80% of Filipinos believe SIM registration will reduce PH cybercrime – survey

by Charie Mae F. Abarca

At least 80 percent of Filipinos believe that the mandatory Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card registration will help reduce cybercrime cases in the Philippines according to a survey conducted by data research firm Tangere.

The mobile-based survey was conducted from Jan. 18 until Jan. 20, 2023 with a sample size of 2,400 respondents.

Based on the survey, two out of three Filipinos have already registered their SIM cards in compliance with the law. Three out of five respondents, on the other hand, “have not yet registered” their cards, believing that their personal information will be compromised under the government’s central database.

All data that will be given to public telecommunication entities (PTEs) will be treated as confidential, said the national government.

SIM cards (Pixabay)

Why do we need to register our SIM?

Pursuant to Republic Act No. 11934, otherwise known as the SIM Registration Act, all new and existing subscribers in the Philippines are mandated to register their cards until April 26, 2023. All unregistered SIMs will be deactivated permanently.

ADVERTISEMENT

The law, which was signed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., seeks to curb electronic communication-aided crimes like mobile phishing and text spams.

A month after the law took effect, several users continue to receive text spams, but Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy, in a palace briefing, noted its “significant drop.”

“Before the law was signed, how many spam messages were you receiving everyday? I am sure all of you felt the significant drop. I used to receive about six or seven then, but now just one or two,” said Uy in Filipino.

Latest data from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) showed that a total of 25,917,464 SIM cards have already been registered as of Jan. 26. This equates to about 15.34 percent of the existing 168,977,773 units nationwide.

K-pop girl group Momoland members leave agency

by Jonathan Hicap

Members of K-pop girl group Momoland have left their agency.

MLD Entertainment, the group’s agency, announced on Jan. 27 that all six members of Momoland have decided to leave after their contracts expired.

Momoland performing at the Ripples for Hope event in Manila last November (Jonathan Hicap)

“First of all, I sincerely thank the fans who cherish and support Momoland,” it said.

The agency said, “After long discussions with Momoland (Hyebin, Jane, Nayun, JooE, Ahin, Nancy), we agreed to respect each other’s opinions and terminate the exclusive contract upon expiration of the contract period.”

“We express our deep gratitude to Momoland for being with us as artists for a long time. We will also sincerely support the members’ future. Fans, please give unchanging love and encouragement to the six members who are about to start anew,” MLD Entertainment said.

Momoland debuted in 2016.

Imported red onions cheaper than local counterpart in NCR

by Jel Santos

Imported red onions in various markets in the National Capital Region (NCR) are at least P40 cheaper than local red onions, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported.

Red onions (Photo courtesy of Pixabay)

Based on the price monitoring of the agriculture department as of Friday, Jan.27, imported red onions are being sold for P200 to P250 per kilo, while local red onions are priced P240 to P350 a kilo.

The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) has disclosed in a recent “Laging Handa” briefing that the first batch of imported onions have arrived in the country, saying that 588 metric tons (MT) of onions– 218 MT of yellow onions and 370 MT of red onions– are now stored at cold storage facilities.

Meanwhile, the price of imported white onions monitored by the DA are higher than of locally harvested white onions. Per kilo, imported onions are priced P250 to P260; local white onions cost P170 to P300 a kilo.

The agriculture department had earlier predicted that prices of onions would drop once the of imports arrive in the country before the end of January.

Assistant Secretary Rex Estoperez, DA deputy spokesperson, said in an earlier interview that they are expecting the price of onions to go as low as P150 to P200 per kilo.

ADVERTISEMENT

He said the agriculture department has calibrated the time and volume of the importation to ensure that the imported onions will not overlap with the local harvest of onion growers.

This is because the peak of harvest for local onion growers in the country is in mid-February, explained Estoperez.

Some groups of farmers have earlier expressed worry that the public would patronize imported onions over local harvests.

Prior to the approval of onion importation, Estoperez himself admitted that the price of onion in the country has “gotten out of control.”

The price of onions in some markets went as high as P720 per kilo during the holiday season.

What is the reason for the diversity of languages spoken in the Philippines, given that they all have their origins in the Malay/Indonesian language?

Datu Ulap

There are a couple of things wrong with this question.

“ given that they all have their origins in the Malay/Indonesian language? “

This is false. Tagalog, Bisaya, Ilocano, and many of the local languages, as well as the many local languages of Malaysia and Indonesia, are all part of the Austronesian language family. Which all come from Taiwan.

[Paper] Is Malayo-Polynesian a primary branch of Austronesian? : A view from morphosyntax

via Diachronica, 16 May 2022: This paper by Chen et al. takes a look at the linguistic evidence for the Austronesian expansion and hones a likely origin to the east coast of Taiwan. 

https://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/2022/08/19/paper-is-malayo-polynesian-a-primary-branch-of-austronesian-a-view-from-morphosyntax/

The Out-of-Taiwan Theory shows how Austronesians spread from Taiwan to the rest of Maritime Southeast Asia.

As for the diversity of languages spoken in the Philippines, it's the same reason why there is a diversity of languages spoken in Malaysia, Indonesia, and even in most neighboring countries like Vietnam, Myanmar, and Thailand. In Maritime Southeast Asia, many different island groups allow for different groups of people, or tribes, to develop their own distinct cultures, and thus their own languages.

• Ethnic Groups of Indonesia

Not to mention the other form of geographic barriers and features such as mountains and valleys or even open seas that create distinct cultural groups. This is true throughout Southeast Asia and throughout many parts of the world. Monocultures are quite rare in general.

• Ifugao people of the mountains in the Cordilleras.

• Maranao, people of the lake in Lake Lanao.

• Sama-Bajau people are known for living on the open seas.

• Panay-Bukidnon, known for living in the Visayan highlands.

FEBRUARY 2023: UPDATED TRAVEL GUIDE TO THE PHILIPPINES FOR BALIKBAYANS

Traveling to the Philippines this 2023? Quarantine is long gone and unvaccinated foreign nationals are welcome to visit! In this video, we talk about the complete guide for Former Filipinos & their families who are traveling to the Philippines. This covers immigration, vaccination, testing, pre-departure list, and arrival procedures. It's all there is to know! 😁

My love affair with movies

 by Johannes Chua

EDITOR’S DESK

I call this an “affair” as my love for movies is not something I share with people, even to family members or friends. But ever since I saw my first movie inside a dark theater in Ever Monumento (that was one of the Star Wars films in the ‘80s), I always had this insatiable passion for movies. I don’t know where I got it, or who influenced me, but watching movies takes up my time, especially after editing stories or writing my articles here in Manila Bulletin.

Being passionate about movies, specifically art films or those featured during awards season, film festivals, or critics lists is not really a “useful” endeavor. There’s only a small group here in our country (usually from the academe, film and theater orgs) to talk to about the Oscars/ Golden Globes/ Critics Choice, Cannes/ Venice/ Berlin Film Festivals, or the ongoing Sundance Film Fest. But it’s something we enjoy and discuss during weekends – watching and reviewing films together that Filipino audiences may not have heard of but are part of the conversation among cineastes worldwide.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Academy Awards, or popularly known as Oscars, is a much-anticipated event (I miss school for this); we even place friendly bets on our chosen nominees. To quote a friend, this is our version of a “Miss Universe” pageant.

We also talk about the local film industry and lament how far we have fallen behind compared to our neighbors. For example, the Philippines has been submitting an entry to the Oscars “Best Foreign Language Film” since 1956 (the first time it was introduced), but we never had any film in the final five. We were even overtaken by Bhutan, when its film “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” was among the five nominees for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in 2021.

This talk about the Oscars is not new for me, but to some, this feels like the first time as the name Dolly de Leon cropped up in news and on online sites these past few weeks. Dolly is not a “celebrity” in the usual mold compared to the actors gracing our screens. She is a theater thespian who had amassed years of experience as an “extra” playing bit characters in movies and television dramas. It took a Swedish filmmaker, Ruben Ostlund (who is nominated for Best Director), to notice Dolly’s extra-ordinary talent and cast her in the film “Triangle of Sadness.”

Even before Dolly’s name was part of the conversation, a few of us were able to notice her performance in that film, which was one of the competitive entries in the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. The film eventually won the grand prize, the Palme d’Or, and Dolly’s name was floated by critics as the one who dominated “Triangle of Sadness” in its third act. Through an online forum, I was able to watch the film early on even prior to the local screening. Hers was an unforgettable performance on screen, a magnificent showcase of Filipino artistry for the ages. 

It was a “travesty” that Dolly’s name was not part of the five names comprising the “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” when the Oscars nominations were announced last Tuesday evening. I assumed that Dolly was the number sixth nominee. It was the closest for a Filipino actor. But all is not lost as I feel that she has kicked the door open and has lit the fire in the belly of other Filipino artists to reach that goal. On the bright side, she has also encouraged foreign movie producers, directors, and casting agents to shift their eyes toward the Philippines and its bevy of talents.

I know a lot of friends who have this Oscars dream. A friend of a friend, the late director Francis Xavier Pasion, who passed away at the age of 38, wasn’t able to fulfill his dream. Francis directed the 2008 Cinemalaya Best Film called “Jay” and he shared to me his ultimate dream was to bring home an Oscars statuette for the Philippines. It was truly possible for him as he kept on winning awards and getting accolades for his films. If his dream was to win one, mine was just to attend a ceremony even as a spectator. It would be an experience of a lifetime to see the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles filled with celebrities, artists, singers, and the media personalities who cover this annual event.

My love affair with movies continues. I have watched all the movies nominated in the 95th Academy Awards, which will be held on March 12, 2023 (morning of March 13 in Manila). My friends and I will have our awards checklist, featuring “small” movies such as Aftersun, Living, Banshees of Inisherin, to the popular ones such as Everything Everywhere All at Once, Elvis, and Top Gun Maverick, and of course, Triangle of Sadness.

We are very excited this year as it is the first time that four actors of Asian descent are nominated: Michelle Yeoh (history making as first Asian best actress nominee in the Oscars), Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, and Hong Chau. I have my eyes on Michelle to win this year as her victory will show that it is possible for Asian artists to make it in Hollywood. I just hope to see in my lifetime another Michelle, now with a Pinoy surname, taking the world stage.

Johannes L. Chua is the editor of Property and Environment sections.