Cool Smashers outhustle Angels, remain unbeaten in PVL

BY KRISTEL SATUMBAGA-VILLAR

Nov 9, 2023 11:31 PM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Creamline survived the gritty challenge of Petro Gazz with a tough 25-22, 23-25, 25-27, 25-19, 15-13 victory to remain unscathed in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City late Thursday, Nov. 9.

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Creamline survived the gritty challenge of Petro Gazz with a tough 25-22, 23-25, 25-27, 25-19, 15-13 victory to remain unscathed in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City late Thursday, Nov. 9.

Creamline's Tots Carlos, right, scores against Petro Gazz's Jonah Sabete. (PVL Images)

Michele Gumabao and Tots Carlos sizzled at the net by conspiring for 34 kills to finish with 19 and 16 points for the Cool Smashers, who tightened their grip of the top spot with their fifth straight victory in as many outings.

Down two sets to one, Creamline came through with huge plays to steal the fourth frame before hanging tough in the pivotal fifth set to hand Petro Gazz its second loss against four victories.

The Cool Smashers also survived the explosive performances of Grethcel Soltones and Jonah Sabete, who pumped in 23 and 22 points for the Angels that eventually went down the drain.

Petro Gazz, behind the efforts of Remy Palma and KC Galdones, was equally assertive in the defensive department after making 10 blocks, but Creamline was a tough nut to crack with Jema Galanza, Alyssa Valdez and Bernadeth Pons also lending a helping hand.

Galanza chipped in 15 points, while Valdez and Pons added eight points apiece.

PH can make it to global stage with ‘Tatak Pinoy’

BY MANILA BULLETIN

Nov 10, 2023 06:43 AM 

“Tatak Pinoy.” 
 

Yes, we need to come up with a Filipino brand that we must be proud of — something that is at par or can even surpass global standards. Producing our own quality product is the only way we can compete in this very competitive global market. It will also help shield the country from supply disruptions as we will be less dependent on imported products.
And the recent passage of the proposed Tatak Pinoy Act, which mandates the formulation, financing, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of comprehensive and multi-year Tatak Pinoy Strategy (TPS), in the Senate is a step in the right direction.

“With the Tatak Pinoy bill, we are confident that we will be able to help our industries in expanding their reach in the world market, provide a significant boost to our economy, and provide our people with greater opportunities to earn more,” Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara said after his pet bill was passed on third and final reading in the Senate. “Tatak Pinoy will strengthen the partnership between the government and the private sector. With better coordination between the two sides, the government will be able to implement more projects that will benefit the private sector—be it infrastructure or other initiatives such as those that will improve the skills and capabilities of our workforce.”

President Marcos’ certification of the bill as an urgent measure is a testament of how vital the proposed Tatak Pinoy Act is to the country.

Just to underscore the potential of putting the Philippines among the ranks of the world’s most vibrant and strongest economies through the Tatak Pinoy program, Taiwan was cited as an example during the period of interpellation. Angara had pointed out that Taiwan had transformed itself as one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of high-tech goods and has positioned itself firmly in the global supply chain.

If Taiwan made it to the global stage, there is no reason why the Philippines would not make it. Filipinos have the necessary skills and the country has the needed resources. We have the potential to make it big.

A couple of years ago, the Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO) conducted studies on Philippine products and its potential in the global market.

Based on the studies, it identified three products with great potential in the global market, particularly in Europe. These are value-added textiles — silk, abaca, banana, and pineapple fibers; natural ingredients — desiccated coconut and coconut oil, calamansi extract, carrageenan, and moringa; and processed food — dried fruits, frozen fruit and vegetables, fruit purees, muscovado sugar, coconut palm sugar, coconut palm syrup, stevia, pili nuts, jams, jellies, and marmalades. These are some of the Filipino products that have the potential.
All that Filipino companies and entrepreneurs need is unequivocal support from the government — financial, ease of doing business policies, technical assistance, among others.
A collaboration between the government and the private sector is necessary to attain the goal of making it to the global stage.

We look forward to Tatak Pinoy products making it big in the global market.

Yes, the Philippines can! 

A celebration of happiness in beauty

Happy Skin celebrates 10th anniversary

BY JANE KINGSU-CHENG

  

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Homegrown beauty brand Happy Skin hosted a fun 10th anniversary party at White Space, Makati, last Oct. 3, 2023. An estimate of 400 guests flocked to the venue to celebrate and reminisce about their favorite beauty products over the years.

Carla Abellana, Verniece Enciso, Kryz Uy

A lot of activities were lined up which included bringing home items from their makeup vending and gachapon machines. The brand gives back by partnering with HOPE to build a new classroom at Bulualto Elementary School in Bulacan. Simply purchase their 10th birthday collectible pins and keychains—all proceeds from the sales will be donated to this initiative.

DJ Christi McGarry, Aryanna Epperson, Ashley Colet

Host Janeena Chan got the party going, introducing CEO and Co-Founder Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez on stage. Also seen celebrating were Carla Abellana, Kryz Uy, Verniece Enciso, Marj Maroket, Jessica Yang, to name a few. Dj Christi McGarry kept the party going all night long with her beats.

Jacqe Gutierrez and Diane Tan

Christiana Collings, Coleen Garcia, Erika Hocson, Sam Pinto and Bella Jaeger

Marj Maroket, Janeena Chan, Jessica Yang

Joize Frilles, Mikay Torralba, Kenn Dayandayan

Malaking parte ng Davao City lubog sa tubig-baha

Better to tweak the old curriculum than continue K-12 with dismal quality

 

PRESS RELEASE

November 10, 2023

 

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday said it is much better to have a tweaked version of the country’s old curriculum than stick with K-12 and continue to experience a dismal quality of education.

“Do we want to have the form na K-12 tayo pero ganyan kababa ang quality [of education], or do we take the criticism na hindi tayo K-12 pero mataas naman ang quality? If you ask me, I’d rather not have K-12 pero higher quality,” Cayetano said during the plenary debate on the proposed 2024 budget of the Department of Education (DepEd).

The independent senator said in the first place, K-12 has not even been “proven to be better,” citing Cuba as a country with fewer school years but with “very good educational systems.”

Cayetano said the main culprit in the learning poverty in the Philippines is the decrease in school hours over the past years under K-12. He cited the latest World Bank report on the quality of education in the East Asia and the Pacific region which showed that nine out of 10 Filipino children cannot read and understand simple, age-appropriate reading material by age 10.

Upon Cayetano’s questioning, DepEd said more than 2,800 out of 47,000 schools nationwide do double, triple, or even quadruple shifting schedules. This means students only get to learn at school for a maximum of six hours a day, compared to eight hours under the old curriculum.

“For me, one thing that will return us to the right path is having enough time for the learners to actually learn,” he said.

Cayetano also said the lack of resources is hindering DepEd from fulfilling K-12’s promise of producing senior high school graduates who are either employable or better prepared for higher education. 

He said the lack of resources was one of the reasons he was one of only two senators who opposed the approval of K-12 in 2013.

“I opposed that (K-12) saying mas gusto ko naka-Volkswagen tayo na hindi nasisiraan at maganda kaysa naka-Mercedes Benz na sira-sira at wala naman tayong pambili ng spare parts,” he said.

Cayetano said while most other countries implement K-12, it is important to study the matter more carefully and see if it is really applicable in the Philippines.

“(There are) all these international studies, but we have to look at what works for the Filipinos,” he said.###

What you need to know about influence operations

Cristina Chi - Philstar.com

November 9, 2023 | 11:54am

False information spreads farther, faster, and more broadly than the truth. As observed across several election cycles and a pandemic, fabrications, inaccuracies and distortions muddy public discourse, sowing confusion in times when trustworthy information is scarce.

But the problem of disinformation is not limited to false claims produced by individual sources. In recent years, dubious actors have increasingly taken advantage of digital platforms to employ a range of tactics and organized campaigns to distribute not just false information, but also truthful but twisted narratives.   

These are commonly referred to as “influence operations,” which include the proliferation of disinformation and false narratives using covert influencers or public personalities, but they can also involve the spread of controversy around truths. 

What are influence operations? 

Philstar.com defines influence operations according to the criteria agreed upon by a shared network of media organizations dedicated to identifying, analyzing and investigating influence operations. 

Influence operations refer to orchestrated efforts involving the spread of information by various actors, whether they're connected to governments, private groups or foreign interests. These efforts are driven by financial, political, cultural, ideological, or policy interests and often aim to disrupt the flow of accurate information, targeting important aspects of democratic values, social well-being, safety and peace. 

It involves the use of disinformation, propaganda and other harmful content (such as harassment and attacks), delivered in different formats, in a manner that coerces or manipulates behavior and polarizes society. 

Some forms of information operations use inauthentic, deceptive and/or concealed procedures. It is implemented in a coordinated manner through traditional media, social media, and other digital mechanisms such as messaging applications and over-the-top (OTTs) media service, privately or publicly distributed.

It also includes techniques that disrupt the distribution of and undermine reliable information such as distributed denial of service attacks, hacking and other forms of technical interference.  

What are common indicators of an influence operation? 

We consider an information cascade a form of influence operation if it shows any of the following attributes, among others:

Do all influence operations contain false information? 

Not all influence operations use false or inaccurate narratives. There are influence operations that do not even make definitive claims about an issue. Some types of influence operations merely express opinion or commentary, but in a manner designed to sow confusion among the public, attack a personality or institution, or corrupt public discourse. 

Are influence operations the same as trolls?

Trolls typically engage in online behavior aimed at provoking, harassing or misleading others — the same techniques commonly deployed in information cascades.

Accounts that exhibit troll-like behavior may sometimes be considered a part of influence operations, but influence operations encompass broader and more organized efforts, involving various actors with specific motives to disrupt information ecosystems and institutions, often with far-reaching objectives beyond what trolls typically aim for.

IN PICTURES: Miss Universe candidates savor the sun in El Salvador

BY ROBERT REQUINTINA

Nov 9, 2023 06:55 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• Michelle's outfits are unstoppable and perfectly in sync with the exquisite sunny weather.

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Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Dee

Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Dee, along with other contestants of the 72nd Miss Universe Competition, were seen exploring the beautiful Playa Maculis in El Salvador, which is hosting the event. The contestants seemed to have enjoyed their visit to the popular tourist spot.

Michelle's outfits are unstoppable and perfectly in sync with the exquisite sunny weather.

Prior to the highly anticipated Miss Universe finals scheduled for Nov. 18, the 86 stunning candidates took a break from their rigorous preparations to visit some of the most popular tourist destinations in El Salvador. This excursion provided a much-needed break from the scorching heat in the region. Images courtesy of Miss Universe Organization.

Miss Universe Australia Moraya Wilson

Miss Universe Russia Margarita Golubeva

 

Miss Universe Venezuela Diana Silva

When Germans buy 'street food' sausages in Germany?

 

Erik Hörnfeldt

When Germans buy 'street food' sausages in Germany, what do they put on it? Can an American enjoy a similar culinary experience in the States?

They often buy currywurst.

If they do, it is eaten with curry ketchup and a dusting of curry powder.

Different sausages call for different accompaniments.

Weisswurst is usually eaten with a pretzel and some coarse mustard.

Knackwurst, just bread and hot mustard

Bratwurst goes well with sauerkraut and a sliced wurst bread

Added this Käserainer, a filling station classic

Answer requested by 

Trent

Do Germans get annoyed when non-native German speakers use the wrong article ...

 By

Ilse Brauckhoff

... such as "dem" where it should be "den"?

I am German and no, I don’t get annoyed when non-native German speakers use the wrong article. And now I’m telling you a secret: many Germans use the wrong article all the time. That’s even part of some German dialects. So relax and just talk. And if somebody complains about the articles you use tell them that even many Germans don’t get them right, and ask them what “The more you practice, the better you will be.” means in German. It means: “Je mehr man übt, desto (or umso) besser wird man.” But they might say: “Umso mehr Du übst, umso besser wirst Du.” And the “Umso” at the beginning of the sentence is wrong, but many Germans use it like this these days. Even the news speakers on TV do it.

The synodal Church

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

ON the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, celebrated on November 9, we are reminded of that gospel episode where Christ visited a temple area and was angered to see it turned into a marketplace. (cfr. Jn 2,13-22)

He, of course, immediately drove the vendors away, even with a whip, and told them in no unclear terms, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”

This gospel episode rings a most relevant if not a delicate note since at present, under Pope Francis’ mandate, the topic of synodality is taking center place in the minds of many people.

Synodality, of course, is an effort to hear, know and see what can be done in the different levels and aspects of the Church. It’s an effort to reach out to everyone in every level and sector of society, listening to each other, and moving together toward God, without confusing the distinctive character and mission of each one.

It’s a way of making the Church more organically vibrant, with all her members in the different levels and walks of life making an effort to relate themselves with each other. It’s like putting life to the social principles of the common good, solidarity and subsidiarity in the Church.

But it is not without its dangers either, foremost of which is the possibility of understanding it as a way for anyone to have his own idea of how the Church should be, or how the Church should be governed, etc. It can open a way of understanding it as some kind of democratizing the Church without anymore recognizing the supreme power of the Pope and the bishops in union with the Pope, especially in the area of faith and morals.

We have to be properly guarded against this danger, and the way to do synodality should be given a clear guide of how it should be properly done. In this regard, we need to be more conscious and skillful in our Christian duty to love the Church and the Pope. This cannot be taken for granted anymore, especially these days when the world is developing in a very rapid pace that often leaves behind our spiritual and religious responsibilities.

The Church is nothing other than the people of God, gathered together at the cost of his own life on the cross by Christ. This is because we from the beginning are meant to be God’s people, members of his family, partakers of his divine life.

We have to understand that this gathering of the people of God is not achieved merely by some political, social or economic maneuverings. It is a gathering that is described as “communion,” where our heart and mind work in sync with the mind and will of God.

At the moment, the common understanding that many people have about the Church and their duty toward the Pope is far from perfect and functional. If ever there is such concern, it is limited to the sentimental or some mystical feelings that hardly have any external and, much less, internal effects.

We have to know the real nature of the Church, going beyond its historical and cultural character, or its visible aspect, because right now we need to do a lot of explaining, clarifying and defending the role of the Church in our life.