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‘One More Chance’ reincarnated as musical
Musical theater is booming. Pinoys are not lacking for shows to watch anymore......»»
Miss Saigon cast embrace full circle moments in Philippine return
Excited is an understatement for what the "Miss Saigon" cast feels in bringing the musical back to Philippine shores......»»
‘Buhing Kalbaryo’ turns to a mini-musical
‘Buhing Kalbaryo’ turns to a mini-musical.....»»
Big Slaysian energy : Abigail Adriano, Seann Miley Moore on their Miss Saigon roles
Filipino-Australian actors Abigail Adriano and Seann Miley Moore are expected to deliver on making their "Miss Saigon" characters their own when the musical returns to the Philippine stage this March......»»
Miss Saigon co-creator praises musical s Philippine connections
Claude-Michel Schönberg is back in the country to witness the comeback of "Miss Saigon," which has close ties to the Philippines because of all the Filipino actors who took part in its numerous stagings, beginning with theater legend Lea Salonga......»»
Jon Jon Briones, daughter Isa join Broadway s Hadestown
Homegrown Filipino-American stage actor Jon Jon Briones and his daughter Isa have been tapped to join the cast of the Tony Award-winning musical "Hadestown" on Broadway......»»
Briones: Word war in Cebu City
Briones: Word war in Cebu City.....»»
Briones: Lotto winners a ‘sham’
Briones: Lotto winners a ‘sham’.....»»
Tri-level Interchange in Mandaue aimed at decongesting traffic in key roads
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu—Traffic congestion along M.C Briones St. and corner of United Nations Avenue in Mandaue City may soon see a solution with the construction of a Tri-level Interchange. The construction of a Tri-level Interchange along M.C Briones St. and corner of United Nations Avenue in Mandaue City is set to start in the first.....»»
Briones: Yellow brick sidewalk
Briones: Yellow brick sidewalk.....»»
Call center agent dies after modern PUJ, crashes into car, falls on its side in Mandaue
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — A 31-year-old call center agent from Compostela died on Tuesday night, November 14, after the modern jeepney she was riding fell on its side along M.C Briones Street, Labogon Road in Barangay Basak, Mandaue City. Initial investigation by the Mandaue City Police Office showed that the modern jeepney from Cebu City.....»»
Police reminds motorcycle riders: Avoid sudden lane-changing to avoid fatal accidents
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu—The Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) is reminding motorcycle riders to avoid making sudden lane changes when overtaking bigger vehicles to avoid accidents. MCPO Deputy City Director for Administration and Spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Franco Rudolf Oriol, gave the advice on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, following a tragic accident along MC Briones Highway.....»»
UnionBank cardholders get pre-sale Miss Saigon tickets access
The new staging of one of the most iconic musicals of all time takes the stage in the Philippines, and Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) is giving its cardholders a chance to score tickets before everyone. GMG Productions, in association with GWB Entertainment, has announced that Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s globally acclaimed new production of Boublil & Schönberg’s Miss Saigon is coming to Manila in March 2024. Dedicated to bringing top-tier musical entertainment to Manila, GMG Productions is again partnering with UnionBank to fan the flames of theatrical passion and give its customers exclusive access as the official presenting sponsor and pre-sale partner of Miss Saigon Philippines. Get the best seats before they’re gone as UnionBank will be holding a ticket pre-sale event exclusively for UnionBank credit and debit cardholders. Exclusive booking period From 23 to 27 October 2023, UnionBank card holders can enjoy the exclusive booking period and a 10 percent discount on their ticket purchase by using the first six digits of their card as a promo code. There will also be another chance for UnionBank cardholders to get their hands on tickets, with the extended pre-sale from 28 October to 3 November 2023. Tickets open to the public on 6 November 2023. Miss Saigon is a retelling of Giacomo Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, moving the story to 1970s Vietnam, where Kim, a young Vietnamese woman, falls in love with an American G.I. named Chris during the final days of the Vietnam War. The story follows Kim as she embarks on her three-year journey to reunite, all while carrying a secret. Filipino artists such as Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson, Joanna Ampil, Jon Jon Briones, Rachelle Ann Go, Isay Alvarez-Seña, Leo Valdez, Aicelle Santos and Red Concepcion have all been a part of the classic stage production over the years, along with countless other homegrown talents who have showcased the incredible depth of talent within the Filipino community. The post UnionBank cardholders get pre-sale Miss Saigon tickets access appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
The standouts at Fashion Forte XVIII
After more than two decades in the United States, the enterprising fashion designer Nardie Presa came back to the Philippines. Though he had a lucrative practice in California, home is where his heart is. But then Presa saw that budding designers were relegated to showcasing their creations at malls or clubs. He thought that a hotel was a more proper venue for rising talents to present their collections. The idea not only became a clever business venture; it also became the irrepressible Presa’s advocacy. Together with his longtime friend Audie Espino as director and the Crowne Plaza Galleria as the host, more and more design upstarts are getting their breaks at Presa’s Fashion Forte series held at least four times a year. The lineup is usually composed of neophyte talents but established designers such as Presa also participate to show the newbies how it’s done. At the 17th staging, it was barong Tagalog designer Barge Ramos who gave a master class. At Fashion Forte XVIII, Albert Andrada displayed his universally loved designs of romantic and dreamy confections. Mikaela Rose Fowler, Miss Grand Australia 2023, gushed on her Instagram: “What an honor to not only walk for Sir Albert Andrada during the latest Fashion Forte runway show. I had the privilege of closing the show as the grand finale.” Here are some of the standouts and their thoughts: [caption id="attachment_188837" align="aligncenter" width="525"] TONI Kimpo recommends using local fabrics to promote the country to the fashion world. | photograph courtesy of Bert Briones[/caption] TONI KIMPO “The title of my collection is Rise of the Phoenix. My inspirations are the mystical bird phoenix while the emotion behind my creations is the power to rise again like a phoenix. “My materials are sourced locally. I used some indigenous material like pearls and shells. I recommend using local fabrics to promote the country to the fashion world. “I said yes to Nardie and Audie because of their integrity, and the high fashion production that only Fashion Forte can make. [caption id="attachment_188833" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Albert Andrada displayed his universally loved designs of romantic and dreamy confections. | photograph courtesy of Mike Zuniga[/caption] “When I was a child, I grew up being influenced by the works of Tito Albert Andrada. His first shop was in my grandmother’s building. I studied fashion at Slim’s Fashion School and worked at the Carolina’s fabric store.” [caption id="attachment_188834" align="aligncenter" width="525"] CARL Acusa’s latest collection speaks of political movement through fashion. | photograph courtesy of Bert Briones[/caption] CARL ARCUSA “Luncheon At The Palace is a political movement through fashion. A collection that is intended to raise awareness to the historical past and to not forget the mistreatment, injustices, killings and power abuse during the… regime. “The materials I used are silk, organdy, piña cloth, tulle, red Swarovski crystals, beads and metal religious emblems. [The challenge of procuring the materials] is their availability to suppliers because some are sourced out abroad and the piña cloth’s availability to the market. ‘My recommended remedy] is fast supplier-to-market transport and communications. “[I said yes to Nardie and Audie] because they are both professional and friendly. Their taste and professionalism established a good foundation of trust to us designers. “I’m a self-taught. I was mentored by Rocky Gathercole and Olé Morabe. My inspirations are Christian Dior, Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Joey Samson, Ivarluski Aseron and various Filipino veteran designers. My celebrity clients include Andrea Brillantes, Kim Chiu, Vice Ganda, Sanya Lopez, Lea Salonga and Miss Glenda.” JEZELLE AMORADO “My collection is entitled Imprint. As a fashion designer, one of my primary roles is to create pieces for clients that reflect their identity and persona. It is very seldom that I get to create something that would reflect who I am as an artist. Thus, the ‘Imprint’ collection was born. “For this collection. I wanted to do away with traditional floral and lace details. Instead I focused on the idea of how I can imprint my own DNA as a designer into each piece. The hand-beaded details of each piece were carefully crafted to show my personal way of sketching, yarn and beadwork to mimic my fingerprints and the waves in various colors were created to represent my sound waves when speaking. The Jezelle Hautea Amorado signature book folded details can also be seen in the collection as a representation of my unfolding fashion design story. “The emotions that I wanted the collection to evoke is a sense of identity and self-love for who I am as an artist. I wanted the audience to see who I truly was as an artist and experience the same level of love and admiration I felt when I was allowed to be myself and create what my heart wanted. “I wanted to present a collection that would let people realize and feel that it is OK to be themselves, to love who they are and to not let society dictate who they should be. Imprint is a collection that focuses on the idea of ‘self’ and that no person could ever alter who you are as a person. “I wanted people, women in particular, to have that profound sense of acceptance despite what society would expect of us in terms of how we dress, talk and present ourselves. Hopefully, ‘Imprint’ was able to do that. “The materials that were used were a mixture of silk gazaar, fine crepe, organza and tulle. The finer details were crafted using multicolored yarns, crystals and multi-cut beads. All of my materials were sourced from both local and international vendors that I have worked with in the course of my career. “The main challenge that I face when procuring fabrics was the fear that another designer would be using the same thing as me. My solution for this is that I stay away from already pre-beaded or pre-printed textiles. “Instead of purchasing such textiles I have my team of skilled beaders craft custom prints or details that would guarantee me a unique piece every single time. At times, it is an unavoidable circumstance that I would have to use pre-detailed fabrics such as lace, so to address this situation I would deconstruct the said fabric and have my team rework it by creating new textures, or beading details to give my clients that unique look. “I have a Bachelor’s degree in Consular and Diplomatic Affairs from De La Salle College of Saint Benilde and an Associate’s degree in Fashion Design at Raffles Design Institute Singapore. I apprenticed under Albert Andrada, who is also my mentor and design influence along with Christian Dior, Coco Chanel and Iris Van Herpen.” [caption id="attachment_188836" align="aligncenter" width="525"] ‘Fashion Forte’ expresses Nardie Presa’s specialty and strength in conceptualizing clothes and designs. | PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MIKE ZUNIGA[/caption] “To be invited back by Nardie Presa and Audie Espino was a wonderful experience and great honor. I had my first show with them back in 2020 before the pandemic and this would have given me another opportunity to work alongside two of the most-sought after personalities in the fashion industry. “Another reason for me to say yes was that Tita Nardie had informed me that this would be a wonderful opportunity for me to continue the Mentor-Protegee story that was unfolding between me and my beloved mentor and fashion father, Albert Andrada. “The period that I got the invite for Fashion Forte was when Sir Albert and I were preparing for our ‘Marry Me at Marriott’ show and it just felt like the perfect fit. Any chance I would get to work alongside Sir Albert and share the runway with him is an opportunity that I would never want to miss.” The post The standouts at Fashion Forte XVIII appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BFAR to distribute 43 fiberglass boats to 200 fishers in Bicol
By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-5 (Bicol) will distribute next month 43 fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) boats to more or less 200 fisherfolk beneficiaries in the six provinces of the region. In an interview on Thursday, Rowena Briones, BFAR-5 information officer, said the 22-footer FRP boats with complete […].....»»
VP Sara visits schools in remote areas of Cebu
Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Tuesday visited far-flung schools in Cebu province on the first day of the opening of classes in public schools. Duterte said she chose to attend the opening of classes in Last Mile schools to show its importance and “to make sure education is accessible to far-flung barangays and to our children and learners.” She first went to the Kaluangan 1 Primary School in Asturias town. The school has 63 pupils and four teaching and non-teaching personnel. She later visited the Melecio Tito Elementary School in Oguis, Danao City. The Vice President also led the turnover of a newly constructed four-classroom building for each of the two schools. Undersecretary Epimaco Densing, who is in charge of the School Infrastructure and Facilities Strand of the Department of Education, said 15 other Last Mile school buildings were turned over in time for the opening of classes for the school year 2023-2024. Last Mile schools are usually makeshift and non-standard ones. These have no electricity, no funds for repairs, and are usually located in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged and Conflict Affected Areas or GIDCA. The Last Mile Schools Program was introduced under former Secretary Leonor Briones to address the gaps in resources and facilities of schools that are in GIDCA. The newly turned-over school building has four classrooms. During Duterte’s visit, the classrooms, which were provided with desks and armchairs, were already being used for the first day of classes. Duterte also turned over Philippine flags to the school heads of the two schools. She also brought the PagbaBAGo program of the Office of the Vice President, distributing school bags to the children. The bags contain school supplies and dental kits. The post VP Sara visits schools in remote areas of Cebu appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DBM, DepEd respect Ombudsman’s suspension order
The Department of Budget and Management on Saturday said it will adhere to the Office of the Ombudsman’s suspension order against officials involved in the purchase of alleged overpriced laptops for public school teachers in 2021. “The Department of Budget and Management, under the leadership of Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, assures the public of its utmost compliance with the decision set by the Office of the Ombudsman against former Procurement Service and DBM officials due to their alleged involvement in the purchase of reportedly overpriced laptops for the Department of Education,” it said in a statement. It added that Pangandaman has already directed concerned officials to implement the suspension order against former and present PS-DBM officials and employees involved in the controversial procurement deal of DepEd laptops. In a resolution, Ombudsman Samuel Martires issued a six-month preventive suspension without pay against education and budget officials, pending the investigation into the P2.4-billion laptop procurement for the DepEd Computerization Program. Citing reports from the Commission on Audit, the Ombudsman found sufficient grounds to preventively suspend the officials for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and gross neglect of duty. The DBM has already requested an independent investigation from the National Bureau of Investigation in August 2022. The DepEd also assured that the suspension of its officials won’t affect the education services of the department, especially the preparations for the opening of School Year 2023-2024. “DepEd adheres to due process and shall abide by the said Order. Meanwhile, the Department reassures the public of its unhampered services as we prepare for a safe and orderly opening of School Year 2023-2024,” DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said. Among the education officials ordered to be placed under six-month suspensions are former PS-DBM officers-in-charge Lloyd Christopher Lao and Jasonmer Uayan; and procurement management officers Ulysses Mora, Marwin Amil, and Paul Armand Estrada as well as Alec Ladanga, former Executive Assistant IV of the Office of Usec. Sevilla; Marcelo Bragado, Director IV of DepEd’s Procurement Management Service; and Selwyn Briones, DepEd’s Supervising Administrative Officer. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Saturday urged the Ombudsman to go after the contractors involved in the alleged overpriced laptop procurement deals. Pimentel said the anti-corruption body should undertake “vigorous efforts” in reclaiming public funds used in the anomalous purchasing deals. “The Ombudsman’s decision to impose preventive suspension sends a strong signal that any alleged wrongdoing will be treated seriously. It is equally vital to thoroughly examine the role of the contractor in this anomalous transaction, from its background to how it secured the contract,” he said. It is imperative for the Ombudsman “to regain taxpayers’ money, expended on items that did not align with the government’s actual needs.” The PS-DBM awarded the contract to Sunwest Construction and Development Corp., LDLA Marketing and Trading Inc. and VST ECS Philippines Inc. Pimentel earlier authored the Senate Resolution 120, which called for a comprehensive investigation into the laptop procurement carried out by DepEd through PS-DBM. In previous hearings, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee found out that the joint-venture companies failed to meet the technical specifications required for the laptops, rendering them unsuitable for the teachers’ needs. The companies were also unable to complete the delivery within the agreed target dates outlined in the procurement contract. “Our citizens deserve to know the exact circumstances that led to the selection of the joint venture comprising Sunwest Construction and Development Corp., LDLA Marketing and Trading Inc. and VST ECS Philippines Inc. for this significant procurement,” Pimentel said. He criticized the PS-DBM over its failure to promptly blacklist the suppliers involved in the anomalous laptop deals by the recommendation of the Commission on Audit. The Blue Ribbon Committee, he said, will continue to perform its duty and help in seeking out the truth behind the alleged overpriced laptop deal. The post DBM, DepEd respect Ombudsman’s suspension order appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Rice hoarding, manipulation feasible’ — lawmaker
Rice hoarding and price manipulation, at this time when the commodity's cost surged at P56 per kilo, is a feasible occurrence. The vice chairperson of the House committee on agriculture and food, Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP) Representative Nicanor Briones, in a radio interview on Sunday, said he would not rule out the possibility that there is indeed hoarding and price manipulation of rice in the Philippine market. "Like this time, the rice is already in their possession, to traders and importers. That means they can really manipulate the price," Briones said. "They may not release a lot of rice right away if they already have it in warehouses and are waiting for the price to go up," he added. According to the solon, stockpiling of rice in warehouses is not unlikely at this time, given that harvest season has yet to begin. The harvest season for rice will kick off next month until October. He, however, said there is a good chance that the price will drop when the harvest comes. Briones noted that the current challenge arises from the lack of visits to warehouses, which the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry do the shepherding. This way, the national government could quickly identify the potential hoarders, assuming any exist. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last week ordered the DA, which he heads, and the DTI to keep a close eye on the price of the commodity in light of the surge, which soared at P56 per kilo. The P20 per kilo rice, which is one of the campaign promises of Marcos, has yet to be felt by Filipinos over two years of his presidency. In the House of Representatives, the agriculture panel last 16 August conducted a briefing with the DA officials on the adequacy of the country's rice supply as there were reports of an impending rice crisis despite the DA undersecretaries' statements that the country is expecting 852,000 metric tons of imported rice and 5.7-million MT of “palay” yielded during the first-semester harvest. The post ‘Rice hoarding, manipulation feasible’ — lawmaker appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Another Ecuador politician slain, six days ahead of vote
A local politician in Ecuador was killed Monday, party officials said, less than a week after a presidential front-runner was gunned down at a campaign rally ahead of this weekend's elections. Pedro Briones, a member of the Citizen Revolution Party of former president Rafael Correa, and one of the movement's leaders in the province of Esmeraldas on the border with Colombia, was killed by unknown gunmen. "My solidarity with the family of comrade Pedro Briones, new victim of violence," Luisa Gonzalez, one of the main presidential candidates, said on X, the social media platform formerly called Twitter. "Ecuador is going through its bloodiest period," said Gonzalez, a close former associate of Correa. She called the government inept and said the country has been taken over by organized crime gangs. Correa added his condolences on social media: "They murdered another of our colleagues in Esmeraldas. Enough is enough!" Neither the police nor the government immediately confirmed the attack but Ecuadoran media, citing a local police source, said the victim was shot at his home in the town of San Mateo by two men on a motorcycle who later fled. The murder came less than a week after the August 9 killing, in the capital Quito, of one of the presidential favorites, the centrist Fernando Villavicencio. The 59-year-old journalist was on a crusade against corruption and was in second place in the polls when he was shot as he left a campaign rally. One of his main feats as a journalist was to have put the former president Correa, who served from 2007-2017, in the dock thanks to one of his investigations. Correa, now living in Belgium, was sentenced in absentia to eight years in the case. Most of Ecuador has been under a state of emergency and President Guillermo Lasso has blamed organized crime for the killing of Villavicencio. Six Colombians were arrested as part of the probe into the assassination and one was killed shortly after the attack by the candidate's bodyguards. The post Another Ecuador politician slain, six days ahead of vote appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Cebu City Hall assures assistance for job order worker electrocuted while working in extension office
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A job order employee of the Cebu City Hall was rushed to the hospital due to electrocution while working on the ongoing construction of the city hall’s extension office along MC Briones Street, Cebu City, past 3 p.m. on Thursday, July 20, 2023. The victim’s workmates and fellow masons identified him […] The post Cebu City Hall assures assistance for job order worker electrocuted while working in extension office appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»