the other prizes she will get for winning,” the wealthy beauty queen declares.  She adds: “I am fortunate to have gathered sponsors not just for mounting this year’s competition but also for the prizes, and they are all fully committed to the cause of financial literacy. I am truly thankful that those supporting us, including the sponsor of our top prize, have stood firm in their commitments to join us in this cause.”   

Jasmine Omay, Carrascal, Surigao del Sur

Vivian Hernandez, Quezon City

Aliya Rohilla, Albay

Sheryl Velez, Mandaluyong City

Whether it is their agreement with the advocacy of financial literacy, the encouraging prospects of following in Cruz’s footsteps as the international winner, or the beautiful pot awaiting the new queen, aspirants of varying pageants' exposures and backgrounds naturally showed great interest in the new contest.  Among those who make up the early favorites’ lists are a couple of Binibining Pilipinas alumnae, some provincial pageant veterans, first-timers, and even a trending multi-pageant joiner who has now gotten her chance at a crack for the crown.

Among this year’s favorites are: Davao del Sur’s Elda Aznar; Malolos, Bulacan’s Rian Maclyn Dela Cruz; Calumpit, Bulacan’s Roella Frias; Carrascal, Surigao del Sur’s Jasmine Omay; Quezon Province’s Gezza Avila; Quezon City’s Vivian Vargas Hernandez; and Mandaluyong City’s Sheryl Patalinhog Velez, playing the underdog card.  

Whoever will be hailed as this year’s Philippine bet to the quest for the queen of the cosmos will also get to wear a P2 million crown designed by Manny Halasan.

The rich-young-man syndrome

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

WE have to be wary of this syndrome. Many actually are afflicted with it, and worse, a good number do not even realize it. It is this syndrome illustrated in that gospel episode where a rich young man earnestly asked Christ how he can enter the Kingdom of heaven. (cfr. Mt 19,16-22)

The story started well but ended sadly. A rich young man, certainly with good intentions and who must have been doing well and was faithful in following God’s commandments, revealed to Christ what was in his heart of hearts. He passed the initial requirements, but when told about the ultimate requirement—to give his all to God—he found himself unable to do it.

Definitely to be able to give our all is no easy thing. It will require a lot of faith, hope and charity for God and for everybody else. To be sure, it will demand a lot of effort, self-denial and detachment. But we are also assured that we are actually being given the best deal, since as Christ said, what may appear as a loss for us would actually redound to a hundredfold of gain, not only in the afterlife, but even now here on earth.

The lesson to learn is that generosity is not a matter of how much we give but rather of total detachment from the things of this world so that our heart can only be for God. We therefore have to be wary of our strong, if often subtle, attachment to the things of this world such that our heart would at best be a divided heart, which is actually an impossibility.

That’s because in our relation with God, there is no middle ground. It is either we are with him completely or not at all. We have to overcome that strong tendency to think that we can be partly with God and partly with our own selves, even if we can say that we are giving God 99% of what we have and keep only 1% for us.

We have to give it our all. In fact, with God we have to give our very own selves, and not only things, not only some possessions. Remember Christ telling us that we have to love God with “all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Mt 22,37)

Let’s hope that we can echo these words of an old song: “I have no use for divided hearts. I give mine whole, and not in parts.” Let’s strive to reach that goal. It’s not an easy goal, but neither is it impossible. With God’s grace and our all-out humble efforts, we can hack it.

But given our human condition which allows us to learn things in stages, we have to understand that everyday we have to conquer our tendency to some earthly attachments so that we can say we are giving ourselves more and more to God until we give ourselves completely to him.

This will require a constant reminder and self-reassurance that it is all worthwhile to give and to lose everything for God because we will in fact gain a lot more than what we give. Let’s always remember Christ telling us “to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” (Mt 6,33)

Since we are human beings with material needs, let’s see to it that all the things we use and own are used and owned in a way that would foster our total identification with God through Christ in the Holy Spirit.

Apocalypse in Germany! The largest airport in Frankfurt is flooded!

Heavy rains plunged Germany's Frankfurt airport into chaos on Wednesday night, leading to the cancelation of about 100 flights and numerous delays. The rain flooded the runway, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded on planes for hours