‘Hindi puro taxi’: Recto wants more buses deployed to NAIA for arriving passengers

by Ellson Quismorio, MB

House Deputy Speaker and Batangas 6th district Rep. Ralph Recto is calling on authorities to field more buses to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) from pick-up points like malls and a carousel system that will link NAIA’s terminals.

Deputy Speaker and Batangas 6th district Rep. Ralph Recto (Facebook) 

Recto, in a statement Saturday, Feb. 25, said the proposal to deploy more buses to NAIA are inexpensive “low-hanging fruits like curbside improvements”.

“Kung kaya nating umutang ng P356 bilyon at hukayin ang ilalim ng lupa para sa isang subway, siguro naman mas madali ang pag-deploy ng maraming bus (If we can borrow P356 billion and dig the earth for a subway, then I guess deploying additional buses is easier),” Recto said.

Recto said government should bring affordable mass transportation at NAIA’s doors, “and in the absence of trains, buses are the next best choice”. 

In the Philippines, taxis–although potentially expensive–are the easiest way to get from point A to B once land at the airport, particularly NAIA.

“Sa lahat ng airports sa buong mundo, ang buses ay bahagi ng isang integrated transportation system servicing an airport,” Recto said.

“This is so because an air passenger’s experience and comfort extend beyond an airport’s gate. The global trend in airport management is how to make it easier and faster for people to go to an airport,” he noted.

He said the choices of an arriving air passenger should not be limited to taxis and other vehicles-for-hire. “If we have liberalized the air industry, then we should do the same for land transportation to and from the airport.”

The former Senate President pro tempore said government should bring affordable mass transportation at NAIA’s doors, “and in the absence of trains, buses are the next best choice”.

He said that in all parts of the world, buses are part of the integrated transportation system servicing an airport. 

“This is so because an air passenger’s experience and comfort extend beyond an airport’s gate. The global trend in airport management is how to make it easier and faster for people to go to an airport,” Recto said.

He said the choices of an arriving air passenger should not be limited to taxis and other vehicles-for-hire.

“If we have liberalized the air industry, then we should do the same for land transportation to and from the airport,” the House leader further said.

Lovi Poe to join Panagbenga flower festival, signs new endorsement deal

by Manila Bulletin Entertainment

Lovi Poe

For the first time, Supreme Actress Lovi Poe will join the 27th edition of the Panagbenga or Baguio flower festival in Baguio City on Sunday, Feb. 26.

Lovi, who is currently seen in the popular Kapamilya series “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” said that she’s excited to ride the float of Eevor Skin Care Depot or SCD during the annual month-long flower festival in the Summer Capital of the Philippines.

“I’m so excited na first time akong makakasama sa Panagbenga Festival sa Baguio City at happy ako na sasakay ako sa float ng SCD family ko! Excited na akong makasama ang mga taga-Baguio on Sunday!” Lovi said. 

This is the first time in three years that the Panagbenga Festival will resume after it  was halted due to the pandemic.

Grace Mangulabnan-Angeles (left), CEO of Eevor Skin Care Depot and Supreme Actress Lovi Poe

The Panagbenga flower festival will start at the DILG/Casa Vallejo at 8 a.m. and will conclude at the Melvin Jones Grandstand and Football Grounds.

Grace Mangulabnan-Angeles, CEO of Eevor Skin Care Depot, welcomed Lovi to the SCD family after she signed an endorsement for the skin care company last Feb. 23.

In 2016, Eevor Skin Care Depot or SCD was established in Olongapo City, where it currently holds its office and production facility. It has a wide array of skin care products developed and crafted with high quality and environment-friendly ingredients. SCD has various distributors and resellers across the Philippines and is set to reach the international market. 

The company is the brainchild of Mangulabnan – Angeles, a full-time wife and mother of three, and a devoted businesswoman who started venturing into the herbal soap business in 2006 under Grace Herbal Garden. 

After a long break from business, she then opened SCD’s doors with her own formulated soaps and her breakthrough product, The Peeling Skin Lotion.

“The universe of skincare products is drastically growing. We, at SCD, set our mission based on the needs of our customers, our environment, and our advocacy to help others grow and be successful with us: to provide excellent quality skincare products that are sustainable and environment-friendly, improve our customer’s well-being by taking care of their skin and offer them a wide range of products, helping them choose the correct products that will match their needs and budget; and open an avenue for entrepreneurship and business opportunity to individuals through distribution and reselling of our products,” she said.

 

Mazie drops debut album ‘Blotter Baby’ out today

by Manila Bulletin Entertainment

mazie (Photo by Jade Sadler)

With darkly fantastical lyrics and kaleidoscopic arrangements that pull from pop, punk, and electronic music, LA-via-Baltimore artist mazie is helming the next evolution of psychedelic pop.

Today (Feb. 24), mazie shares her ambitious debut album, blotter baby (a nod to her love of hallucinogens), along with a trippy music video for “are you feeling it now.” The 23-year-old confronts coming-of-age heartbreak and a Gen-Z doom mindset with catharsis and absurdity throughout her self-described “exploration into psychedelia.”

blotter baby traverses decades of psychedelic rock influences; arriving in 2023 to meet mazie’s brazen and fatalistic lyricism, and Elie Rizk’s (Bella Poarch, Remi Wolf) polished alt-pop production. Through ’60s and ’70s-inspired pop hooks, mazie shamelessly sings of sapphic makeout sessions (“girls just wanna have sex”), wanting to look hot at her own funeral (“i look good”), and her own toxic relationship patterns. 

The sonic references range from bouncy Beach Boys-esque chords (“life is a long goodbye”) to dreamy beats that echo Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon (“somebody to lose”). mazie leans into her own intuition for infectious, earwormy pop with tracks like “menace” and the spacey “are you feeling it now.” The album also features her massive hit “dumb dumb,” a manic anthem that has since gained more than 250 million global streams, 1 million TikTok creates, and a feature in Netflix’s original film Do Revenge.

mazie describes the journalistic record as her “biggest investment into songwriting,” attesting, “Every song I’ve ever made has actively been a reflection of me being in my life – all of the songs were me sitting in the studio unpacking my life at that exact moment.” She says of the writing process for blotter baby, “During this album, I was never writing song just for the sake of writing it.” mazie demonstrates her flair for floral lyricism in songs like “as it was before it how it ends,” singing, “i was walkin’ to andromeda / observin’ the phenomena / to help me clear my mind/ from my / delusion of grandeur / lookin’ for answers / to why.” But she knows when and where to cut a cheeky dig, like in the friend-breakup “all i ever wanted (was you)”- “you hate yourself cuz you hate your mom / your mom hates me and i hate your mom,” or the deceptively upbeat “give up!” where she exclaims, “when i gave up everything got better!”

(Photo by Jade Sadler)

Psychedelia, as both a musical genre and therapeutic practice, is integral to mazie’s artistry and the sonic infrastructure of blotter baby. She explains, “I use psychedelics to connect with my humanity and personal psychology. I feel as though my relationship with psychedelics has emboldened my understanding of intersectionality, strengthened my empathy, and all around made me a better and more understanding person.” Drawing upon those experiences, mazie illuminates her emotional truths in tracks like the breakup-confessional “it’s not me (it’s u),” and the optimistic light towards the end of the tracklist, “u and i will always be okay.”

All the while, she gleans inspiration from both classic psychedelic rock influences (The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and The Grateful Dead) and modern acts of the genre (Crumb, Tame Impala, and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard). Fragments of mazie’s muses are refracted through her prismatic rose-colored glasses, exemplified in “another life,” “all i ever wanted (was you),” and “life is a long goodbye.” 

Having studied classical and jazz singing from an early age, mazie found her online breakthrough with 2020’s “no friends,” the whimsical debut single she crafted with then-neighbor and producer Elie Rizk. Taking the success as a sign to drop out of college, move to Los Angeles, and never look back, mazie then quickly issued the rainbow cassette, her debut 2021 EP that became what she calls “an ode to an ending of my childhood.” Now pushing her artistry into more over-the-top, vulnerable, and musically adventurous territory with blotter baby, mazie is now emerging as a multifaceted icon who’s aspirationally imperfect. “I hope people can see themselves in me, but I’m definitely not the first person you’d think of to ‘set a good example,’” she says with a laugh.

DSWD Sec Gatchalian leads financial aid distribution to the earthquake-affected families in DdO

 

"Ang dala natin agad ay mabilisang financial assistance para makabangon sila uli, pero babalik kami para naman meron tayong long term sustainable livelihood grants" Gatchalian said. 

On February 20, 2023, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian conducted a courtesy visit and distribution of financial assistance to the earthquake-affected families in the municipalities of Monkayo and Compostela in Davao de Oro. 

During the visit, Secretary Gatchalian handed over Php 3,000 in financial assistance to the 490 families in Monkayo and 620 families in Compostela, through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program. The aid package is intended to help them to recover and start anew. The Secretary also listened to their concerns and issues, promising to address their needs and provide additional support as necessary.

Meanwhile, Secretary Gatchalian visited PLGU-Davao de Oro led by Governor Dorothy Gonzaga to discuss further the possible programs and projects intended for the development of the communities in the province. He also visited the newly constructed DSWD Davao de Oro Provincial Operations Office situated at the Provincial Capitol Complex.

The visit of the Secretary serves as a testament to the government's commitment to assist its citizens, especially during times of crisis. The DSWD will continue to work with local government units and other agencies to ensure that those who need assistance will receive the help they deserve.

 (J. Fernandez, Photos by R. Naval & PIA Davao de Oro)

THE ROOT OF "EDSA": NINOY AND BBM

ReniMV Valenzuela

Edsa is a street symbolic of something great for Filipinos.

The Edsa revolution of1986 did not happen because Juan Ponce Enrile
and Fidel Ramos, together with the members of Reform the Armed Forces
Movement (RAM), rebelled against their Commander-in-Chief, Ferdinand
Edralin Marcos. Neither did "Edsa" occur because Jaime Cardinal Sin
summoned the Filipino people to go out and gather at Edsa.

Nobody among the living then, including Cory Aquino and the people who
flocked to Edsa, can take credit for the miracle. No, it was not
"people power." It was God's power manifested and bestowed upon the
oppressed/abused citizenry and exploited/used country.

However, if there is one person worth honoring every time we
commemorate "Edsa," it is Ninoy Aquino. "... Render honor to whom
honor is due." - Romans 13:7. It was Ninoy's selflessness as a public
servant and his death/martyrdom three years prior to that
momentous1986 resurrection for Filipinos that is the root of "Edsa" -
in the same manner as Jesus Christ rose from the dead after being in
the tomb for three days as a crucified/dead Son of God - to save the
world from thereon.

"Edsa" commenced the very moment Ninoy was assassinated on the tarmac
of Manila International Airport on August 21, 1983. The whole nation
stopped and grieved, got awakened and stirred. Millions of Filipinos
joined the funeral procession for the fallen hero - in the streets,
everywhere, and on TV and radio. There was massive groaning. "Edsa"
was just the culmination.

Our liberation from the Spaniards is no different. It was a result of
the heroism of Fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora (Gomburza) and the
gallantry, sacrifices and patriotism of Gomburza-inspired Jose Rizal,
Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, together with my great, great
grandfather, Pio Valenzuela, and a host of other Filipino heroes
(excluding killer Aguinaldo) two decades later during the 19th
century.

The way to commemorate and celebrate "Edsa" is to hail Benigno "Ninoy"
 Simeon Aquino Jr., not any rebellious opportunists and those who've
taken advantage of the miracle; those abusive and corrupt that have
occupied positions of power in the government after the deposed
president/dictator fled Malacanang - until now.

Politics aside, if Marcos Jr. will do right as President of our
country now, he can well be a part (a good part) of the continuing
"Edsa" revolution - to make Ninoy's dream come true - for all of us.

P.S.
BBM did it right in declaring February 24 as a special non-working
holiday in solemn and somber remembrance of the great 1986 Edsa
Revolution. It is an act big and admirable of him.

renivalenzuelaletters@yahoo.com

DAVAO CITY's FAMOUS GIFT SHOP CALLED ALDIVINCO IS RELOCATED TO C. BANGOY...

The Manila Times partners with DZRH radio

 

MEDIA PARTNERSHIP (From left) Ruperto S. Nicdao, Jr., president of the Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC); The Manila Times Chairman and CEO Dante 'Klink' Ang 2nd; and lawyer Rejie Jularbal, DZRH station manager, sign a memorandum of agreement (MoA) to create more and better content for a wider audience. The partnership between two of the oldest and respected media groups was formalized on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, at the MBC Building, home of DZRH, in Pasay City. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA

By Christian Crow Maghanoy, Manila Times

February 24, 2023 

(UPDATE) THE Manila Times and Manila Broadcasting Company's (MBC) DZRH radio on Thursday signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) to create more content for two of the oldest and most respected media companies in the Philippines.

Manila Times Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dante "Klink" Ang 2nd said the partnership hopes to "tap each other's expertise" to produce better content.

Lawyer Rudolph Steve Jularbal, DZRH station manager, said "collaboration is the key now — the more content creators get together for collaborative creation, the better it is for everyone." The agreement was signed at the MBC Building, home of DZRH, in Pasay City.

The tie-up will provide a more comprehensive coverage of key national events, particularly the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections on October 30, Ang and Jularbal said.

DZRH and The Times' qualitative content will "fill each other's gaps" in terms of its online and real-time presence for listeners and readers.

"We can make use of their (Times) content. Same way as far as we (DZRH) can share our content," Jularbal said.

"We are helping each other and covering national affairs has become a very expensive endeavor and there are gaps in any organization, so this is where the partnership comes in," Ang said.

Ang said the composition of stories from DZRH and The Times will be the area of collaboration, particularly the crafting of reliable news which will also battle the proliferation of fake news online.

"I think at the end of the day, people will have to rely on sources like MBC, DZRH and The Manila Times that are reliable, believable, factual and complete," Ang said.

For Jularbal, the collaboration provides limitless possibilities in delivering content to the public.

Ang said it was an "initial step" in bringing the partnership forward.

"MBC will have to see kung nakakadagdag ba kami (if The Times is useful to them), and certainly I think we will be happy if the partnership will be long-term. But then we (Times) don't want to impose ourselves on them. Small steps muna," Ang said.

The collaboration will make sure "that the Filipino people is better informed through reliable sources like MBC and The Manila Times about things that are happening around the country and around the world," Ang said.

Despite the fire that razed the MBC compound in 2019 and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, DZRH never stopped regular operations, Jularbal said.

This is the second collaboration between The Times and DZRH. The first was the joint coverage of the 2022 elections.

The MoA is good until Dec. 31, 2023

First in Southeast Asia: DICT welcomes Musk’s Starlink to PH

Published February 24, 2023, 10:56 AM

by Charie Mae F. Abarca, MB

Billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink operated by SpaceX is now in the Philippines, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) confirmed on Friday, Feb. 24, calling it a “game changer” in terms of enabling better internet connectivity, especially in remote areas. 

Ahead of the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s confirmation, SpaceX, on Wednesday, Feb. 22, announced the availability of Starlink’s services in the Philippines (Photo courtesy of SpaceX / Twitter)

DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy welcomed this development, stressing that Starlink will “complement” existing broadband capacities in the country, raising the chances of improving internet access across the nation. 

“In welcoming this new technology that is Starlink, our BroadBand ng Masa can now provide free high-speed internet access to our geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas in the Philippines, ensuring that no Filipino will be left behind,” said Uy in an official statement on Friday.  

Broadband ng Masa is the ongoing project of DICT which seeks to ensure that all Filipinos have access to “efficient and effective” information and communications technology services in hopes of eradicating the so-called digital divide. 

As of writing, Starlink has 3,580 operational sites, but according to the DICT, it is aiming to establish around 40,000 satellites in order to fulfill its goal of providing “high-speed” and “low-cost” internet. 

The Philippines was the first country in Southeast Asia to offer Starlink’s internet services.

 

Palace moves EDSA holiday to Feb. 24 but wants its historical significance maintained

by Argyll Cyrus Geducos

Pursuant to the principle of holiday economics, Malacañang has declared Feb. 24, 2023, a special nonworking holiday in celebration of the EDSA People Power Revolution anniversary, which falls on a Saturday this year.

Proclamation No. 167 declares Feb. 24, 2023, a special nonworking holiday in celebration of the 37th EDSA People Power Revolution anniversary (File photos)

The Palace released Proclamation No. 167 on Thursday evening, a day before the new holiday date.

The Proclamation was signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and confirmed by Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil in a text message. 

Based on Proclamation No. 167, Malacañang moved the celebration of the EDSA holiday to “enable our countrymen to avail of the benefits of a longer weekend pursuant to the principle of holiday economics.”

However, the Palace said that the historical significance of the People Power Revolution should be maintained.

“The celebration of EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary may be moved from 25 February 2023 (Saturday) to 24 February 2023 (Friday), provided that the historical significance of EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary is maintained,” it read.

The country will mark the 37th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution on Feb. 25. The occasion commemorates the toppling of the first Marcos administration. 

In November last year, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., through Proclamation No. 90, said there was a need to follow the principle of holiday economics.

“There is a need to adjust these holidays pursuant to the principle of holiday economics wherein a longer weekend will help encourage domestic travel and increase tourism expenditures in the country,” the Proclamation read.

“Holiday economics” became a buzzword during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Under the principle, holidays falling on weekends may be moved to the nearest Monday or Friday. Even holidays falling in the middle of the week may be moved.

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