P75 million government aid to help boost creative industry

Extras, stunt doubles and other movie industry workers avail themselves of free services from various government agencies and receive financial assistance and sacks of rice, through the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation and Metro Manila Development Authority, during the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair at Philsports Arena in Pasig City on Saturday. The event is part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Metro Manila Film Festival.

Miguel De Guzman

Delon Porcalla - The Philippine Star 

October 14, 2024 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) of President Marcos has launched a support program worth P75 million aimed at providing financial aid and capacity-building opportunities to over 15,000 members of the creative industry, including financial aid and other services.

The two-day BPSF was held at the PhilSports Arena (Ultra) in Pasig City yesterday and focuses on uplifting professionals from the film, television, theater and radio sectors by offering a range of essential services and benefits.

The initiative is spearheaded by Speaker Martin Romualdez, a major proponent of the BPSF that has served more than 2.5 million families by rolling out more than P10 billion worth of government services and aid in more than 24 areas in the Philippines.

House Deputy Secretary General Sofonias Gabonada Jr. said the BPSF for the creative industry has also extended a P5,000 cash aid to eligible beneficiaries under the Ayuda sa Kapos Ang Kita Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Romualdez gave each of the beneficiaries five kilos of rice, for a total of 75,000 kilos for the two-day event.

Beyond the financial aid, Gabonada said the BPSF also aims to equip the creative industry with skills and knowledge through various training sessions and industry-specific workshops.

“The BPSF is one program of President Marcos whose objective is to help each sector of society, including those in the creative industry. We have shown you that the government has not forgotten you – the workers in music and the arts and in media,” the Speaker said in his message.

Indigenous Peoples' from Philippines set to join United Nations biological diversity confab in Colombia

BY KEITH BACONGCO

  

---

DAVAO CITY – A Indigenous Peoples delegation from the Philippines is set to join the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Colombia next week to share an IP-led plan to help save key biodiversity areas in the country.

DELEGATES to the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Colombia.

In a statement, representatives from IP groups and IP rights’ advocates said that they will present an indigenous-led plan to save the globally important biodiversity hotspots of the Philippines. 

It added that 96 out of 128 key biodiversity areas are located in IP territories.

At the COP16, delegates from governments, corporations, industry, and non-government organizations will gather  to discuss mobilization of resources to support global action on biodiversity. 

Jill Cariño, an indigenous Ibaloi woman leader and coordinator of the Partners for Indigenous Knowledge Philippines (PIKP), said that along with IP advocates, they have been developing an Indigenous Peoples Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (IPBSAP) which binds their collective commitments to protect the country’s last remaining ecological corridors.

“Indigenous governance and knowledge systems currently protect over 1.35 million hectares or one-third of the Philippines’ key biodiversity areas situated within our ancestral domains,” said Cariño. 

The delegation to the COP16 represents the Indigenous Peoples and Biodiversity Coalition Philippines (IPBC PH), a newly formed national gathering of IPs and support organizations upholding the tribes’  rights towards the protection, conservation, enhancement, and sustainable use of biodiversity.

It added that the IP-led plan is aligned with the 23 targets set out in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), the latest agreement passed by the UN CBD in 2022 in which the Philippine government is a party to.

“The IPBSAP aims to highlight local indigenous plans, agro-ecological knowledge systems and practices, and other culture-based nature solutions as indispensable to halting biodiversity loss in the country.”

The IPBSAP, Cariño said, is a living document that is rooted in the realities of the ancestral domains and indigenous territories across the country.  “It is supported by actual local community knowledge, practices, and initiatives that need to be recognized as valuable contributions of indigenous peoples to biodiversity conservation in policy formulation,  legislation, and governance.”

Asami Segundo, a young Ikalahan-Kalanguya woman from the northern Philippines, said that bringing the IPBSAP to Colombia is part of the process to enrich the home-brewed plan.

“We hope to share this indigenous-led plan with the rest of the world at the CBD COP. The IPBSAP can cross-pollinate with other strategies and innovations from other nations. But most importantly, we hope it sends the signal to world leaders that they must let indigenous peoples lead as we have the blueprints to save life on Earth as we know it,” Segundo said. 

She added that seven of the 23 KMGBF targets reaffirm the respect and recognition of rights, knowledge and practices, and territories of IPs.

“Clearly, indigenous peoples are part of the plan. We hope the IPBSAP inspires other nations on one hand, and instills deeper commitment for the Philippine government on the other, to support the time-honored customs of biodiversity governance of indigenous peoples.” 

ABS-CBN clinches 11 honors at 2024 Gawad Pasado Awards

Kathryn, BINI, and 'Third World Romance' receive recognition from teachers

BY MANILA BULLETIN ENTERTAINMENT

Oct 13, 2024 02:28 PM

  

---

AT A GLANCE

• PASADO is an organization of public and private school teachers who review series and films as documents and materials for teaching different disciplines.

---

GawadPasado

ABS-CBN bagged 11 accolades from Philippine educators for its outstanding shows, movies, and talents at the 2024 Gawad Pasado Awards held at Philippine Christian University on Saturday, Oct. 12.

“Third World Romance” emerged as one of the big winners—nabbing the PinakaPASADOng Dulang Pampelikula, PinakaPASADOng Pelikula sa Pagkakapantay-pantay ng mga Kasarian, and the PinakaPASADOng Pelikula awards. Kapamilya actress, Charlie Dizon, also took home the PinkaPASADOng Aktres award for her exceptional performance in the movie. 

The lead stars of “A Very Good Girl,” Kathryn Bernardo and Dolly de Leon, also received top honors—winning the PinakaPASADOng Aktres and PinakaPASADOng Katuwang na Aktres awards, respectively. 

Nation’s girl group, BINI, who took the country by storm with their hit songs “Pantropiko” and “Salamin, Salamin,” took home the PinakaPASADOng Dangal ng Kabataan award.  

Meanwhile, Dirty Linen, one of the top-rated series in the country in 2023, was honored with the PinakaPASADOng Teleserye Award. Its lead star, Janine Gutierrez, was also the recipient of the PinakaPASADOng Aktres sa Telebisyon Award for her role Alexa/Mila. Veteran actor and Star Magic artist, John Arcilla, who played the Fiero family patriarch, took home the PinakaPASADOng Aktor sa Telebisyon award. 

Actor Paulo Avelino also won the PinakaPASADOng Aktor sa Telebisyon award for his role Victor in the series “Linlang,” which first aired on Prime Video. 

PASADO is an organization of public and private school teachers who review series and films as documents and materials for teaching different disciplines. It holds the Gawad Pasado Awards every year to recognize exemplary stories and talents, and encourage innovation in teaching and in the creative industry.

This Is Project X: A sizzling fashion show with the hottest VMX crushes

BY MANILA BULLETIN ENTERTAINMENT

Oct 14, 2024 08:20 AM

  

---

AT A GLANCE

• Robb Guinto, Angela Morena, Stephanie Raz, and Micaella Raz, four pioneer Vivamax stars who have defined the Vivamax brand of sexy headlined the show.

---

As the Philippines's no.1 video streaming platform hits an unprecedented 12 million subscribers in 2024, so too will the hotness level be notched even higher than the maximum as they took the show on the road with Project X, a sizzling fashion show featuring the newest and the hottest VMX crushes.

Kicking off the fashion show at Viva Cafe, Araneta Center on Oct. 10, Project X showcased 12 of the most in-demand Vivamax stars and sweet new faces that captivated the imagination of the platform's 12 million-strong viewers. Robb Guinto, Angela Morena, Stephanie Raz, and Micaella Raz, four pioneer Vivamax stars who have defined the Vivamax brand of sexy headlined the show.

They were joined by an assembly of fiery up-and-comers who, upon their unveiling in their Vivamax starrers, have already proven their worth as the next wave of VMX crushes: Apple Dy, Audrey Avila, Aiko Garcia, Jenn Rosa, Dyessa Garcia, Sahara Bernales, Rica Gonzales, Skye Gonzaga, and Marianne Saint, Project X sees the signature hotness of Vivamax movies to the live stage, with special numbers by the 12 VMX crushes that promise to elevate sexiness with glamour and talent as only they can deliver. Everyone can expect to experience being as close to their crushes as they can ever hope to be.

The show was directed by Direk Paul Basinillo, Director of Tala, Kilometro by Sarah G, Indak movie, and other stars like Bamboo, Gloc 9, Nadine Lustre, Yeng Constantino, and many more. 

Direk Paul is a music video, concert director, TV commercial, and film and TV director who also serves as Viva’s chief marketing and creative officer.

Repertory Philippines finds a new home

BY JOCELYN VALLE

OCTOBER 14, 2024

Rep’s new home at Eastwood Theater is officially opened by Megaworld Lifestyle Malls head Graham Coates and Megaworld Corp. president and CEO Kevin Tan, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, and Rep’s Mindy Perez-Rubio and Joy Virata. —PHOTOS BY JOCELYN VALLE

Read Next

Woman power vs Henry VIII

Early this year, Repertory Philippines became homeless as Greenbelt 1 was set on closing down for renovation in April. The country’s pioneering theater company, known simply as Rep, had been putting on shows at the Onstage Theater of that Ayala Center mall in Makati City for the last 20 years.

But as fate would have it, a Rep staff member had a friend working at Megaworld Corp., a developer of several malls, including the cluster found at the Eastwood City property in Quezon City. The connection led to Megaworld Lifestyle Malls head Graham M. Coates, whose two daughters Rachel and Becca happened to be alumni of Rep’s acting workshops and productions. It ultimately reached Kevin Tan, the vice chairman, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Megaworld Corp.’s parent company, Alliance Global Group, Inc. (AGI).

AGI, whose Newport World Resorts property houses the Newport Performing Arts Theater, turned out to be making grand plans of expanding its reach and mark in the industry. It then offered Rep a home by reconfiguring the cinemas at its Eastwood City Walk mall and constructing a theater specifically for Rep. Thus, the birth of Eastwood Theater, which was formally launched Oct. 5 to coincide with the opening of Rep’s third production in its ongoing season, “Jepoy and the Magic Circle.”

Staging solitude: The triumph of ‘Request sa Radyo’

BY MARGE C. ENRIQUEZ

OCTOBER 14, 2024

The center stage is the OFW's tiny studio, with the kitchen near the door and the toilet conveniently located elsewhere. --PHOTOS BY SANDRO PAREDES

Read Next

Lighthearted reads: Books set in coffee shops

“Request sa Radyo,” a local adaptation of a German monodrama, is a marketing and promotions triumph. For months, Metro Manila buzzed about the reimagined Samsung Performing Arts Theater experience, featuring internationally acclaimed stars and a world-class production team. Postevent stories and social media posts were equally enthusiastic.

Nonetheless, the show lives up to the hype. We attended the preview starring Lea Salonga. Producer and scenographer Clint Ramos had seen Franz Xavier Kroetz’s “Wunschkonzert (Radio Request),” a play about a modest wage earner returning home from work and listening to the radio. In Western society, the solitary life, though common, can be daunting, forcing individuals to confront their feelings. Ramos adapted the play for the Philippine experience, focusing on an OFW in a New York suburb.

Monodramas, plays with a singular character, are ideal for intimate black-box theaters such as PowerMac Center Spotlight. However, staging it in a black box wouldn’t make news. The reconfiguring of the 1,200-capacity Samsung Theater by a Tony-award-winning designer would. Ramos transformed the conventional theater experience into an arena. As you enter, the theater is surrounded by crates, symbolizing the country’s export of caregivers.

BIZ BUZZ: Naia curbs ‘VIP’ lane via steep hike in fees

 

BY TYRONE JASPER C. PIAD

OCTOBER 11, 2024

Read Next

Cathartic moments

As passenger volume soars at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), so do the fees collected by the new gateway concessionaire.

After implementing higher parking rates this month, the New Naia Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC) has jacked up the price of its VIP (very important person) services—the package that includes priority check-in and boarding, meet and greet services as well as access to the lounge—by 10 times to P8,000.

Why? NNIC said the P800 price point makes it “easily accessible” when such services should be restricted to dignitaries, international performers and other high-profile passengers.

Be still and know

“Be still and know that I am God,” the first half of Psalms 46:10, is a popular verse used to encourage believers to be still and silent before the Lord. This interpretation promotes a healthy rest in the presence of the Lord.

This command—“Be still…”—is written in a time of trouble and war; therefore, we should consider the verse with that context in mind. The phrase “Be still and know that I am God” calls us to pause and reflect. It reminds us that God is still in control no matter what happens in our lives.

Like many Bible verses, this one  is often ripped from its context to declare something not intended in the passage itself. Well-meaning Christians may use this as a consolation in times of worry and frustration – as if God is saying, “relax, I got this.”

In other words: Be still and stop your running to and fro. Slow down. Slow down long enough!

We have been conditioned to feel guilty whenever we are not “productive.” Stillness, even for the purpose of rest or prayer, can feel like wasted time to someone who lives in a world that values wealth, competition, high productivity, full schedules, and general self-importance.

Why is it important to be still? Being still is like replenishing the stores. It allows us time and space. It gives us time and space to self-reflect and actually hear our thoughts.

Yes, we are living in a noisy and hectic world. We also become noisy and hectic, many times. No time for rewinding and turning off the daily din and racket. We all become noisy people and troublemakers. Have you noticed it already?

Making time for moments of stillness can have powerful mental health benefits. 

Today, stillness can be hard to come by. There’s just so much going on. So much noise both inside and outside our brains, so many tasks on our to-do lists, and at least several screens within reach.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, stillness is “the quality of being quiet and not moving.”

Moments of stillness are possible even on the busiest of days. They are within our reach whenever we need them.

So many times, our relationships with partners, friends, relatives, work mates and neighbors get cracked.

Be still and know. Slow down long enough to hear God's voice too. There is indeed so much God if we only would slow down long enough to hear His voice. We are so overwhelmed with our earthly desires that all we think of is. Yes, God, I want You to do this for me, and I want it now!

What a fatal attraction! Learn to wait quietly on Him. When you begin to grasp something of our Lord's true greatness, you will be truly amazed.

Be still and know.

Addressing poverty is a collective responsibility

BY MANILA BULLETIN

Oct 11, 2024 07:18 AM

  

---

The latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed a concerning picture of poverty in the country. As of the third quarter of 2024, the survey found out that Filipino families who consider themselves poor increased to 59 percent, or 16.3 million families; 13 percent rate themselves as “borderline” (placing themselves between poor and not poor); and 28 percent as “hindi mahirap” or not poor.

The increase in the number of families who consider themselves poor underscores the urgent need for comprehensive and coordinated efforts from all sectors of society to address the poverty problem. What is bothersome is that in the survey period, there were 2.5 million new families who now rate themselves as poor.

This is why a collective effort is necessary to address the problem.

The government has a pivotal role in addressing poverty through policy and program implementation. Key initiatives include the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), which provides conditional cash transfers to impoverished families; “Walang Gutom 2027 (No Hunger in 2027): Food Stamp Program (FSP)”, which aims to fight involuntary hunger by providing food augmentation to the bottom one million households who belong to the food-poor criteria; Lingkod Agapay Maralita (LAM), which aims to address the economic needs of urban poor families by stimulating savings mobilization that would be implemented in partnership with the private sector; and the Universal Healthcare Act, aimed at improving access to health services. Additionally, the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 focuses on job creation and poverty reduction to build a prosperous and inclusive society. However, these efforts must be continuously evaluated and expanded to ensure they reach the most vulnerable populations.

On the other hand, the private sector is crucial in driving economic growth and creating job opportunities. Initiatives like the Zero Extreme Poverty Philippines 2030 (ZEP2030) coalition, which was launched in 2015, demonstrate how businesses can collaborate to uplift communities. By investing in sustainable business practices, providing fair wages, and supporting local enterprises, the private sector can significantly reduce poverty levels. Moreover, corporate social responsibility programs can address specific needs such as education, healthcare, and housing.

But poverty alleviation should not be left alone with the government and the private sector. Every Filipino has a role to play in combating poverty. This includes supporting local businesses, participating in community development projects, and advocating for policies that promote social equity. Education and awareness are also vital; individuals can volunteer their time and resources to support educational programs and skills training for underprivileged communities. By fostering a culture of empathy and solidarity, each person can contribute to a more equitable society. 

With 43,033 politicians filing their certificates of candidacy just recently, there is a renewed focus on how elected officials can address poverty. They must prioritize poverty reduction in their platforms and ensure that their policies are inclusive and sustainable. This may include advocating for better education, healthcare, and social protection programs.

 Transparency and accountability are essential; politicians must be held responsible for delivering on their promises and effectively utilizing public funds to benefit the poor.

Addressing poverty requires a multifaceted approach involving the government, elected officials included; private sector; and every citizen. By working together, we can foster a society where every Filipino has the opportunity to thrive. The upcoming elections present a critical opportunity for voters to choose leaders committed to genuine and lasting poverty alleviation programs and economic growth. Let us all play our part in building a better future.