Filipinas unveil final 23 lineup for historic FIFA Women’s World Cup debut

BY NIKOLE JAVIER

  

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AT A GLANCE

• The Philippine women’s national football team's final 23 roster led by co-captains Hali Long and Tahnai Annis has been unveiled ahead of the country’s historic 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup debut on Sunday, July 9.

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The Philippine women’s national football team's final 23 roster led by co-captains Hali Long and Tahnai Annis has been unveiled ahead of the country’s historic 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup debut on Sunday, July 9.

The Philippine national women's football team. (Photo from PFF)

The 23 players were named by coach Alen Stajcic as the Filipinas wrap up their four-week training camp in Sydney, Australia.

From 29 players, the Nationals were trimmed down to 23 who will then be tangled with higher ranked opponents in Norway (No. 12), Switzerland (No. 20) and host nation New Zealand (No. 25).

“We congratulate the 23 players who were selected for the Philippines in the FIFA Women’s World Cup and express our gratitude to the players who have committed and sacrificed to make themselves available throughout the selection process,” said Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta.

“We wish our team all the best as they head to New Zealand for the final days of their preparation, before the FIFA Women’s World Cup,” said PFF general secretary Atty. Edwin Gastanes.

“The next weeks will be the culmination of a year and a half of hard work, dedication and sacrifice by every member of our Team,” said team manager Jefferson Cheng. “This group of 23 represents the best of us, the best of the indomitable Filipino spirit, and I am excited to see them make all of us even prouder.”

The Philippines secured its first-ever appearance at a FIFA World Cup, male or female, when Sarina Bolden fired the go-ahead penalty kick in their dramatic win over Chinese Taipei in the Asian Cup in India in Jan. 2022.

Per the PFF, the team is set to fly out to New Zealand on Monday morning, July 10, to continue its final preparations for the biggest football showpiece.

The Stajcic-coached Filipinas headed to Australia last month for the hardest four weeks of their lives and will then set their base camp in Auckland once the tournament kicks off.

The acid test begins a few days earlier for the Philippines, though, as it is set to face world No. 3 Sweden in an unofficial friendly match which is meant to simulate the tall task they have ahead of them.

Goalkeepers:
Kiara Fontanilla, Kaiya Jota, Olivia McDaniel

Defenders:
Alicia Barker, Angela Beard, Reina Bonta, Malea Cesar, Jessika Cowart, Sofia Harrison, Hali Long, Dominique Randle

Midfielders:
Tahnai Annis, Ryley Bugay, Anicka Castañeda, Sara Eggesvik, Quinley Quezada, Jaclyn Sawicki

Forwards:
Sarina Bolden, Isabella Flanigan, Carleigh Frilles, Katrina Guillou, Chandler McDaniel, Meryll Serrano

Reserves:
Inna Palacios, Maya Alcantara, Isabella Pasion

Quiapo Church now a national shrine

BY MANILA BULLETIN

  

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The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has approved a petition to change the status of Quiapo Church from the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Black Nazarene to the National Shrine of the Black Nazarene.

(Photo from CBCP)

According to CBCP, the recognition of the country’s 29th national shrine was announced at its 126th plenary session in Kalibo, Aklan on July 8.

The CBCP granted Quiapo Church as the "National Shrine of the Black Nazarene" status in response to the appeal of Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula's appeal.

"For many years, the home of the centuries-old and revered image of the Black Nazarene has served as a prominent landmark for pilgrims from all corners of the country," the CBCP said in a statement on Sunday, July 9.

Since the "Traslacion" of the image from Intramuros to Quiapo in 1787, Quiapo Church has been a place of devotion for Filipinos.

Cardinal Advincula elevated the church to the status of archdiocesan shrine only on May 10.

Moreover, way back in 1987, St. John Paul II elevated the church to the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene because of how important it is in creating a public worship to Jesus Christ and its cultural effect on Filipino religious practices. (Rhowen Del Rosario)

Bong Go files bill modernizing PH Coast Guard’s capabilities ​

BY HANNAH TORREGOZA 

Jul 9, 2023 10:43 AM

  

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Senator Christopher "Bong" Go has filed a bill seeking to modernize the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and strengthen its capabilities in guarding the country’s maritime resources in light of the series of maritime incidents and emergencies in the West Philippine Sea.

                                    Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go (Senate PRIB Photo)

In filing Senate Bill No. 2112, Go said it is imperative to upgrade the PCG’s vessels, aircraft and equipment to international standards, as this will significanlty improve its response time when there are maritime incidents and emergencies. 
 
"Our coast guard serves as the frontline defense against threats like smuggling and terrorism. Additionally, they provide invaluable assistance during natural disasters and emergencies,” Go said.
 
"However, our coast guard faces several challenges that hamper their effectiveness including outdated equipment, inadequate training, and insufficient funding,” he noted.
 
“Hence, I am proposing this bill to address these issues and modernize our coast guard to better protect our country and our people,” Go said.
 
Once passed into law, it would allow the PCG to undergo a comprehensive modernization program designed to eliminate accidents at sea, expedite response times during search and rescue operations, and bolster national security efforts.
 
The bill also aims to help in the enforcement of Philippine laws in the maritime zone, minimize pollution, and improve response times for recovering and mitigating spills.
 
Go said the reported aggressive moves of the Chinese Coast Guard vessels and militia last June 30, chasing two Philippine vessels during a resupply mission, highlights the importance of modernizing the PCG.
 
He noted that the PCG ships—BRP Malabrigo and BRP Malapascua—were merely providing escort to a small boat delivering supplies to the Philippine Navy ship BRP Sierra Madre. 
 
The mission encountered a significant number of Chinese Coast Guard militia vessels, described as an "armada."
 
Part of the bill, Go said seeks to provide training and capacity-building programs for the PCG to make sure that its personnel are well-prepared for any challenges that may arise.
 
Under the bill, he said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) would be the implementing agency that will have the authority to enter into multi-year contracts subject to Congress’ and the President’s approval. 
 
"Moreover, this bill will establish a system of accountability and transparency in managing the coast guard's resources and operations. It guarantees efficient and effective use of the allocated funds for the modernization of our coast guard," Go said.
 
“The modernization of our coast guard is crucial for our national security and the safety and well-being of our citizens, particularly those whose livelihood depends on our seas and waterways. We must ensure that our PCG is fully equipped and prepared to protect our waters and our people,” he pointed out.

Are Filipinos really friendly?

Andre Matthews

Retired from supervisor of water treatment.

372 followers

Are Filipinos really friendly?

I have retired and have moved to the Philippines. This is one of the main reasons i moved there. Not to mention my wonderful wife who preferred living back in the Philippines than stay in the US.

You walk down the streets, in the shops, restaurants, malls. No matter where , you are met with friendly smiles, greetings from workers. Security guards. You feel welcomed!

Its a festive like culture. Always something going on ,Birthdays, Holidays, feast..ect. despite pockets of poverty in areas, these people love life and living!!

Just focus on doing a lot of good

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

IN the gospel, there is a part where Christ drove out the demons from a possessed man but was accused by some leading Jews of driving out demons by the prince of demons, an obviously self-contradicting reasoning. (cfr. Mt 9,32-38)

On this occasion, Christ did not waste time defending himself. He proceeded instead to go around all the towns and villages, teaching in the synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness.

This should also be our reaction when we encounter some contradictions in our efforts to do some good. We should just proceed to do a lot more of good. Let those who misunderstand us bear their own misunderstanding. Of course, if we have some time, we may do some gentle and charitable clarification or correction. But we should not lose sight of what is most important for us to do.

In the same gospel, it is said that when Christ saw the big crowd to be given attention to, he was moved with pity because he saw them like being troubled and abandoned, like a sheep without a shepherd.

That’s when he made this appeal to his disciples to “ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest,” because as he said, “the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.”

Indeed, this is always the situation in our earthly life. It’s a big and continuing challenge. There are endless people to reach out to bring Christ to them, and those who have to do that very important task will always be few and limited.

We just have to realize that everyone of us, if we are to be consistently faithful to our Christian identity, is called to carry out this task. Thus, we have to realize more deeply that all of us actually have a vocation, since all are called to share in Christ’s mission to save all men.

We should all be concerned about this matter. We need to develop a sense of vocation, for the simple reason that everyone has a vocation. We come from God and we belong to him. He always calls us to himself and offers us a way to go to him. 

The way to go to him, peculiar to each one of us given our different situations in life and God’s specific plan for us, is the vocation God gives us. We therefore should try to discover that vocation as early as possible and correspond to it as fully as possible also.

To be sure, no one comes to existence by mere accident nor by pure chance and divine caprice. God does not create us at random. Even a person who is considered unwanted by his parents or is conceived through rape is already a person planned and loved by God from all eternity. This is a fundamental truth about ourselves that we should never take for granted.

Thus, we should try to develop this sense of vocation as early as possible. And this can mean as early as when one is still a child, already beginning to be aware of what and who he or she is. This normally should start in the family, with the parents playing a major role in this affair since they are our first teachers here on earth. 

The parents should be quick in sowing the seeds of this sense of vocation by making the child aware that he or she just did not come from them but from God. And that he or she also belongs to God. This basic truth should always be reinforced all throughout the process of bringing up and educating the child.

Public Weather Forecast issued at 4:00 AM | July 09, 2023

Germany, France back PH complaint on Chinese harassment

BY JOSEPH PEDRAJAS

Jul 8, 2023 01:17 PM

  

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Germany and France have expressed support for the Philippines after another incident of harassment involving China's Coast Guard against its Filipino counterpart right in the country's waters.

German Ambassador to the Philippines Anke Reiffenstuel said an "aggressive behavior," particularly when Chinese personnel made a dangerous maneuver against the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), "has no place in the South China Sea."

She called for respect toward the rules-based maritime order, with the 2016 Arbitral Ruling pertaining to the Philippines' sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea, as the "center."

Reiffenstuel also agreed with the sentiment of US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, who had earlier expressed concern about China's "irresponsible" behavior in the waters.

Meanwhile, France also called for a dialogue between concerned parties to resolve possible disputes.

The French Embassy in Manila said it is concerned about the recent developments and is calling for "for respect for international law and the resolution of disputes through dialogue."

"We are resolutely opposed to any use of force or threat to do so. We recall, in this regard, the Arbitration award rendered under UNCLOS on the 12th of July 2016," it added.

On June 30, the PCG said it was "constantly followed, harassed and obstructed" by the CCG after providing support in the naval operation of the Philippine troops.

The incident happened in the waters off Ayungin Shoal, an area legally and internationally recognized as part of the Philippine territory but is being claimed by China.

Japan and the US—which have close relations with the Philippines—had also expressed concern about the incident.

It's another hot, humid Sunday

By Arlie O. Calalo

July 9, 2023 30

It will be a hot and humid Sunday as the easterlies will continue to prevail, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Weather specialist Daniel James Villamil said the easterlies, winds coming from the east that pass through the Pacific Ocean and bring warm and humid weather, will prevail in most parts of the country especially in Luzon.

Along with the inter-tropical convergence zone, an imaginary line where the air from the northern and southern hemisphere meet, the weather system will bring overcast skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms in Visayas, Caraga, Northern Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula, Masbate and Sorsogon.

"We can expect hot, humid weather especially in Luzon areas although isolated downpour and thunderstorms will be likely in the afternoon or at night," Villamil said.

Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Mixed adjustments in pump prices seen on Tuesday

BY MYRNA M. VELASCO

Jul 9, 2023 02:40 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• The colliding factors which influenced oil prices last week had been the niggling forecast of slower global economic growth and inventory drop in the US versus the production cut of Saudi Arabia extending into August as well as the pronouncement of the US Federal Reserve on continued enforcement of interest rate hikes.

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Motorists using diesel products will pay more next week while gasoline users can look forward to a price cut, according to the oil companies.

Industry players said diesel prices may rise by P0.55 to P0.85 per liter while RON92 gasoline, which is widely patronized in the Philippines, will likely be down by P0.30 to P0.60 per liter. For RON95 gasoline products though, the calculation is a marginal hike of P0.05 to P0.15 per liter.

For kerosene, which is a commodity generally used in households and as a base for aviation fuel, there is expectation for a moderate increase of P0.35 to P0.65 per liter.

Being the usual grind in the domestic petroleum sector, the oil firms will be adjusting their prices on Tuesday, July 11, to be anchored on the cost swings of the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS), the reference pricing being employed by the industry.

As culled from the monitoring report of the Department of Energy (DOE), price adjustments since the start of the year logged net decreases of P3.70 per liter for diesel and P6.00 per liter for kerosene while gasoline products posted aggregate hike of P5.85 per liter.

Pricing seesaw dominated global oil markets last week with prices going down in the initial trading days due to the broader inventory drop reported by the United States, the world’s biggest oil consumer due to lingering concerns of slower global economic growth.

The antithesis to those developments, however, had been last week’s pronouncement of the US Federal Reserve that interest rate hikes would still very much be on its agenda and the announcement of Saudi Arabia on its production cut extending into August.

The colliding factors influencing oil prices essentially pushed international benchmark Brent crude above $78 per barrel as of end-week trading on July 7 from a lower base of $75 per barrel level in the prior week.

Other geopolitical factors monitored in global oil markets had been the month-on-month decline in Venezuela’s oil production as well as the oil tankers of Iran that had been seized by the US Navy in the Gulf of Oman.

Closer to home, industry traders are also closely keeping track of the ‘energy crunch’ predicament of Singapore that had been compounded by the power price cap enforced by its government, as that too, could exert pressure on fuel commodities being traded in the region in the days and weeks ahead.

The world is not the same without you

The mental health pandemic in the Philippines is ongoing and must be addressed with urgency.

BY MANILA BULLETIN

Jul 8, 2023 11:38 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Drink this water of the spring, rest here awhile, we have a long way yet to go and I can’t go without you. —Ursula K. Le Guin

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By ALEX AMANSEC

SOMEONE TO LEAN ON An important reminder to anyone that you are not alone (Cottonbro Studio)

I was alone in my room past midnight on Tuesday, June 27, when I called the Philippine National Center for Mental Health. In other words—no longer hiding it under any professional euphemisms—I called the suicide hotline.

This wasn’t the first time I called them. The first time I did was only an attempt, two outgoing calls that were never answered at two in the morning on June 18, 2022. The second time was when I needed someone to talk to on March 23, where I called the hotline at noon and was surprised that someone picked up, a woman whose voice gave away the years in terms of her age, but her tone was tender and promised safety. I broke down as she listened and when I had nothing left to say, she said everything I wanted and needed to hear.

It wasn’t exactly the same reinvigorating experience. The woman who picked up was certainly younger, less experienced. I told her everything from how I was both alone, lonely, in need of someone who would be willing to listen, all the way to implying thoughts of self-harm. I was looking for assurance that everything was going to be okay, but her lack of experience was given away based on her first response to my brokenness.

“It’s just a phase,” she said over the line. “Look on the bright side of things. We need these challenges to make us stronger.”

There’s a lot of things to unpack from what she told me. I still was fortunately in the right mind to recognize that she had good intentions, for sure. But after ending the call earlier than expected, in the dead of the night, I was left to cross the abyss on my own.

Mental health in the Philippines

On June 21, we commemorated the fifth year since the signing of Republic Act 11036, or the Mental Health Act of the Philippines—but is it being implemented properly? Many societal symptoms are showing we still have a long way to go.

When I returned to my condominium in Quezon City the very next midnight, there were police cars and an ambulance parked in front of the neighboring building. A security guard informed me that a student had allegedly jumped from their window just a few minutes earlier. I do not know the student’s name or, scarier, whether he or she is still alive (I’m praying). What is equally serious is how I also cannot be sure whether the student reached out to anyone before succumbing to suicide.

In October 2022, the University of the Philippines Populations Institute (UPPI) released the results of a nationwide survey saying that nearly one in five young Filipinos have considered ending their lives, and six in 10 of those did not reach out to anyone about it. Only one in 10 are aware of any suicide prevention program or service being offered.

There is a grave mental health pandemic ongoing in our country. Besides the stigmatization on the person-to-person level, the budget and allocation of resources toward the very few local mental health facilities have been poorly executed.

In April, after a surprise ocular inspection, Senator Raffy Tulfo called out possible cases of corruption or negligence that manifest in the dismal state of the National Center for Mental Health in Mandaluyong City. Dr. Dinah Nadera, a highly-esteemed psychiatrist in the field of public mental health in the Philippines, even stressed the need to further train healthcare providers in general hospitals on their knowledge and skills when it comes to mental health.

Hope is the thing with feathers
In these times when everyone is tethered to social media platforms that deceive us to think we are more connected to each other, we must remind ourselves that we do not know everything.

I write this passage on the last train to Santolan station. The collective experience of every body swaying in sync to the momentum of the vehicle, every body needing some form of contact besides its two feet on the floor—something to grip, someone to lean on. For if not, the body might fall. I am writing this to remind anyone who reads this that you are not the only passenger. You do not have to go through this alone. And if, by chance, you know anyone who might be losing their balance, I urge you to reach out to them and ask how they are doing.

The systems set in place need to be reviewed, and I write this as an appeal to the Philippine government and healthcare institutions to recognize that the time for action is now. At the same time, with the few days that have passed since I called the suicide hotline, I write this as proof to myself and to anyone else who reads this that there is hope, and it will be okay. You are heard, you are seen, and you are loved. In the words of American novelist Ursula K. Le Guin, “Drink this water of the spring, rest here awhile, we have a long way yet to go and I can’t go without you.”

HANDANG MAKINIG The National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) crisis hotlines can be reached at these numbers for anyone in need of someone to listen (doh.gov.ph)

The National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) crisis hotlines can be reached at 1553 (Luzon-wide landline toll free), 0917899-USAP (8727), 09663514518, and 09086392672. (https://doh.gov.ph/NCMH-Crisis-Hotline)