7 weather systems to bring above normal rain, 2 to 4 storms in July

By Arlie O. Calalo

July 5, 2023 10

AT least seven weather systems will likely affect the country aside from two to four tropical cyclones that may enter or develop inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) during the month of July, the state-run weather agency said on Wednesday.

Dra. Esperanza Cayanan, officer-in-charge, of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services (Pagasa), told The Manila Times that based on their weather outlook, the rainfall forecast for the month shows that generally near to above normal conditions will be likely experienced in most parts of Luzon and Visayas.

"However, near normal rainfall event is expected in Mindanao except Davao del /sur which will likely be below normal," Cayanan said.

Pagasa said the weather systems are the easterlies, localized thunderstorms, intertropical convergence zone, low pressure areas, high pressure areas, southwest monsoon and shear line.

Generally, the Pagasa official said, near average to above average surface air temperatures are predicted in most parts of Luzon and Mindanao while most parts of Visayas will likely have near to below average temperature.

She said the predicted temperatures are as follows: 13.5 degree Celsius to 26 degree Celsius over the mountainous areas of Luzon, 16.9 degree Celsius to 38.8 degree Celsius for the rest of Luzon; 19.6 degree Celsius to 36.5 degree Celsius in the Visayas, 16.0 degree Celsius to 33.0 degree Celsius over the mountainous areas of Mindanao, 20.7 degree Celsius to 38.4 degree Celsius over the rest of Mindanao and 22.2 degree Celsius to 36.4 degree Celsius to 36.4 degree Celsius in Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, she said Pagasa will continue monitoring the El Nino phenomenon marked by dry spells and droughts.

Climate change is a societal issue. Why is teaching it limited to memorizing science?

 

Gaea Katreena Cabico, Cristina Chi - Philstar.com

Climate change is a societal issue. Why is teaching it limited to memorizing science?

While DepEd requires climate change to be taught in an “integrated and multidisciplinary” approach, students and teachers interviewed by Philstar.com say that there is little opportunity for science and social science teachers to collaborate on teaching climate change.

MANILA, Philippines — Anita Napoto was only six years old when Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) — one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded — pummeled her hometown of Quinapondan in Eastern Samar in 2013.

At the time, Napoto had no idea what caused the monster storm that flattened her neighborhood. All she remembered was the fear she felt while staying inside her home’s comfort room as the floodwater rose and moving to a relative’s house where she and her family waited for the storm to pass.

Now 15, Napoto knows that climate change is fueling cyclones to become stronger. For survivors like her, Yolanda made it clear that climate change is a reality. 

And yet Napoto herself says she does not recall being taught what fossil fuels and local climate change policies are. Climate change “was not actually taught, but was only mentioned” in school, said the Grade 10 student.

Filipino children like Napoto continue to be disproportionately at risk of experiencing climate disasters. But climate change still does not feature as prominently in most class discussions in public schools, with lessons on climate change confined to being taught in just a single quarter — or two to three months — in Grade 9, DepEd’s Science curriculum shows. 

During this limited time, the topic of the factors that cause climate change are lumped together with the topic of the global climate phenomenon.   

While DepEd requires climate change to be taught in an “integrated and multidisciplinary” approach, students and teachers interviewed by Philstar.com say that there is little opportunity for science and social science teachers to collaborate on teaching climate change.

Unsatisfied with lessons on climate change, Napoto said there must be in-depth discussions on the causes of the crisis. 

“In that way, students will be more knowledgeable about this issue and can make actions to end this,” she told Philstar.com.

Climate change education still stuck to basics

Three students from Fortune High School in Marikina City similarly told Philstar.com that they are “not satisfied” with their lessons on climate change, with 15-year-old Elijah Chua remarking: “We want to know deeper. Not just the factors that affect the climate.”

Chua and his two classmates said that they were taught that "stopping fossil fuels" is one of the ways to curb the climate crisis. But they were not taught which countries needed to stop the use of dirty energy. 

"The countries that need to stop using fossil fuels were not mentioned in class. No specific country — but all countries," Chua said. Glossing over details like which countries produce the most emissions risks missing discussions on responsibility, and on loss and damage, and climate reparations.

How much time is typically devoted to teaching climate change? For instance, junior high schools in CALABARZON only tackle fundamentals of climate change for two weeks in Grade 9 science classes, according to its publicly available learning modules. In comparison, lessons on volcanoes are taught for four weeks.

he DepEd earlier said that “there is a need to strengthen [the presence of climate change concepts] in the curriculum by refining learning competencies and standards and monitoring learning delivery.”

In senior high school, a special subject called Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction is offered as part of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics strand. Climate change competencies can also be found in subjects such as earth science, and life science. 

Teaching climate change across subjects

According to the K to 12 curriculum, climate change concepts are supposed to be integrated in 12 subjects: Science, Health, Araling Panlipunan, Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao, Mathematics, English, Filipino, Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan & Technology and Livelihood Economics, and Music, Arts, and PE.

However, Leonora Calicdan, a Grade 9 science teacher from Mangaldan High School in Pangasinan, said she is mostly unaware of how climate change is taught in the social sciences. 

“I just do not know what competencies are in social science. But I know they are discussing this,” said Calidan, who has taught science for 25 years.

Mark Bello, Fortune High School’s Grade 9 science teacher, said that teachers from different subject areas usually have different schedules and have no time to “sit down” and plan an interdisciplinary class output on climate change.

Leah Cortez, a professor at the Philippine Normal University who teaches science teachers in graduate school, said that an interdisciplinary approach is essential in teaching a topic as complex and multidimensional as climate change. 

“We really have to understand community, environment, politics—those are not separate from climate change… We have to integrate this knowledge in various disciplines so they can develop a more holistic understanding,” Cortez said. 

Chuckie Calsado, who teaches biology subjects at the Philippine Science High School, incorporates social issues in class discussions so students can better understand the political and economic influences that impact climate change. 

“So if we do not include social issues in science discussions, we will be creating scientists and scholars—kabayo na may takip sa mata na nakatingin lang sa harap. You cannot see that around you there are issues that impact you,” he said.

Another problem: Bello also said that his students typically struggle with the application of climate change concepts learned in class, especially in their “daily life.”

Counterproductive school programs 

DepEd established its sole student-led environment organization YES-O in 2003 and now touts it as one of the ways students can apply what they have learned about climate change in class. The organization’s activities include tree planting, clean-up drives, waste management, and environmental information and education. 

“We make it fun. We make it happy. We do it to pass the time. We show students that we’re not just all about clean-ups,” said 15-year-old Jeremy Agullana, vice president of Fortune High School’s YES-O club. 

The problem is not all YES-O clubs are managed by science teachers with a comprehensive knowledge about climate change, Cortez said.

“Based on my students’ reports, they encourage their students to join these clubs. But once they’re (members), they don’t use or encourage students when it comes to actual climate change and environmental concerns,” the PNU professor added.

Calicdan said that the YES-O club in Mangaldan National High School focuses on waste segregation and planting activities, as well as joining interschool and interclass competitions related to these.

But well-intentioned programs on bottle recycling and class competitions based on reusing materials can be counterproductive and inadvertently encourage students to produce more waste, Cortez pointed out. 

These projects are “superficial” and not sustainable in the long run, the PNU professor said.

“I scold my students (who are public school teachers) in grad school. When they tell me that they ask their students to bring bottles for recycling, I tell them: you’re encouraging students to use more bottles because you incentivize them to bring as much as they can,” Cortez said in Filipino.

“In one instance, one teacher said they asked their students to create a gown using recyclable materials. Their students used newly bought plastic spoons and forks. What’s the logic of that?” Cortez said. 

With just slightly off-the-mark messaging, recycling programs can lead to the unintended consequence of getting students to compete against each other in terms of who can bring — therefore, create — the most trash, Cortez said.

‘Systemic, not individual issue’

Napoto said she is worried about how climate change will chart the course of the world and impact her future. 

The Yolanda survivor said this is why she “follows advice on doing good things like using eco-bags, paper bags, not cutting trees.”  

Calsado said that the challenge is still on how to shift the focus away from individual solutions to curbing waste to a more systemic approach.

“The challenge is: how do you make children understand and process by themselves, that it’s not an individual issue. It’s a systemic issue, it’s a class issue,” Calsado added.

Davao City set to phase out jeepneys by 2024

WAITING FOR A RIDE | Commuters wait for jeepneys to take them home in downtown Davao City, in this undated photo. Jeepneys will soon give way to buses with the Davao Public Transport Modernization Program set to start in 2024. (Photo from the Davao Region office of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board)

By: Frinston Lim - @inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:19 AM July 05, 2023

DAVAO CITY, Davao del Sur, Philippines — The phaseout of the ubiquitous jeepneys from the roads of Davao City and their replacement with public buses starting next year will usher in “green commuting” in this premier urban center of Mindanao as it lessens the carbon emissions generated by the public transport sector.

According to a document from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which is funding the Davao Public Transport Modernization Program (DPTMP) for $1 billion, the current mass transport system in the city of 1.8 million people, with public utility vehicles, more commonly known as jeepneys, as the main vehicles, has an estimated emission of 232,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year.

With the DPTMP, which costs some P73.3 billion, this emission level could be significantly lowered as 380 of the 1,100 buses to be deployed to cater to an estimated 800,000 passengers daily are electric-powered, which means it will have less air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.

The rest of the fleet will be Euro 5 standard diesel units, which also have lesser carbon footprints. The buses ranges from 12 meters to 18 meters long, and will be deployed to routes within the city and its immediate surrounding localities.

Meeting demand

The project is expected to contribute to the country’s commitment under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change of a 75-percent greenhouse gas emission reductions and avoidance target by 2030, ADB said. According to ADB, the city’s strong economic growth has increased the demand for travel across the expanding urban area that is mainly served by small vehicles, such as jeepneys.

“Public transport accounts for 80 percent of trips within the city but fails to keep up with changing travel demands and routing patterns because of fragmented ownership of vehicles and franchises,” ADB noted.

“As a result, severe congestion as well as vehicular pollution have been increasing, particularly over the last 10 years. Vehicular congestion has reduced travel speeds in the central business district of Davao City to less than 10 kilometers per hour at peak times. The opportunity cost in the form of lost income has also been increasing over time,” it added.The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said the project “will launch the Philippines’ biggest electrification initiative” in the public transport sector.

‘Very large leap’

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who witnessed the loan agreement signing between the government and ADB here on Saturday, said the project “heralds a very large leap to modernize our transport system.”

The DPTMP will rationalize the current 120 jeepney routes covering 670 km into only 30 bus routes; construct about 1,000 bus stops along bus corridors with shelters to protect passengers from the weather; implement minor road improvements, including identifying designated bus lanes for selected road sections; create queue-jump lanes for buses; build pedestrian crossings near bus stops and improve sidewalks near bus stops; establish bus priority traffic signaling and automatic fare collection system; and put up Wi-Fi connection in buses, terminals and depots, and other public waiting areas.

Comfortable commute

“As the country’s first integrated city-wide bus service, this landmark project promises a multitude of benefits for residents of Davao as well as tourists who frequent this beautiful city,” said Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista.

“The DPTMP will see the establishment of the first of its kind public transportation system that would set the standard for safe, efficient, and convenient high-priority bus system. The project aims to provide a more comfortable commuting experience for all,” Bautista added.

There will also be increased passenger safety as they would take the vehicles on curbside doors, not on the back doors which requires them to walk on the carriageways of roads. Of the total funding for the project, 60 percent will come from ADB, 40 percent from the DOTr, and the city government will chip in P1.5 billion.

Marcos assured the government will assist displaced jeepney drivers and their dependents, and others who will be affected.

Families who will be affected by the construction related to the project will be also relocated if needed, the president said.

The project is set to begin by the third quarter of this year and will begin to be operational by next year and will be fully operational by the end of 2025.

🔴TRAVEL UPDATE: NAIA AIRPORT NEW TERMINAL ASSIGNMENTS BEGINNING JULY 01, 2023

Here's the updated list of airlines who successfully relocated to NAIA terminals respectively beginning July 01, 2023. Please be guided. __________________________________________ ✅Important thing to do the when traveling to the Philippines: ✅ VISA EXTENSION ➡    • 🔴TRAVEL UPDATE: 3...   ✅ 13A Visa Process ➡    • 🔴THIS IS THE ACTU...  

Go attends SHC groundbreaking in Davao Sur

By Javier Joe Ismael  and Jerry M. Hernandez

July 4, 2023 

SEN. Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, personally attended the groundbreaking of the Super Health Center (SHC) in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur on Saturday, July 1.

Coinciding with the 70th Araw ng Hagonoy celebration, the event provided an opportunity for Go to greet the people of Hagonoy, emphasizing his dedication to assisting those in need.

The establishment of SHCs is one of Go's initiatives, done in collaboration with the Department of Health (DoH). It is aimed at strengthening the health care system, particularly access to basic medical services in remote areas.

Go consistently advocated for the establishment of these health care facilities, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that more Filipinos have access to affordable health care.

Super Health Centers will offer basic health services, including database management, outpatient, birthing, isolation, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: X-ray, ultrasound), pharmacy, and ambulatory surgical unit.

Other available services are eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) service; oncology centers; physical therapy and rehabilitation center; and telemedicine, where remote diagnosis and treatment of patients will be done.

Through the collective efforts of fellow lawmakers, sufficient funds have been allocated for 307 SHCs in 2022 and 322 in 2023. The DoH, the lead implementing agency, identifies the strategic areas where they will be built.

In Davao del Sur, SHCs will be strategically located in Digos City, Matanao, and Kiblawan, aside from the one in Hagonoy.

Before the groundbreaking, Go and his staff distributed grocery packs, vitamins, masks, shirts, and snacks to 1,000 struggling residents. The senator likewise gave away shoes, bicycles, cellular phones, watches, and balls for basketball and volleyball to select beneficiaries.

Moreover, personnel from the Department of Social Welfare and Development extended financial aid to struggling residents in the town through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program.

Novo Ecijanos' turn to have SHCs

In a related development, Novo Ecijanos will also enjoy the benefits of the government's health services as the DoH establishes 10 SHCs in the province. This was announced by DoH Nueva Ecija Development Management Officer 4 Clesther Jose Espinosa during the latest episode of the Philippine Information Agency's "Leaders In Focus" media program.

Espinosa said these projects, currently being built in strategic locations in Nueva Ecija, are part of the General Appropriations Acts of 2022 and 2023. They will ensure health services to 849 barangay (villages) in the towns of Santo Domingo, Rizal, San Leonardo, Laur, Carranglan, Zaragoza, Llanera, and Bongabon and the cities of Cabanatuan and Muñoz.

The DoH has set the completion targets for the 10 SHCs, also called Primary Care Facilities, at the end of this year. They will feature a 6-in-1 package of health services including clinical laboratory, diagnostic and radiologic services, pharmacy, birthing services, dental services, and ambulance services. Some P10 million have been allotted for each facility, with an additional P2 million for medical equipment.

The local government, Espinosa added, will shoulder the identification and provision of lots for the facility, acquisition of other additional equipment, and hiring of personnel. Aside from SHC, the DoH is also helping strengthen barangay or rural health unit facilities, including the deployment of doctors, nurses, and midwives who will attend to the resident's medical needs.

At present, a molecular laboratory is being built at the San Jose City General Hospital. This is similar to those in Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center (PJGMRMC) and Manuel V. Gallego Cabanatuan City General Hospital. The PJGMRMC is a recipient of the Service Delivery Network that designates it as a Regional Heart Center in response to rising cases of cardiovascular diseases.

ITCZ, easterlies to bring rain showers over parts of PH

Several areas in the country will continue to experience rain showers or thunderstorms due to the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and easterlies, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on Tuesday, July 4. (Video Courtesy of DOST-PAGASA)

AUDIOJUNKIE: R&B chill-pop artist Milky Day expands his reach

BY PUNCH LIWANAG

  

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AT A GLANCE

• First though, who is Milky Day and why should we care? Well, Pinoys love a good singer and Milky Day certainly checks that box. And while he’s a Singaporean-New Zealander (currently) based in Sydney, being from ‘out of town’ never was a problem for us innately hospitable Pinoys. That and our appreciation for somebody who’s really putting themselves into the music.

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Milky Day (left) and Denise Julia

A singer who goes by the name Milky Day is reaching out to an audience in the Philippines. And he’s starting by adding some local color.

First though, who is Milky Day and why should we care? Well, Pinoys love a good singer and Milky Day certainly checks that box. And while he’s a Singaporean-New Zealander (currently) based in Sydney, being from ‘out of town’ never was a problem for us innately hospitable Pinoys. That and our appreciation for somebody who’s really putting themselves into the music.

“I was always surrounded by music growing up! I’ve been playing piano since I was 8,” Milky Day shares. Years later, like every musician worth their salt, he was tinkering with computer music and started down the path of writing and producing his own music and at the same time never stopping to improve his know-how in music, studying jazz and taking singing lessons.  “As I released more songs, I was surprised to see my songs gaining traction and my fanbase expanding. Then in 2022, I quit my job and decided to fully focus my time and energy on creating music.”

Denise Julia (Facebook)

Milky Day has since collected a string of releases that includes the Vibe-y and pop R&B-esque “You’ll Be Alright” and the equally grooving and lo-fi tinged “Fool.” Just between those two songs, Milky Day has already amassed more than 28 million listens of his almost 50 million streams in Spotify alone.

Pinoys can also relate to Milky Day’s ‘hugot’ themes of heartbreak, love, hope and regret. One of those songs would be “Listen to the Rain.''

“I was going through a rough patch. Laid off from my day job, recovering from a breakup and adjusting to my new life as a full-time musician in a new country. I was under a lot of stress, worrying about my future, struggling to come to terms with negative emotions I was feeling. Then one day, it was raining lightly outside and for the first time in a long time, I felt a huge sense of relief from the weight I had been bearing. It felt like all of my worries weren’t as bad as they had seemed in my head.  I wrote “Listen to the Rain” inspired by this feeling, so I hope that the song provides comfort to the listener the same way the rain had for me.”

Milky Day

Which leads to his latest single “Let Me.”  In true ‘hugot’ fashion, Milky Day made “Let Me” –a lo-fi tinged R&B ballad--while “reminiscing about the summer night drives and adventures I had shared with my loved one back in L.A.” And here’s where local act Denise Julia comes in. “Halfway through, I thought it would be nice to have another singer tell the story from another perspective. I was looking for a female with soothing vocals, so I had my management reach out to Denise!”

Milky Day then shared how the young Filipina indie rap and R&B artist “killed it with her verse and how he loved her sound and how she interpreted the song and accurately captured the mood that I had intended. It was a really great experience we got to work together.”

Milky Day believes that “music is a universal language, so I use it to convey some of my own personal experiences, hoping to convey my story and reassure listeners they’re not the only ones feeling the things they do. I want my music to provide comfort and be a reminder that you’re not alone when you’re going through the ups and downs of life.”

Amen, brother.

Marian Rivera gets real about aging

BY ROBERT REQUINTINA

  

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AT A GLANCE

• "Kailangan nating tanggapin ang katotohanan na hindi naman forever young ka," said Marian, when she was launched as the latest brand ambassador of BlancPro, a new skincare brand, held at a hotel in Quezon City recently. "Ang tanong. How do you take care of yourself kapag tumatanda ka? Kaya nadyan ang ating mga lotion para alam natin kung paano natin alagaan ang sarili natin. Lahat tayo darating dyan. Lahat tayo tatanda. Yun nga lang, paano ka tatanda na mas maayos at mas maganda. For me, okay ako dun. Ine-embrace ko yung ganung pagkakataon."

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Marian Rivera (Facebook)

Kapuso Primetime Queen Marian Rivera has gracefully embraced the transformations that come with time. She is among the celebrities who embrace the inevitable process of aging.

"Kailangan nating tanggapin ang katotohanan na hindi naman forever young ka," said Marian, when she was launched as the latest brand ambassador of BlancPro, a new skincare brand, held at a hotel in Quezon City recently. "Ang tanong. How do you take care of yourself kapag tumatanda ka? Kaya nadyan ang ating mga lotion para alam natin kung paano natin alagaan ang sarili natin. Lahat tayo darating dyan. Lahat tayo tatanda. Yun nga lang, paano ka tatanda na mas maayos at mas maganda. For me, okay ako dun. Ine-embrace ko yung ganung pagkakataon."

(We have to accept the fact that you are not forever young. The question is, how do you take care of yourself when you get old? That's why our lotions are there, so we know how to take care of ourselves. We'll all get there. We'll all get old. How do you get older better, and more beautiful? For me, I'm okay with that. I embrace that opportunity.)

Marian, 38. disclosed that during her youth, she used a considerable amount of lotion to moisturize her skin. Her mother instructed her on the importance of applying lotion after taking a bath and before going to bed.

Her husband, actor Dingdong Dantes does not use lotion often, she said. So what she does is she puts lotion on Dingdong while he sleeps. "Ang mga boys aminin natin hindi masyadong gumagamit ng lotion. Pagtulog na lang, saka ko sya lalagyan ng lotion." (Boys, let's face it, don't use lotion very much. When he sleeps, I'll put lotion on him.)

Beauty is not only external. According to Marian, it is also important that you grow old, happy with your family and satisfied with your achievements in life.

Full blast

Marian said that she's excited about her latest projects in showbiz: a movie with Dingdong and a teleserye with Gabby Concepcion.

Asked about her kids Zia and Sixto who will miss her while taping for movies and teleserye, Marian answered: "Simple lang. Time management."

Marian said that she and her husband always discuss with their kids the nature of their profession.

“And siguro maganda na open yung communication ko sa kids. At kahit bata pa sila, ine-explain ko sa kanila. Ito ang gagawin ni mama. Ito yung mga times na wala si mama. O, ito yung mga times na free si mama at masasamahan ko, makakapasyal tayo," she said.

(And maybe it's good that my communication with the kids is open. And even though they are young, I explain to them. This is what mom will do. These are the times when mom is not around. Or, these are the times when mom is free, and I can go with you. We can go for a walk.)

From left: All Access to Artists President and CEO Michael Tuviera, Beautederm’s President and CEO Rei Anicoche Tan, Marian Rivera, and All Access to Artists CFO Joselito Oconer during BlancPro's media launch.

Marian always requests Zia to look after her younger brother Sixto whenever she is not around.

“I’m very open, especially to Zia. Si Zia kasi, medyo mature na talaga ang isip. Naiintindihan niya na. pag wala ako, sasabihin ko sa kanya, bahala ka sa kapatid mo. Ikaw ang tatayong mama ni Sixto pag wala si mama," she added.

(I'm very open, especially to Zia. Because Zia is really quite mature in mind. She understands that. When I'm not there, I'll tell her, take care of your brother. You will be Sixto's mom when mom is not around.)

“May mga ganung conversation na kami. At talagang mahalaga na wala pa man, hindi pa man nangyayari, nabibigay mo na ang schedule ahead of time sa kanila. Mas maganda kasi na sinasabi mo sa mga bata. Hindi yung one week before, aalis na pala ako, may taping na pala ako.

(We have had such conversations. And it's really important that even if nothing has happened yet, you can give them the schedule ahead of time. It's better if you tell the children. Not one week before, I'm going to leave, I have a taping.)

“Mas maganda, months pa lang, alam nilang magwo-work si mama. So, handa yung isip at puso nila na mawawala ako. Mabilis lang naman. Four months lang naman. Then balik na uli kami sa dati," Marian also said.

(It's better that months before, they know mom will work. So their minds and hearts are ready. It's just quick. It's only four months. Then we're back to what we were before.)

Rhea Anicoche-Tan

New skin care brand

Taking inspiration from the success of premium beauty and wellness brand Beautéderm, the company’s President and CEO Rhea Anicoche-Tan extends a warm invitation to consumers as she introduces a new skincare brand - BlancPro.

“BlancPro is tailored to cater to consumers who seek effective yet budget-friendly skincare products. What sets BlancPro apart is its use of quality ingredients, carefully formulated to suit all skin types,” Rhea said.

The respected businesswoman further emphasized BlancPro’s commitment to inclusivity, simplicity, and affordability. Tan’s new venture introduces an array of products that address various skin concerns, such as the Milk Body Wash, Sakura Body Scrub, Charcoal Foam, Phyto-Emerald Moisturizing Soap, and Sleeping Mask. This also includes Marian Rivera's signature endorsement, the Jeju White Brightening, and Moisturizing Lotion.

Rhea urges consumers to treat their skin with kindness, just as the brand's official ambassador, Marian, exemplifies.

"Marian Rivera has been a dear friend for many years. As the official endorser of Beautéderm Home, her effectiveness in representing the brand has been undeniable, leading my team and me to select her as the face of BlancPro. Marian embodies grace, confidence, and beauty," the BlancPro CEO shared.

0.70/liter price cut for gasoline, diesel

BY MYRNA M. VELASCO

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Motorists will gain financial relief at the pumps this week as the price of gasoline and diesel products will be on rollback by P0.70 per liter, based on the pricing adjustment advisories of the oil companies.

For kerosene products, the industry players similarly announced price cuts of P0.85 per liter and that had been anchored on the movement of prices in the world market.

As of this writing, the oil firms that already sent notices on their price reductions effective Tuesday (July 4) had been Shell Pilipinas Corporation, Seaoil, Cleanfuel, Chevron, Jetti and PetroGazz; while their competitor-firms are anticipated to follow.

Prior to this round of adjustment, domestic petroleum prices since the start of the year logged net decrease of P3.00 per liter for diesel and P5.15 per liter for kerosene; while gasoline prices had a net increase of P6.55 per liter.

The cost adjustments at the domestic pumps had been referenced on the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS), the pricing barometer adopted by the deregulated downstream oil industry.

Prices in the world market had been on downtrend last week, on lack on factors that could lift market sentiments versus portended global economic growth slowdown.

While mammoth oil consumer United States had reported decline on inventory, that did not come as enough succor to any upward price pressures on traded oil commodities last week.

As of Monday (July 3), spot trading prices for international benchmark Brent crude had been hovering at $75 per barrel scale, barely moving from its level last week.

Nevertheless, global oil markets have been looking forward to any potential declaration that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) may be coming up on their International Seminar that is slated this July 5-6.

There is no clear direction yet how prices would swing this week, but market watchers have not been expecting major developments that could jolt oil market fundamentals in the days ahead.

DOT ends deal with ad firm over promo fiasco

 

By: Dona Z. Pazzibugan, Julie M. Aurelio, Melvin Gascon - @inquirerdotnet

Sen. Nancy Binay and House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro urge tourism department to ensure accountability following controversy involving foreign video clips, noting that taxpayer money is used to fund its projects.

MANILA, Philippines — Just two days after it announced that it was conducting an investigation, the Department of Tourism (DOT) abruptly ended its contract with DDB Group Philippines on Monday after the advertising agency apologized for using stock footage of other countries in the video launching the country’s “Love the Philippines” tourism campaign.

In a statement, the DOT pointed to DDB’s “abject failure” to comply with its obligations under the P49-million contract after the agency “admitted in no uncertain terms” that the materials used in the promotional video were not original.

The almost two-minute-long video featuring popular travel destinations in the country was shown at the June 27 launch of the newest tourism campaign that replaced the “It’s more fun in the Philippines” branding that had been in use since 2012.

But netizens pointed out that some clips were of tourist sites in other countries, including a fisherman in Thailand, an airport runway in Switzerland, rice terraces in Indonesia, and sand dunes in the United Arab Emirates.

In deciding to terminate the contract for the new tourism campaign, the DOT cited its right “to change, suspend, or discontinue temporarily or permanently the contract at any time should [it] deem the agency incapable of [carrying out] the project.”

It stressed that no payments had been made to DDB, adding that it would “review standards of performance or lack thereof” should the agency submit a claim.

The DOT did not comment, however, on whether it would retain the “Love the Philippines” campaign created by the ad agency.

Asked for comment on the termination of the contract, DDB said it had “no statement” on the issue.

Lawmakers from both the Senate and House of Representatives were quick to weigh in on the controversy with Sen. Nancy Binay calling it a “bad omen” for the revamped tourism campaign.

Binay, chair of the Senate committee on tourism, said the DOT, headed by Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, should ensure that heads would roll since people’s money was being used for such projects. But at the same time, she also took the department to task for its “lapses.”

“The DOT cannot afford to be negligent about campaigns like this which are worth millions [of pesos]. [It] should also be more discerning and critical [of] pegs, concepts, storyboards, and drafts that ad agencies present to them,” she said.

Binay lamented how the initial salvo of the DOT’s new campaign suffered a “major setback,” saying the controversy might drive away visitors, instead of attracting them.

She suggested that the DOT consider retaining the “It’s more fun in the Philippines” slogan, saying, “Perhaps it will still be better to bring back the ‘Fun’ because of the problem faced by ‘Love.’”

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III, on the other hand, touched on the irony of using foreign footage to promote the Philippines.

“[It’s] very disappointing due to the very unprofessional work using stock video footage. ‘Love the Philippines’ is the idea, yet we were proudly showing Indonesian, Thai, Swiss, and Emirati tourist attractions,” he said.

At the same time, he jested that the video could also affirm the government’s thrust to be a “friend to all nations,” adding that it may be “our expression of our friendliness to all nations. We promote them also in our promotional videos about the Philippines.”

‘Scammed’

For Sen. Grace Poe, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, the government and the public were “scammed” by the DOT advertisement.

“It’s frustrating to know that even the government can fall victim to blunders in a marketing campaign that supposedly aims to promote the Philippines’ unique character, natural beauty, and cultural attractions,” she said.

House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro expressed a similar sentiment, saying the video and slogan were a form of “budol” or swindle, as she called on the DOT to rectify the matter by conducting an investigation and filing appropriate charges.

“We cannot allow this kind of ‘budol’ or swindling of our people. The DOT should be also probed because it is wasting the people’s money and it is a shame to the international community,” Castro said in a statement.

For Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, the House ways and means panel chair, the video and “Love the Philippines” logo—which excluded Mayon Volcano in his home province of Albay — was a “symptom of trabahong tamad” or shoddy work.

Salceda earlier criticized the DOT for what he perceived as a snub.

“The first video was supposedly a ‘mood video,’ according to the contractor. For something as critical as an entire country’s image, you don’t ‘set the mood’ with plagiarism,” he said.

Apparently referring to independent opposition lawmaker and fellow Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman’s remark that his complaint was just “political sound bite,” Salceda stressed that legitimate concerns of legislative representatives should not be brushed aside.

“One lesson here is not to dismiss legitimate concerns as ‘political sound bites’ but to listen, consult and discuss. The country’s branding is reflective of our identity and aspirations as a people. What’s wrong with wanting to be represented well in that?” he said.

Track record

Incorporated in 1992, DDB Group Philippines is a full-service marketing communications group with advertising, digital, media, PR, content, and data analytics agencies.

Its forerunner was the Advertising Marketing Associates founded in 1958 by Antonio de Joya, known as the “Dean of Philippine Advertising.”

DDB had bagged other government projects before, including several with the DOT.

At the 19th Philippine Quill Awards in 2022, it won several awards under the competition’s communication management division for the following campaigns: the “Resbakuna” campaign of the Department of Health, the “Our Sea, Our Story” campaign for the DOT’s Philippine International Dive Expo 2021, and the DOT’s “Balikan ang Pilipinas” campaign.