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Belle Mariano wins Listeners Choice at 1st Billboard Philippines Women in Music
Belle Mariano said she hopes to inspire little girls to be singers, composers, or anything they would want to be as she received the fan-voted Listeners' Choice Award at last Friday's inaugural Billboard Philipines Women in Music......»»
LAWMAKER ON WHEELS — Ejercito’s love for Phl sports is one of a kind
Senator JV Ejercito’s love for cycling is hard to miss. From interviews to his social media posts, the 53-year-old lawmaker would always find a way to display his love for cycling — and sports in general. That’s why in a recent interview with Daily Tribune, Ejercito took the opportunity to preach the benefits of cycling and how he wants to spearhead the staging of more local and international tournaments that would encourage a lot of enthusiasts to take the sport seriously. “We need to have more competitions like Ronda Pilipinas. I hope somebody picks up the cudgels for it to continue because competition improves the quality of our athletes,” said Ejercito, referring to the annual professional road cycling competition that covers major cities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The prestigious bikefest started in 2011 and has drawn the interest of the best local and international riders. It, however, got canceled this year as it prepares to transition from being an annual to a biennial event. “We need competitions,” Ejercito stressed. But batting for the staging of a professional cycling competition is just a mere fraction of Ejercito’s love for the sport. In fact, during the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Ejercito took the cudgels for the cyclists when he slammed the Inter-Agency Task Force for raising the proposal of requiring cyclists to wear face shields on the road. Ejercito stressed that this proposal will put the cyclists’ lives at risk as they might suffer hypoxia or lack of oxygen. Having first-hand experience on the challenges of the sport, Ejercito asserted that the proposal might create more harm than good. “I am not in favor of requiring face shields to those who are biking and exercising. This might cause hypoxia or lack of oxygen. While breathing hard, intake of oxygen is already minimized with masks so what more if they will require them to wear face shields? This can be fatal,” Ejercito said. “Cyclists usually are away from each other. Face shields should be required in enclosed and crowded places. There is already a mask that is required anyway.” “Wearing a face shield while cycling is dangerous. The mask is enough.” But that’s not all. Ejercito also fought hard for the rights of cyclists through Senate Bill 393 that pushes for more bicycle lanes in major thoroughfares. He believes that by putting up bicycle lanes, the government would encourage the public to bike to their respective schools or offices instead of riding cars, buses or trains. The public would also get to save a lot on their transportation expenses while helping the government solve the worsening traffic situation. “This legislation is one way to help unburden commuters who are choosing to ride their bicycles and other non-motorized vehicles in order to escape the worsening traffic situation and save money on fares and fuel, especially now that prices of petroleum products have skyrocketed,” the bill’s explanatory note said. Ejercito said the government will also benefit from this proposal. “Though we admire such resilience and innovation, the government should also look into improving road conditions for alternative means of transportation,” Ejercito, the son of former President Joseph Estrada, said. “Until such a time that the government has finished its goal to provide mass transportation that is people-centered and accommodating to every walk of life, there will always be room for alternative forms of travel.” Ejercito admitted that he even considered riding his bicycle to work. “Even I couldn’t bear it each time I load up on gas. I shell out P5,000 every time. It’s hard on my pockets. Hopefully, I can save by biking to work,” Ejercito said. As of May 2023, about 546 kilometers of bike lanes were already established in Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao, according to the Department of Transportation. Aside from cycling, Ejercito also plays golf and boxing. He is also an avid fan of basketball. In fact, he was at the sidelines when Gilas Pilipinas battled China in the FIBA Basketball World Cup together with other senators in Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Joel Villanueva and Juan Miguel Zubiri. Ejercito said if there will be a chance, he will gladly lend a helping hand to Philippine sports. After all, he is no stranger to grassroots sports after serving as chairman of the committee on youth and sports when he was still representing San Juan City in the House of Representatives. With him in charge, he was able to help the Philippine Sports Commission with its funding that led to the rise of promising athletes like Hidilyn Diaz, who went on to become the country’s first Olympic gold medalist. “There’s no specific NSA (national sports association) but if there is an opportunity, I will help. I box, I cycle and I even played basketball before,” the mild-mannered Ejercito said. Truly, sports, especially cycling, occupies a very special place in Ejercito’s heart. And he will keep on helping Filipino athletes — one pedal at a time. The post LAWMAKER ON WHEELS — Ejercito’s love for Phl sports is one of a kind appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Raging storm batters northern China
Heavy rains battered northern China on Monday, washing away cars and inundating subway stations, with millions of people in Beijing and its surrounding areas warned by authorities to stay at home. Deadly storm Doksuri has swept northwards over the country since Friday, when it hit southern Fujian province after scything through the Philippines as a typhoon. Hundreds of bus services in the capital were suspended, according to state news agency Xinhua, while the city government issued the highest flood warning for the suburban Dashihe River. Chen Hong, a resident of the southern Fengtai district, shared footage with AFP that showed a parked van half-submerged in fast-flowing brown water on Monday morning as the rain continued to fall. Residents in Chen's neighborhood cleared mud outside their homes with shovels during a brief respite from the near-continuous downpour. "Once it starts raining the road turns into a drain, and there's water on the first floor inside houses," said Chen, 52. "The houses here are all old houses, so there are definitely concerns about safety," she added. A section of road surface in the outer Fangshan district caved in under rising water, local media reported. Social media users uploaded footage of vehicles swept away by muddy torrents and thoroughfares turned into rapids on the outskirts of the city. In one clip posted on Monday on the Instagram-like Xiaohongshu platform and geolocated by AFP, murky water can be seen swamping a large intersection in the outer Mentougou district next to high-rise apartment blocks. And rainwater appeared to leak onto a subway platform in western Beijing's university district in another Xiaohongshu video from Sunday that was geolocated by AFP. Extreme weather The streets of central Beijing were quieter than usual on Monday morning as residents heeded official recommendations to work from home, with only a handful of delivery drivers braving pools of water seen in usually packed bike lanes. The governments of Beijing and neighboring Hebei province renewed red alerts for rainstorms on Monday. China has been experiencing extreme weather conditions and posting record temperatures this summer, events that scientists say are being exacerbated by climate change. Experts have warned that the ongoing downpour could prompt even worse flooding than in July 2012, when 79 people died and tens of thousands were evacuated, according to local media. An average of 170.9 millimeters of rain inundated Beijing in 40 hours between Saturday night and noon on Monday, the Beijing Meteorological Bureau said. That is nearly equivalent to the average rainfall for the entire month of July, according to official records. The post Raging storm batters northern China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Alive
A Cessna 206 light aircraft with seven people on board recently crashed in the Amazon jungle in Colombia. Three people were confirmed dead; four, missing. This had not been big news until 9 June, when the authorities declared that they found the four passengers in the search effort. Surprisingly, 40 days after the plane crashed in the jungle, the four siblings (aged 13, nine, four and one) were exhausted, dehydrated and malnourished, but otherwise “fully conscious and lucid”. It is astonishing how these four children survived in the wild for more than a month, considering their age and the fact that the older kids had to take care of their younger sibs. Gen. Pedro Sánchez, who led the search operation, told NBC News that the children’s survival was down to three factors. “First, the wish to maintain their lives. Second, they are indigenous people, so they have immunity to so many hazards in the jungle,” he said. “Third, they know the jungle.” The children’s father, who did not board the aircraft with his family, said that, according to his 13-year-old daughter, their mother had been alive for four days after the crash, but she told her kids to leave and find help as she laid dying. It was revealed that the children ate cassava flour in the beginning but when they eventually ran out of food, 13-year-old Lesly led her younger brother and sisters to find what they could eat in the forest, such as seeds and fruits, because she knows what are poisonous and what are not. Moreover, Lesly built makeshift shelters from branches held together with her hair ties, and they hid in tree trunks to protect themselves in an area filled with snakes, animals and mosquitoes. In addition to avoiding wild animals, the children also endured intense rainstorms and might have had to evade armed groups said to be active in the jungle. Unfortunately, Wilson, a Belgian shepherd which helped in the search and rescue of the little siblings, went missing during the mission Dozens of soldiers remained in the jungle on the search for Wilson. Military officials and the children’s family believe Wilson encountered the kids independently during the search efforts. In Lesly’s drawing, a dog is playing near a tree and a stream as the sun shines. In her sister Soleiny’s, a dog sits beside a large flower under the sun. On social media, netizens are pleading for Wilson’s safe return. The Colombian military spokesperson said: “We have a saying, ‘we never leave an element behind,’ even less, the four children; we would not leave Wilson.” The story of the four kids who survived in the jungle is truly marvelous and inspiring. In Taiwan, due to geopolitical tension, a new Civil Defence Contingency Handbook prepares civilians for air raids, major fires, collapsing structures, power outages, as well as shortage of water and essential goods. The pamphlet lists nearby air-raid shelters and hospitals and explains what to include in the survival kits should a war break out. According to the South China Morning Post, the handbook uses “international situations, including the Ukraine war, as references”. Civilians are advised how to react when directly confronted by enemies, when to report suspicious activities in the neighborhood to authorities, how to identify disinformation, and what to do if a major communication system is knocked out of service. The pamphlet also provides instructions on safety measures to take if Taiwan comes under attack by missiles or nuclear bombs, and ways to avoid being exposed to radiation from missile explosions or attacks of the island’s nuclear power plants. The post Alive appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
France to try 19 men over 2019 migrant lorry deaths: source
France is to try 19 men over a people-smuggling plot that led to the 2019 deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants in the back of a lorry, a source familiar with the matter said Wednesday. The trial is the latest of several in Europe over the tragedy. The migrants -- the youngest of whom were two 15-year-old boys -- suffocated in the refrigerated container as they were being transported across the Channel to what they had hoped would be new lives in Britain. Their lifeless bodies were discovered inside the sealed unit at a port near London in October 2019. French investigating magistrates on Tuesday ordered the trial of 19 suspects aged 21 to 58 over the tragedy, the source said. A transnational investigation points to the suspects -- of Vietnamese, French, Chinese, Algerian and Moroccan origin -- being part of a large network smuggling people from Vietnam to Europe, it said. They stand accused of organizing the transport of migrants and driving taxis or owning flats where they could hide them in the Paris region, it added. According to wiretapped phone calls, these men referred to their victims as "merchandise" or even "chickens". They will all be tried for enabling the illegal entry and stay of foreigners on French territory and banding together with a view to committing crimes, which could carry up to 10 years in jail, the source said. Four will also be judged for manslaughter for failing to ensure duty of care during the smuggling operation, which could lead to punishment of three years behind bars. The cross-border probe revealed that migrants were loaded into a truck in northern France, before being driven to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge to cross the Channel. The tragedy shone a spotlight on the extraordinary dangers migrants are willing to risk to reach Britain, with some paying smugglers up to $40,000 for the perilous journey. Post-mortem tests found the victims died from lack of oxygen and overheating, and one sent a poignant text message to her family in Vietnam as she lay dying in the truck. The victims came from poor and remote corners of central Vietnam, a hotspot for people willing to embark on dangerous journeys in the hope of a better future abroad. Many are smuggled illegally through Russia or China, often left owing huge sums to their traffickers and ending up working on cannabis farms or in nail salons. There was no immediate date set for the French trial, which follows several convictions in other countries. A Belgian court last year sentenced a Vietnamese man to 15 years in prison after convicting him of being a ringleader in the trafficking operation. A British judge in 2021 convicted two men on 39 counts of manslaughter over the lorry tragedy, jailing them for 27 and 20 years. He also handed two truck drivers 13-year and 18-year sentences. The post France to try 19 men over 2019 migrant lorry deaths: source appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Philippines beats India for back-to-back wins in women’s Asia ice hockey tiff
The Philippine women’s ice hockey team picked up where they left off after their opening win in the 2024 IIHF Women’s Asia and Oceania Cup with a 7-0 shutout of India at the Bishkek Arena in Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday......»»
Roque bares Duterte, China agreement to respect status quo in WPS
Roque bares Duterte, China agreement to respect status quo in WPS.....»»
Marcos: Philippines won’t be ‘cowed into silence, submission’ by China
“We seek no conflict with any nation, more so nations that purport and claim to be our friends but we will not be cowed into silence, submission, or subservience. Filipinos do not yield,” Marcos said. .....»»
Pentagon chief reaffirms support after latest China aggression in WPS
Austin emphasized US support for the Philippines in defending its sovereign rights and jurisdiction in a phone call with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro on Wednesday. .....»»
PRO-Davao no idea of Quiboloy’s whereabouts
THE Police Regional Office-Davao Region (PRO-Davao) has responded to the accusations of Makabayan ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. France Castro that they are “clueless about the whereabouts of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy”......»»
Dela Rosa considers war with China but admits: ‘Hindi naman natin kaya’
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa is already fed up with China’s persistent harassments in the West Philippine Sea, prompting thoughts of engaging in war with Beijing. But he knows, war is not an option. “Naubos na ang sasabihin ko dapat dyan. Short of declaring war na tayo dyan against sa kanila e,.....»»
FOCAP condemns Chinese embassy’s claims on ‘manipulated’ West Philippine Sea videos
The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines strongly rejected and condemned yesterday China’s “false and baseless” claims that journalists manipulate videosthey recorded in the South China Sea to present the Philippines as a victim......»»
Roque: Xi, Duterte agreed to keep West Philippines Sea status quo
The Philippines under former president Rodrigo Duterte had a “gentleman’s agreement” with China to keep the status quo in the West Philippine Sea, a former Cabinet official said yesterday, as fresh tensions surround the WPS due to recent incursions by Beijing that targeted a Filipino resupply mission and a research team......»»
Opinion - South China Sea- Philippines must softly manage disputes or miss out economically
Manilas assertive transparency strategy is touted as a model for managing maritime disputes but it diminishes key economic opportunities. As Chinese investment pours into other Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines must reduce geopolitical risks without acquiescing to Beijing......»»
India backs Philippines in dispute with China
New Delhi has drawn a strong response from Beijing after reiterating its support for Manila in a territorial dispute India has "firmly reiterated" its support for the Philippines and its "national sovereignty," as Manila remains locked in a territorial dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea. Ten.....»»
India backs Philippines in sea dispute with China
New Delhi has drawn a strong response from Beijing after reiterating its support for Manila in a territorial dispute India has "firmly reiterated" its support for the Philippines and its "national sovereignty," as Manila remains locked in a territorial dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea. Ten.....»»
Eala advances in W75 Croissy-Beaubourg tennis tilt
Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala has gone into the next round of the W75 Croissy-Beaubourg tournament in France after sweeping hometown bet Emeline Dartron, 6-3, 6-4, late Tuesday night (Manila time)......»»
UAAP volleyball enters break amid wide-open semis race
It’s the calm before the storm as teams embark on a much-needed pause ahead of an expected all-out race to the UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments Final Four......»»
Philippine scientists harassed by China helicopter
Another case of harassment at sea by the Chinese has been reported – this time near Pag-Asa Island last Saturday – involving a helicopter, which hovered dangerously close to a group of Filipino scientists doing research work on a sand bar called Sandy Cay, causing minor injuries......»»
Panatag is proven PH territory; China claims it by bogus history
A civilian supply expedition to Panatag (Scarborough) is set this summer. The shoal is Philippine territory. Filipinos have every right to enter its 15,000-hectare lagoon bound by rocks and reefs......»»