Lea Salonga sings Jose Mari Chan classic with Pentatonix's new Christmas album

By Aric John Sy Cua, Manila Times

Filipino singer Lea Salonga confirmed that she is featured in the latest Christmas album of Pentatonix.

Salonga and Pentatonix will sing Jose Mari Chan's Christmas classic, Christmas in our Hearts, as part of the acapella group's new Christmas album, Holidays around the World.

"Yes, folks! This is happening! Had the most wonderful time recording this classic Filipino Christmas song with Pentatonix," Salonga wrote on her Instagram on Thursday. "And yes, fellow Pinoys, this is the Christmas In Our Hearts you think it is!"

The new albums consists of 12 Christmas tracks, including two original songs by the band.

Other singers in the album include Meghan Trainor, Magatte Sow, Grace Lokwa and Hiba Tawaji.

Musk in control of Twitter, ousts top executives — AP sources

DONE DEAL A sign is pictured outside the Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. A court has given Elon Musk until Friday to close his April agreement to acquire the company after he earlier tried to back out of the deal. PHOTO BY AP

By Associated Press October 28, 2022 

ELON Musk has taken control of Twitter and ousted the CEO, chief financial officer and the company's general counsel, two people familiar with the deal said Thursday night.

The people wouldn't say if all the paperwork for the deal, originally valued at $44 billion, had been signed or if the deal has closed. But they said Musk is in charge of the social media platform and has fired CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal and General Counsel Vijaya Gadde. Neither person wanted to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the personnel moves.

The departures come just hours before a deadline set by a Delaware judge to finalize the deal on Friday. She threatened to schedule a trial if no agreement was reached.

Elon Musk attempted to soothe leery Twitter advertisers Thursday, a day before a deadline to close out on his $44 billion acquisition of the social media platform, saying that he is buying the platform to help humanity and doesn't want it to become a "free-for-all hellscape."

The message appears aimed at addressing concerns among advertisers — Twitter's chief source of revenue — that Musk's plans to promote free speech by cutting back on moderating content will open the floodgates to more online toxicity and drive away users.

"The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence," Musk wrote in an uncharacteristically long message for the Tesla CEO, who typically projects his thoughts in one-line tweets.

He continued: "There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society."

Musk has previously expressed distaste for advertising and Twitter's dependence on it, suggesting more emphasis on other business models such as paid subscriptions that won't allow big corporations to dictate policy on how social media operates. But on Thursday, he assured advertisers he wants Twitter to be "the most respected advertising platform in the world."

The note is a shift from Musk's position that Twitter is unfairly infringing on free speech rights by blocking misinformation or graphic content, said Pinar Yildirim, associate professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

But it's also a realization that having no content moderation is bad for business, putting Twitter at risk of losing advertisers and subscribers, she said.

Musk said Twitter should be "warm and welcoming to all" and enable users to choose the experience they want to have.

"I didn't do it to make money," he said of the pending acquisition. "I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love. And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility."

Friday's deadline to close the deal was ordered by the Delaware Chancery Court in early October. It is the latest step in a battle that began in April with Musk signing a deal to acquire Twitter, then tried to back out of it, leading Twitter to sue the Tesla CEO to force him to go through with the acquisition. If the two sides don't meet Friday's deadline, the next step could be a November trial that could lead to a judge forcing Musk to complete the deal.

Musk lugs sink into Twitter HQ as deadline looms

But Musk has been signaling that the deal is going through. He strolled into the company's San Francisco headquarters Wednesday carrying a porcelain sink, changed his Twitter profile to "Chief Twit," and tweeted "Entering Twitter HQ — let that sink in!"

Marcos ‘highly supportive’ of Metro Davao Dev’t Authority—Palace

by Betheena Unite, MB

Malacañang said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is “highly supportive” of the establishment of the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority (MDDA).

President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. holds a situation briefing with various agencies during his visit in Davao City on Oct. 27, 2022. (Photo courtesy of the OPS)

Marcos recognizes the body’s role in pushing for the special development in the administrative region, it added.

The creation of the MDDA was discussed during a situation briefing with regional directors as part of the President’s visit to Davao City on Thursday, Oct. 27.

The body is currently in its formative stages, according to National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Davao regional director Maria Lourdes Lim.

Lim noted that for the law to be implemented, there are still three things needed: the implementing rules and regulations; the approval of plantilla for the human resource; and the budget.

During the meeting, Lim said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has already approved the grant for the formulation of the master plan for Metropolitan Davao.

“In fact, next week we are expecting a survey team that will put together the work and the national plan for the masterplan project for Metro Davao,” she said.

The body was created through Republic Act No. 11708 or the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority Act, which was signed into law by former president Rodrigo Duterte in April 2022.

It is a special body mandated to coordinate and promote the socio-economic growth and sustainable development of Metropolitan Davao.

Among its services are development planning; transport management; solid waste disposal and management; flood control and sewerage management; urban renewal, zoning, land use planning and shelter services; health and sanitation and public safety.

Green Revolution 2.0 to increase fruits, vegetable production; improve nutrition

by Jel Santos, MB

Aiming to increase the production and supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, the government has launched the Green Revolution 2.0 initiative to improve Filipinos’ nutrition by encouraging everyone to plant fruits and vegetables in their homes.

FARMERS in Western Visayas region are urged to adapt to climate-resilient farming. (DA-6)

In a statement from the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS), the government talked about the Department of Agriculture’s (DA’s) Green Revolution 2.0: Plants for Bountiful Barangays Movement (Luntiang Ani ng Mamayan), which the Bureau of Plant Industry recently launched at the Rizal Park in Manila.

“The Green Revolution 2.0 is an initiative that seeks to improve the nutrition of Filipinos by increasing the production and supply of fresh fruits and vegetables in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas,” the statement disclosed.

“It aims to encourage every Filipino to plant vegetables in their homes to help ease the burden of the country’s food system and supply chain,” it added.

During the kick-off ceremony, a ceremonial planting of “ampatola” or grafted ampalaya, scion, patola, and rootstock was held.

According to the DA, the project aims to turn communities into patches of green edible landscapes through the establishment of vegetable gardens.

“The DA will set up provincial production centers that will serve as consolidation areas for producers and consumers in order to ensure the sustainability of the program,” the OPS revealed.

Moreover, the agency also earmarked funds to support the purchase of inputs, such as seeds and garden materials, to be provided to participating barangays.

IF EVERYTHING GOES WRONG

Sometimes, it seems that everything goes wrong, despite our best efforts to make things right.We can do everything in our power to make something work, but life might have different plans. Many of us feel as though we have no control over our lives, and while that might hold some truth to some extent, we do have the power to control how we react to situations

So are all of us. You wake up in the morning and open your eyes. One mishap follows the other. And then the radio plays Jason Collett too: "When everything goes wrong".  Accept it, stay calm, and most important, stay motivated during these tough times. Maybe easier said than done. I also had to learn it first and to pull myself up on it every time.

Of course, sometimes life’s rough patches feel like they’re going to last forever. Keep in mind: whether you’re dealing with work-related issues, family problems, or stressful situations, very few problems last for a lifetime. So remind yourself, that things won’t be this bad forever.

When things are going wrong, it’s hard to recognize what is going right. It’s easy to screen out the good things and only focus on the bad things. Remind yourself that some things are going right. Purposely look for the positive, even if it is something very small.

One of the most important things to remember is that you have some control of the situation. Even if you aren’t in complete control of the situation, one thing you can always control is your attitude and reaction. Focus on managing what is within your control.

Asking for help can be hard sometimes. I tried to avoid it as long as I could. Big mistake. Asking for help is one of the best ways to deal with tough situations. Tell people what you need specifically if they offer to help. Don’t be afraid to call on friends and family and ask them for help, whether you need  emotional support or practical help. The present flood victims in Germany and its surroundings are so very thankful for this.

A lack of confidence in handling tough times can add to stress. It happened to me, when Covid-19 changed my life and my business. One of the best things to remember is that you can handle tough situations. Even though you might feel angry, hurt, disappointed, or sad, it won’t kill you. You can get through it.

No matter how bad a situation is, it’s almost certain that something good will come out of it. At the very least, it’s likely that you will learn a life lesson. Perhaps you learn not to repeat the same mistake in the future or maybe you move on from a bad situation and find something better. Look for the one good thing that can result when bad things happen.

Many cannot get used to the idea that there are many things that aren’t within your control. You can’t change the past, another person’s behavior, or a loved one’s health issues. Don’t waste time trying to force others to change or trying to make things be different if it isn’t within your control. Investing time and energy into trying to do things you can’t will cause you to feel helpless and exhausted. Acceptance is one of the best ways to establish resilience.

Remember this: one of the things to remember when you’re facing difficulties, is that you’ve handled problems in the past. Don’t overlook past difficulties that you’ve dealt with successfully. Remind yourself of all the past problems you’ve overcome and you’ll gain confidence in dealing with the current issues.

Besides everything: think about yourself too. When everything seems to be going wrong, take care of yourself. Get plenty of rest, get some exercise, eat healthy, and spend some time doing leisure activities. When you’re taking better care of yourself you’ll be better equipped to deal with your problems.

Everything is temporary, even everything which goes wrong. Happiness is a result of your approach to life, not what happens to you.

Sometimes we need to take one step, then another. Even if they're just baby steps, keep moving. Rather than focusing on the worst case, think instead of what else is possible. Look for the lesson. Challenging situations can often teach us what we have left to learn. Keep a positive attitude by remaining focused on solutions, skills, and strengths.Start small. Spend time with the people who support you.

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Maybe, together with the light at the end of the tunnel: choose one big goal to work on in order to make a lasting change.

"If anything can go wrong, it will..." This tongue-in-cheek principle, known as Murphy's Law, is cited by economists, sports teams, and big politicians. Human nature somehow guarantees that nothing turns out quite the way it's supposed to. 

Apostolate an effect of prayer

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

ON the Feast of the Apostles Simon and Jude, celebrated on October 28, we are presented with the gospel episode where Christ spent the whole night praying in a mountain and when done, he proceeded to choose his twelve apostles. (cfr. Lk 6,12-16)

Somehow, we can make the conclusion that the choice of the apostles which was meant to cooperate and continue the work of redemption with Christ, that is, to carry out the essential task of doing apostolate all throughout time, must be the fruit of his prayer.

Christ must be telling us that for us to discern the need to do apostolate, let alone, to be effective and fruitful in it, we should also pray. Only then can we get the same spirit that drove Christ to go all the way of offering his life for the salvation of mankind.

If we really have a good prayer, one where we truly have an intimate encounter with God, we for sure would come out of it burning with zeal for love and concern for the others. Somehow, we would catch the fire behind these words of Christ: “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Lk 12,49)

Yes, real prayer has that effect. If, on the contrary, we come out of it just thinking of our own selves, or worse, feeling low and dry, then we are not actually praying. Prayer will always sharpen our mindfulness and thoughtfulness of others.

Prayer is by definition an act of love. And love in turn is always self-perpetuating. It never stops giving itself to God. As St. Francis de Sales would put it, “The measure of love is to love without measure.”

And because of our love for God, then our prayer which is an act of love for God will always lead us to love others. That is always the trajectory of a true, love-inspired prayer. Its vertical aspect never leaves behind the horizontal aspect.

Yes, if our prayer is real and done out of love, we will always come out of it burning with the zeal of love. We have to be wary of the danger of falling easily into complacency, lukewarmness, mediocrity. We should always be on the lookout for these perils.

We need to fill our mind and heart with love, and all that love brings—goodness, patience, understanding and compassion, mercy, gratuitous acts of service, generosity and magnanimity.

Yes, there’s effort involved here. Great, tremendous effort, in fact. But all this stands first of all on the ‘terra firma’ that is God’s grace, which is always given to us in abundance if we care to ask and receive it. Nothing human, no matter how well done, would prosper unless it is infused also with God’s grace.

We have to be wary of conforming ourselves, whether openly or subtly, intentionally or mindlessly, to worldly ways, to mere social trends, or to some inertia generated merely physically, hormonally, economically, politically, culturally, historically, etc.

We need to be most aware and sensitive to these dangers which are so common as to be part of what we call normal in life. Let’s train ourselves to smell out their symptoms and their approaches as soon as they arise. And then be quick to resist them.

May we always feel the urge to do apostolate in any given situation!

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

More business opportunities await foreign investors in the Philippines with amended Foreign Investment Act

Liberalizing its economic policies and laws, the Philippines continues to transform itself as an attractive investment destination by allowing foreign investors who are considering doing business in the country to set up and fully own domestic enterprises through the recently-amended Foreign Investment Act or the FIA.  

The law is a testament of the Philippine government’s resolve and commitment to further create a business-friendly landscape so that foreign investors can grow and flourish their businesses.  

The law establishes the Inter-Agency Investment Promotion Coordination Committee (IIPCC), integrating all the investment promotion activities of various Philippine government bodies with the Board of Investments (BOI) as Secretariat. The IIPCC is set to convene its inaugural meeting on November 8, 2022. 

Here is the rundown of the salient features and provisions of the FIA that would offer an array of business opportunities for foreign investors who are eyeing to invest in the Philippines.  

FIA slashes barrier on foreign ownership of small and medium-sized enterprises 

Amending the 30-year-old law, the new measure will ultimately improve foreign investments in the Philippines by providing less stringent requirements for potential foreign investors to enter the roaring Philippine market. 

Primarily, the law allows – for the first time – foreign investors to set up and completely own domestic market enterprises categorized as micro-enterprises. The said economic measure gives way for foreign nationals to invest and fully-own micro and small domestic market enterprises with paid-up equity below the stated threshold but not below USD100,000.  

The enterprises, however, must fulfill the following criteria: (1) use of advanced technology, (2) endorsed as startup or startup enablers by the lead host agencies according to Republic Act (RA) No. 11337 or the Innovative Startup Act, (3) employ Filipinos as a majority of its direct employees.  

The amended FIA also trims down the employment requirement for foreign investments in domestic market enterprises from 50 direct employees to now at least 15 Filipino employees. Notably, the amended FIA cuts the list of investment areas exclusively reserved for Filipinos, namely: defense-related businesses and small and micro domestic market enterprises with paid-up equity capital of below USD200,000, subject to certain exceptions.  

In addition, foreigners engaged in export enterprises can secure 100 percent ownership in areas outside the Foreign Investment Negative List (FINL).  

The inception of the Inter-Agency Investment Promotion Coordination Committee  

Another major feature of the law is the establishment of the Inter-Agency Investment Promotion Coordination Committee (IIPCC), which is tasked to integrate the promotion activities to woo more foreign investors to do business in the Philippines. It also aims to achieve a world-class brand image for the country within the intertwined approaches of image building, investment generation, and investment servicing.  

Ushering in a culture of cooperation, the law removes competition for investments among the investment promotion agencies (IPAs), resulting in the best possible locational choice for investments. The Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) shall be the Chairman of the IIPCC, while the BOI, headed by the Executive Director for Investments Promotion, shall be the IIPCC Secretariat which will provide administrative support to the said Committee. 

As the leader of the country’s investment promotion agencies (IPAs), the BOI is set to play an important role in spurring the growth of the country’s economy. The revised law will foster a “culture of cooperation” among the IPAs by coordinating investment promotion efforts in the country. 

Through the amended FIA, the IIPCC – led by DTI Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual – is resolute to make more business opportunities happen in the Philippines for foreign investors. Before the creation of the IIPCC, there was the Philippine Investment Promotion Plan (PIPP) – an informal grouping of 19 IPAs –  in which the BOI headed both the Steering Committee and Technical Working Group.  

With these amendments, foreign investors are at an advantage. The FIA is an opportune moment for foreign investors to complement the recent full reopening of the Philippine economy. The said consequential economic law, along with the Public Service Act (PSA) and Retail Trade Liberalization Act (RTLA), and the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives Act (CREATE) makes the country’s business climate more conducive to foreign investments.  # 

Voluntary wearing of face masks: One barricade down on the road to recovery

Published October 27, 2022, 12:02 AM

by Manila Bulletin

After allowing the voluntary use of face masks in outdoor spaces, now comes another development that would, in the words of our tourism officials, make the country “at par” with our ASEAN neighbors. The use of face masks will now be voluntary in indoor spaces and with only a few exceptions.

This new directive comes after a Cabinet meeting and consultation with the IATF last Oct. 25, 2022, and reflects the sentiment of the President when he said that the pandemic is “fading away” and it is already “time to go back to work, to go back to our normal lives.”

Though the business sector lauded this move, the general mood is one of cautious jubilation, an oxymoron since the world, officially, is still in a pandemic. There are still new daily Covid infections and the detection of the XBB and XBC variants that experts have said are more transmissible is a cause for concern. Nevertheless, businesses, especially those in the hospitality, travel, and events industries, are bannering “back to business” flags, ready to operate in full capacity and raring to welcome holiday revelers. 

“The direction of the Marcos administration is to lift the remainder of travel restrictions into the Philippines, and that includes easing of our mask mandates to allow our country to be at par with our ASEAN neighbors, as they have long liberalized the mask mandates,” said Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco. She noted, however, that face masks are still required when riding public or medical transportation, or when entering medical facilities. Meanwhile, those who are unvaccinated, with comorbidities, and senior citizens are strongly advised to wear face masks.

With the further easing of mask mandates comes the lifting of some stringent travel requirements, which Frasco said would further encourage the arrival of tourists. For one, travelers would no longer need an RT-PCR test as a pre-departure requirement. Unvaccinated individuals could also now enter the country provided that they present an antigen test taken 24 hours before departure, or an option to take an antigen test upon arrival.

Answering forms will become easier, too. The One Health Pass is now replaced with an eArrival card. Filling out the eArrival card will not be mandatory as a prerequisite to boarding and can be filled at one’s convenience prior to departure or upon arrival.

“(We) want our country to convey an openness and readiness to the world to receive tourists and investments so that we would give our fellow Filipinos an opportunity to regain all the livelihood and losses that were incurred during the pandemic,” Frasco added. 

Members of the Senate and the House also supported this move from Malacañang, with Senator Grace Poe saying that “loosening the mask mandate and regulations on the entry of tourists will help generate economic activities, foremost among them is providing jobs to our people.”  But she said that we “must build on the gains of the past in the fight against Covid-19 until we cross the finish line in this health crisis.”

Indeed, if this pandemic is a marathon filled with obstacles and barricades, then relaxing the mask mandate is a sign that we have hurdled a challenging phase of the health crisis. At the concluding leg of this marathon, may our nation never lose sight of our goal of full economic and social recovery. Anything less than that, which could reset all our efforts, would be unacceptable

PLGU-DdO intensifies emergency response preparedness thru Bulawanong Kaandam

To strengthen the operability response and readiness of the responders in managing critical incidents, the Davao de Oro government successfully conducted the Bulawanong Kaandam – a simulation exercise on Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) during the celebration of the Bulawan Festival on October 22, 2022. 

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) spearheaded the activity in partnership with the Provincial Health Office. The exercise was participated by various municipal emergency response teams, private and security sectors, and humanitarian organizations in the province. 

PDRRMO Department Head Joseph Randy Loy underscored the importance of exercise as it helps to evaluate, assess, and improve the capacity of organizations to react to emergencies effectively and efficiently.  

“We are here to prepare ourselves for response in the future, gikinahanglan nga kabalo ta sa atoang mga roles and responsibilities, particularly the local government units where the accidents have taken place,” Loy said. 

Staging MCI involving multiple vehicular accidents, Loy added that the exercise aims to test the effectiveness of the command control system, specifically the activation of the Incident Command System (ICS), establishing linkages, communications, and coordination. 

He also expressed his gratitude to Governor Dorothy Montejo-Gonzaga for allowing the Bulawanong Kaandam as one of the activities in the Bulawan Festival. 

Louise Mark Cirunay, Chief Operations of the Office of Civil Defense XI, congratulated the participants and the exercise management team for executing excellent operational coordination between the province, operation center, dispatch, and down to the responders. 

"As a whole, I am very confident na in times of disaster ang PLGU-Davao de Oro will be able to cope or respond accordingly to any hazard that may happen in the province," Cirunay added. 

(R. Hortizano, Photos by Albert Dayao, MCI victims all enactment/simulations)

Angeline Quinto celebrates first decade with '10Q' concert

Angeline Quinto with Michael Pangilinan, Bugoy Drilon and Daryl Ong.

A decade of dominating the music scene with her powerhouse vocals, Angeline Quinto comes full circle with the 10Q concert — a grand celebration of her iconic hits.

The power diva is taking center stage on November 12, 8 p.m., at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. R&B trio BuDaKhel — composed of Bugoy Drilon, Daryl Ong and Michael Pangilinan — is joining her in celebrating this milestone.

From being the next female pop superstar in "Star Power" to becoming one of the most sought-after divas in the country, Quinto cemented herself as an undisputed singer of her generation.

She ultimately became popular for her renditions of theme songs from the biggest Philippine dramas. Among her hits are "Kunin Mo Na Ang Lahat Sa Akin," "Pangarap na Bituin," and "Hanggang Kailan Kita Mamahalin."

Quinto kickstarted the celebration by filming a ten-part series for the 10Q concert in 2021. She eventually brought her tour to different cities across Canada and the United States. This year, the concert series returns to Manila for fans to witness show-stopping performances and more.