VP Duterte joins release of 152 baby sea turtles in Davao City

BY RAYMUND ANTONIO

  

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At least 152 newly-hatched Hawksbill turtles were released to the sea in Punta Dumalag, Matina Aplaya in Davao City on Tuesday, Sept. 12.

(Photo from Inday Sara Duterte Facebook page)

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte together with students saw the endangered baby turtles returned to their natural habitat along the coastline of Aboitiz Cleanergy Park.

They were joined by the Davao Light and Power Co., Inc. and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in releasing the marine hatchlings.

In the photos released by Duterte’s office to the media, students were seen helping the baby turtles crawl back to the sea.

Duterte highlighted the importance of such activity to help enlighten the children and the community about environmental preservation.

“Karamihan ng mga adult turtles na nakukuha natin sa dagat ay meron silang mga problema dahil nakakakain sila ng mga plastic (Most of the adult turtles that we get from the seas have problems because they have eaten plastic),” she said.

“Kaya importante na maintindihan ng mga bata ang (So it’s important the children understand the) life cycle ng (of) turtles at gaano kahirap sila mabuhay (and how hard they live),” she added.

(Photo from Inday Sara Duterte/Facebook)

Fermin Edillon, head of Reputation Department of Davao Light and Power Company, noted the survival of about one in 1,000 hatchlings to adulthood. Hatchlings die of dehydration if they don't make it on time to their natural habitat.

The hatchlings, according to Edillon, came from eggs laid by a Hawksbill turtle that was trapped and rescued in the same coastline in 2017. The turtle went back there to lay eggs in 2021 and this year.

The sea turtles, locally called “pawikan,” were secured by the Aboitiz Cleanergy Park in the area to ensure that safety of the eggs.

Launched in 2014, the park is an eight-hectare ecological preserve and biodiversity conservation site managed by AboitizPower subsidiary Davao Light and the Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. It has become home to to other endangered turtles like the Green Sea and Olive Ridley turtles.

Why Davao?

A haven of comfort in the durian capital of the Philippines

BY MANILA BULLETIN

Sep 12, 2023 08:05 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• From highlands to lowlands, the mesmerizing cityscape view, and the most highlighted warm welcome of the people, these all come together to create an irresistible invitation to explore the city of Davao.

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FEEL RIGHT AT HOME Park Inn by Radisson Davao Junior Suite

The beauty of the region’s diversity has a lot to offer from the captivating and vibrant culture to the wide variety of activities. From highlands to lowlands, the mesmerizing cityscape view, and the most highlighted warm welcome of the people, these all come together to create an irresistible invitation to explore the durian capital of the country, the city of Davao. 

Along with the rich and celebrated culture, a retreat of modern comfort and style awaits at Park Inn by Radisson Davao. Nestled strategically in the heart of the city’s hubs, the hotel aims to deliver a memorable and feel good experience that perfectly complements your exploration of this destination. Here are a few reasons this hotel should be your top choice for accommodation.

 

Ideal address
Located in one of the city’s prime hub, the Lanang area, the hotel is about 15 minutes away from the Francisco Bangoy International Airport, a five-minute walk from Carmelite Monastery Church, five minutes away from Lanang Premier Doctors Hospital and just a doorstep away from SM Lanang Premier and the SMX Convention Center Davao.

 

Thoughtful amenities
Experience contemporary comfort through the hotel’s amenities. Choose from three room tiers—standard, superior, and junior suites, each designed to cater to your customized needs. The hotel features an expansive parking lot, high-speed Wi-Fi, a wellness floor featuring a pool deck and bar, and a fitness center.  

 

Culinary excellence
A visit to another city is not complete without indulging in a gastronomic experience. Revel your taste buds with an array of culinary delights at the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant, Vanda. The concept behind it is to present local flavors to international cuisine to satisfy everyone’s palate. The chef’s top picks commit to tantalize your taste buds, such as the grilled tanigue steak, the Park Inn burger, and a delightful dessert duo, the luscious Malagos ricotta cheesecake and the Malagos chocolate mousse. The Kadayawan Boodle Fight, which was intended to be just a seasonal promotion, has now been extended due to insistent demand. 

YOU’RE WELCOME ANYTIME Dash is a 24/7 self-service counter on the hotel's ground floor

Other food outlets in the hotel include Dash, a 24/7 self-service counter at lobby, which offers convenient rice meals, snacks, desserts, and drinks, perfect for that late night snack or if you are rushing to your early morning flight. There’s also the Pool Bar, perfect for an evening cap as you admire the cityscape. 

Feel good hospitality
The authentic Dabawenyo and Park Inn by Radisson Davao’s feel good hospitality find its truest expression in its dedicated team members committed to delivering a memorable service with a heartwarming Dabawenyo smile. 
 

Unmatched value
Experience comfort and service without compromising your budget. The hotel offers an exceptional value proposition for travelers seeking quality facilities, service, and location without the over-the-top extravagance.

 

Sustainable activations
As part of the Radisson Hotel Group, Park Inn by Radisson Davao is committed to sustainability. Initiatives include eliminating plastic bottle setups in guest rooms, introducing water carafes, deploying water dispensers for guest convenience, and adopting paper straws and packaging since 2019. 
 

The hotel has also just wrapped up the month-long “Portraits of Mindanao: A Kadayawan Art Exhibit,” showcasing works from Grupo ng mga Aktibong Mindanawon Artists (GAMA), where portion of the sold items will be contributed for the art supplies of the students from Malamba Elementary School - G. Astilla Sr. Cultural Minority High School in Marilog District. This month, the hotel has extended support to the Philippine Eagle Appreciation Week by deploying a merchandise booth and Philippine Eagle-themed artworks for sale at the hotel’s lobby. A part of the total sales goes to the support for the Philippine Eagle Foundation. The hotel displays its sustainable and corporate social responsibility efforts through a dedicated corner in the lobby.

 

Membership programs
Radisson Rewards is the loyalty program offered by the Radisson Hotel Group. It is designed to provide members with various benefits and rewards when they stay at Radisson properties across a broad range of hotels in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. All first-time guests are eligible to join this membership program and, through continuous bookings, earn different benefits through the club, premium, and VIP tier. www.radissonhotels.com

More K-pop stars confirm attendance at 2023 Asia Artist Awards in PH

BY JONATHAN HICAP

Sep 12, 2023 03:11 PM

  

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More K-pop stars have been announced to attend the 2023 Asia Artist Awards (AAA) in the Philippines in December. 

AAA main host Star News said Stray Kids, The Boyz, ITZY, Kwon Eun-bi and  &TEAM have confirmed their attendance at the awards ceremony slated on Dec. 14 at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan. 

(Clockwise from top left) Stray Kids, ITZY, The Boyz, Kwon Eun-bi and &Team (Photos from X)

Previously announced Korean stars attending the 2023 AAA in the Philippines (Happee Sy-Go)

They are the latest Korean stars to be added to the lineup of attendees for the 2023 AAA, the first time that the Philippines will host the show. 

Previously announced were NewJeans, Le Sserafim, BoyNextDoor, NMIXX and Zerobaseone, and TV and movie stars Kim Seon-ho, Ahn Hyo-seop, Kim Se-jeong, and Moon Ga-young. 

The 2023 AAA will be emceed by IVE’s Jang Won-young, Kang Daniel and Sung Han-bin of Zerobaseone. 

Happee Sy-Go of Pulp Live World announced that tickets for the 2023 AA will be available starting Nov. 12. 

The show is hosted by Star News and co-hosted by the Asia Artist Awards Organizing Committee, TONZ Entertainment, and PULP Live World. 

Is German language reasonably easy to learn for an English speaker?

Sanuradha

In love with the Finer things ...

1,332 followers

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Welcome to my little corner on Quora! Here you will hopefully find all sorts of interesting topics to discuss. I am incredibly passionate about the fine arts. I write a lot about India, Indian culture, and Indian art. Moreover, I love Asia for its opulence so you will find much content on that here.

Yes, it is, most certainly. If you are fluent in English either as your first, second, or third language, German is your next best bet. Similarly, I notice Germans are very enthusiastic learners of English, possibly more so than for their next preferred foreign languages of French or Italian, which are also popular among Germans.

I have studied multiple foreign languages in my life, and I have to admit, that as a speaker of English as a first language, German was incredibly easy and intuitive, despite many of the obvious gaps between English and German. The biggest reason is that both originate from the Germanic language family and share a vast common vocabulary, possibly even grammatical concepts.

Now, for sure modern English is much farther removed from its Germanic roots compared to German. English is much more heavily Latin, even French influenced, and has moved closer along the spectrum to Romance languages. But it still does not change the considerable advantage English speakers have in learning German from scratch.

Consider the following:

Alone/Allein 

Son/Sohn

Thick/Dick

Have/Haben

Hand/Hand

School/Schule

That/Das

Based on this sample, can you automatically realize how English and German are practically sisters that undergo simple changes in mere letters and nothing else? To an English speaker, German all but sounds like a funny version of English.

You have to also consider that German phonetics are nice and even like English phonetics, only containing certain harder sounds not found in English. So you also do not have the added problem of syllables running into one another, such as in Spanish or Italian, and wonder what was just said. On an auditory level, German is more reasonable on the English ear.

Now, I will make mention of a final point regarding the grammar. German grammar is notorious for being among the more difficult that often drives foreign learners away. There are certainly more grammatical rules and conventions in German which English speakers have no idea about. Some of the most glaring examples are the 3 articles, moreover keeping in mind which article goes with which noun, multiple ways to pluralize singular nouns, and the 4 cases and their corresponding declensions.

I agree that for a typical English speaker or any foreigner attempting to learn German, the combination of these unique grammatical facets in German can be a serious handful when you are so used to utilizing one case, one gender/article, and one pluralization the whole time, speaking language in a straightforward manner without many alterations.

That sure keeps your mind very busy when attempting to master German to near-native perfection and correction that will not put off the native speakers.

But the good news for you is, despite that multiple rules, most of the time, they follow set formulas which is you study the mechanics, you will fair a lot better in mastering the rules as a foreigner. If there are 5 different ways to pluralize nouns, there will be criteria as to when to use which plural. If there are 3 different articles or genders, there is a phonetic reasoning behind each. And the requirements for when to use each case are well established and completely logical.

Hence, these fancy rules actually continue to follow rules and regularity and are not arbitrary.

English speakers who study German and initially grapple with the grammar undergo this fascinating process of learning and discovery of how and why languages function in an acutely grammatical manner that led to the rise of all these rules in the first place. It's a next level of language science you just do not get to experience at least so consciously aware during everyday English.

As much as junior high students grapple with their assignments on transitive and intransitive verbs, direct and indirect objects in their English classes, they sure will be forced to pay attention in their German classes and understand grammar and linguistic logic far better. And then return to their English classes to hopefully ace all of the grammar assignments.

Happy learning!

Addendum: Now that I shared the perspective of an English speaker learning German and how German sounds or seems to us, I would most certainly now be interested in the reverse perspective of How German speakers view English or feel about English, learning it and how it sounds. As somebody who thinks constantly in German, how particularly do you feel about seeing the slight differences in letters or sounds in an otherwise very similar word? I would actually be interested in digging back into history on German-centric attitudes towards the Anglo sphere, say in early modern times of Shakespeare, Goethe, when Germans were first likely more in contact with Great Britain, before America came about into serious existence and took over the Anglosphere from its original seat in England. In other words, let me know how you feel about British English before offering thoughts on American English.

If you care to let me know in the comments below that would be wonderful! Thanks!

Vocation is for all

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

INDEED, everyone has a vocation! The idea of a vocation is not meant only for a few who may feel that they are called to the priesthood or to a consecrated religious life. It is not meant for those who may be generally regarded as inclined to do some missionary work.

We are reminded of this truth of our faith in that gospel episode where Christ, after a night of prayer, chose 12 persons to be his apostles. (cfr. Lk 6,12-19) Ever wondered why Christ chose his apostles practically randomly? He, for example, would just pass by Matthew in his tax collector’s table and say, “Come, follow me,” without as much checking on Matthew’s background.

Same with brothers Peter and Andrew, and James and John. Christ would just call them, and without asking any question they simply left their nets, for they were fishermen, and followed Christ.

In the end, he would also call Judas Iscariot who would later betray him. Christ, being God, would have known that Judas would turn him in. But that did not deter him. He called Judas to be one of his 12 apostles just the same.

The only reason I can find for this behavior of Christ is that he has the right to call anyone and everyone to follow him. And that’s simply because, as God, he has that right since all of us come from him and belong to him. As redeemer, he calls everyone to follow him.

Everyone has a vocation simply because God calls all of us to be holy, to be like him who created us in his image and likeness. Everyone is called to holiness. The call to holiness is universal!

That’s what a vocation is—it is a calling from God who puts us here on earth to be tested, to see if what God wants us to be is also what we would like ourselves to be. Thus, everyone should be aroused to develop a sense of vocation as early as possible, and pursue it with the strongest sense of commitment, since our vocation is the most basic commitment we ought to have.

We have to realize that our vocation is meant to cover all our life, in all its aspects, and not just some parts of our life. Our vocation gives meaning to our whole life, and projects us to our proper destiny.

Nothing is excluded from it, since God’s presence and interventions in our life are constant and abiding, and not just from time to time, nor from case to case. It covers our whole life, from beginning to end.

A person without a sense of vocation is actually an anomaly. He may be described as a freeloader who ignores a basic truth about himself and enjoys or suffers the many things in life without knowing what these things are really meant for.

Obviously, each one has to find out the specific vocation meant for him. Our common vocation lends itself to various specific vocations with their own spirituality and charism, supported by their corresponding way of life or culture. Each one of us should just study and see which one he is more suited for.

There’s, of course, a vocation to the priesthood and religious life. But for most of the people, their vocation is to remain in the secular world as lay faithful who use all the events and circumstances of his life as a way to live out his vocation. They, of course, would need a supporting plan of life that can sustain their sense of vocation.

GOSSIP GIRL: Sanya Lopez describes her ideal man

BY GISELLE SANCHEZ

Sep 12, 2023 07:14 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Attention all applicants to claim Sanya's heart. If Potato Corner has described the exact requirements to get a position in their company, why can’t GMA Network’s "Urduja" find her a king? “To be honest, Ate Giselle, I’m not looking for a boyfriend because I am swamped doing fiestas, corporate shows, and endorsements while waiting for my upcoming project on GMA-7, which we will announce as soon as we start taping. But because you are persistent, Ate Giselle, I will play your game of preference," says the "First Nanny" star. 

Sanya Lopez

I chanced upon Sanya Lopez at the Butuan Airport. She came from a show in Tandag City while I had a concert with Mayonnaise and Itchyworms for Surigao City’s Bundak Music Festival. 

Attention all applicants to claim Sanya's heart. If Potato Corner has described the exact requirements to get a position in their company, why can’t GMA Network’s "Urduja" find her a king? “To be honest, Ate Giselle, I’m not looking for a boyfriend because I am swamped doing fiestas, corporate shows, and endorsements while waiting for my upcoming project on GMA-7, which we will announce as soon as we start taping. But because you are persistent, Ate Giselle, I will play your game of preference," says the "First Nanny" star.

 

Giselle: Showbiz or non-showbiz
Sanya: Showbiz because he will understand my work better
Giselle: Filipino or Foreigner
Sanchez: Filipino
Giselle: Mixed (mestizo) or pure Pinoy
Sanya: Mestizo
Giselle: Lean or bulky?
Sanya: Lean
Giselle: Taller than you or the same height?
Sanya: Taller than me. I like tall guys.

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I told Sanya I wouldn’t ask about men with kindness, sincerity, and a good heart because that’s given. The "First Lady" actress stresses, “Again, this is just a game, okay. I want to prioritize my career, and if God gives me extra time, I want to finish my medical technology college degree. I was going to enroll in 2017, but my projects in GMA kept on rolling. But my goal is to finish college.” Sanya's GMA programs "First Nanny," "First Lady," and "Wild and Free" are now on Netflix.