We are sorry, the requested page does not exist
Reviews: Cinemalaya Shorts B
‘GOLDEN BELLS’ Kurt Soberano’s Golden Bells is the only entry with superior technical craft. However, it severely alienates the audience by picking a subject matter that not everyone can relate to. Sure, it carries universal themes of familial relationships, hopes, desires and sacrifice, but Golden Bells fails to connect emotionally. It’s a monotonous story about a Filipino-Chinese family running a garments business, with one of the sons as its central character. It is through the son’s lens that we learn his perspective of the family patriarch. Too bottled up in its own world on a very surface level, it is largely unrelatable and feels more like a commercial ad for a business rather than a piece of cinema. (1 out of 5 stars). ‘TONG ADLAW NGA NAG-SNOW SA PINAS’ Joshua Caesar Medroso’s monochromatic Tong Adlaw nga Nag-snow sa Pinas starts off quite well. Set in a remote and impoverished coastal town, two young boys, Makong and Renren, are playing, pretending that it’s snowing by making fake snowflakes out of styrofoam boxes. The styro-snow looks great in black-and -white and Medroso manages to evoke nostalgic imagery of a pre-Internet childhood. But underneath the innocent play lies a violent subtext: child abuse cushioned by a melodramatic portrait of compassion and friendship. The short abruptly ends, and it feels as if Medroso’s other video clips got mistakenly deleted and he has no choice but to finally put the end credits and submit his film. (1 out of 5 stars) [caption id="attachment_170059" align="aligncenter" width="656"] Ang Kining Binalaybay Kag Ambahanon ko para sa Imo[/caption] ‘ANG KINING BINALAYBAY KAG AMBAHANON KO PARA SA IMO’ Kent John Desamparado’s family drama is heartbreaking and appeals to the special bond between a grandfather and a granddaughter. It follows a poor, ailing fisherman, who, no longer able to take care of his young granddaughter, painfully decides to give her away to other relatives. The filmmaker takes the viewer along on their journey to inevitable doom. Desamparado manages to capture the nuances of a very loving relationship between the grandpa and the little girl. It breaks the heart, and also becomes a light commentary on the realities of poverty. However, it’s still rough around the edges and the finale is too weak. (2.5 out of 5 stars). ‘MAKOKO SA BAYBAY’ This is so forgettable I honestly could not recall the details of the short. I could vaguely recall a very strong sunset color palette, sea monsters and mothers and little kids longing for their mothers. If something like this vanishes from your mind soon after you’ve left the cinema, then you get my point. (0 out of 5 stars). [caption id="attachment_170060" align="aligncenter" width="600"] ‘Maudi Nga Arapaap’[/caption] ‘MAUDI NGA ARAPAAP’ Daniel Magayon’s psychological horror short is funnier than scary, amusing rather than disturbing. It follows a graveyard-shift female nurse with experiences of traumatic child abuse by her mother, who has recently died. The scenes of a child being abused by the very person that should nurture her is heartbreaking. But the occasional appearance of a demon-like creature related to a plant is funny and fails to evoke sinister vibes. Magayon, however, still manages to send a clear message about the fragile relationship between a mother and daughter, as well as the long-term effects of child abuse. The literal monster element is wholly unessential, offering nothing sinister or metaphorical, ultimately causing the short’s downfall. (2 out of 5 stars) The post Reviews: Cinemalaya Shorts B appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Cinemalaya Shorts B
‘GOLDEN BELLS’ Kurt Soberano’s Golden Bells is the only entry with superior technical craft. However, it severely alienates the audience by picking a subject matter that not everyone can relate to. Sure, it carries universal themes of familial relationships, hopes, desires and sacrifice, but Golden Bells fails to connect emotionally. It’s a monotonous story about a Filipino-Chinese family running a garments business, with one of the sons as its central character. It is through the son’s lens that we learn his perspective of the family patriarch. Too bottled up in its own world on a very surface level, it is largely unrelatable and feels more like a commercial ad for a business rather than a piece of cinema. (1 out of 5 stars). ‘TONG ADLAW NGA NAG-SNOW SA PINAS’ Joshua Caesar Medroso’s monochromatic Tong Adlaw nga Nag-snow sa Pinas starts off quite well. Set in a remote and impoverished coastal town, two young boys, Makong and Renren, are playing, pretending that it’s snowing by making fake snowflakes out of styrofoam boxes. The styro-snow looks great in black-and -white and Medroso manages to evoke nostalgic imagery of a post-Internet childhood. But underneath the innocent play lies a violent subtext: child abuse cushioned by a melodramatic portrait of compassion and friendship. The short abruptly ends, and it feels as if Medroso’s other video clips got mistakenly deleted and he has no choice but to finally put the end credits and submit his film. (1 out of 5 stars) [caption id="attachment_170059" align="aligncenter" width="656"] Ang Kining Binalaybay Kag Ambahanon ko para sa Imo[/caption] ‘ANG KINING BINALAYBAY KAG AMBAHANON KO PARA SA IMO’ Kent John Desamparado’s family drama is heartbreaking and appeals to the special bond between a grandfather and a granddaughter. It follows a poor, ailing fisherman, who, no longer able to take care of his young granddaughter, painfully decides to give her away to other relatives. The filmmaker takes the viewer along on their journey to inevitable doom. Desamparado manages to capture the nuances of a very loving relationship between the grandpa and the little girl. It breaks the heart, and also becomes a light commentary on the realities of poverty. However, it’s still rough around the edges and the finale is too weak. (2.5 out of 5 stars). ‘MAKOKO SA BAYBAY’ This is so forgettable I honestly could not recall the details of the short. I could vaguely recall a very strong sunset color palette, sea monsters and mothers and little kids longing for their mothers. If something like this vanishes from your mind soon after you’ve left the cinema, then you get my point. (0 out of 5 stars). [caption id="attachment_170060" align="aligncenter" width="600"] ‘Maudi Nga Arapaap’[/caption] ‘MAUDI NGA ARAPAAP’ Daniel Magayon’s psychological horror short is funnier than scary, amusing rather than disturbing. It follows a graveyard-shift female nurse with experiences of traumatic child abuse by her mother, who has recently died. The scenes of a child being abused by the very person that should nurture her is heartbreaking. But the occasional appearance of a demon-like creature related to a plant is funny and fails to evoke sinister vibes. Magayon, however, still manages to send a clear message about the fragile relationship between a mother and daughter, as well as the long-term effects of child abuse. The literal monster element is wholly unessential, offering nothing sinister or metaphorical, ultimately causing the short’s downfall. (2 out of 5 stars) The post Cinemalaya Shorts B appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CINEMALAYA REVIEW: SHORTS A
‘SOTA’ Mae Tanagon opens her short documentary Sota by bombarding you with paragraphs and paragraphs of information. Sota means horse caretaker, and Tanagon follows two sotas, Arnel Arguelles and Leonardo Yambao, who expose their working conditions in the horse gambling industry. Tanagon aims to highlight the fact that while horse racing in the Philippines is a multibillion-peso industry, its workers are horrendously underpaid. Unfortunately, the lengthy texts that clutter the screen weaken Taganon’s storytelling, making her advocacy almost lost, because if you recall Sota in the future, you’d remember how it was a hassle reading the texts rather than the plight of underpaid horse caretakers. The subject matter has a potential to be a stirring documentary, the racetracks could have been more photogenic, but this feels dry and dull, and rushed. (1 out of 5 stars) ‘HINAKDAL’ [caption id="attachment_168108" align="aligncenter" width="700"] ‘HINAKDAL’ by Arvin Belarmino.[/caption] Arvin Belarmino’s black-and-white take on social prejudice is imaginative, funny and tense. Set in a remote province, it follows an impoverished zombie mother and young son during one of their ordinary days. They are poor and rely on religious icons for their everyday salvation. But the appearance of a chicken thief suddenly disrupts their relatively peaceful life. Belarmino’s choice to portray the poor sector of the country as zombies is rather fascinating, adding a touch of surrealism and fantasy without compromising entertainment value and sharp social commentary. (3 out of 5 stars) ‘KOKURYO: THE UNTOLD STORY OF BB. UNDAS 2019’ [caption id="attachment_168104" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] ‘KOKURYO: The Untold Story of Bb. Undas 2019’ by Diokko Manuel Dionisio.[/caption] Diokko Manuel Dionisio’s Kokuryo is a comedic portrait of friendship, poverty and transgenderism. While the student film (Dionisio is a graduating film student from La Salle-Benilde) has audio problems and poor resolution, the visual composition and costumes are breathtaking. Plus, Mindy Jane Castillo has a powerful onscreen presence, managing to hook you from beginning to end. In the aftermath of a small-time trans pageant contest called Bb. Undas 2019, the winner (Castillo) finds 50 percent of her prize money missing. She and best friend (Thalia Nagaño) go on a search, which is often funny albeit the amateur performances from some of the supporting cast. It culminates in a heartbreaking ending, with a most beautiful shot for a finale. (3 out of 5 stars) ‘HM HMM MHM’ [caption id="attachment_168106" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] ‘HM HMM MHM’ by Sam Villa-Real and Kim Timan.[/caption] The title alone is pretentious and contrived. Sam Villa-Real and Kim Timan’s Hm Hm Mhm uses stop motion for a story on domestic violence. Using dolls, with the central character a little girl doll and Barbie and Ken as its parents, the filmmakers produce somewhat surreal, nightmarish imagery. The film removes dialogue and incorporates dreamy sequences, rage, slithering vines and what looks like a woman’s reproductive organ (or a womb). The vibe is sinister, with a constant feeling of trouble and unrest. While there is a hint of domestic violence going on, the chaotic visuals make the storytelling incoherent. The film ends up more like an exercise in stop-motion rather than using the animated technique for a more effective way of saying whatever it wants to say. (0 out of 5 stars) ‘SIBUYAS NI PERFECTO’ [caption id="attachment_168113" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] ‘SIBUYAS Ni Perfecto’ by January Yap.[/caption] Januar Yap’s subdued drama follows an old man, Perfecto, with his worn-out slippers, carrying on his back a heavy basket of vegetables to deliver to his “friend,” Sir Eddie (whom we never see). The fact that Perfecto calls the man “sir” and feels honored that Eddie is his “friend” who trusts him with the delivery quickly establishes how Perfecto is very simple-minded and trusting. The fact that Eddie lets Perfecto walk miles and miles and miles to deliver vegetables to his doorstep, and Perfecto’s friend says Eddie is a con man, allow us to immediately know that Perfecto is a victim of abuse of men with money and power — the Sir Eddies of the world. Yap manages to make the viewer experience Perfecto’s suffering by allowing the viewer to experience the great distance he has to travel to get to Eddie’s house. This is a painful portrait of innocence and naivete, as well as the socioeconomic hierarchy where Perfecto is at the bottom of the chain. The ending is pretty strong. (3 out of 5 stars) The post CINEMALAYA REVIEW: SHORTS A appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lotilla: Regulators easing power rates
Government regulators are thoroughly reviewing existing power supply contracts to amend provisions that would help lower electricity prices, especially in off-grid areas where consumers have been reeling from spiking power rates. “We can assure our consumers that the Energy Regulatory Commission is reviewing all the power supply contracts as well as the policies that we have to lay down to bring down the rates,” Energy Secretary Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla said in an interview on Straight Talk, the online show of Daily Tribune. He said: “We have made the policy decision not to subsidize electricity. So we cannot just tell the distributor or even our people that prices are going to drastically go down. We are still dependent on imported fuel.” The Department of Energy, he said, is carefully studying Republic Act 9136, the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, or EPIRA, to ensure that the more than two-decades-old law can keep up with the changing energy landscape while upholding the interest of the consumers. Energy mix Lotilla said the EPIRA amendments can be related to the ERC’s powers and the penalties it may impose and the Philippine Competition Commission’s powers relative to the energy sector. “It’s important to clarify where the lines of defense lie. The first line of defense is with the electric cooperative itself and therefore as consumers and members of the electric cooperative, our consumers must take an active role in the management of the electric cooperatives,” he said. The EPIRA, passed during the time of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, mandates ERC and PCC to promote competition, encourage market development, ensure consumer choice, and penalize abuse of market power in the restructured electricity industry. The law also promotes competition by creating a level playing field, among other things, in the competitive retail electricity market. The government has been exploring ways to lower the prices of power in the provinces, which are mostly controlled by electric cooperatives. One of the solutions that has been on the table is the development of nuclear power, particularly the potential deployment of small modular reactors or SMRs on small islands that are not yet connected to the main grid. Early this week, Manila Electric Co., or Meralco, the country’s largest power distributor, signified its plan to tap an American partner to jointly explore the country’s potential to develop nuclear energy as a viable power source. Meralco chairman and chief executive officer Manuel V. Pangilinan, in an interview with reporters, said the company recently signed a non-disclosure agreement with an American firm with expertise in nuclear development. However, Pangilinan noted that since nuclear energy requires a new technology, it would be “at least five years away from commercial production.” Last year, Meralco sought a United States Trade and Development Agency grant to generate additional funding to bankroll a feasibility study on nuclear energy. The government has been supportive of the exploration of nuclear power as an energy source in line with the global push to reduce fossil fuel use due to its hazardous carbon emissions. According to Lotilla, the government would need the support of Congress to ratify a law that would help jumpstart the integration of nuclear power into the country’s energy mix. Pending the passage of the law, the DoE and all other government agencies concerned are actively looking for possible sites where a nuclear power plant can be built, he added. The post Lotilla: Regulators easing power rates appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Decades-old EPIRA needs to catch up — DOE
The Department of Energy is carefully studying the Republic Act 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 or EPIRA to ensure that the more than two decades-old law can keep up with the changing energy landscape while upholding the interest of the consumers. “Right now it is a case of there is always a continuing effort to amend the EPIRA so that we can adjust certain parts that may require some tweaking,” Energy Secretary Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla said in a recent interview with reporters. Lotilla said the EPIRA amendments can be related to the Energy Regulatory Commission’s powers and penalties it may impose and the Philippine Competition Commission's powers relative to the energy sector. “These are just some of the things that we need to clarify, but even without these amendments within the framework of the existing EPIRA we will proceed,” he added. The EPIRA passed during the time of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, mandates ERC and PCC to promote competition, encourage market development, ensure consumer choice, and penalize abuse of market power in the restructured electricity industry. The law also promotes competition by creating a level playing field, among others, in the competitive retail electricity market. In a hearing at the House Committee on Energy last week, Undersecretary Sharon Garin, disclosed that the EPIRA should be realigned to ban foreign-owned or foreign government-backed enterprises from engaging in power transmission. The DoE has drafted a bill backed by lawmakers to include additional paragraphs in EPIRA that would effectively ban the involvement of companies controlled or acting on behalf of foreign governments in the country's electric transmission business. Once the bill is passed into law, state-run enterprises currently operating in the country will be forced to divest their investments within 10 years. Private Electric Power Operators Association President Ranulfo Ocampo, in another hearing on Tuesday, feared that the proposed revisions in EPRIA may push government authorities to compete in the generation sector, which might discourage investments. Meanwhile, Meralco's First Vice President and Head of Regulatory Management Jose Valles also warned that lower investments in the generation sector can lead to higher electricity prices due to the absence of competition amid fewer players. Currently, the country's transmission system is solely operated by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, a private company whose 40 percent stakes are owned by the State Grid Corporation of China. The majority, or 60 percent, is controlled by a group of Filipino businessmen led by Henry Sy Jr. and Robert Coyiuto Jr. NGCP holds a 25-year franchise to solely operate the transmission assets of the government under the Republic Act 9511 signed in 2008. The post Decades-old EPIRA needs to catch up — DOE appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US Supreme Court weighs online harassment against free speech
The Supreme Court took on a sticky social media issue not envisioned by the drafters of the US Constitution Wednesday: are an online stalker's messages that the recipient considers menacing protected by fundamental free speech rights? In a two-hour discussion that dropped references to intimidating lyrics by Eminem and burning crosses to threaten Black people, the justices were asked to decide whether Billy Counterman was correctly jailed in Colorado for the thousands of unwelcome Facebook messages he sent to country singer Coles Whalen over 2014-2016. To Whalen, Counterman's messaging, which persisted even when she blocked him and started new online accounts, left her in a constant state of fear. He wrote her messages such as "die, don't need you", and "staying in cyber life is going to kill you," and indicated that he had physically followed her. The cumulative impact left her frozen and unable to perform after doing hundreds of shows a year and releasing six albums, she said. "I was terrified that I was being followed and could be hurt at any moment; I had no choice but to step back from my dream, a music career that I had worked very hard to build," she said ahead of the hearing. In 2016 she filed a complaint in Colorado courts after learning that Counterman had previously been jailed for threatening to injure several other women. The next year he was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to four and a half years in prison. Limits to free speech That conviction has sparked a case that has libertarians, activists on the right and left, and the media siding with Counterman in his suit against Colorado. Free speech advocates worry upholding his conviction could chill free speech by opening the door to the prosecution of anyone whose speech is perceived as threatening by another person, without proof of intent. Colorado state laws don't require an assessment of the speaker's mental state, so Counterman was convicted without a determination of his intent. That, his attorneys said in their petition to the Supreme Court, violates his free speech rights. They said he did not intend to threaten Whalen, that he suffers from "mental illness," and that Whalen perceived threats that were not real. "Criminalizing misunderstanding is especially dangerous in an age when so much communication occurs on social media," Counterman's attorney John Elwood told the high court Wednesday. The standard for a conviction, he said, is that the person speaking, or messaging, "knew that the words would cause fear." Enabling stalkers? Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser told the court that such a standard would enable abuse of free speech rights. "Requiring specific intent in cases of threatening stalkers would immunize stalkers who are untethered from reality. It would also allow devious stalkers to escape accountability by insisting they meant nothing by their harmful statements," he said. "Ninety percent of actual or attempted domestic violence murder cases begin with stalking," he noted. Even if some of Counterman's messages seemed benign, he said, the threat came in the context and cumulative effect -- making them different from joking threats between friends or family members. But justices queried whether the perception of a threat by the person on the receiving end was enough to deny someone's free speech rights. "We live in a world in which people are sensitive, and maybe increasingly sensitive," said Justice Neil Gorsuch, making reference to trigger warnings announced before university lectures to avoid disturbing some students. Weiser said that the standard for what constitutes a real threat is not determined by "eggshell defendants" who are so fragile as to perceive threats everywhere. Several justices still showed concern that endorsing Colorado's conviction of Counterman would amount to set new limits on free speech. The court should decide the case by the end of June. The post US Supreme Court weighs online harassment against free speech appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Davao police clueless on Quiboloy’s whereabouts
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 24 March) — Police authorities in the Davao region claim they are still clueless on the whereabouts of Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy. The Senate had earlier ordered the arrest of Quiboloy for his continued refusal to attend its investigation of alleged human trafficking and child abuse. Police major Catheine Dela Rey, Police […].....»»
Argentina: Firearms Resolution Opens Door to Abuse
Argentina: Firearms Resolution Opens Door to Abuse.....»»
Sachzna minolestiya sa edad na 5, tinakot na papatayin ang lolo’t lola
Trigger warning: sexual abuse SA edad na 5 ay nakaranas na ang content creator at aktres na si Sachzna Laparan ng pangmomolestiya at pananakot. Inalala ng vlogger ang ginawang kahayupan sa kanya ng isang malayong kamag-anak na inampon ng kanyang lolo at lola. Matindi ang idinulot na trauma kay Sachzna nang mabiktima ng sexual abuse.....»»
Golden Haven launches international campaign for OFWs
Golden Haven, the country’s leading memorial park developer, has launched its GO! International campaign, a groundbreaking initiative that aims to help overseas Filipino workers secure their financial future......»»
The US is cultivating an antagonist to China in Beijing s own backyard
Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the president of the Philippines, is a stark contrast to his predecessor - and besides, Washington has dirt on him The Philippines has been a treaty ally of the United States since 1951, almost as long as it's been an independent country. Before that, it was a colony of the US, which had won it as.....»»
The real pasaways
The local internet came down hard last week on an anonymous teacher who was caught on livestream giving her students a scorching tongue-lashing for what she claimed was their lack of respect and discipline. Almost hysterical, Teacher X called them good-for-nothings without a future. Predictably, netizens deplored her derogatory language, which they equated with child abuse, and called on the Department of Education to investigate the incident and impose some disciplinary measure on the teacher concerned......»»
It s important that you speak up : Morissette scores People s Choice win after gig issue
Morissette still has the people's trust after she won the fan-voted People's Choice at the inaugural Billboard Philippines Women in Music last Friday in Samsung Hall, SM Aura Premier in Taguig City. .....»»
Belle Mariano wins Listeners Choice at 1st Billboard Philippines Women in Music
Belle Mariano said she hopes to inspire little girls to be singers, composers, or anything they would want to be as she received the fan-voted Listeners' Choice Award at last Friday's inaugural Billboard Philipines Women in Music......»»
WATCH: Why your choice of mattress can affect your sleep, posture
You do not have to suffer through sleepless nights because there is an option available on the market that its makers say can improve your sleep quality and even your posture......»»
OFW aspirants told: Engage with licensed recruitment agencies only
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The regional director of the Department of Migrant Workers in Central Visayas (DMW-7) warned aspiring Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to engage with only legitimate and licensed recruitment agencies. Lawyer Karl Arriola, DMW-7 director, told CDN Digital that even if he was a lawyer, he still subscribed to the doctors’ advice: Prevention.....»»
AFP exec’s promotion bypassed after wife’s physical abuse accusation
An aspiring Armed Forces of the Philippines brigadier general accused of domestic abuse by his wife was bypassed by the Commission on Appointments yesterday.....»»
Brigada News FM probes controversial child abuse interview
Brigada News FM probes controversial child abuse interview.....»»
Lapu-Lapu drug test: Tourism office JO positive for illegal drugs
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu- One tested positive for using illegal drugs during a surprise drug test conducted by the City of Lapu-Lapu Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (CLOSAP) on Friday, March 15, for the occupants of the Tourism, Historical, and Cultural Affairs Commission (TCHAC) building. The government structure is occupied by tourism office personnel and employees.....»»
‘Abused’ wife blocks CA promotion of AFP general
The ad interim appointment of Brig. Gen. Ranulfo Sevilla was deferred yesterday after his wife accused him of domestic abuse, according to the Commission on Appointments......»»