Celine Dion will perform in Manila for the first time ever ...

Her concert in Manila is set to be in Mall of Asia Arena on July 19. Tickets are reportedly priced at P35,380, P32,210, P19,540, P16,370, P7,920, and P2,640, and will be available to the public on Jan. 18 through smtickets.com. So be sure to set your alarms!

In case you needed reminding, she’s the great voice behind Titanic’s “My Heart Will Go On” and also “Beauty and the Beast” from the animated film. And don’t forget her other hits like “All by Myself” and “It’s All Coming Back to Me.”

During an interview, Celine mentioned that she and her team will be customizing her list of songs per country, meaning she’s sure to play our favorite hits during the concert. Not only do you have to prepare for when you buy your ticket, but we highly suggest you get your vocal chords ready to sing along!

Philippines' Duterte rebounds with 'excellent' trust score ...

... in new survey

Spokesman said survey showed the public recognised Duterte was exercising political will to address security and crime problems

Image Credit: AFP

Rodrigo Duterte

Published: 18:36 January 12, 2018

Reuters

 

Manila: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s trust rating bounced back to “excellent” in December from “very high” three months before, with four of every five adult Filipinos giving him the highest score in a survey that focused on his personality.

Duterte’s trust rating in pollster Social Weather Station’s (SWS) quarterly surveys had been “excellent” from the time he took power in June 2016 until June last year, before it dipped in the third quarter, raising questions about whether he might be starting to lose his almost rock-star appeal.

Although that rating was still high, the size of the fall — 18 points — was notable for a former southern mayor who is regarded by millions of working class Filipinos as the best hope for long overdue change after a succession of Manila-centric leaders who failed to deliver.

But Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the latest survey showed the public recognised that Duterte was exercising political will to address security and crime problems and ensure sustained economic growth.

“He has promoted the rule of law against the threats of terrorism and, of course, he is winning the war against drugs,” he told reporters, referring to Duterte’s signature and deadly anti-narcotics campaign.

The firebrand leader has also been enjoying majority approval and trust ratings from surveys done by another pollster, Pulse Asia, despite drawing international criticisms for his abusive public comments and a war on drugs that has killed thousands of Filipinos.

The SWS survey, conducted from December 8 to 16 using face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents, found 83 per cent of adult Filipinos with “much trust” in him.

SWS said public satisfaction with Duterte’s performance was also high with a score of 58 in December, improving from 48 in the previous quart

Gohing, Gumabao to boost Creamline's 'superteam' in PVL

MANILA, Philippines – Melissa Gohing and Michele Gumabao have joined forces with Alyssa Valdez, Jia Morado and Risa Sato to form Creamline’s “super team” in the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference tentatively set on April 1.

Gohing amicably parted ways with Pocari Sweat, a team she played for five years and helped win three PVL championships, after her contract expired at the end of last year while Gumabao will jump from a Cocolife squad that wound up a surprise fourth in the Phl Superliga Grand Prix a year back.

Interestingly, Gohing and Gumabao are former teammates at La Salle in the UAAP Pocari for four years before the latter made the jump last season.

Now they’re back playing side by side again for a different team.

Gohing and Gumabao were just two of the three blue chip acquisitions by the Cool Smashers after plucking Sato from reigning Open Conference champion Bali Pure.

The three, along with Valdez, a four-time PVL MVP, reigning best setter Morado, and seasoned Rose Vargas, Pau Soriano and Cesca Racraquin, will form a stacked Tai Bundit-mentored Creamline squad that has emerged as the early title favorites with the PVL season still a couple of months away.

The recruiting coup was part of Creamline’s plan of snaring its very first title after finishing third place twice in last year’s Reinforced and Open Conferences.

Valdez has also committed to play the whole year for Creamline after missing several games a year ago.

Valdez played as an import for 3BB in Thailand and Attackline in Chinese Taipei while also committing most of her time for the national team that participated in the Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

A ridiculous fact

Mindanao Daily Mirror, January 6, 2018

A ridiculous fact

A mistaken belief accompanies us each and every second of our life. Incorrect decisions and wrong doings are part of our daily life.

It is almost a ridiculous fact that man wants to know certain truths about mundane things. But really, he seems least interested in even mundane truths as can be read many times in our daily newspapers or online for example. There seem to be too much rash judgments, and the readers absorb these and make these their own. A fatal attraction!

This is sometimes referred to as journalistic mentality wherein accusations are generously made without proof. Evolution started this trend, when scientists stated for example that man evolved from the apes -  without proof. The only proof they had was the missing link, and, if I am not mistaken, it's still a missing proof until now.

To look for proofs is a mental activity, which is no longer a common thing nowadays, because it takes really time, effort and is too serious to think about. Yet in Christian education, thinking right is very important.That's why Philosophy is important in Christian life. To avoid error in thinking, the rules of right reasoning must be studied and mastered. It is really totally neglected in today's modern education?

Thinking is actually an enjoyable activity but when one is pressured to get a good job for one's sustenance, then the other more mundane become attractive. After all, great thinkers many time do not get (good?) jobs... .

Spiritual writers like the British Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) noticed that mankind had stopped thinking even two centuries ago. Wow. That was during his age.

Man probably stopped thinking even earlier. He has ceased many times to search for the truth. It's easier to listen to gossip and believe in it. What a sign of weak minds!

Too often are we blind to the truth. As a consequence, we easily believe in lies we only have to like it. Too bad, if people always like to close their eyes and ears especially while experiencing the delusion of error. 

+++

Ad multos annons? No, just for 2018: In advance: Happy New Year to all of you, my dear readers also from this corner. May our good Lord shower you with all His neve rending blessings. Sursum corda! Let's lift up our hearts!

Philippine President Duterte fires MARINA chief ....

... for 'excessive' foreign trips

By Kristine Joy Patag (philstar.com) | Updated January 4, 2018 

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Passengers disembark from the MV Lady of Love of Medallion Transport Inc. in this file photo. MARINA supervises maritime transportation in the country. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO.

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 2:16 p.m.) — After days of vague hints, the Palace announced Thursday that President Rodrigo Duterte has fired another government official due to "excessive foreign trips."

 

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, in a press conference on Thursday, said that Duterte terminated the services of Maritime Industry Authority administrator Marcial Quirico Amaro III for making too many trips abroad.

 

MARINA is an attached agency of the Department of Transportation and is mandated to "adopt and implement a practicable and coordinated Maritime Industry Development Program." Thee authority also supervises and regulates the organizational management, ownership, and operations of all water transport utilities and other maritime enterprises.

 

Roque said that Duterte ordered an investigation into Amaro after MARINA employees complained that the agency head took 11 foreign trips in 2017.

 

He said that Department of Transportation records showed Amaro went on six trips in 2016 and 18 trips in 2017.

 

Amaro's firing comes less than a month after Presidential Commission on Urban Poor chairman Terry Ridon and his fellow commissioners were terminated for going on junkets and for not meeting regularly. 

Ridon has said the seven trips abroad he were approved by government and were part of his job.

 

"And if seven foreign travel[s were] deemed excessive by the president, 24 travels [are] definitely excessive by the president's standards," Roque said.

 

The Presidential spokesperson also stressed that the latest firing is indicative of Duterte's resolve to eradicate corruption in government.

 

"They should live a modest life, that they should be true to their calling, and that they should avoid unnecessary trips," he said.

 

The Palace, on Wednesday, issued a memorandum regulating foreign trips.

 

Under the guidelines, foreign trips will only be allowed if: 

 

• the purpose of the trip is strictly within the mandate of the requesting government official or personnel
• the projected expenses for the trip are not excessive
• and the trip is expected to bring substantial benefit to the country

A ridiculous fact

Jeepney Modernization Program not antipoor

By Alexis Romero (The Philippine Star) | Updated December 29, 2017 

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Under the program, jeepneys that are 15 years and older will be replaced by electric-powered or Euro 4 compliant vehicles. File

MANILA, Philippines — The modernization program for public utility vehicles, which starts next week, is not anti-poor as it guarantees profitability for the jeepney industry, Malacañang said yesterday.

“The Palace clarifies that the public utility vehicle modernization program of the Duterte administration is not anti-poor, contrary to the claims of some transport groups,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.

“We assure Filipino jeepney drivers that this initiative of the government to improve our public transport sector will not put them out of business,” Roque said.

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“It was not designed to phase out jeepneys. In fact, the program aims to strengthen and guarantee the profitability of the jeepney business,” he added.

Under the program, jeepneys that are 15 years and older will be replaced by electric-powered or Euro 4 compliant vehicles.

The three-year phase out of old and dilapidated jeepneys will start next week, according to the transportation department.

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A motor vehicle inspection system will be activated to determine the age and roadworthiness of jeepneys.

Officials said the program would improve the country’s transport system as well as reduce harmful emissions.

Transport groups Stop and Go Coalition and the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide are opposed to the total phase out of old jeepneys, saying it would pose additional burden to drivers and operators.

Roque said the government is addressing the concerns of transport workers by offering financing schemes that will allow them to buy new jeepney units.

These include the Development Bank of the Philippines’ Support Alternative Driving Approaches (Pasada) program and the Landbank of the Philippines’ Special Environment-Friendly and Efficiently Driven Jeepney Program.

He said the finance department is offering a five percent equity, six percent interest rate and a repayment period of as long as seven years on top of the P80,000 subsidy per unit to cover the equity payment.

“In addition, there is zero or low maintenance cost of new units in the first three years, which translates to savings,” Roque said.

President Duterte has vowed to implement the transport modernization program in the first week of the coming year, even threatening to tow non-compliant vehicles.

Take it easy

But Sen. Grace Poe said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) should go slow on imposing the jeepney phase out as there might not be enough replacements yet for those that would be taken off the road.

Besides, she said, the standards for new units were still being worked out.

Poe, chair of the Senate committee on public services, noted that Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade himself had admitted at a recent public hearing that a phase out could not be accomplished overnight.

“Secretary Tugade said that for as long as the old jeeps pass the safety and emission standards, they can continue to operate within the three-year period of the phase out. Best to get the comments of Sec. Tugade himself if his pronouncements have changed,” Poe said.

The senator clarified that she is not against the modernization of the jeepneys, which she said “is long overdue.”

“But even if we wanted to implement this immediately, realistically, it cannot be done. DOTr itself does not have its act together when it comes to timetables, regulations and guidelines for the implementation,” Poe said.

According to the DOTr, the government would provide a subsidy of P30,000 for each of the jeepney owners to help finance their purchase of the new vehicles.

An initial P2 billion would be provided in the 2018 General Appropriations Act for this purpose, an amount which Poe noted is not even close to what is actually needed for the rollout of the modernization program.

“Besides, if they will give every jeepney driver 30K, the two billion allocation they have for 2018 is far from the P300 billion it will take to roll out the program,” Poe said.

“They need to coordinate and get their act together. The numbers will speak for itself,” she added.

Poe pointed out that the actual total cost of the program is P417 billion. – Marvin Sy

Deadly Philippines Superstorm

Deadly Philippines superstorm triggers mudslides and flooding, killing scores

A rare storm has hit the Philippines' second-largest island of Mindanao, with more than 180 reported dead. Deforestation exacerbated the ferocity of the flash floods and mudslides.

Tropical Storm Tembin has claimed more than 180 lives across the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, police said early Sunday, as rescuers continue to search for more bodies. 

Scores of people are reported to be still missing.

The storm hit the Philippines' second-largest island on Friday, triggering flash floods and mudslides. While the Philippines is typically battered by an average of 20 major storms per year, they rarely hit Mindanao, which is home to 20 million people.

Rescuers recovered 36 bodies from the Salog River in Mindanao, and officials said another 28 deaths were reported on the impoverished peninsula of Zamboanga.

The storm is the second to hit the Philippines in a week

Deforestation problem

Mayor Bong Edding of the town of Sibuco in Zamboanga del Norte province said more than 30 people were swept away by flash floods in the fishing village of Anungan but that five bodies had been recovered.

"The floodwaters from the mountain came down so fast and swept away people and houses," Edding said. "It's really sad because Christmas is just a few days away, but these things happen beyond our control."

Edding blamed years of deforestation in the mountains for the tragedy, adding that he and other officials would move to end the logging operations.

Police said another 81 were missing after mud- and rockslides swept through coastal communities in Sibuco and other nearby fishing villages.

Read more: Philippine ferry capsizes with 251 onboard

Ignored warnings

Disaster officials said many residents failed to heed evacuation warnings along coastal areas and riverbanks.

"Many people were swept to the sea as flood waters quickly rose due to the high tide," Manuel Luis Ochotorena, a disaster agency official, said. "They never heeded the warnings. They thought it was a weak storm but it dumped more rains."

Tembin is the second tropical storm to lash the Philippines within a week. Several days ago Tropical Storm Kai-Tak barreled through the central Philippines, killing at least 54, with 24 still missing.

Emergency workers, soldiers, police and volunteers were being organized to look for survivors, clear debris and restore power and communications. But the lack of electricity and communications has hampered rescue efforts, said Ryan Cabus, a local official.

Cagayan de Oro city was one place hard-hit by flooding

Aid distribution

The weather bureau reports that the storm had strengthened over the Sulu Sea and was packing sustained winds of up 80 kph (50 mph) while moving west at 20 kph.

It was heading out towards sea on Saturday and is expected to be clear of the Philippines by Monday, according to the service.

Food packs and other forms of aid were being distributed throughout storm-hit communities, according to presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr.

"It is unfortunate that another tropical cyclone, Vinta, made its presence felt so near Christmas," Roque said, using the local name for the storm.

One of the worst typhoons to ever hit the Philippines was Haiyan, in 2013. It was one of the most powerful storms to make landfall, and it killed nearly 8,000 people and left 200,000 families homeless.

bik/tj (AFP, Reuters, AP, dpa)

Paralyzed ERC warns of massive blackouts

By Danessa Rivera (The Philippine Star) | Updated December 23, 2017 - 12:00am

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In the absence of a quorum as all its commissioners are temporarily out of work, the ERC would not be able to perform important judicial and quasi-legislative functions such as setting schedules for hearings, addressing consumer concerns and cases of violations by industry players of existing laws, issuing certificates of compliance or provisional authorities to operate power plants, and awarding of procurement contracts, among others. File

MANILA, Philippines — The year-long suspension of all four commissioners of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) will lead to “severe paralysis” of the entire power industry, possibly leaving many areas in Metro Manila and nearby provinces without electricity for long periods.

Newly appointed ERC chair and chief executive officer Agnes Devanadera raised the scenario in reaction to the suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman of commissioners Alfredo Non, Gloria Yap-Taruc, Josefina Patricia Magpale-Asirit and Geronimo Sta. Ana.

Malacañang, specifically the Office of the Executive Secretary, is considering dismissing the four officials and appointing their replacements to stave off disruption in ERC operations, according to presidential spokesman Harry Roque.

Devanadera yesterday said there are P1.59 billion worth of power service applications awaiting immediate attention. She said the cases against the suspended officials would affect the capital expenditures of firms involved in possible irregularities, including the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).

“The brownouts and the blackouts, if we will not be able to act on the pending petitions, may not happen just in the provinces but also in Metro Manila. We also have safety issues we have to address. These capex consist usually of funds they need and must have the approval of ERC to continue their rehabilitation. We are so typhoon-prone. We cannot be holding action on this,” Devanadera pointed out.

“The debilitating impact of the ombudsman’s decision to suspend the four incumbent ERC commissioners will render the operations of the agency in severe paralysis,” she added.

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“As a collegial body, the presence of at least three members of the commission is needed to constitute a quorum to enable the ERC to adopt any ruling, order, resolution, decision or other acts of the Commission in the exercise of its quasi-judicial and quasi-legislative functions,” she added.

The ERC is now seeking guidance from President Duterte – being the appointing authority – in the implementation of the ombudsman’s suspension order.

Citing the ombudsman’s office order No. 409, she said any decision on administrative cases should be implemented by the concerned government agencies.

In her statement, Devanadera stressed she was not recommending the withdrawal of the suspension order but was merely stating its impact on the ERC and on the whole power industry in general.

She said the agency has embarked on a zero backlog program, citing numerous applications still pending since 2009.

In the absence of a quorum as all its commissioners are temporarily out of work, the ERC would not be able to perform important judicial and quasi-legislative functions such as setting schedules for hearings, addressing consumer concerns and cases of violations by industry players of existing laws, issuing certificates of compliance or provisional authorities to operate power plants, and awarding of procurement contracts, among others.

There are also 135 power supply agreement applications worth P1.2 trillion awaiting action, including the seven PSA filings of Meralco.

Meanwhile, the accrued interest of the Feed-in Tariff Allowance (FIT-All) fund has already ballooned to P526.7 million.

“The longer we do not act on this, the more consumers will suffer. It does not mean, however, that whatever is stated in the application will be granted in toto. We usually do a haircut on applications after evaluation,” Devanadera said.

The ERC chief said the situation – if left to deteriorate – could place the government’s Build, Build, Build program in peril since major infrastructure projects require massive power supply.

“There is definitely an impact, especially we’re talking of trillions of pesos that will be put into the mainstream economy,” Devanadera said.

The Duterte administration is embarking on a three-year rolling infrastructure program amounting to P3.6 trillion from 2018 to 2020. Officials dubbed it the country’s “golden age” of infrastructure.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has set a new target of 43,765 megawatts (MW) of additional power capacity by 2040 in accordance with its long-term vision dubbed Ambisyon Natin 2040.

Until 2040, the country would need 25,265 MW of baseload power which could be sourced from coal, geothermal natural gas, nuclear, biomass and hydropower; 14,500 MW of mid-merit power from power sources such as natural gas; and 4,000 MW peaking power from diesel oil, wind and solar resources.

The DOE has been inviting foreign investors to invest in the Philippine power sector as the administration’s massive infrastructure program would require a huge amount of energy supply.

In an interview, Roque said Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea is examining the bases for the suspension of the four commissioners to determine if such bases could be used to justify their eventual dismissal.

Roque emphasized that Malacañang has the power to suspend or remove appointees. He maintained that the executive could not just let the four ERC commissioners serve their suspension as such would affect the functions of the commission.

He assured the public as well as industry players of uninterrupted work at the ERC, saying its chairman and CEO is not among those suspended. – Christina Mendez

Encore ... TenoRRific: Abdul Candao

Davao born tenor Abdul won first prize in 1982 at the "National Music Competition for young artists" in Manila while he was a member of the Philippine Saring-Himig under his first voice teacher, Mr. George Hernandez. During this time, he was also part of the Kayumangging Kaligatan, a seven-member vocal ensemble under the late artist Professor Ernani Cuenco.

Later, be came a student and personal scholar of Professor Irma Potenciano at the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music. Abdul earned his Diploma from the Opera Class of the "Vienna Conservatory of Music" in 1995 under KS Waldemar Kmentt and has studied with KS Walter Berry and Maestro Yahan Mirkain.

His first job after graduation was "Baron Hueber" in the Austrian musical "Elisabeth" at the Theater an der Wien. Since then, he sung opera, operetta, and concerts in Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the US.

He sang the solo tenor part in Reichhardt's "Te Deum" at the Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna; the male solo from the oratorio "Eversmiling Liberty" at the Mozartsaal of the Wiener Konzerthaus; "Land des Lächelns" at the Brucknerhaus in Linz,Austria; and sang regularly for the "Salute of Vienna" - New Year's concerts in Canada.

Some of Abdul's representative roles include: Cavaradossi, Chareauneuf, Faust,Ferando, the Governor in "Candide", "Graf von Luxenburg", Max the Prince in "Rusalka", Radames, and "Der Zarewitsch". Abdul has created two leading roles in the operas "Jush-Tush" and "Arrest" in Vienna.

In 2008 followed the "Cavaradossi" at the Teatro Castro Alves in Salvador, Brazil. In 2009, he has appeared at the Burgtheater in Vienna, the Staatsoper in Munich as well as the Muziktheater in Amsterdam in Chrisoph Schlingensief's "Mea Culpa".

In 2010 he sang the "Barber of Seville" in Salzburg, Austria. In 2011 he sang at the Osterkiang Festival of the Theater an der Wien in Bernstein's "Mass". In January 2012, he sang Prince Sou Chong" at the Grosses Festspielhaus in Salzburg, Austria. That same year, he sang "Don Jose" in the latest production of "Carmen" in Manila directed bu Laurice Guillen.

Last night's concert in Davao City included compositions by G. Meyerbeer, G. Verdi, F. Cilea, J. Lacalle, Franz Lehar and A. Lara as well as Wright's "Stranger in Paradise" (Kismet), Newley's "What kind of fool am I" ("Stop the World" and Silos' "Lagi sa isang bulaklak" and "Dahil sa isang bulaklak" and Cuenco's "Bato sa buhangin", "Balikbayan", and "Gaano ko ikaw kamahal".

Finale: "O Holy Night" ...