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Skin in the game
Where do you find yourself in the skincare spectrum? Are you still assiduously doing your 13-step Korean beauty routine, convincing everybody your glistening face is not “hulas,” but glass skin? “The word is dew-y!” Or are you the basic sunscreen, a chemical and physical exfoliant or two, maybe slathering a peptide, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, or whatever serum is in vogue type? Or are you, “I will fight the ravages of time until my skin is as taut as a drum head and as supple as clouds, or I die trying?” In a crowded field littered with skin and beauty “CEOs” being as high profile as the brands they carry, Skin Manila is positioning itself as a sober alternative, anywhere between Glenda, Rosmar (If you don’t recognize these names, maybe get thee a Tiktok app, Luddite!), the basic aesthetic clinics, and the Belo-Aivee industrial complex. Skin Manila has been around for a decade, and the brand quietly expanded to nine branches without much fanfare and hype, but they’re beginning to introduce it to a much wider audience. The company’s choice of name — Skin Manila — even has a generic bent to it. This is something they have done on purpose, trying to be above the fray of the skincare noise and hype, but also smack dab in the middle in terms of accessibility and affordability. Even Skin Manila’s retail line is called Prescription Skin Care, which calls to mind a no-frills approach, although a glance at the ingredient label will see active ingredients like niacinamide and salicylic acid in their creams and serums. One of Skin Manila’s most successful branches is in Baguio, already bedecked with a Christmas-winter theme where people keep taking selfies. This is where we found ourselves trying its services, during its first anniversary. Apparently, red-cheeked Baguio denizens with what seems like the perfect temperate weather for good skin aren’t taking any chances. Skin Manila offers infusion treatments, cosmetic surgery services, rejuvenation and skin repair, but a signature treatment I chose is the ALMA-Q/PICOLASE Carbon Facial (P8,000) because it sounded like a spacecraft model, and as someone middle-aged, you know you need something industrial strength. This is described on the brochure as “a non-invasive, painless laser skin facial that uses a formulated carbon liquid applied to the face that quickly and effectively treats a variety of skin imperfections. It is suitable for all skin types and particularly beneficial for oily skin, blackheads, enlarged pores, dull rough, uneven textured skin and acne.” [caption id="attachment_193124" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] The Exilis is used to contour both face and body.[/caption] As the kind of person who registers a mere 2.1 on the tiis ganda scale, I wouldn’t call this procedure completely painless. You feel fluttery pinpricks when the laser hits the skin because a fan is administered alongside, so the pain skates away, but the memory of it stays? (Yes, this is still about skincare) along with the smell of singed hair? Flesh? This is definitely medical grade. This is presumably nothing but a cakewalk to someone who’s already used to all sorts of facial treatments, but if a client is particularly pain-sensitive, the nurse can administer Emla, a topical cream-based anaesthetic. This same procedure is definitely painless on the underarms because skin is thicker there, and is more used to trauma with waxing and depillating. The laser definitely stimulates collagen because immediately after treatment, your face feels very soft, but the results would reveal themselves over a couple of days and weeks. One of our companions said he received compliments days later from people who didn’t know about his facials. The carbon facial is also supposed to reduce hyperpigmentation, which the aestheticist said wasn’t actually my main problem, and I could feel the smugness of my 14-year-old self for deciding to have an at-the-very-least-SPF-15-sunscreen-on-your-face routine whatever else happens because that’s what I read on the pages of Glamour in the late ‘80s. One of my other companions tried the Exilis Face and Neck Contour (P5,000), “which is supposed to contour and tighten the skin by forcing heat deeply into the skin while using cooling technology. The optimal heat stimulates heat production of collagen, which tightens skin, and reduces wrinkles.” He took a picture of his face when one side had already been treated and this half did appear visibly slimmer. According to the clinic brochure, this type of facial is for maintenance after you’ve done the other medical-grade facials. Aesthetic centers are like salons, where you go to a particular one because they make you feel good and pampered. Stephanie Nuestro, general manager of Skin Manila, said this is a large part of their training. “Customer training is as important as the technical know-how of machines…all our aestheticians are nurses.” No matter where you find yourself in your skincare journey, the old adage remains true — the most effective skincare routine is the one you’re able to stick to. The post Skin in the game appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
A legacy award for Tita Helen
Our favorite charity fund raiser, the indefatigable and ageless Helen Ong, honorary consul of Angola to the Philippines, received the surprise of her life when the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Cancer Society bestowed on her the organization’s first-ever Legacy Award, which cited “her outstanding service as the chairperson of the Best Dressed Women of the Philippines from 2004 to 2023, while selflessly dedicating her precious time and worthy efforts to raise funds for the benefit of the PCS and, in so doing, alleviate the plight of cancer-stricken Filipinos.” Given during the recent “Best Dressed Women of the Philippines 2023” awarding at the Shangri La Hotel The Fort, the award underscored “her indefatigable commitment and loyal devotion to the Society for the last 20 years, even beyond the call of duty; her inspiring creativity and unparalleled perseverance in ensuring assistance was forthcoming during the Covid-19 pandemic amidst the scarcity of resources; and her unwavering belief in the compassionate hearts of her fellowmen and her steadfast faith in God.” [caption id="attachment_192151" align="aligncenter" width="525"] MEN of Great Influence 2023 (from left) David Ackerman, Noel Gonzales, Harold Co, Philippine Red Cross chairman Richard Gordon, Dr. Cecilio Kwok Pedro, Orberto Alvarez Jr., Richard Cariño and Richie Lerma.[/caption] The signatories of the award were PCS chairman of the Board of Trustees Antonio J. Ma. Guerrero and PCS president Dr. Corazon A. Ngelangel, with PCS trustee Dr. Kelly Salvador and PCS executive director Dr. Rachel Rosario handing the plaque of recognition to the awardee. Earlier, in her welcome remarks, Tita Helen, as she is fondly referred to by her friends and family, said, “This marks a day of gratitude for me as this is our 20th year. This could not have been possible without your continued help and support to our noble cause by providing financial assistance to your cancer-stricken brothers and sisters. [gallery columns="2" size="large" ids="192157,192161"] [gallery columns="1" size="large" ids="192162,192163"] Addressing the honorees, she acknowledged “every one of you here who have accepted our invitation as an awardee. Choosing one is not an easy task as we aim to recognize achievers in their own fields of work or advocacy, who are not just measured by their success and accomplishments but also by the kindness of their hearts. [caption id="attachment_192164" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Dr. Lauren Lior Liechtenstein.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_192165" align="aligncenter" width="525"] DAVID Ackerman and Mache Torres Ackerman.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_192166" align="aligncenter" width="515"] Agile Zamora receives her husband Wopsy Zamora’s award. Photographs by Yummie Dingding for the Daily Tribune [/caption] “Being beautiful has nothing to do with looks; it is how you are as a person and how you make an impact on the lives of many, especially to those who are in need. Beauty isn’t about having a pretty face, it is about having a pretty mind, a pretty heart and pretty soul.” Finally, she thanked “God who has been providing me with abundant blessings to be able to mount this event.” Major sponsors of this most special of annual awards recognizing these icons of style and philanthropy were Museo Orlina Foundation, Midas Hotel and Casino, San Miguel Foundation Inc., PAGCOR, The French Baker, SM Investments, SM Retails, Corso Como 88, Salcedo Auctions, Wilcon Depot Inc., Czarina Foreign Exchange, IPM Holdings Inc., B.A. Securities Inc., MW Travel and Tour and NEO. The post A legacy award for Tita Helen appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
India-administered Kashmir to host Miss World contest
The Miss World beauty contest will be held in the disputed territory of Indian-administered Kashmir as part of a month-long series of events across India, organizers have said. Control of the Muslim-majority territory is split between India and Pakistan, both of whom claim it in full but administer separate portions, divided by the Line of Control. For decades, an insurgency seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan -- and military operations to crush that movement -- have seen tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers and rebels killed. But India is now promoting tourism in the region -- home to spectacular mountain scenery -- and more than a million Indian citizens visited last year. Miss World Organization chair Julia Morley said that India will host a month-long series of events for the annual international beauty pageant from November to December, with part of the schedule to be held in Kashmir. "This is a blessed place for tourism," Morley told reporters while on a visit to Srinagar on Monday, the region's main city. Competitors will take part in "talent showcases, sports challenges, and charitable initiatives" to shortlist participants before the grand finale in December, the organization said. Miss World organizers say the contest "celebrates the beauty, intellect, and humanitarian efforts of women". The pageant has in the past sparked protests from critics who say it perpetuates the objectification of women and contributes to a beauty industry that pressures women to appear a certain way. In May, India hosted a G20 tourism meeting in Srinagar under tight security in a bid to show that what officials call "normalcy and peace" were returning after a massive crackdown following New Delhi's revocation of the region's limited autonomy in 2019. Dissent has been criminalized, media freedoms curbed and public protests limited in what critics say is a drastic curtailment of civil liberties by Indian authorities. Miss World 2022 Karolina Bielawska said she was stunned by Kashmir's scenery. "I cannot wait to welcome 140 nations, and all my friends and family, to bring them here to India and to show them places like Kashmir, like Delhi, Mumbai... you have so many beautiful places", the Polish model said Monday. The post India-administered Kashmir to host Miss World contest appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
An inane idea
The conflict in the disputed waters in the West Philippine Sea has birthed unnecessary and unpalatable narratives plus inane proposals to dramatize the country’s condemnation of the provocative and aggressive navigational acts coming from some government functionaries, apart from escalating the tension between claimants China and the Philippines. The repeated infuriating bullying by the Chinese Coast Guard on our own Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine vessels has been relentless. China has been oblivious to our countless diplomatic protests and calls for it to stop its incursions on our territorial waters, respect our sovereign rights and accept the arbitrary ruling handed by the Permanent Arbitration Court. It has turned deaf ears to our protestations. It has been unmoved by the collective expression of condemnation of its acts of aggression against the Philippines from countries consisting of the European Union, Japan, Australia Canada, and the United States. Not even the threat by the latter to use counter-offensive and defensive measures by way of enforcing the Mutual Defense Treaty between it and our country could soften China’s provocative and aggressive stance. It stubbornly refuses to recognize the arbitral ruling of the Permanent Arbitration Court that has rejected its nine-dash expansionist claim over a large part of the South China Sea while validating the Philippines’ claim over Ayungin Shoal as within its exclusive economic zone. China’s emergence from an underdeveloped and weak country to a superpower like the United States and Russia made it easy for it to adopt the maxim that might is right. Truly, from a sleeping giant, it has become a mighty dragon spewing fire. China’s unacceptable and outrageous assaults on our territorial waters, which must be stopped, is, however, not an excuse to call for a boycott of its products. It’s a stupid idea. The proponents have not considered the repercussions if we enforce such an inane thought. We cannot be hostage to that vexing conflict with China and throw to the winds the benefits derived from our trade relations with it. China, being the largest supplier of manufactured goods, is known as the “ world’s factory.“ Every imaginable household use, clothes, shoes, textiles, construction materials, kitchen and toilet fixtures, beauty equipment, electronic gadgets, toys, outdoor and interior decors, tiles, air conditioning units, electric fans, engineered floors, kitchen utensils, heavy machinery and equipment, engineered wood floors, and a thousand other items. Compared to US and European-made, Chinese-manufactured goods are much cheaper. No wonder, they are much preferred now by the average Filipino because of the affordable prices of these products. Quality-wise, they can give Western merchandise a run for their money. A government policy of boycotting goods coming from China will deprive millions of ordinary Filipinos to have them. This is an anti-poor program. The propagates of this boycott idea seem to be either ignorant or oblivious to the fact that China is the biggest trade partner of the Philippines. Philippines exports to China have reached a whopping $10.97 billion in 2022 while imports from China rose to $28.2 billion per the latest data. If we enforce a boycott policy of Chinese products, those figures will be jeopardized. Do those propagators of such foolish advocacy realize the monstrosity of that monumentally folly? (To be continued) The post An inane idea appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Markus Jentes returns
It’s not often that I attend exhibit openings, but this one of “Re Circulation” I could not miss because the artist, Markus Jentes, has been a dear friend of mine for the longest time. Well, so is the mother, beauty queen and artist Minnie Cagatao Lawrie, who is my kababayan from Isabela. Markus’ unstoppable success in the field of abstract art has been made even more evident with this exhibit opening which brought into Altro Mondo the artist’s friends, art critics and patrons in full force. Each, I overheard as I was viewing his captivating works, only had praises for the oeuvre he has produced so far since he left the world of advertising and chose to give vent to the inner call that, all these years, had been wanting to come out. [gallery columns="2" size="large" ids="166640,166642"] [gallery size="large" ids="166643,166644,166645"] The cognoscenti is one in agreeing with the Altro Mondo pronouncement of Markus “embracing a diverse range of mixed mediums, further expanding the expressive possibilities within his art. With each brushstroke and amalgamation of materials, he invites viewers to delve into a world of artistic continuity and innovation and to immerse one’s self in the ever-evolving exploration of his unique and mesmerizing artistic expression.” “Re Circulation,” which “represents a captivating continuation of Markus’ acclaimed abstract expression series, “Re Orient,” runs at Altro Mondo until 28 August. The post Markus Jentes returns appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senate adopts reso on WPS harassment
A resolution denouncing China’s intrusion into the West Philippine Sea and its harassment of Filipino fishermen was approved by the Senate on Tuesday. The approval of Senate Resolution 718, authored by Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Senator Risa Hontiveros, came after the Senate held an executive session on Monday with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr., and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, and their senior officials. Members of the Senate, as well as the mentioned officials, discussed Hontiveros’s earlier resolution which urges the national government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, to elevate China’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea to the United Nations General Assembly. Under the resolution, the lawmakers urged the Philippine government, through the DFA, to “continue asserting” the country’s sovereign rights over its exclusive economic zone. Likewise, the agency was encouraged to “intensify” efforts to engage the international community in upholding its hard-earned victory at the Hague. The Philippines celebrated the seventh anniversary of its historic victory over China in 2016 last month, which solidified Manila’s claims to the West Philippine Sea. China has continued to reject the arbitral ruling and stood by its historic rights over the area. As of 5 July, the Philippine government, through the DFA, has filed a total of 30 diplomatic protests against China in the last seven months. Over the span of three years, Manila has sent a total of 427 notes verbale against Beijing. The resolution also states that the DFA is “expected” to continue holding dialogues with the Chinese government to push for recognition and respect of the Philippines’ sovereign rights over its EEZ and pursue the formulation of the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea based on international law and the UNCLOS. Should China continue to ignore the country’s efforts, the resolution contains actions the agency must do such as bringing international attention to China’s harassment of Filipino fishermen in the Philippine EEZ and its continued violation of the Hague Ruling and the UNCLOS; utilizing international fora to rally multilateral support for the enforcement of the Hague Ruling and raise awareness on the real situation in the West Philippine Sea; and engaging with “like-minded” countries to call on China to respect the Hague Ruling and the UNCLOS. The DFA is also encouraged to file a resolution before the United Nations General Assembly, to call for the cessation of all activities that harass Philippine vessels and violate the Philippines’ established rights in the West Philippine Sea; and pursue other diplomatic modes as the agency may deem appropriate and necessary. ‘Never watered down’ In his manifestation, Zubiri stressed that the resolution filed by Hontiveros was “never watered down,” but instead “strengthened.” “We came out with strong consensus yesterday after the discussions with the West Philippine Sea Task Force, together with the AFP chief of staff General Brawner and DFA Secretary Manalo and actually we never watered down the resolution that we filed, we actually strengthened the first resolution that we initially filed with Senator Risa,” he said. “I think what happened here is we strengthened the position of the government. Now we gave them several options to choose on how to deal with our neighbors in the North,” he added. He continued: “And the beauty of this is with proper consensus and of course consultations among our colleagues we have come out unanimous.” For her part, Hontiveros expressed her gratitude to her colleagues for the adoption of the resolution, which she described as an “important success” for the country. “I would first like to thank all our colleagues for this concerted effort to not only make the West Philippine Sea issue a part of our national conversation but for ensuring that the Philippine government takes the necessary steps to consolidate global support over our historic 2016 Arbitral Award,” she said. “This bipartisan effort tells the Filipino people that when it comes to matters of national sovereignty, we will never be bullied into submission.” The post Senate adopts reso on WPS harassment appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Katya Angara – The journey of a woman and artist
The promising artist that Katya is today is the latest phase in a lifelong journey that began at an early age when she began drawing characters from cartoon comics. All the while she was growing up in a home that nurtured her interest in the arts, as much as it prepared her for rigorous academic training. She read early in life, in a house filled with books. In this second part of our interview, Katya shares with us how she made a number of choices that would lead to where she is today. But once upon a time, for all that had been given to her on a silver platter, she was in a quandary as to what to do with her life. But when she finally decided on what she wanted, there was no stopping the talented and smart girl who, it turned out, possessed an intellectual prowess not unlike those of her parents, the lawyer, and senator Edgardo Angara, whose affinity for the land had been impressed on his daughter, and the lady educator Gloria Manalang Angara, who opened up her daughter’s eyes and minds to the wonders of world literature and the other arts. And it was in art that the young girl did not only find solace but also healing. Here is the final part of our interview: DT: After high school, did you immediately leave for London? KA: To be honest, and I don’t want filters here, I had mental health issues at that time. I was severely depressed. Before I went to London, I went through a tumultuous period of deciding where to go with my education. So, after Poveda, I went to Woldingham (boarding school). then I did half of my BA Psychology degree at UP Diliman from late 2000 to 2002. I loved my time at Diliman but it was a tumultuous transitional period for me, so I decided to revisit pursuing university in London. Central Saint Martins, to be precise, is one of the most prestigious and distinguished art and design schools in the world DT: Around what time was this? KA: It was in 2002. I was bouncing around like I couldn’t anchor myself to one thing. Like, okay, I’m here in London already. And then, okay I’m going to study Psychology in UP. So, what’s with the leap, the sudden jump, the sudden shift? I couldn’t make up my mind. And I think that frustrated my parents for the longest time. I was also being hard on myself because I ended up causing a lot of frustration for myself. And I think that depressed me. So, you know, I’ve been diagnosed with different things. I’m bipolar. And then, I had the hallmarks of ADHD. Let’s just say that my brain works differently DT: Well, one can never be sure about oneself. KA: No, you can never be sure about yourself. And I was questioning myself. For the longest time, all those years I thought, what’s wrong with me? Why am I making all these strange decisions? Why am I behaving this way? Why do I react to people this way?”. You know, parang I shouldn’t be talking or reacting to people like this in this kind of situation. And I’m not just saying with family or what. But with my classmates in school. What drew me to art was it being a place that has its own language e. It’s a place where I can express myself. Art is also a way of healing your own wounds. It’s also a way of revealing those aspects of yourself that you wouldn’t be able to otherwise. It really was a way of healing for me. And I didn’t even know that I needed it. Because again, I was a very quiet and introverted kid. I don’t know why. I couldn’t rely on people, talk to people the way I thought, or maybe people thought I should. So, you know, I kept to myself. I’d hide away in the library every recess or lunch. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. So, that carried on until my university years. Daily Tribune (DT): What did you finally take up in college? Katya Angara: Well, first I just wanted to do a purely art course. So, my foundation course to get me a degree was an Art and Design course. My first choice for this was Central Saint Martins, which continues to be ranked as one of the best art and design schools in the world. I was over the moon when I made it in. DT: What did you have to show to qualify? KA: I needed to show my work. I had some already since I was drawing a lot in my childhood and teenage years. DT: Your works are not the usual ones that use oil, watercolor, acrylic, and all that. KA: I was drawing mostly. And for some reason, I have always been more of a draftsman eh. I’m always more into drawing. I have more illustrating tendencies. DT: Like pen and paper? KA: Yes, pen and paper. Pencil, charcoal. I’ve always had a thing for dry media and pen and ink. It’s more about the control and the precision. That’s my personality. DT: That’s not easy ah. KA: It’s not easy. But you have an affinity for it. And your hands have to be steady. Which is unlikely for someone with pasmado hands like me. But that’s where I find my control eh. That’s why I like it so much. DT: So, what was it like when you showed your drawings at Central Saint Martin? KA: So, I showed my drawings because that was required during the interview. And so I went through the ropes. They asked questions like, "why do you want to do this course here?" DT: Your work must have been good to get you accepted. KA: They were fine. I think it was good enough. But there was a lot I had to improve on. I only knew that once I got into the school. Then, you told yourself, Ah, oo nga pala. There was so much I had to learn. That I could be taught. DT: How was your learning experience? KA: From the beginning, as a child, I always copied from cartoons. And they didn’t like that. They didn’t want to see any cartoons or anything like that. They wanted to see me. They wanted to see my work. My drawing from life. DT: So, how did you do that? It must have been challenging KA: So, I gave them the best of my life drawings. But when I showed them my other works, they weren’t happy with them. So, I learned from that. Being young, you got a bit crushed. But then, you realize it’s a different way of thinking. It’s a different way of doing things. Okay, there’s still so much to learn in terms of art. And it’s not the be-all and end of it all. And then, they said, “This is where you should be learning from.” And they showed me art books. They said, “Go to this gallery or this museum.” DT: How was it like living abroad? Back home, you were the daughter of a senator. KA: Which means nothing when you’re abroad. It meant nothing. Which I actually loved. It was something that I was looking for. Because I lived in a bubble back home. To my parents’ credit naman there’s a reason for that. I was very protected. They wanted to keep me safe and secure given my father’s position. So, I’d always lived in a bubble. I’d always have bodyguards and drivers and all that. And it just felt at times a little restrictive. DT: So, it was a welcome thing? KA: It was a welcome thing. Really, I felt different. I felt normal na parang my family name didn’t mean a thing. And that was refreshing. I could be anything I wanted to be. I could experiment and nobody would judge. Because in schools like that and abroad, especially in Europe, they’re so open-minded. They’re so liberal. DT: How were the teachers? KA: Oh, wonderful. Of course, you always have your favorites, right? Very varied. Depending also on what course you were taking up, whether industrial design or sculpture which I was horrible at when I tried it. I didn’t really get close to my tutors until I moved on to my actual degree. Funny enough, instead of ending up in a practical course. Which would have been like Fine Arts, Graphic Design, or even Illustration because I love drawing. You would think that I would end up in a more practical course like Fine Arts, Graphic Design, or even Illustration, I did a complete shift and I did a theoretical course. I did Curation, Art Criticism, and Art History. So, my training is as a curator and an art critic. DT: Wow, that was very intellectual. It’s good that you always read a lot. KA: Yes, I think that helped because you have to read a lot. You have to love reading. You have to like doing the research. And that served me well. Who would have known, right? But if you think about it, as long as you follow what you want to do in life, it just opens up even if you don’t intentionally seek it. Somehow it just finds you It just fell into place for me in that sense. This is not what I initially set out to do. But I think you have to allow yourself to change your mind. Parang whatever happens at the time, you change with it. You adjust to it. And it worked out beautifully for me. DT: So, were the teachers terrors? KA: Mabait naman sila. But they have very different personalities. My course leader was a lovely older lady who was really into Victorian arts and culture. As in, Victoriana lahat. She would tell you everything about English Victorian history. And she was very passionate about it. And you know, it involved a lot of writing and research. But my favorite tutor was someone who was writing about comic books. Comic books and Pop culture. So, for me, that was a revelation because I didn’t think you could take comics books and put them in the academe. You know, academic level like intellectual. Pwede pala e. Because he showed me a way. He took me under his wing and he showed me his work and from there I learned to write. And because I love comic books. I’m actually a huge geek. I’m a nerd, I’m a dork. DT: What was your thesis? [caption id="attachment_165427" align="aligncenter" width="463"] Roger Sabin was Katya's pop culture mentor at Central Saint Martins in London.[/caption] KA: Because I wanted Roger Sabin, my pop culture tutor, as my professor for my thesis, it was about a 1990s Japanese animated film called Ghost in the Shell 101. It was an animated film based on a very heavy graphic novel, a manga or Japanese comics, by Masamune Shirow. And for me, his work is revelatory. It wasn’t just the style of the Ghost in the Shell. And to think just one man could draw like this. I mean it was a very thick graphic novel. He could draw like that. And he wrote the story too. And to think you had the mental stamina to be able to write something like that and to draw. DT: You must enjoy doing comics. KA: Since I was a kid, I’ve made my own comic books. You know, I would sell my own comic books and people would actually buy them. I taught myself to draw in the comic book style. I learned them all. You know, there’s like Stan Lee of Marvel. DT: You really had it in you. KA: I had it in me. My love for comic books started by reading the ones my brother had collected over the years. He had a stash of them, so, I just devoured them. It was all very amazing to me. Kasi the drawings, the stories, these are worlds written by someone else. So, you have Marvel comics, DC comics, Dark Horse comics. [caption id="attachment_165417" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] With brother, Senator Sonny Angara, whose comic books she devoured for their cartoon figures.[/caption] Q: You didn’t idolize anybody? A: Well, I wasn’t particularly huge on the American comics. I think it was until I stumbled upon the Japanese comics or manga. That really piqued my interest to a degree I never felt before. Kasi it wasn’t just the style, which at first for me was very girly. I mean, I love the romantic comics. But I also felt myself leaning toward the darker stuff. DT: What did you like about Ghost in the Shell? KA: It’s a cyberpunk graphic novel. So, ang galing, ang ganda ng style. It was like, wow. You know, the sheer amount of detail that he puts into the drawings. I said I want to draw like this. I want to tell a story like this. But I don’t know if I was capable of telling if I had the stamina to tell something so intricate and complex. DT: When did you graduate? KA: In 2008. The BA in the UK is only three years. That’s why you take a foundation course. There’s a BA in Curation, and Communication, and criticism in Arts and Design. DT: I am told that you graduated at the top of your class. But you’re not telling me. KA: It sounds so funny kasi eh. Anyway, I graduated with first-class honors for my degree. So, basically, I was Suma Cum Laude in my batch in my year. So, that was what sealed the deal for me and my dad. Kasi for the longest time, I was kind of meandering. I was kind of flip-flopping. My mom knows this eh She goes, “You know Katya you have a tendency to be whimsical.” I am an artist eh, what can I do? Besides, I was young and I wasn’t sure. I knew what I wanted to do, which was to be in the arts but not where I wanted to go. I was asking myself if I had the stamina, the commitment, the fortitude to see it through. [caption id="attachment_165415" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Katya and mom Gloria Angara, who first ignited her interest in the arts.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_165419" align="aligncenter" width="854"] Katya with her dad, the late Senate President Edgardo Angara from whom she learned to apply the principles of nature to her art[/caption] DT: College made you really bloom. KA: Yes. It was the environment. it was the people I was with. Because I was able to go into something I really enjoyed. I wasn’t just doing homework because I was told to do homework. I loved what I was doing. I was invested in it. DT: What did you do after you graduated? KA: Apart from community work, I also worked for some small galleries. I did some work for the Victoria and Albert Museum. I tried to have experiences in bigger institutions, bigger museums, and small independent galleries. I thought that experience would hone me and make me well-rounded. With the smaller galleries, I was able to practice my curatorial background. I was able to help a lot of young artists. They don’t know how to talk about their work or they’re not confident enough to do so. So anyhow, apart from helping them put together shows, I help them speak about their work. Or offer them a perspective they have never seen or thought about. And I feel that that was helping them and I think that’s where I have been able to engage with them. It was fulfilling to help them find their voice as an artist. DT: All the while, you were all alone in London? KA: I was married actually. To a Filipino who was born in the UK, in London. He’s an Englishman, for all purposes. It didn’t work out. We have a daughter. I had a beautiful little girl with him. She lives in London with her father. She’s been here. She lived here in her early years. After she was born in 2010, I decided to move back here. Then, after four years, we went back to London because it was what my husband wanted. He and my dad had a falling out. DT: When was your first exhibit? KA: Last year. Earlier, I did a group show at the Lethaby Gallery at Central Saint Martins. So, I did it with other emerging artists. My next group show was at The Crucible. But it was for a book that Sari Ortiga had commissioned me to do. He wanted to do a series of children’s books about Philippine artists. I did mine. Mine was about Anita Magsaysay-Ho. I did the illustration. It wasn’t new to me because I had been making my own books. I would staple them myself. Although up until that point I didn’t know how to really do it professionally. I found out it could be lucrative and fulfilling. This was in 2008 when I didn’t have a daughter yet. DT: Tell me about your forthcoming show. (The current show had yet to be opened). What paintings are you showing? KA: They’re not paintings, they’re not just drawings. They’re an amalgamation. They’re what you call a compendium of everything I’ve ever done as an artist. The book illustration, and then I dabbled a bit in black-and-white photography. I like the look of black and white photography. So, I do it with my phone or a simple camera. It’s also good for taking reference photos for my work. Because if you can’t sit in the park drawing people or objects, or subjects, the next best thing is you take pictures. And you can draw from those pictures. Kaya maganda siya for reference. So, my work is that, actually. DT: So, what about your subjects? KA: Well, I’m a very central person. We live in a very conservative culture. And I have subjects that would make people say ay, you know, you shouldn’t talk about that. So, there’s no filter, it’s very raw, very natural. In London, I was able to talk to people about things like BDSM or Bondage Sado-Masochism. And you know, that can get a bad rap. Because if you do it wrong, it would look strange to anyone who is not familiar with it. Among the Japanese, there is a subculture that does that. DT: Do they consider BDSM an art form? KA: There’s a particular Japanese artist whose work I used to admire. He’s a photographer. And his subject is BDSM. There were pictures of women tied up and then there were flowers and reptiles. So it was very sexual. I found myself drawn to that because there’s the element of the dark side. Carl Jung, the psychoanalyst, talked about how we have to make our unconscious conscious. The darkness in us is unconscious. And if you don’t make your darkness conscious, it’s going to come out in other ways at some point. Meaning to say, you shouldn’t repress those sides of you. I think it is a side that’s intertwined with the creative side of me. I can’t be an artist without being sensual. Without that aspect, all that would be macabre. Which brings me to my mom again. She used to chide me for reading Stephen King when I was a kid. I’m a huge Stephen King fan. She was like, “It’s so macabre, so dark.” And I’m like, “I like it, I like his work.” He’s such a skilled writer. And I like how he could take something so mundane and make it terrifying and frightening on all levels. Stephen King said that he writes two thousand words every morning. I’m not sure if I can do that. I wanted to write na rin eh because the natural partner of my art is my writing. Because as a curator, I didn’t just read. I had to write a lot. And that’s where I honed my skills. Kasi siyempre, it’s a sword that you have to sharpen every now and then. So, for the show. I did a lot of writing. I did my own writing. DT: While we're on the talk of artists, what about the Filipino artists? Who among them do you admire? Do you have any mentors and idols? KA: Among Philippine artists, Junyee is my second father and my first artistic mentor. He is my OG sage and shaman of Philippine art, the Father of Philippine Installation Art. I'm actively lobbying for him to become National Artist soon, as no one deserves it more than he does, with his magnificent oeuvre. I'll always remember how, in a fleeing moment of impostor syndrome, he consoled me by saying that making art for myself always comes first. Love the process and the rest follows. The maverick attitude is very Junyee! And yet, he lives a modest life in the forest-like setting of his home in Los Banos, echoing the nature-loving ethos of our favorite Japanese animator, Hayao Miyazaki, creator of Toroto, Nausicaa, Spirited Away, among many other magical films. Since I was a child, Junyee saw my potential and continued to push me to have my own gallery shows, as did his longtime friend and one of my other mentors, Sari Ortiga. Sari's daughter Yasmin is a good friend and batchmate of mine from Poveda. Sari owns and runs the distinguished Crucible Gallery, and he hired me to illustrate one of the children's books for his series "Growing up with Philippine art" in 2009. It's thanks to Sari that I pushed myself to evolve as an artist, to grow outside of my comfort zone. The acclaimed visual artist and sculptor Jinggoy Buensuceso is something of a bad boy du jour of the Philippine art scene, and his dissident attitude is something I can identify with. I love the unorthodox, the sensual, the macabre, the dark stuff that delves deep into the psyche. I'm so bored of the "covers" or "riffs" of the countless Amorsolo, Basquiat, Picasso, or Rothko-type artworks that I see so much of in the local art scene. As wtih Junyee and Sari, Jinggoy has taught me how to navigate the perilous seas of art and life, echoing Junyee's advice to remain myself, in a world that often pushes us to be someone else. My three mentors, by example, taught me how to be original. DT: How many are you exhibiting? How many works? KA: Now, I have 9 complete pieces. I’d like to add another one. Honestly, medyo cramming ito because I only had two months to do the show. Normally for this kind of work - especially with the big piece I am doing - it’s a seven-foot piece. I would need, preferably to be comfortable, at least four to six months to do all this work. Kasi, there is so much nicer when you give it time to compost. To come together, to become fertile. DT: Is there enough time for one more work? A: Yes. I have one more work that I want. Because I feel that it rounds it up eh. If I do ten, I love the work that I’ve already done. Again, it’s not a painting, it’s a collage. So, I’d call it a photographic collage with paper cuttings on canvas. I wanted to treat canvas in a way that is not painting DT: Shouldn’t someone curate for you? KA: For now, I’m happy to have to do it myself. Because I feel that I’m the only one who can portray myself in a way that I feel I should be portrayed. Kasi it’s art eh. You’re trying not so much to explain yourself as you’re trying to convey who you are to somebody without being obvious. That’s art. DT: Where does Stephen, your partner, come in? [caption id="attachment_165418" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] With her partner and anchor, Stephen Lu.[/caption] KA: Stephen is somewhat of an anchor for me. So, I feel comfortable, I feel more confident when he’s around. But I guess I’m okay. DT: Now, as we wind up, let’s talk about how you are like your parents and not like them. You said that your interest in the arts came from the exposure that you received from your mother, and of course, the presence of books at home. Tell me more about your father’s role in your becoming the person that you are. KA: One of my fondest memories of my father was his love of nature, gardening, and farming, which I learned from him. He was at his best and calmest when he was at his farm in Nasugbu and Baler. Whilst my father was a “man of the soil”, I learned to be an “artist of the soil”, a gardener who applies the principles of nature to my art. Hence the overlying themes of nature in my oeuvre of artwork. And the most resonant themes of philosophy (which my father also studied and applied in his life) are the themes relating to lessons learned from nature: patience, fortitude, temperance. From this I’ve become more acutely aware of life’s transience, making our time all the more precious, being grateful for small and simple pleasures, and the opportunities that come my way. The naïveté of my younger years meant that I didn’t have a complete grasp of the opportunities presented to me by my father, I took much for granted. Now I see why he did what he did, he gave me the tools to be able to achieve my full potential. Only now that I’m embracing that fire and heading in a direction that makes the most of my talents. I had impostor syndrome for the longest time. Always questioning and doubting myself. Now I can fully embrace who I am and it is cathartic. DT: In what way are you like them? KA: I have the different strengths of my parents. I’ve inherited their academic minds and cultured tastes, with an eye for detail and beauty. I have many mannerisms and behavious in common with my mum, in terms of poise and self-possession. But, she is like Audrey Hepburn and I am infinitely more of a Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn was also a very private person and something of a poet and writer. I guess it’s no surprise that I am drawn to art and writing; I am highly introspective, painfully self-aware and attuned to my moods and to the moods of others; like my Dad, I’m intuitive and know how to read people. DT: My last question is, how has art influenced you in your direction in life? And where are you going from here? KA: Being an introvert, I don’t always translate into easy social interactions with most people. So I channel it all into my art. It’s a language that best expresses my psyche, thoughts, and emotions. Working with my hands is healing and consolation for the isolation, depression, and anxiety attacks that grip me on bad days. That’s why as an artist of the soil, gardening and art go hand in hand. In the future, I can see myself tending to the land and becoming a farmer as my father was. It’s like coming home. The post Katya Angara – The journey of a woman and artist appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
AI conundrum
Just taking on this topic is giving me the chills. Not for fear of an unknown future, but for sheer nervousness over what I would find should I decide to dig deeper into a topic I had previously chosen to ignore. But artificial intelligence is here — it’s already in our lives and maybe you don’t even know it. It’s the way forward, we are told, the unimaginable that had only ever been pictured in works of the imagination. In science fiction and the world of George Lucas, in visions of life-saving robots and destructive machines that cannot die. Fiction, of course. AI? It’s artificial. It’s intelligence. It’s a simulation of human intelligence. The natural assumption is that because it is created and programmed by humans, it’s under human control. But maybe such an assumption isn’t the smartest one to make. We, being human, often transmute ourselves into things of our creation. Our egos cannot help it. Humans are flawed, and while there is both beauty and ugliness in that, what we make often reflects a part of us. Therefore, it can be argued that AI will go in that same direction, though perhaps without the complexity of emotions. To understand AI, we must look at all its permutations. AI has been applied in various industries, manufacturing mostly, where tasks are programmed into non-living, moving machines created primarily to make life easier for humans. In recent years, however, AI has provided more “services” to man, such as predicting outcomes based on historical data so that fields like medicine and publishing can have results or outputs provided in much less time and resources spent. Apparently, what has gotten some people worried is a type of AI called “machine learning.” We’ve heard of “algorithms” and “robotics,” and how these have impacted many industries today. These are but two kinds of machine learning. Essentially, it is an aspect of AI that poses danger in terms of “foreseen unforeseens,” as a line in a Netflix series goes. It is said that machine learning, which makes a machine “trainable” based on previous data it analyzed to make predictions, can one day make AI so advanced that humans will have trouble catching up. Think Frankenstein — or all the other monsters the voting public put in positions of power. One day, some believe, humans will be oppressed by machines, but sad to say a heroic Jedi or Iron Man won’t be coming to the rescue. Man-created machines to provide ease and speed and convenience. But man also made machines to “think” for them, thereby creating new generations of humans who are run by machines. Think mobile phones and the internet. Everything is connected. The world was blissfully unaware of the progress in AI until the top brains at global tech giants started balking at the concept. We were then all provoked into thinking about it. Three views are currently in play when it comes to AI. Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic Magazine, book author, and columnist at Scientific American, discusses in his Edge article how it may be possible to think of AI as neither “benevolent” nor “malevolent.” Those thoughts, he posits, are based on a false analogy. And instead of imagining computers and robots existing in either a utopian or dystopian future, why not a protopian one? The term was coined by the futurist Kevin Kelly, who in another Edge piece explained it this way: “I call myself a protopian, not a utopian. I believe in progress in an incremental way where every year it’s better than the year before but not by very much — just a micro amount.” In other words, in these times of apocalyptic plots and general discourse on a planet dying, living “incrementally,” or in the present, perhaps, is the only way to keep sane. The post AI conundrum appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senate adopts reso condemning China’s incursion, harassment in WPS
A resolution denouncing China's intrusion into the West Philippine Sea and its harassment of Filipino fishermen was approved by the Senate on Tuesday. The approval of Senate Resolution 718, authored by Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Senator Risa Hontiveros, came after the Senate held an executive session on Monday with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr., and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, and their senior officials. Members of the Senate, as well as mentioned officials, discussed Hontiveros’s earlier resolution which urges the national government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, to elevate China’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea to the United Nations General Assembly. Under the resolution, the lawmakers urged the Philippine government, through the DFA, to “continue asserting” the country’s sovereign rights over its exclusive economic rights. Likewise, the agency was also encouraged to “intensify” efforts to engage the international community in upholding its hard-earned victory at the Hague. The Philippines celebrated the seventh anniversary of its historic victory over China in 2016 last month, which solidified Manila's claims to the West Philippine Sea. China has continued to reject the arbitral ruling and stood by its historic rights over the area. As of July 5, the Philippine government, through DFA, has filed a total of 30 diplomatic protests against China in the last seven months. Over the span of three years, Manila has sent a total of 427 notes verbale against Beijing. The resolution also states that the DFA is “expected” to continue holding dialogues with the Chinese government to push for recognition and respect of the Philippines' sovereign rights over its EEZ and pursue the formulation of the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea based on international law and the UNCLOS. Should China continue to ignore the country’s efforts, the resolution contains actions the agency must do such as bringing international attention to China's harassment of Filipino fishermen in the Philippine EEZ and its continued violation of the Hague Ruling and the UNCLOS; utilizing international fora to rally multilateral support for the enforcement of the Hague Ruling and raise awareness on the real situation in the West Philippine Sea; and engaging with “like-minded” countries to call on China to respect the Hague Ruling and the UNCLOS. The DFA is also encouraged to file a resolution before the United Nations General Assembly, to call for the cessation of all activities that harass Philippine vessels and violate the Philippines' established rights in the West Philippine Sea; and pursue other diplomatic modes as the agency may deem appropriate and necessary. ‘Never watered down’ In his manifestation, Zubiri stressed that the resolution filed by Hontiveros was “never watered down,” but instead “strengthened.” “We came out with strong consensus yesterday after the discussions with the West Philippine Sea Task Force, together with the AFP chief of staff General Brawner and DFA Secretary Manalo and actually we never watered down the resolution that we filed, we actually strengthened the first resolution that we initially filed with Senator Risa,” he said. “I think what happened here is we strengthened the position of the government. Now we gave them several options to choose on how to deal with our neighbors in the North,” he added. He continued: “And the beauty of this is with proper consensus and of course consultations among our colleagues we have come out unanimous.” For her part, Hontiveros expressed her gratitude to her colleagues for the adoption of the resolution, which she described as an “important success” for the country. “I would first like to thank all our colleagues for this concerted effort to not only make the West Philippine Sea issue a part of our national conversation but for ensuring that the Philippine government takes the necessary steps to consolidate global support over our historic 2016 Arbitral Award,” she said. “This bipartisan effort tells the Filipino people that when it comes to matters of national sovereignty, we will never be bullied into submission. In the face of relentless China propaganda since last week, we held our ground. Despite fake news and lies to stop the adoption of the measure, we stood firm,” she added. She continued: “This is an important success not only of the Senate but of the whole Philippines. The Senate crossed party lines to stand unified for our country.” The lawmaker also said that the fight against China’s reckless behavior in the West Philippine Sea “does not end here.” “The fight continues,” she stressed. The post Senate adopts reso condemning China’s incursion, harassment in WPS appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gamer causes piracy report spikes — IPOphl
Because of one person, counterfeit and piracy reports surged four times in the first six months of the current year, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines said on Wednesday. In a report, the Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Office said it received a total of 200 reports from January to June this year from 52 in the same period in 2022. On the other hand, piracy concerns totaled 152, accounting for around 76 percent of the reports and booking an increase from only nine reports in the first half of 2022. “The spike in piracy reports is as interesting as what — or who — drove them,” deputy director general Ann Claire Cabochan said at IPOPHL’s contract signing with its new Anti-Piracy Ambassador, Matteo Guidicelli last week. Single netizen filed 89% of privacy reports She revealed that 135 or 89 percent of the total piracy reports were filed by a single netizen — 133 in January alone and two others in the succeeding months. The reports showed the netizen was taking a hard line on pirated gaming software, hinting at possibly being an avid gamer. This explains why software accounted for 145 or 95 percent of piracy reports, followed by shows and movies and books and e-books. “Such sheer will to combat piracy gives IPOPHL hope that we have individual allies out there who want to set things right. It also gives us hope to see the impact of what one person can do. Imagine what we in this room can do together,” Cabochan added. Meanwhile, counterfeiting reports grew nine percent year-on-year to 48, driven by apparel (35); perfume and beauty products (9); and other accessories (2). Infringing activities online Of the cumulative piracy and counterfeiting reports during the period, about 91 percent dealt with infringing activities online. Some 69 percent cited Lazada (20 percent), Facebook (7 percent), Shopee (2 percent), a collective of non-mainstream websites, and 1 percent, Instagram as the key channels used by infringers. IPOPHL director general Rowel Barba commended concerned netizens for taking voluntary initiatives to weed out piracy and counterfeiting posts and activities. But he also reiterated the call for IP rights holders to enforce their IP rights more actively. “Take-downs, seizures and other administrative, civil and criminal remedies could only be deployed at the request of legitimate IP rights holders. IP rights holders would see more concrete action against violators if they also take more action,” Barba said. The post Gamer causes piracy report spikes — IPOphl appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Trans woman crowned Miss Netherlands
Transgender woman Rikkie Valerie Kollé won the Miss Netherlands title on Saturday, 8 July, at the AFAS Theater in Leusden. “I DID IT!!!!!” Kollé wrote in an Instagram post after she was crowned. She will represent her country in the Miss Universe pageant this year, making her the second transgender woman to participate in the prestigious pageant. "It's unreal but I get to call myself @missnederland 2023... I'm so proud and happy I can't even describe it. Making my community proud and showing it can be done," she said in her post, sharing some snaps of her winning moment on Instagram. "And yes I’m trans and I want to share my story but I’m also Rikkie and that’s what matters to me. Did this on my own and loved every moment of it," the beauty queen added. On her finalist page, Kollé said she wants to be a role model for young women and queer people. See more photos here: The post Trans woman crowned Miss Netherlands appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Threats to beauty of God’s creation
What is happening to God’s beautiful creation? Why is it that it seems that we have drifted away from the beautiful plan of God when He created us? For example, those people who are dead set on disposing of chemicals, waste materials, and nuclear wastewater (as much as 1.3 million cubic meters of radioactive waste) into the ocean? Have you heard of the Fukushima radioactive wastewater that the Japanese government is allowing to be discharged into the Pacific Ocean? Concerned groups and individuals, including fisherfolk and environmental advocates, are against it. But what is our government doing to stop it? Japan has not been fully transparent about the negative effects of the plan of the Japanese corporation TEPCO to dispose of the radioactive wastewater from the destroyed Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima into the Pacific Ocean. Many international experts have warned that the dangers have not been fully studied and advised Japan to avail of safer options for disposal. What would happen to our Filipino fishermen’s livelihood, the safety of our seafood, and the sustainability of the Pacific Ocean should the plan of Japan push through? The Philippine government should do something about it. We hope President Marcos Jr. is studying the present state of our seas and our fishermen. The wanton degradation of Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay, where various types of pollution, including from plastic, originate has forced our fishermen to go further out to sea. Environmental advocates are afraid the disposal of the Fukushima radioactive wastewater into the ocean will have far-reaching consequences that have not been fully studied. Japan plans to release the Fukushima nuclear wastewater for the next 30 years and the contamination may have a lasting negative impact and adversely affect the livelihood of our local fishermen. Pope Francis said when the human being considers himself the master of the universe and not its responsible steward, he or she justifies any kind of waste and treats other people and nature as mere objects, denying “the fundamental right of every person to live with dignity and to develop integrally.” The Holy Father, in his second encyclical “Laudato Si”, warned against modern consumerism, which has caused so much damage, and reiterated his call for a change of course. “Everything is connected, and as a family of nations, we must have a common concern — to see that the environment is cleaner, purer, and preserved. And we must take care of nature so that it takes care of us,” he said. The Pope called for collective responsibility as he insisted that civil governments must ensure everyone’s right to a safe, healthy, and sustainable environment, especially for future generations. Pope Francis is also praying that world leaders and parliaments will identify, promote and implement, with determination, all the initiatives necessary to build a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable world. The post Threats to beauty of God’s creation appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Advocating recovery, growth of Phl tourism
The recent efforts of the Department of Tourism or DoT clearly reflect the agency’s commitment to pushing the recovery of the industry. Through numerous travel fairs aimed at reawakening the wanderlust within the citizenry, people are again being enticed to travel and temporarily escape the humdrum of life, especially after the health and safety protocols were eased. Among the DoT’s newest initiatives is the launch of its new slogan, “Love the Philippines,” as part of the department’s 50th-anniversary celebration. “The campaign Love the Philippines is not a mere branding campaign, but rather a call to action to every Filipino citizen to remember the beauty of our country, to honor our past, and to look forward to the future armed with the virtues, values of being a Filipino,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said during the launch. The decision to finally retire the 11-year-old “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” slogan seemed to have sprung from the idea that the Philippines has so much more to offer beyond fun. Tourists, be they local or foreign, are in for an amazing culinary experience with the mouth-watering food found all over the country. Apart from this, we also have a very vibrant culture and rich history that are definitely worth sharing. Sparking significant buzz, the new slogan instantly became a trending topic on social media and other platforms after its unveiling. The volume of diverse reactions, opinions, and engagements regarding the new slogan demonstrated the citizenry’s passion for or against it. While some were very welcoming of the new slogan and have their sights set on using it as an official hashtag in their upcoming domestic travels, others didn’t find it catchy and enthusiastic enough, viewing it more as a command, written in the imperative form, rather than a call to action. Public Relations Society of the Philippines or PRSP president Harold Geronimo is one of the more neutral voices amid the hubbub. Sharing his insight as a PR practitioner, although the advertising slogan has a commanding tone at face value, he said it can be used for storytelling and sharing experiences that lead to expressing one’s affection for the country. Through the new slogan, one can create an impactful narrative that encapsulates reasons why we should love the Philippines. On the other hand, renowned Filipino broadcast journalist Howie Severino pointed out how the addition of a simple comma can transform the slogan into a declaration of love from the Philippines to the rest of the world. “Love, the Philippines” – there is a noticeable shift in perspective that mirrors hospitality, a cultural trait that the country is globally known and admired for. While the new slogan has been the center of everyone’s attention, we should all be reminded that the true recovery and success of the tourism industry lies heavily in the presence of tangible solutions. The government should maintain its focus on improving the infrastructure, operating an effective and reliable transportation system, and maintaining efficient airport operations. Once these are achieved, we can expect that local and foreign tourists alike will have a pleasant experience exploring and, perhaps, falling in love with the Philippines. Lest we forget, tourism was among the industries that hit rock bottom during the pandemic. It is therefore imperative that the government’s advertising efforts and infrastructure investments are aligned so the DoT can successfully attain a version of the Philippines that will not only truly captivate tourists, but also leave a lasting impression on the world. Like a phoenix emerging from ashes, the Philippines’ tourism industry aims to once again ascend to great heights with its new slogan as its wings — serving as a powerful invitation for tourists to experience the Philippines and cultivate a personal connection that will keep them coming back. The post Advocating recovery, growth of Phl tourism appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pro Patria
Some years ago, some people (others quite gleefully) announced that newspapers were dead. Then came the slew of online platforms that gave birth to what they called “new media.” Underneath all these, came the thought that, of course, newspapers are dead. Years later, and a pandemic, to boot — newspapers are still running, still the most credible source of news and information. The digital natives may never understand the reason some people still turn to the good ol’ “rag,” as it is sometimes called, whether in jest or derogatorily, but it is simply because newspapers are based on something quite basic: Journalism. Journalism — defined by the American Press Institute as “the activity of gathering, assessing, creating and presenting news and information. It is also the product of these activities” — is a craft. It takes training and experience to do good journalism. It takes experience to be a credible journalist. That is why, back then, when paper journos gathered to complain about the preponderance of bloggers in their midst, some would hit it on the mark: Why compare at all when there is really not much comparison? Simply put, broadsheets are not blogs — and never the twain shall meet. They can, however, co-exist. This is precisely the idea behind this paper’s transition from pure print media to an omnimedia organization. Embracing technology — welcoming change and not resisting the results of these changes — led Daily Tribune to traverse a path it did not know before. Over two decades ago, the newspaper was born. It then developed its own website. Then five years ago, under new management, it went into other digital platforms. Through all these, one thing that the paper retained was its commitment to the Filipino people — the core of its calling. Today, Daily Tribune has been recognized anew for its bold and fearless stance. At the 15 June awarding of the Pro Patria Journalism Awards by the Rotary Club of Manila — the first Rotary Club in Asia and the most distinguished for its “star-studded roster of members,” veritable icons in their fields — it received a trophy and plaque as Newspaper of the Year. Pro Patria means “for one’s country”. Daily Tribune President Willie Fernandez spoke about the faith it takes to take on the newspaper business with a commitment to good journalism, indeed, “for one’s country.” He said, “Many times, I have encountered people who wondered how long we would last — and I mean not just those doubting our reasons for staying, but also those who could not see our reason for being.” Like everyone who had stayed true to the call, he added, “I take pride in having stayed true to the Daily Tribune’s DNA of independence. Through four administrations, we boldly reported on issues that many times put our lifeblood at risk. “Thank you for recognizing the effort and determination it took to provide our readers with, as you so describe — ‘the fearless and consistent exposé of anomalies and irregularities both in the public and the private domain, investigating and reporting fairly and truthfully to enable citizens to be vigilant and participatory in forming collective censure and judgment.’” It is not easy, but it can be done. The post Pro Patria appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Cesar Montano’s peace and quiet
Step into the tranquil oasis that is the Tivoli Royale, a hidden gem nestled in the heart of Quezon City that offers families a secure and peaceful place to call home. And who can better attest to its beauty than the veteran actor and Tivoli resident himself, Cesar Montano. ForMontano, investing in a corner lot at Tivoli Royale was a game-changing decision that he’ll never regret. With a picturesque landscape and an array of excellent amenities, it’s no wonder he’s fallen in love with this charming community since he moved in back in 2005. Architect Alexis describes Tivoli Royale as an upscale location for families, offering a high level of security while providing the allure of living just outside the bustling city. With lot cuts starting at 300 square meters facing the views of the San Mateo mountains, Tivoli Royale Subdivision presents an idyllic setting for those seeking a refined and picturesque lifestyle. But what really sealed the deal for Cesar was the stunning basketball court — a true standout feature of Tivoli Royale that caught his eye. Yet, Tivoli Royale isn’t just about basketball; the lush green terrain and scenic views of the hills of Antipolo and Marikina Valley are a sight to behold. And, with a family-oriented environment that promotes a healthy and happy lifestyle, it’s the perfect place for families to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and bask in the tranquility of nature. One of the standout features of Tivoli Royale is its renowned Tivoli Royale Country Club, a testament to luxury living and leisure. The exclusive club provides residents with a range of exceptional amenities, including a clubhouse, function rooms, a swimming pool, a tennis court, a fitness gym, and a spa and salon. The post Cesar Montano’s peace and quiet appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
RADRED BAND DROPS ROCK SINGLE ‘MR. SUN’
Rock band RadRed, formerly known as Jose Carlito band, has released its upbeat summer single “Mr. Sun” about the spark in one’s life that keeps everyone going. The band’s frontman JC Padilla wrote and produced the song, released under ABS-CBN’s Star Music label. “’Mr. Sun’ is about finding meaning in life and appreciating its beauty,” said Padilla. “It’s a call to the sun to shine on those who have fallen to help them forget their sadness.” RadRed is a four-piece band composed of JC on vocals, Katsumi Kabe on guitars, JZ Lorenzo on bass and Bryan Tuazon on drums. Together they bring a modern flavor to the 90’s rock and 70’s blues rock. Previously, the band released the songs “Dystopia,” “At Kahit,” “Big White Wall,” Blankong Imahe” and many more. The band decided to change its name to RadRed to represent “a bold departure from the norm and [convey] a powerful journey of personal or collective change,” combining the words “radical” and “redemption” into one. “With this name, our band aims to create music that breaks boundaries, evokes strong emotions and inspires positive transformation,” said Padilla. RadRed’s “Mr. Sun” is now available on various music streaming platforms. The post RADRED BAND DROPS ROCK SINGLE ‘MR. SUN’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Katrina Ponce Enrile: A woman worthy of her name
Anyone who had come of age in the late 1970s and the 1980s would surely know about the most famous names and faces of the younger set of the era known for the coming of age of feminism and women’s lib. The 1960s may have ushered in a cultural revolution but it was in the succeeding decades that the cataclysmic events of the decade that was, in the Philippines, would manifest in the ways and attitudes of Filipino women. I mention this phase in our history because I am sharing my thoughts on one woman whom many consider as one of the country’s most powerful, influential and successful. She is Katrina Ponce Enrile. I may not privy to the growing-up years of Katrina Ponce Enrile, and I would not have the advantage of seeing her from the point of view of someone old enough to observe the growth of a child, but as a teenager, I would occasionally read about her and see her on photographs published in newspapers and magazines, although not too frequent. I just knew she was not only well-bred and beautiful in the mestiza sense being the daughter of a striking beauty of a mother (and the granddaughter of a handsome playboy of a paternal grandfather), but that, she too was brilliant. I would assume that she got her brains from her father, one of the wonder boys of the Marcos administration. Katrina would, in time, be mentioned in juicy gossip now and then, but it was her smarts in enterprise and management that she would eventually be recognized, this notwithstanding the controversial stories that one occasionally heard of her family members. [caption id="attachment_134172" align="aligncenter" width="525"] KATRINA Ponce Enrile has always lived up to her parents ‘ expectations.[/caption] ‘Treat everybody with respect’ But to imagine her childhood and teenage years, one would suppose that for all the comforts that she might have enjoyed while living first in Urdaneta and then Dasmarinas Village, she had had to assert herself, she had once been overheard to say: “At 10, I had to fight a little bit harder to be heard” -- which was expected if one were the only daughter of a famous lawyer of a father and a lovely talented mother, herself a respected stage actress. But no matter that she had to deal with being the daughter of awe-inspiring parents, what she had been showered with, aside from her parents’ affection, was well-meaning advice. For one, it was from her dad and mom that she first heard the word of wisdom. “Treat everybody with respect — everybody. Because you don’t know what fate will bring you or them. People that you meet when you are going up, you also meet when you are going down.” No wonder that years later, as a businesswoman, she was very thoughtful in making decisions whether she was dealing with other top businessmen, her executives or the employees who served the family company at her beck and call. “I always think of how my actions and decisions would affect others,” she said in an interview with the Daily Tribune Lifestyle. No, for all the feisty woman that we know her to be, Katrina, was not advised to be aggressively pro-active when facing a conflict. The legendary Juan Ponce Enrile, instead, cautioned his daughter: “Never throw the first punch. But if they throw the first punch, then…” This, she would take to heart whenever she had had to face corporate, social or emotional bullies, not that she is one to attract people prone to violating her rights. [caption id="attachment_134173" align="aligncenter" width="525"] As the only daughter of Juan Ponce Enrile, the most famous native son of Cagayan, Katrina brings to her new job an affection for the province and Cagayanos and the whole Cagayan Valley.[/caption] One imagines her father might have preferred her to be a boy, JPE being a man’s man, but to which she would have retorted: “Dad, I don’t have to be a boy to be what I am now… Girls can do it too.” Call it outright confidence, or chutzpah, or maybe it’s Pinay pride, but Katrina is not one to be cowed. And yes, she could lead and fight and attack, but as her father would most likely say: “Only if they attack first.” Self-assured executive What I have heard of Katrina, especially from my dear friend, Carol Mercado, who was her classmate at St. Paul College, is her signature confidence. “From our youth, when she could be stubborn, she has matured steadily into a self-assured executive no wonder that she has accomplish much as an entrepreneur. “It’s a paradox that while she may have been underestimated at times and even flat out rejected, she knows how to overcome these challenges because she is one creative person and she is not one to easily bow down or to say no. But then, she is not even outright assertive. She could be very charming and before any nemesis would know it, she has gotten what she wants without lifting a finger.” It would seem that the lady would have aimed for political eminence, being the daughter of the powerful JPE, but to everyone’s surprise, she had chosen to create a name outside of her inherited box (or confines), so to speak. While she takes pride in being an Enrile, she has not taken advantage of her family name as though an amulet that would do wonders for her. Instead, she has chosen to rely on the old-fashioned values of industry, respect for others, commitment and determination. She might as well be girl scout, except more courageous, daring and trailblazing. Flexing her risk-taking muscles In her 20s, when her friends were disco dancing, she was, to use another friend’s words, “flexing her risk-taking muscle and sharpening her foresight for the first time — pivotal experiences that would shape her business sense now admired by many.” She surprised everyone when, at 26, she bought properties in Palawan. “It was a big joke to many,” she recalled. “They could not see any reason I should take the risk and invest in a place where no one dared go. It was then no man’s country and perceived to be mosquito-infested.” Today, Palawan is a safe haven from the pandemic, and, of course, an investors’ paradise. On the other hand, her parents saw a promise in her, someone who would play a key role in the family enterprises. They appointed her as Group Treasurer even before her 30th birthday, and with it the added role of overseeing the many concerns of the JAKA Group of Companies. It is quite a daunting responsibility given its extensive industrial reach –- food manufacturing and product distribution to marketing and logistics; forest plantation management; safety match manufacturing, property management and development; as well as IT, security and financial services. It would seem that, for a “beginner” in the big league, it was beyond Katrina’s grasp, and yet she lived up to her parents’ expectations. [caption id="attachment_134175" align="aligncenter" width="525"] SOME of Delimondo’s best products.[/caption] In time she would qualify as the firm’s COO and eventually CEO. Not one used to trumpeting her achievements, Katrina candidly shared: “I was able to turn around the company, helping navigate it through the debilitating Asian Financial Crisis in the mid-1990s. And when the peso devalued in 2008 to 2009, when we had [a] one dollar denominated loan which I had to quickly deal with, I was able to restructure our company and keep it afloat.” Soon, she would be trusted to manage JAKA’s investments, which “allowed me to dream of bigger things, this in the midst of an economic crisis and the pressure to survive it.” Her baby Delimondo When shopping in a supermarket or a grocery, the Filipino consumers, especially those who take their corned beef seriously, would pick the Delimondo brand. They would also put the brand’s Bolognese Pasta, Luncheon Meat, Yellowfin Tuna spreads and aromatic oils in their cart or shopping bags. Katrina confides, “Delimondo was my baby and was purely our family’s venture.” Her was a one-woman team that managed the brand’s marketing, sales and R&D. To introduce it to the market, she gave away cans of their initial recipes for free. “I wanted to offer something deliciously different, one that I enjoyed from my travels abroad.” [caption id="attachment_134174" align="aligncenter" width="525"] SHE is most proud of her baby, Delimondo.[/caption] It wasn’t long before investors would come in too aware that Delimondo operates its own plants that produce and package its own products. The company would soon expand and offers its manufacturing services to other products all the way to exporting them. In time and with Katrina at the helm, JAKA shifted to investing in other companies. But if her JAKA performance is impressive, anyone should take a look at her other achievements. To cite one, as the Philippines Overseas Telecommunications Operations director and CEO/president. She led the efforts to renew the company’s franchise that would allow it to provide the Philippines satellite services. For another, as director and president, she has brought into the Montemar Resorts Development Corporation and Montemar Beach Club Inc. not only her management expertise, but her exposure to top international resorts as a frequent guest. No wonder that Manila’s well-heeled consider these resorts as standard-bearers of local luxury travel. [caption id="attachment_134171" align="aligncenter" width="525"] ‘Delimondo was my baby and was purely our family’s venture,’ said Katrina.[/caption] Transforming the upper east corner of Luzon Katrina also sits as the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority’s vice chairperson. In this role, she envisions making the province a model destination that easily rivals the country’s capital. “They’re considering appointing me as administrator. Once that post is confirmed, I will be fully committed to transforming the upper east corner of Luzon into another business area that the Philippines will be proud of.” As part of her vision, she plans to build a stronger point of economy with the available freeport and expand its potential by constructing an airport. To attract investors, she plans to boost incentives to encourage more players to relocate. “We plan to make smart cities there. I plan to make it very green. I plan to protect the lush forests. It’s really also known as the rice granary of the Philippines. I plan to push the transition from GMOs (genetically modified organism) to non-GMOs. I know that that will be a hard task but I plan to do it. I want to give the Filipinos healthy food for the next generations to come,” she states. Worthy and deserving As the only daughter of the most famous native son of Cagayan, Katrina brings to her new job an affection for the province and Cagayanos and the whole Cagayan Valley. She may have grown up in Manila, travelled the whole world, but her heart has always remained in the home of her father, Juan Ponce Enrile, and it is among his people, relatives and townsmen that she intends to pursue her next dream. There is no stopping this feisty Cagayanon. For her home province, she is out to conquer the world. But then, I must insist that this is not about being her father’s daughter, although there is no denying the great influence of JPE on Katrina becoming the woman that she has become -- strong-willed, passionate, forward-thinking. Still, Katrina could only thank herself most for being herself. That she accepted the challenges that came her way and faced them head on using her own gifts and advantages – which undoubtedly brought her to her destiny, one that she has arrived at and one that she has yet to fulfill. Indeed, if the women’s movement has reached this far, and women today now enjoy key positions in government, private sector and civil society, this may be attributed to the generations of women who have looked toward the future and embraced their destinies as key players in the affairs of humanity. Katrina is one of these women and we wish her all the best. No one could be more worthy of the challenge and deserving of the honor. The post Katrina Ponce Enrile: A woman worthy of her name appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Making the most of Philippine Summer
Despite perennially reeling from the scorching heat, Filipinos nevertheless look forward to summer to take a break from the rigors of daily life and enjoy the sun, sand and sea. The months of March to May is always a time to enjoy the outdoors, as the Philippines, being a tropical country, is replete with summer destinations that local and foreign tourists go gaga about. Topping these getaway spots, hands down is the beach. With over 7,000 islands, the country boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Among the most popular are Boracay, Palawan and Siargao — all known for their crystal-clear waters, powdery white sands and stunning sunsets. [caption id="attachment_129829" align="aligncenter" width="525"] A boy ignoring warnings not to swim in polluted Manila Bay dives in to beat the summer heat as boats prepare for the fist annual regatta, 26 May 2002, aimed at increasing public awareness on the environment. The Philippine government has been taking steps to clean-up the historic bay, famed for its breath-taking sunsets, which has become a depository for trash and industrial waste in recent years. AFP PHOTO/Joel NITO (Photo by JOEL NITO / AFP)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_129827" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Tourists relax along a beach in Boracay island in Malay town, Aklan province, central Philippines on April 7, 2018. - The Philippine tourism industry scrambled on April 6 to manage the fallout from the temporary shutdown of its world-famous Boracay island, which threw into chaos trips planned by hundreds of thousands of tourists. (Photo by AFP)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_129828" align="aligncenter" width="525"] A surfer takes advantage of the conditions at Big Wave Bay on the southern side of Hong Kong island 05 July 2001 as tyhoon 'Utor' heads nearer to the territory after lashing southern Taiwan and the Philippines. 'Utor' one of the biggest typhoons to hit the South China Sea in thirty years is expected to hit landfall in southern China tommorrow morning coming close to Hong Kong at the same time.AFP PHOTO/Peter PARKS (Photo by PETER PARKS / AFP)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_129830" align="aligncenter" width="525"] A tourist goes airborne while kite boarding in the waters of Boracay island on November 9, 2008. The white sand beach resort island is in center of controversy as investors and property owners accused the government of land grabbing following the 2006 proclamation by the Philippine government that the entire island belongs to the state. Boracay island located in central Philippines draws half a million tourists each year to its spectacular beaches, more than one sixth of tourist visitors to the country. AFP PHOTO/JAY DIRECTO (Photo by JAY DIRECTO / AFP)[/caption] Aside from the beach, summertime is a chance to enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, camping and island hopping. Tourists take advantage of the summer months to explore the natural beauty of the country. [caption id="attachment_129826" align="aligncenter" width="525"] This picture taken on October 12, 2019 shows members of Myanmar's national surfing team resting during a competition on Ngwe Saung beach in Irrawaddy division, ahead of the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines. - Competitive surfing was barely known in Myanmar a few years ago but a group of super-stoked dudes and dudettes from a local beach town are riding a wave of enthusiasm to the Southeast Asian Games for the first time ever. (Photo by Ye Aung THU / AFP)[/caption] Among the more popular hiking spots are Mt. Pulag, Mt. Batulao and Mt Pinatubo which all offer breathtaking views and unforgettable experiences. Of course, we should not forget that summer in the Philippines is also a time for festivities. One of the most celebrated festivals during this season is the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon. The festival is held every May in honor of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers. During the event, the town is decorated with colorful kiping (rice wafers) and other agricultural products. [caption id="attachment_129831" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Children on a float made of native materials and decorated with vegetables and rice stalks parade on the streets for a contest ahead of the annual "Pahiyas" harvest festival in the town of Lucban, in Quezon province, south of Manila, 14 May 2005. During the festival, residents use native plants, vegetable products and rice paper to decorate their floats, homes and vehicles in imaginative ways. AFP PHOTO/JAY DIRECTO (Photo by JAY DIRECTO / AFP)[/caption] Another popular festival during this time is the Kadayawan Festival in Davao City. The festival is held every August and is a celebration of the city’s bountiful harvest. It is a colorful event that features street dancing, music and a parade of flowers. Whatever one fancies to beat the summer heat, there is always something to look forward to hereabouts. Whether one wants to relax, go on an adventure or celebrate, one can find it here in a paradise even tourists call paradise. The post Making the most of Philippine Summer appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Immigration sounds trafficking alarm
The Bureau of Immigration on Saturday warned traffickers not to exploit international events to exploit trafficking victims. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said that events such as sports and gaming competitions, as well as musical concerts may be used by traffickers to attempt to circumvent strict departure formalities. Tansingco added that in the past, the bureau has recorded victims who claimed they were set to join beauty pageants and shows, only to find out that they were being trafficked abroad. This reminder comes after a letter from the Department of Justice to the Philippine Sports Commission requesting that the latter provide adequate warning to athletes, supporters, and attendees of the Southeast Asian games of the risks of trafficking in Cambodia. The DoJ likewise requested that the PSC issue official endorsements that would aid immigration officers in establishing spectators’ declared purpose of travel and in identifying potentially trafficked or illegally recruited persons. The SEA Games are currently being held in Cambodia from 5 to 17 May. It can be recalled that the BI sounded the alarm on the increase of trafficked Filipinos in Cambodia due to a cryptocurrency and call center scam targeting young urban professionals. The BI chief assured the DoJ that they would continuously monitor all departing passengers and that those who would be traveling for legitimate purposes had no need to worry. They are sending a warning to illegal recruiters not to abuse international events, as the Bureau remains on the lookout to prevent victims from being trafficked. Meanwhile, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, 10 female sex workers were rescued from trafficking abroad. According to the report of BI officials at NAIA Terminal 3, the 10 Filipinos were rescued when they attempted to depart illegally for Singapore as sex workers. Commissioner Tansingco shared that the 10 females, all aged 20 to early 30s, were intercepted on Friday afternoon (5 May) after attempting to board their flight via Cebu Pacific bound for Singapore. Tansingco said that earlier this month, they received information from the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking that these women were being trafficked abroad and were recruited as entertainers but would end up as sex workers. Upon receiving the information, he immediately ordered them to include the said group in their monitoring records to be able to intercept them. The BI chief added that after including the information from IACAT on their records, his office also received information from the Office of Senator Risa Hontiveros on the women, further validating their doubts about their actual purpose of travel. During the secondary inspection, the intercepted women claimed that they were traveling as tourists with friends. However, closer inspection of their records revealed valid working permits as entertainers in Singapore. According to the 10 victims, they were allegedly recruited separately online through Facebook Messenger to work at a pub in Singapore. They were offered a salary of P40,000 per month, with deductions for their travel expenses for six months. Tansingco also said that this is a clear example of debt bondage, a tactic in trafficking wherein victims are made to pay the expenses for the recruitment. These expenses pile up, and they end up being forced to work to pay their debt. The Bureau then hailed the role of coordination among different government agencies in the interception. A multi-agency approach is needed in the fight against trafficking. Coordination with government agencies in gathering information and intercepting trafficking victims is necessary for us to be able to stop this illegal activity. All 10 victims were turned over to the IACAT for assistance in filing cases against their recruiters. The post Immigration sounds trafficking alarm appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Philippines rescues over 1,000 trafficking victims
Philippine authorities have rescued over a thousand people from several Asian nations who were trafficked into the country, held captive, and forced to run online scams, an official said Saturday. International alarm has grown in recent months over internet scams in the region often staffed by trafficking victims tricked or coerced into promoting bogus crypto investments. Michelle Sabino, a spokeswoman for the Philippine national police force's anti-cybercrime group, said officers raided a cluster of buildings Thursday in Mabalacat City, about 90 kilometers north of Manila. A total of 1,090 people were rescued who had been recruited to run online scams. Sabino said the victims were forced to target unsuspecting people in the United States, Europe, and Canada. Their passports were confiscated and they were made to work up to 18 hours a day, with salary deductions for interacting with colleagues or taking extended breaks. "You're like a prisoner without a cell. You're not even allowed to talk to your roommates," Sabino told AFP. "They're not allowed to leave outside the bounds of the gate. After 18 hours of work, they're brought to their dormitory." The victims were mostly Chinese nationals, Vietnamese, Filipinos, and Indonesians, police said in a separate statement. Authorities also rescued people from Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Myanmar, Hong Kong, and Nepal. Sabino said the workers were trained to entice strangers into buying cryptocurrency or depositing money into bogus bank accounts after establishing fake romantic relationships. "They will build up a promise of a good future together. Let's buy a house, buy a car, let's invest money, or let's do business together," she said. At least 12 suspected ringleaders of the scheme have been arrested and are set to be charged with human trafficking. They include seven Chinese nationals, four Indonesians and a Malaysian, Sabino said. Sabino also said the police operation was the result of a plea by the Indonesian ambassador in Manila for help locating distressed nationals. A Philippine immigration official also warned on Saturday against trafficking risks while international events are underway. "In the past, we have recorded victims who claimed they were set to join beauty pageants, and shows, only to find out that they were being trafficked abroad," immigration commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement. The warning comes as Cambodia hosts the Southeast Asian Games, which began on Friday and runs until 17 May. The immigration bureau said Philippine sports officials were asked to warn Filipino athletes of the "risks of trafficking" in the country. An AFP report last year found people from around Asia have been pulled into cryptocurrency scams in Cambodia, some trafficked and beaten by scam operators. Last month, Philippine senator Risa Hontiveros warned that "scam call centers" were operating in the Philippines and employing foreigners trafficked into the country. The post Philippines rescues over 1,000 trafficking victims appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»