IN PICTURES: What Pinoy celebs want for Christmas

BY CARISSA ALCANTARA

Dec 17, 2023 07:06 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• These celebrities may be busy with their daily schedules, but one thing puts a smile on their faces, and that is making their Christmas wish come true.

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With only a few days before we celebrate Christmas, this year has been a challenging event for all; it may be personal and career growth. This holiday season gives us hope for a peaceful and happy year.

These celebrities may be busy with their daily schedules, but one thing puts a smile on their faces, and that is making their Christmas wish come true. 

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Marlo Mortel 

"Ako ang gusto ko lang naman ngayong pasko is maging healthy yung mga tao and abangan nila yung mga bago ko na mga kanta." 

(All I want this Christmas is for people to be healthy and for them to look forward to my new songs)

Roselle Nava 

"Actually mine is very simple lang kasi we usually spend our Christmas at home, so my Christmas wish is to be with family." 

(Actually mine is very simple because we usually spend our Christmas at home, so my Christmas wish is to be with family) 

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Jose Mari Chan 

"My personal wish is to continue good health and happiness with our family, with our children and grandchildren."

Kuh Ledesma 

Kuh Ledesma 

"My Christmas wish is simple lang, magkaroon ng world peace, totoo na talaga." 

(My Christmas wish is simple, to have world peace, it's really true) 

Enchong Dee 

"Christmas wish ko? Sana manalo ng award yung GomBurZa, kasi we've worked hard for it and very excited kami for people to watch it." 

(My Christmas wish? I hope GomBurZa wins an award, because we've worked hard for it and we're very excited for people to watch it) 

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Rob Gomez 

"Ang Christmas wish ko po ay makapag-ibang bansa kasama yung daughter ko and yung mom niya." 

(My Christmas wish is to go abroad with my daughter and her mom) 

Matteo Guidicelli 

"I guess for 2024 and in the future, sana mag-baby na kami. In God's time. At the end of the day, my priority is my wife and my family. That's part of the plan."

(I guess for 2024 and in the future we will have a baby. In God's time. At the end of the day, my priority is my wife and my family. That's part of the plan) 

Dingdong Dantes

"Yung gift and Christmas wish ko is iisa lang, and that is the gift of time kasi gusto ko ng maraming oras with my family." 

(My gift and Christmas wish are the same, and that is the gift of time because I want a lot of time with my family) 

Marian Rivera 

"I really wish for the world to heal and for everything to be okay, for the children to be able to study properly. And, of course, for our family, I hope for good health and for us to continue loving each other; that's our goal."

Daniel Padilla 

"My personal wish is peace of mind. What I really want to wish for myself, and my family, and all the people I love is to have good health and a happy life." 

Sassa Girl 

"Wish ko ngayong pasko is sana magka-jowa na ako"

(My wish this Christmas is to have a boyfriend) 

Heart Evangelista

"My Christmas wish is just for everybody to be healthy, its the real sign of wealth. Health is wealth" 

Aster Amoyo 

"Of course, my Christmas wish is just not for myself. Of course, for my family and everyone, my wish is health and safety for everyone." 

(Of course, my Christmas wish is just not for myself. Of course, for my family and everyone, my wish is health and safety for everyone) 

Jak Roberto 

"Since, I'm launching a new business, my wish is sana mag succeed siya and wish ko na rin na sana dumami pa yung blessings sa career." 

(Since, I'm launching a new business, my wish is that it succeeds, and I also wish that there will be more blessings in my career) 

Which Southeast Asia country did Filipino culture quite similar?

 

Jim Phipps

My wife is a Filipina. I have been to Mindanao, Cebu,& Luzon

478 followers

27 following

I have travelled to Europe, Asia, and South America.
My wife is a Filipina. I have travelled in Mindanao, Cebu, and Luzon.

Other than being a combat vet, retired engineer, and now a goat rancher, I am working hard to get my family here from the Philippines to Texas.

I am shooter (pistols and rifles), a reloader, and a hunter.

I am a Native Texan that has enjoyed seeing the world.

Vietnam and the Philippines share a number of traits.

From http://Vietnamtimes.org

Vietnamese Culture Hidden in Philippines

The cultures of Vietnam and the Philippines are very distinct yet they have some surprising overlap.

Rosie Nguyen

Rosie Nguyen is an editor at Vietnam Times. She graduated from Foreign Trade University with a major in Business Language and has one year of working experience in journalism and television.

https://vietnamtimes.org.vn/author/rosie-nguyen-375.sign

ngtrang12.ftu@gmail.com November 04, 2021 | 08:29

The familiar image of the Philippines countryside. Photo: Borgenproject

The Philippines has a colorful culture due to being a colony of the West. Mixing cultures between Spain and America for about 500 years, this island nation is considered the most westernized country in Asia today.

However, maybe because they are both in the cultural cradle of Southeast Asia, the cultures of Vietnam and the Philippines have many similarities.

Respecting traditional culture

Much influenced by Western culture, but like Vietnam, Filipinos attach special importance to traditional culture and focus on preserving their identity. When going to work, Filipinos will wear Western-style clothes. However, when participating in cultural events, they often choose traditional costumes.

In social and family relations, Filipinos respect the relationship hierarchy, similar to the sense of respect in Vietnamese culture.

Bamboo dance - a type of traditional culture thought only in Vietnam has similarities with Tinikling - one of the most popular folk dances in the Philippines.

Tinikling is named after the long-legged bird in the Philippines. Rice farmers on the Visayan Islands often set bamboo traps to protect their fields, but tikling birds often avoid bamboo traps.

As a result, the locals imitated the actions of the birds and from there, this dramatic traditional folk dance was born.

Filipinos dance Tinikling like bamboo dancing in Vietnam. Photo: Wikipedia

Just like the bamboo dance in Vietnam, Tinikling is now considered a national dance in the Philippines and almost every Filipino knows Tinikling. This dance is often performed during special occasions such as traditional Philippine festivals or at school and theater performances.

Feeling like home

As a country with a tropical monsoon climate, the weather in the Philippines is similar to that of Ho Chi Minh City with rainy and dry seasons (rainy season from June to November and dry season from December to May). In the rainy season, the Philippines often has heavy rains and ends quickly in the early morning or evening.

If Vietnam is praised by tourists for its diversity in culinary culture, the typical flavor of Filipino cuisine is also a combination of salty, sour and sweet flavors – a combination quite common in many Vietnamese food.

In addition to Western flavors, Filipino cuisine is also deeply influenced by Chinese culture. Therefore, the eating habits of Filipinos are also very similar to those of Vietnamese and Chinese. For example, the person who invites to eat will be the one to pay, or when eating, Filipinos always create a warm atmosphere and avoid socializing at the table.

Similar to many Southeast Asian countries, all over the Philippines roads are means of transportation that are not much different from Vietnam such as cars, taxis, jeepneys (like a type of bus).

Rice terraces in the Philippines. Photo: Wikipedia

When people come to the highlands or countryside of the Philippines, they can all see familiar images with stilt houses, rice fields, buffaloes.

Vietnamese people may be surprised when admiring the Cordillera rice terraces, and cannot help but think of the image of Mu Cang Chai terraced fields in their homeland.

Inscribed by UNESCO in 1995, the Cordillera Rice Terraces is the first World Heritage Site to be recognized as a cultural landscape, comprising five sites located in the Ifugao province, in the Cordillera administrative region.

In recent years, Vietnam and the Philippineshave always strengthened people-to-people exchanges and coordinated to organize cultural exchange activities to enhance understanding between the two peoples.

Through these events, the people of the two countries feel more closeness and familiarity from the customs in life to the traditional professions such as carpet making, basket weaving.

Possible cyclone could enter PAR as 'Simbang Gabi' starts — PAGASA

James Relativo - Philstar.com

December 16, 2023 | 12:54pm

MANILA, Philippines — PAGASA is closely monitoring a developing low pressure area (LPA) situated east of Mindanao, a weather disturbance that shows potential for intensification into a tropical depression.

There are indications it could enter the Philippine area of responsibility by Saturday.

The LPA was last seen 1,225 kilometers east of southeastern Mindanao, according to DOST-PAGASA weather specialist Obet Badrina in a forecast shortly before 5 a.m.

"Based on our last satellite images, [the LPA] is still outside the Philippine area of responsibility," said Badrina on Saturday morning in Filipino.

"It could enter the PAR this Saturday, and we are not discounting the possibility of it intensifying into a tropical storm."

PAGASA predicted one tropical cyclone before Christmas and possibly another before the year ends.

Badrina's forecast came as the traditional nine-day Simbang Gabi (Misa de Gallo) began early Saturday morning, with Catholics flocking to churches until Christmas eve.

"Whether it becomes a tropical cyclone or not, we expect that the low pressure area... will bring rains especially starting tomorrow, particularly in the eastern section of Mindanao and Visayas," the PAGASA official added.

"It could also be the case that, because of the expected shear line in the next few days, parts of Bicol Region could experience some rains."

If the low pressure area strengthens into a cyclone and enters the PAR, it will be named "Kabayan." This could mark the 11th cyclone to enter the region in 2023."

From aides to RNs: DOH honors newly registered nursing scholars

BY RHOWEN DEL ROSARIO

Dec 15, 2023 07:53 PM

  

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Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Dr. Teodoro "Ted" Herbosa, on Friday, Dec.15, honored the 147 new registered nurses who were scholars of the department's nursing scholarship program.

Photo from DOH

DOH said that out of the 179 scholars who took the recent nursing board examination, 147 passed and are now officially registered nurses (RNs).

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/4/doh-welcomes-new-nurses

The DOH scholarship program, launched in partnership with the Carl Balita Review Center (CBRC), offers free online review and mentorship to aspiring nurses to help nursing graduates take the board exam with ease.

 

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/1970/1/1/free-online-review-offered-for-nle-retakers

It said it is open to nursing graduates who are currently working in private hospitals, government hospitals, private companies, and other government institutions.

Also, the scholars are not required to have a “service contract” after they graduate, as they are free to choose where they want to work.

“The CBRC does not require the scholars to have a service contract as all we want is for them to pass the board and join our nursing force,” CBRC Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Carl E. Balita said.

He stressed that this partnership aims “to create a model that helps them to undergo review while working and without any bond of service.”

“Wherever these new nurses may choose to go, the beneficiary remains to be humanity and career advancement is their choice,” he added. 

Balita, however, hoped that many of these new nurses would choose to serve the Philippines, especially amidst the high demand for Filipino professional nurses abroad.

Meanwhile, Herbosa commended the program's success and pledged to continue this project as a “public-private partnership to benefit the health human resources of our health care system.”