The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives files a bill proposing a significant increase in teachers’ salaries.
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Friday, February 16, 2024
Ariana Grande, Mariah Carey collaborating for 'Yes, And?' remix
Kristofer Purnell - Philstar.com
MANILA, Philippines — Pop singer Ariana Grande tapped fellow artist and "lifelong inspiration" Mariah Carey for a remix of her latest song "Yes, And?"
The track released last January 12 is Ariana's lead single off her upcoming seventh album "Eternal Sunshine," which comes out in full on March 8.
Ariana released a music video for the Madonna-inspired track on the same day featuring choreography that mirrors the song's lyrics about how she deals with the public perception on her personal life, relationships and appearance.
"Yes, And?" was well-received by critics and fans alike, topping global charts, and Ariana is continuing the song's success with a remix featuring Mariah.
The singer confirmed the remix in an Instagram post with a photo of her and Mariah, announcing the track would drop on February 16 and describing Mariah as "the one and only, queen of my heart, and lifelong inspiration."
"There truly are no words that suffice. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this dream come true and for sprinkling your brilliance and magic on my little song," Ariana said. "It means more to me than I could ever possibly articulate and I cannot wait for everyone to hear this! I love you eternally!!!!!!!"
Mariah reflected her gratitude in the comments section, "Darling angel, I am so effing excited to be joining you on the 'Yes, And?" remix!! This is such a magical moment!! Love you."
The two artists previously collaborated with Jennifer Hudson for the 2020 remix of Mariah's Christmas hit "Oh Santa!"; both Grammy winners also joined Mariah for a performance of the song last December.
Ariana's last solo release before "Yes, And?" was for her sixth album "Positions" from 2020, though she had since collaborated with The Weeknd, Demi Lovato, Kelly Clarkson and Kid Cudi.
Massive oil price hikes to squeeze consumers’ pockets anew
Gasoline price increase inching close to P2.00/liter
Feb 16, 2024 08:12 AM
AT A GLANCE
On the calculation of the industry players, gasoline prices will rise by P1.40 to P1.90 per liter, diesel to escalate by P1.20 to P1.60 per liter; and kerosene prices will go up by P1.20 to P1.60 per liter.
If based solely on price movements of the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) index, the quantified price hikes from the outcome of four-day trading had been: P1.421 per liter for gasoline products; then P1.126 per liter for diesel; and kerosene products by P1.292 per liter.
Huge cash will be burned at the pumps next week, as oil products are anticipated to be on hefty price hikes again by Tuesday (February 20), according to the estimates of the oil companies.
On the calculation of the industry players, gasoline prices will rise by P1.40 to P1.90 per liter, while diesel prices will also escalate by P1.20 to P1.60 per liter.
Kerosene, which is the other commodity in the weekly price swings and an essential base for aviation fuel, will also tick up by P1.20 to P1.60 per liter.
If based solely on price movements of the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) index, the quantified price hikes from the outcome of four-day trading had been: P1.421 per liter for gasoline products; then P1.126 per liter for diesel; and kerosene products by P1.292 per liter.
The final price adjustments will be reckoned after end-week trading on Friday (February 16), but the oil firms indicated that the scenario of elevated prices cannot be reversed anymore.
As the global price compass swung above $82 per barrel in recent days for international benchmark Brent crude, last week’s marginal rollback completely took a reverse turn.
Industry experts noted that the new surge in prices can still be attributed to the raging war in the Middle East with the uncertainties getting more complicated following an impasse on an earlier ceasefire plan between the Israeli and Palestine forces – and the aggravating factor to that is the Red Sea friction which has been whipping up risk premium for oil commodities to stride above $3.00 per barrel.
Beyond geopolitical events soaring to boiling points, the other factors which precipitated soar in prices had been forecast of trimmed production growth in non-OPEC countries, primarily in Russia and the United States; while the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) had kept demand growth projection unchanged for 2024-2025.
Saudi Arabia, which is the world’s biggest oil producer, similarly indicated plans to curb output to 12 million barrels per day level, as it is opting for higher capital infusion to renewables as part of its energy transition investment trajectory.
As emphasized by industry watchers, these global energy development ripples had dominated market sentiments last week; that even the higher-than-expected inflation figures in the US as well as reports of its inventory buildup had not done much to tame spiral in prices.
Improve quality of life, health care for elderly Filipinos
Feb 15, 2024 10:25 AM
Yesterday’s 100th birthday celebration of Juan Ponce Enrile, fondly called Manong Johnny, who serves presently as the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, calls attention to longevity of Filipinos.
On Feb. 17, Whang-od Oggay, a Filipino cultural icon, will mark her 107th birthday. According to a New York Times story, she is also known as Apo Maria Oggay, a tattoo artist from the village of Buscalan in Tinglayan, Kalinga-Apayao, and is often described as the “last” and oldest mambabatok; she belongs to the Butbut people of the Kalinga ethnic group. In April 2023, 106-year-old Whang-od became the oldest person to grace the cover of Vogue Philippines magazine.
President Marcos conferred on Apo Whang-od the Presidential Merit Award in Malacañang yesterday, Feb. 14, “in recognition of her unparalleled contributions to Philippine heritage and culture.”
The Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS), displays an infographic in its website that says: “Did you know that Filipinos have a life expectancy of 71 years? This is an increase of 15 years in the average lifespan compared to the 1960s. With the improvement of the Filipino population’s health, there is a need to ensure social security and health services for the elderly.”
The current life expectancy for Filipinos is 71.79 years old, according to Macrotrends, a digital information service that provides access to key economic and demographic indicators. In Macrotrends’ table of life expectancy in the Philippines from 1950 to 2024, the baseline is at 54.49 years in 1950; 60.70 years in 1960; and 63.06 in 1970. If the concept of a generation is flexed to 25 years, the life expectancy in 1975 was 63.23 years, or just slightly higher than the 1970 figure; in 2000, it was at 68.73 years.
The Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2020 census reports that there were 9,222,672 Filipinos who were 60 years old and over; 5,855,449 were 65 years old and over. Both houses of Congress have passed Senate Bill 2028, Expanding the Coverage of the Centenarians Act. Its actual enactment will come after being reviewed by the Office of the President. This bodes well for Filipino centenarians. As contemplated in the updated Centenarians Act, Filipino senior citizens living in the Philippines or abroad shall be granted ₱10,000 upon reaching 80 years old, ₱20,000 upon reaching 90 years old and ₱100,000 upon reaching 100 years old.
Senators Imee Marcos and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, who sponsored and introduced the bill, respectively, noted that many Filipinos do not reach the age of 100 and are unable to enjoy the “benefits and privileges of the present law which awards ₱100,000 cash to every Filipino centenarian.” They cited the rising cost of living and healthcare expenses that has made it very difficult for senior citizens to afford basic necessities. According to a 2017 UP Diliman study: “Older Filipinos are generally not materially well-off, not well-educated and about half consider themselves to be of average health, but have poor use of health services. They also believe that it would be best living by themselves.”
Beyond increasing monetary benefits, it is imperative that health care services for elderly Filipinos be upgraded significantly – and that they be afforded the opportunity to enjoy gentler, kinder living into their sunset years.
The STANDS - Philippine Daily Inquirer Sports Newsletter
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Typical Filipino (XLI) - Typisch Philippinisch (XLI): Erfolge, Verwandschaft, Alter - Achievments, relatives and age
Die neue Kernfamilie sucht nach materieller Sicherheit und Anerkennung seitens der Gemeinschaft. Oft hat die Ehefrau freie Hand, eigene unternehmerischen Fähigkeiten zu entwickeln. Sie gilt grundsätzlich als wichtige zusätzliche Verdienerin. Materieller Erfolg und Wohlstand werden jedoch nur anerkannt, wenn sie mit wachsenden Ansehen in der Gesellschaft einhergehen. Also versucht die Familie während des ganzen Lebens, jeden Erfolg und jede positive Überraschung durch Einladungen oder Feste mit Verwandten und engen Freunden zu teilen. Eine Beförderung, eine hohe berufliche Auszeichnung oder selbst der Sieg bei einem Schönheitswettbewerb sind willkommene Anlässe für ein großes Fest, um alle an der Familienehre und dem glücklichen Moment teilhaben zu lassen.
Andere Gelegenheiten sind die "runden Geburtstage" (40, 50, 60, 70 und so weiter), Silberne, Goldene oder Diamante Hochzeit. Diese werden häufig mit einer Erneuerung des Ehegelübdes begangen.
Im Alter ist der Filipino für die Wärme und Geborgenheit der Drei- bis Viergenerationenfamilie eingebettet. Dies darf ich seit vielen Jahren selbst erfahren. Altersheime kennt man auf den Philippinen so gut wie nicht. Die Kinder sehen es als ihre Pflicht an, für die Eltern im Alter zu sorgen. Ältere Menschen werden respektiert und verlieren so gut wie nie die Zuneigung der Jüngeren. Oft suchen die Enkel bei den Großeltern Rat.
(Fortsetzung folgt!)
+++
The new nuclear family looks for material security and recognition from the community. The wife often has free rein to develop her own entrepreneurial skills. She is generally considered an important additional earner. However, material success and prosperity are only recognized if they are accompanied by increasing reputation in society. So throughout life, the family tries to share every success and every positive surprise with relatives and close friends through invitations or celebrations. A promotion, a high professional award or even a victory in a beauty contest are welcome occasions for a big celebration so that everyone can share in the family honor and the happy moment.
Other occasions are the "round birthdays" (40, 50, 60, 70 and so on), silver, golden or diamond weddings. These are often celebrated with a renewal of wedding vows.
In old age, the Filipino is embedded in the warmth and security of the three- to four-generation family. I have been able to experience this myself for many years. Retirement homes are almost unheard of in the Philippines. The children see it as their duty to care for their parents in old age. Older people are respected and almost never lose the affection of younger people. The grandchildren often look to their grandparents for advice.
(To be continued!)
Thursday, February 15, 2024
Philippines Most Powerful Tidal Current
So long to Sky Cable
So long to Sky Cable
February 15, 2024 | 12:00am
Let’s say when first moved in the apartment complex, read condominium, the cornered cable TV provider was the then fledgling Destiny, whose lineup was not as illustrious as the larger companies Sky and Home, but nevertheless had its fair share of rare almost novel channels to seemingly make up for the shortfall, such as Sports plus (The NBA all day, because you asked for it we’re giving it to you) and the Japanese import Wowow, with its unusual combination of fringe movies, stellar sports events and animé.
But even before that big move to Mandaluyong 23 years ago, Sky Cable was our first-ever cable TV in the old apartment digs in Malate, where upon subscribing and telling our landlady about it, she remarked, “Ang yaman niyo!” or you’re so rich, it was such a novelty at the time almost like the telephone which Eastern Telecom had provided us off Vito Cruz after more than a decade phoneless but with pager, so cute and almost like a luxury you could kiss it.
Didn’t disconnect from Sky though despite the move, and thought of bringing it to Boni but for Destiny, or was it destiny that had us transfer the line to Maginhawa St. UP Village, at the old folks ancestral home, where they could watch Turner movie classics, Marimar dancing by the beach, the “X-files” as well as assorted game shows, not to mention the gaggle of news programs including CNN, on which they watched the planes crashing into the World Trade Center towers in New York.
Even the kids who were toddlers then had a great kick out of the cartoon cluster, such as Cartoon Network (which the youngest pronounced Neckwork), Animax, and regular programs of “One Piece” and “Dragon Ball,” the golden age of animé is always in the elementary years.
The NBA, with its much-coveted basketball programing, did musical chairs with the cable providers, until it came out with a dedicated channel of League Pass with separate subscription, with only token game offerings on long weekends to further whet the appetite of fanatics. It was on Sky though that we got our first glimpse of the English Premier League, where players were hyper like energizer bunnies a step or two quicker than those in other leagues.
Then, too, there were definitive finds on Sky, not least the channel Filmbox Arthouse where you could have your fill of European classics and avant-garde cinema, from the silent movies of Charlie Chaplin to horror pioneer “Nosferatu,” as well the cult classic “Metropolis” and Ozu’s trilogy that forever changed the face of filmmaking, “Late Spring,” “Early Summer” and “Tokyo Story,” all featuring an actress whose role as Noriko was muse of postwar Japan. Also practically the whole Tarkovsky catalogue.
Things were never the same when during the pandemic, congressmen without much gray matter decided not to renew the franchise of ABS-CBN, parent company of Sky Cable, and gradually the company began to feel the crunch forcing to lay off thousands of workers as if times weren’t hard enough.
During lockdowns and limited forays into the outside world, cable TV was the link for real time news and information, so much that if it went on the blink for some technical reason and no hotline to call, it was ABS-CBN and Sky point man Kane Choa who received our frantic texts verging on panic, and The STAR columnist always delivered to have cable restored and make quarantine less miserable, less out of touch.
News is out that Sky Cable will sign off by month’s end, making it the second major broadcast carrier and communications conglomerate to write 30 in as many months, after CNN Philippines last January. PLDT’s purchase of the cable provider has finally been approved by the concerned agencies, so Sky pay TV will transition to Cignal while still retaining its broadband service.
While channels may be comparable at more or less the same price, there’s the issue of bundled offerings (Internet plus cable) or standalone satellite dish, the latter frowned upon by condominium administration as the palangganas might be eyesores sticking out of apartments in 2024, not to mention safety hazards during storms. Also, what if the unit already has another Internet provider, say Converge, can’t Cignal harness this using existing Sky Cable lines and not resort to the dish?
So many questions, too little time to say goodbye to BeinSports and Mezzo classical station, the Aquarium channel, though Teleradyo Serbisyo and ANC can still be accessed through broadband to augment One News and OnePh that come with the buy in. So long also to Kyla the bot, whose quick stock responses were filler before connecting to an actual customer rep, but there’s no goodbyes for bots, only wishes that transition from Sky to Cignal would be as seamless as that of Destiny to Sky many years ago. Or maybe Converge Vision TV has a better, more feasible alternative.
(Erratum from last number on Brocka national anarchist: It was William Lorenzo not Alan Paule who was with the director the night he died.)
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