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Subscription plan promises boosted replies at X, formerly Twitter
X on Friday unveiled a $16-a-month subscription plan allowing users who pay more to get the biggest boost for their replies posted at the platform formerly known as Twitter. The "Premium+" plan is ad-free and designed to provide "the largest reply boost" at X, the company said in a post. The plan builds on features offered in a Blue subscription plan costing $3 monthly and a Premium Plan priced at $8 monthly, according to X. Listed features of Premium+ include a blue tick next to names in profiles along with "a visible ID verification label," according to X. The platform recently started charging new users in New Zealand and the Philippines for basic features such as posting messages in a trial aimed at reducing spam. Musk has suggested charging all X users, but the idea was widely panned. Industry analysts said it would make X even less appealing to advertisers. Musk has made a number of controversial changes to the social media firm's management and product since he acquired Twitter a year ago for $44 billion. In the days after his purchase, Musk quickly fired many Twitter executives and took the publicly traded company private. He also laid off most of the San Francisco-based company's workers, cutting ranks to fewer than 1,500 from 8,000. In the months following his takeover, Musk gutted content moderation, restored accounts of previously banned extremists, and allowed users to purchase account verification, helping them profit from viral -- but often inaccurate -- posts. Musk defended such changes in the name of free speech. Over the past year, the platform's advertising business partially collapsed as marketers soured on X. Musk started charging for features once free at Twitter, such as blue tick marks originally intended as badges of authenticity, in an effort to make money from subscriptions. X is tinkering with video and audio calling at the platform formerly known as Twitter, according to a recent post by Musk. Musk in July rebranded Twitter as X, saying it would become an "everything app" inspired by China's WeChat that would allow users to socialize as well as handle their finances. The post Subscription plan promises boosted replies at X, formerly Twitter appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Balmain races to recover from robbery at Paris Fashion Week
The fashion world loves drama but normally it does not involve violent robberies, so there is outsize attention on Wednesday's Balmain show after the French label had 50 outfits stolen just days earlier. Balmain's creative director Olivier Rousteing announced on September 17 that a driver had been "hijacked" on the way from a Paris airport to the house's headquarters by a gang of thieves who stole 50 outfits. He and his team have since been racing to put together a collection for the show on Wednesday night. There were no signs of panic from Rousteing on Tuesday when he posted a video from his workshop showing the finishing touches being put to a dress that looked like a pink garden trestle with blue flowers climbing over it. He added the apparently ironic comment: "Florals for spring? Groundbreaking..." Paris Fashion Week kicked off on Monday and runs to 3 October, with 107 brands presenting, of which 67 are giving runway shows. One of the first big names was Pierre Cardin, which has returned to the official Paris lineup this year for the first time in a quarter-century. Its show was full of retro space-age outfits that harked back to its glory days, but the relatives of Cardin, who died in 2020, are currently tearing each other apart in court over the inheritance. "My uncle gave me the mission to perpetuate the house and its style," Rodrigo Basilicati-Cardin, who is currently overseeing the label, said backstage. "If the brand is sold, it will be the end of the house. I am confident the court decisions will ensure continuity," he added. Among the other highlights so far was the latest collection from Dior on Tuesday, which saw the walls of the show plastered with mock sexist slogans from old adverts, such as "Save your marriage -- iron properly". The collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri, who recently dressed Queen Camilla for her state dinner at Versailles, was a largely monochrome affair with comfortable, breezy items alongside straight masculine jackets, pleated skirts, and plenty of knitwear. Coming later this week are the final shows for two big-name designers. Gabriela Hearst is leaving Chloe after fewer than three years. Her focus on sustainable fashion was critically acclaimed but did not bring a major boost to sales. It will also be the last show for Sarah Burton, who took over at Alexander McQueen following the founder's suicide in 2010. The post Balmain races to recover from robbery at Paris Fashion Week appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Paris Fashion Week opens with drama and dashes of humor
Paris is the last of the big four fashion weeks in the busy September calendar that sees back-to-back events in London, New York, and Milan. The biggest story this season has been a new creative director at Gucci. The debut by Sabato de Sarno in Milan on Friday was a relatively low-key affair but gave a boost to the share price of French parent company Kering, which has been struggling lately to keep up with its major rival, LVMH. The first day of Paris Fashion Week always focuses on emerging designers and there was excitement this year about avant-garde newcomer Marie Adam-Leenaerdt from Belgium, who brought a dash of much-needed humor to the opening show. It opened with a chorus singing "Let's go to the beach!" only to follow it with a series of decidedly un-beachy gray, formal, and structured outfits before introducing some more summery Barbie pink and sky-blue dresses. "There's something very Belgian about it," the 27-year-old designer told AFP backstage. "It's important for me to play with the codes and have some paradoxes." Also showing on Monday was Victor Weinsanto, a former classical dancer who trained in fashion with Jean Paul Gaultier and loves to bring cabaret to the catwalk. There were doses of humor -- opening with an extravagant wedding gown that he said was designed for "a woman who gets married entirely in Swarovski". But he also showed a more serious side, with structured and chic pieces alongside more offbeat items like hooded suit jackets. Far from a newcomer, but long absent from the official line-up in Paris, is Pierre Cardin, which returned to the catwalk for the first time in 25 years last season and was back with a glamorous show on Monday night. The label's founder died in 2020 and his nephew Rodrigo Basilicati-Cardin is currently in charge but is embroiled in a bitter succession dispute with family members who have accused each other of fraud and other crimes. The post Paris Fashion Week opens with drama and dashes of humor appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Singapore races to save ‘Garbage of Eden’
Visitors to the island hosting Singapore's only landfill might expect foul odors and swarms of flies, but instead, they are greeted with stunning views of blue waters, lush greenery, and wildlife. Welcome to Pulau Semakau, the land-scarce city's eco-friendly trash island, where ash from the incinerated garbage of its nearly six million people is dumped. With just over a decade to go until the site is projected to be filled, the government is in a race against time to extend the lifespan of the island landfill, so serene it has earned the moniker "Garbage of Eden". "This is the only landfill in Singapore, and due to the small area and the competing land needs, it is difficult to find another location," Desmond Lee, the landfill manager at the National Environment Agency (NEA), which oversees the island, tells AFP. "It is imperative that we continue to use the Semakau landfill for as long as possible, and if possible extend its life beyond 2035," he says. 'Massive waste' Singapore generated 7.4 million tonnes of waste last year, of which about 4.2 million tonnes, or 57 percent, were recycled. Plastics remain a sticking point for the island’s waste drive, with just 6 percent recycled last year. Food waste, of which 18 percent was recycled, also poses a problem. Environmental group Greenpeace criticized the city-state for producing a "massive" amount of waste for its size. In 2019, the government launched a "zero-waste" campaign seeking to boost the amount of recycled waste to 70 percent and slash the amount of trash dumped at Semakau by 30 percent before the end of the decade. Roughly the size of New York City, Singapore has carefully managed its rapid growth in recent decades to avoid the problems faced by other fast-developing Asian metropolises, such as overcrowding and undisposed garbage. The government built the offshore landfill after an inland waste depot began running out of space in the early 1990s. Engineers merged Semakau -- whose residents had earlier been resettled to the mainland -- with the nearby island of Pulau Sakeng. A seven-kilometer (four-mile) perimeter bund was constructed to enclose part of the open sea between the two islands and create space for the landfill, which began operating in 1999. Pollution risks With Singapore’s population growing steadily, authorities were forced to roll out bold, space-saving solutions. Incinerators were deployed to burn non-recyclable waste, before authorities shipped the ash to Semakau on a covered barge. But the practice of burning the rubbish has been criticized by environmental groups for its pollution. "The process results in pollution in each of its phases -- from waste hauling to managing air emissions and residues," Abigail Aguilar, Greenpeace's anti-plastics campaigner for Southeast Asia, told AFP. "While aesthetically it might be appealing, the landfill still contains waste that could potentially leak," said Aguilar. The NEA has said its incineration plants are fitted with treatment systems that clean the gas before they are released into the atmosphere. It added that the landfill had been lined with an impermeable membrane and marine clay to contain any potential pollution within the site, and the water is tested regularly for leakage. Eco island There could still be more use for Singapore's garbage island, with plans to build solar farms and also to turn ash from the landfill into road construction materials. After the barge docks on Semakau, earthmovers scoop the ash and load them onto giant yellow tipper trucks for the trip to the landfill, which has been subdivided into sections. As each pit is progressively filled up over the years, the area is covered with soil, allowing for the growth of natural vegetation. Mangrove forests have also been planted, making the island verdant and attracting wildlife. During a recent visit by an AFP team, a couple of brahminy kites were seen swooping down on the water to catch fish, while a white-bellied sea eagle circled above. Red-wattled lapwings made bird calls on the edge of a mangrove patch and little terns maneuvered above a filled-up pit. A family of grebes swam on a pond, its dike lined with coconut trees. The post Singapore races to save ‘Garbage of Eden’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘SoNA all’
Hello again my dear readers. Have you ever caught yourself staring at beautiful couples holding hands, happily enjoying their lives, worry-free, as if the world was spinning round and round just for them, and you simply said to yourself: “Sana all.” Or maybe you recently saw your old friend who lost so much weight after moving on and going through so much in life and you whispered to yourself: “Sana all.” Well, you’re not alone. Oftentimes we crave something we want but which we cannot have (yet), or maybe we’re just really optimistic that someday, somehow, we will also have our time to enjoy these things that we crave, because these are things that we cannot buy and have to work hard for to get. It will require time and patience and, most of all, hard work. Things worth having are really worth waiting for. Speaking of worth having, well, I’m pretty sure you will not be deprived of our topic for today because, hey, it is Thirstday again and that means we get to talk about the latest State of the Nation Address or SoNA of PBBM. With all the updates and exciting plans this administration has in store for our beloved country, I say with all high hopes: “SoNA all” Well, that is the beauty of democracy you can express your opinions freely. But before that, did you know that the longest SoNA was delivered by former President Rodrigo Duterte which clocked two hours and 45 minutes? The shortest SoNA was delivered by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, now the Pampanga 2nd District representative, which took only 25 minutes; while former President Noynoy Aquino delivered the first SoNA in Filipino, “Kayo ang Boss ko,” if you may recall. Going back to the SoNA of President BBM, comments abound in different news outlets and on social media. Well, that is the beauty of democracy — you can express your opinions freely. Foremost in the President’s SoNA was the food security program aimed at putting food on the table of every household. This is a much-needed program if we are to protect our young population from malnutrition, as hunger threatens not only our country but is currently a worldwide problem. With no less than the President at the helm of the Department of Agriculture or DA, the public expects DA officials to fully live up to the aims set by PBBM. Education as a long-term tool and solution for almost all of the challenges we face found its way into the SoNA and was much emphasized by PBBM. With VP Sara piloting the Department of Education, all DepEd officials as co-pilots must steer the department to achieve the progressive education we all aspire for our youth. Infrastructure development, particularly focusing on the transport system with emphasis on seaports, airports, and road networks, is on the priority list of the President. This will provide easy access for every Juan as they work and travel or for every Nena and Pilar as they buy their daily needs nearby or shop elsewhere. Tourism will also get a boost as many destinations open and become accessible to local and foreign travelers and, yes, such movement of people will spur economic activity that will spell renewed income for local folk and added revenue for the government. Disaster preparedness and resilience is the cornerstone of a sound program to mitigate the effects of disasters. The President outlined fully the desire to achieve resilience and be totally prepared against disasters, whether man-made or natural. An average of twenty typhoons a year visit our country, which is in the “ring of fire,” an imaginary global ring of islands and land masses where volcanoes abound and earthquakes frequently emanate. Well, better watch National Geographic or read books! Nose bleed. Well, it is not only typhoons and the “ring of fire” that we should worry about, hence, the President underlined the plan for a new amnesty program for former rebels who returned to the fold of the law and to encourage the remnants of the armed communist group to embrace peace and be productive citizens of mainstream society. The priority legislative agenda of the President was laid out precisely. Foremost are the essential tax measures under the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework, such as: An excise tax on single-use plastics; VAT on digital services; rationalization of mining fiscal regime; motor vehicle user’s charge/road user tax, and the Military and Uniformed Personnel pension. The President enjoined Congress to act on the following: Amendment of the Fisheries Code; amendment of the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act; Amendment of the Cooperative Code; New Government Procurement Law; New Government Auditing Code; Anti-financial accounts scamming; Tatak-Pinoy law; The Blue Economy law; Ease of paying taxes; LGU income classification; and the Philippine Immigration Act. Congress is expected to act on these and make them more responsive to the current fortunes of time, especially with the fast pace of technology. Looking back and then focusing our eyes on the immediate future, we should all be hopeful for the plans the President laid out, especially on food security, education, infrastructure development, disaster preparedness, and all others which directly affect our daily lives, and be part of it, not because we are red, green, blue, yellow or whatever color of the rainbow or even a Power Ranger. Just as Master Rapper Francis M. said in his famous song: “Every color, every hue is represented by me and you, take a slide on the slope, take a look at the kaleidoscope..,” but because the current skipper needs all hands on deck and most importantly... we are all in the same boat. The post ‘SoNA all’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Twitter chaos leaves door open for Meta’s rival app
Elon Musk spent the weekend further alienating Twitter users with more drastic changes to the social media giant, and he is facing a new challenge as tech nemesis Mark Zuckerberg prepares to launch a rival app this week. Zuckerberg's Meta group, which owns Facebook, has listed a new app in stores as "Threads, an Instagram app", available for pre-order in the United States, with a message saying it is "expected" this Thursday. The two men have clashed for years but a recent comment by a Meta executive suggesting that Twitter was not run "sanely" irked Musk, eventually leading to the two men offering each other out for a cage fight. Since buying Twitter last year for $44 billion, Musk has fired thousands of employees and charged users $8 a month to have a blue checkmark and a "verified" account. On the weekend, he limited the posts readers could view and decreed that nobody could look at a tweet unless they were logged in, meaning external links no longer work for many. He said he needed to fire up extra servers just to cope with the demand as artificial intelligence (AI) companies scraped "extreme levels" of data to train their models. But commentators have poured scorn on that idea and marketing experts say he has massively alienated both his user base and the advertisers he needs to get profits rolling. In another move that shocked users, Twitter announced Monday that access to TweetDeck, an app that allows users to monitor several accounts at once, would be limited to verified accounts next month. John Wihbey, an associate professor of media innovation and technology at Northeastern University, told AFP that plenty of people wanted to quit Twitter for ethical reasons after Musk took over, but he had now given them a technical reason to leave too. And he added that Musk's decision to sack thousands of workers meant it had long been expected that the site would become "technically unusable". - 'Remarkably bad' - Musk has said he wants to make Twitter less reliant on advertising and boost income from subscriptions. Yet he chose advertising specialist Linda Yaccarino as his chief executive recently, and she has spoken of going into "hand-to-hand combat" to win back advertisers. "How do you tell Twitter advertisers that your most engaged free users potentially will never see their ads because of data caps on their usage," tweeted Justin Taylor, a former marketing executive at Twitter. Mike Proulx, vice president at market research firm Forrester, said the weekend's chaos had been "remarkably bad" for both users and advertisers. "Advertisers depend on reach and engagement yet Twitter is currently decimating both," he told AFP. He said Twitter had "moved from stable to startup" and Yaccarino, who remained silent over the weekend, would struggle to restore its credibility, leaving the door open to Twitter's rivals to suck up any cash from advertisers. - 'Open secret' - The technical reasons Musk gave for limiting the views of users immediately brought a backlash. Many social media users speculated that Musk had simply failed to pay the bill for his servers. French social data analyst Florent Lefebvre said AI firms were more likely to train their models on books and media articles than social network content, which "is of much poorer quality, full of mistakes and lacking in context". Yoel Roth, who stepped down as Twitter's head of security weeks after Musk took over, said the idea that data scraping had caused such performance problems that users needed to be forced to log in "doesn't pass the sniff test". "Scraping was the open secret of Twitter data access," he wrote on the Bluesky social network -- another Twitter rival. "We knew about it. It was fine." jxb/lth © Agence France-Presse The post Twitter chaos leaves door open for Meta’s rival app appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Embracing innovation and sustainability
Craving for the “island vibe” and wanting the beach and the crystal blue waves for your next view? Panglao Shores is the perfect nature-based resort situated in Bohol that offers beyond that. The sustainable hotel and resort have a relaxing and romantic view of the beach, foster a safe and inclusive community and conserve the long-lived Boholano culture. Hope Uy, managing director of Panglao Shores, commits to making the tourist destination adhere to sustainable methods and innovative approaches as a proactive effort to preserve the vibrant island. “We’re now very conscious of creating liveable spaces with a green design approach,” Uy told Daily Tribune. [caption id="attachment_151777" align="aligncenter" width="525"] PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PANGLAO SHORES | PANGLAO Shores is a 50-hectare mixed-use estate by the Alturas Group of Companies.[/caption] Pandemic efforts To minimize the losses and work around the uncertainty brought upon by the pandemic, Panglao Shores created a farming project titled “South Farm” which brought a symbol of love and motivation among its staff. “Panglao Shores created a farm in order to supply plants, natural materials and vegetables for all our developments,” Uy said, affirming that they repurposed their staff by choosing them as farmers for the project. South Farm was able to produce fruits, vegetables and an assortment of herbs amid the pandemic. “We created a sustainable supply chain through that,” she added. Keeping up with these local farming traditions encouraged progressive and sustainable practices that will be beneficial for the island in the long run. “It [South Farm] helped our displaced team members during the pandemic and where we started our sustainable practices. South Farm inspired us to make Panglao Shores sustainable and innovative,” Uy said. Sustainability as a top choice Aside from producing and farming greens, South Farm recycles wastes and creates local and intricate handicrafts that promote the province. Sustainability is not just a mere concept loosely thrown around in the company. To ensure that the company strongly develops and practices long-term sustainable efforts, Panglao Shores works with XCO2, a London-based consultancy that specializes in low-carbon strategies. It will also incorporate sustainable methods through its future projects. “Our new resort will have old reclaimed woods salvaged from old houses, all rooms will have a history with every piece of wood on the walls,” she said. Paradise life Panglao Shores prides itself on world-class and exquisite services and amenities, as well as access to the beach, an ideal place to boost productivity and reinvigorate your soul. “We need to go back to a livable natural space and it starts with responsible building of the present and future. This will be pandemic proof,” she said. For ongoing projects, Uy is hopeful and excited about how Panglao Shore will thrive in the near future. “We need to go back to a livable natural space and it starts with responsible building of the present and future. This will be pandemic proof,” she said. The post Embracing innovation and sustainability appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
AI tools threaten to upend ad industry
Data-driven algorithms supercharged the advertising industry by enabling precisely targeted campaigns, but new AI tools may be about to shake the sector once again. Some brands are dipping their toes in the AI waters, like Coca-Cola, which has invited people to create AI works using "iconic creative assets from the Coca-Cola digital archives". Others are using it to create a social media buzz -- fashion firm Stradivarius recently pushed out AI images based on one of its collections. But the full force of the AI revolution may be felt most keenly in the engine room of the ad industry -- the agencies who conceive and design the campaigns. "We're only at the beginning," said Fernando Pascual, vice-president of design at Spanish company Seedtag. His firm specializes in "contextual" advertising, which they claim will enable digital ads to blend in with the website where they appear. So a car ad might show the vehicle driving through a glass and steel cityscape on a business-orientated website, but the same car might be seen cruising past peaceful suburban gardens on a family-friendly website. "The main element of advertising is still anchored in reality," he told AFP. "We're just helping our clients to be more relevant." Seedtag is far from the only ad agency promoting its AI chops. But photographers and models are among those left wondering about their future livelihoods. 'Uproar' French lingerie firm Undiz recently found itself at the center of the debate. Billboards in brilliant blue with eerily beautiful models gliding underwater in the firm's swimwear have appeared across France in recent weeks. Only, there were no real people in these posters. The models were created by an ad agency using image generator Midjourney, with real images of the swimming costumes added later. "We wanted to achieve a slightly dreamlike, intriguing result," Undiz director Isolde Andouard told AFP. Andouard admitted that the campaign had caused "uproar" among models and photographers. Thomas Serer, a popular French content creator and photographer, wrote on Twitter that he was a fan of AI but in this case "using AI adds zero value" apart from allowing the firm to save money. Andouard was quick to deny the approach was simply about cutting costs, saying the AI campaign was rolled out alongside traditional photos. 'Non-event' The reaction to the Undiz campaign suggests the path to AI domination will be far from smooth. And they are not the only company to have received criticism. Jeans brand Levi's trumpeted a partnership with Dutch studio Lalaland.ia in March with the promise of using AI models to boost diversity on its online shop. After an outcry, the firm put out another statement saying its announcement "did not properly represent certain aspects of the programme" and promised to continue working with models and photographers. There are plenty who doubt that such upfront uses will ever really go industry-wide. Olivier Bomsel, an economist specializing in intellectual property and advertising, said the arrival of AI-manipulated images was a "non-event" and amounted to just a new kind of digital editing. And as AI tools get more widespread, he said, the people whose images provide the training data will be able to claim fees that will eventually "cost as much as using a model". And the arrival of AI behemoths Meta and Google into the space is sending heads spinning. Both firms announced in May a series of simplified AI tools that promise to allow anyone to design ad campaigns just using simple phrases as prompts. It remains to be seen whether this will give ad agencies a shiny new plaything -- or torpedo their business models entirely. The post AI tools threaten to upend ad industry appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Streak-busting Golden Tigresses aim to boost bid for semis bonus
Game time is at 2 p.m. with the Golden Tigresses looking to ride high on momentum even against an expected strong resistance from the Blue Eagles to stay in the hunt for a twice-to-beat bonus in the Final Four......»»
Blue Eagles boost roster with standout duo from Cebu sister school
The Ateneo senior men’s basketball team announced Monday it has secured the commitment of two standouts from its sister school in Cebu......»»
Get dandruff-free hair with Selsun Blue
As we feel the heat these days, don’t let your hair suffer, too! With Selsun Blue, our summer will be comfortable and fresher! Don’t let your dandruff affect your glow this summer season and boost your self-esteem to the fullest. Feel more confident with zero dandruff falls on your shirt or bare shoulders with every […] The post Get dandruff-free hair with Selsun Blue appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
2020 king of recruiting crown remains on UP’s head
Who was our King of Recruiting in 2018? Find out here. Who was our King of Recruiting in 2019? Find out here. --- From 2007 to 2015, the University of the Philippines only had 13 wins to show in 126 games total. That time is self-deprecatingly called in Diliman as the dark days. Due to that disappointing standing, the Fighting Maroons had the toughest time bringing in recruits. And due to that lack of pieces to the puzzles, they lost even more. Safe to say, State U was stuck in a vicious cycle in the dark days. That’s not to say they didn’t have blue-chip recruits back then as in their time, all of Woody Co, Mark Juruena, Mike Gamboa, Kyles Lao, Jett Manuel, and Mikee Reyes were among the best high school players. Only, a blue-chip recruit or two does not make a team. Fast forward to now and oh, how things have changed. Last year, UP was hailed as ABS-CBN’s King of Recruiting alongside University of the East. “On the strength of the transfers of Kobe Paras and Ricci Rivero, the Fighting Maroons… are worthy of the title,” it said then. And the season before that, the maroon and green was also up there with the best of them in terms of recruitment, having brought in the likes of eventual Season MVP Bright Akhuetie, Will Gozum, and Jaydee Tungcab. Indeed, there was nowhere to go but up. That has only continued this year as UP has left no doubt that it is now a force to reckon with in terms of recruitment. Early on, they already had a solid haul in Joel Cagulangan, once the best point guard in high school, and tireless workhorse Malick Diouf. And then, the shock of shocks. As it turned out, Nazareth School of National University stalwarts Carl Tamayo and Gerry Abadiano were going to be Fighting Maroons. Meaning, for the first time in recent history, the most promising prospect coming out of high school is headed to Diliman. Not only that, State U also answered its biggest question heading into next season – the question at point guard, filling in for Jun Manzo. But as it turned out, they weren’t done just yet - no, our friends, they weren’t done just yet. Tamayo and Abadiano’s departure from National U was shocking, without a doubt, but CJ Cansino’s exit from University of Sto. Tomas was even more so. Cansino, against his will, decided to move on from his alma mater since 2015 due to personal reasons. Fortunately for him, he landed on his feet. Now, the Fighting Maroons have ready-made replacement for Rivero as well as a leader in the shades of Paul Desiderio for UAAP 84. And that, our friends, is why we have no choice but to put the 2020 King of Recruiting crown on UP’s head once more. Tamayo and Abadiano are the bluest of blue-chip recruits this year and Cagulangan, Cansino, and Diouf are among the most talented transferees, but also joining them in the maroon and green will be scoring machine RC Calimag from La Salle Green Hills, burly big Miguel Tan from Xavier High School, Filipino-American playmaker Sam Dowd, Filipino-Australian tower Ethan Kirkness, physical forward Jancork Cabahug from University of Visayas, and versatile wing CJ Catapusan from Adamson University. The former Bullpups are guaranteed ato be contributors even as rookies while Calimag, Tan, and Dowd are going to shore up a bench that had just lost Gomez de Liano brothers Javi and Juan. Of course, Diouf, Kirkness, Cansino, Cabahug, and Cagulangan are still serving residency, but when they will be eligible, they will get a shot at a squad that will look brand new. All of Bright Akhuetie, J-Boy Gob, David Murrell, Noah Webb, and Rivero are graduating players while Paras is only guaranteed to play one more year. That means that after Season 83, the Fighting Maroons may very well have to fill six spots. That means that UP is not only beefing up for UAAP 83, it is also securing its future. If not for the shock of shocks, though, the crown would have been claimed by De La Salle University which sent a statement that it is back and better than ever. Justine Baltazar and Aljun Melecio may be playing their fifth and final years in college, but the green and white’s future has only brightened following this prolonged preseason. First and foremost, Kevin Quiambao, the third leg in that National U tripod of talent out of high school, has the capability and confidence to follow in the footsteps of Baltazar. Hopefully, he will be eligible for Season 83, but if not, what’s certain is he will be playing in UAAP 84. Alongside him as pieces for the future are super scorers CJ Austria and Emman Galman, all-around swingman Joshua Ramirez, and Filipino-Americans Jeromy Hughes, Kameron Vales, and Philips bros. Benjamin and Michael. Among all those, Jonnel Policarpio, likened to a young Arwind Santos, has the highest upside, but the Fil-Ams have much potential as well. And don’t forget that Evan Nelle, the primetime playmaker from San Beda University, is just getting primed and prepped to take the reins when Melecio leaves. Of course, the caveat here is that we are all in uncharted territory due to the continuing COVID-19 crisis. And in that light, the next season of the UAAP remains far away and a lot could still happen until then. While majority of the local blue-chip recruits have already committed, talents from abroad and transferees from other schools could still come and change the game. With that being said, there remains no doubt that UP and La Salle have made the biggest noise in the offseason. However, it’s not actually the Fighting Maroons or the Green Archers who got the lion’s share of the best graduating players in the 2020 NBTC 24. Yes, that honor belongs to Lyceum of the Philippines University which is finally reaping the rewards of its rising Jrs. program with NCAA 95 Jrs. MVP John Barba and Batang Gilas playmaker Mac Guadana being promoted as full-fledged Pirates. Guadana could do it all and looks like the next great guard in the Grand Old League while fearless slasher is Barba is a perfect complement to him. Add another fiery guard in John Bravo and sweet-shooting big man Carlo Abadeza and LPU has restocked its coffers after losing Marcelino twins Jaycee and Jayvee and Cameroonian powerhouse Mike Nzeusseu. In all though, the 2020 NBTC 24 was dominated by UP… and San Beda. Of the annual rankings’ 15 graduating players, four would be Fighting Maroons and another four would be Red Lions. Yes, San Beda’s grassroots program is back on track with its Jrs. championship core all remaining in red and white. Rhayyan Amsali, ranked no. 1 in the 2020 NBTC 24, is the most college-ready high school player while Justine Sanchez is a long-limbed forward who could turn out to be the next Calvin Oftana, you know, the NCAA 95 MVP. Yukien Andrada, meanwhile, is only continuing to develop his two-way game and Tony Ynot is a 3-and-D weapon who had even left an impression on Jalen Green. And hey, as somebody said, don’t sleep on the UAAP’s three-time defending champions. Ateneo may already be missing Isaac Go, Thirdy Ravena, Adrian Wong, and Nieto twins Mike and Matt and they may not be making noise as of late, but they are still welcoming Dave Ildefonso and Dwight Ramos with open arms. Ildefonso will only be good to go come UAAP 84, but Ramos is already being seen by head coach Tab Baldwin as a difference-maker for the Blue Eagles in Season 83. Eli, Dwight’s younger brother, is also in the mix to backstop SJ Belangel and Tyler Tio. Note also that former blue-chip recruit Inand Fornilos may very well finally get his shot while both Jolo Mendoza and Raffy Verano are also back. Ateneo’s foe in the Finals last year also reloaded quite a bit as for the third year in a row, UST will be sending the Tiger Cubs’ best player to the Srs. squad. Following in the footsteps of Cansino and Mark Nonoy, post player Bismarck Lina will be a Growling Tiger next season. Alongside him to fortify the frontcourt are Christian Manaytay, Bryan Samudio, and Bryan Santos while bolstering the backcourt are Joshua Fontanilla and Paul Manalang. Speaking of fortifying the frontcourt, Far Eastern University is the team that got the biggest boost in terms of size. With 6-foot-7 Nigerian Emman Ojoula’s residency over and done with, the go-go guards of the Tamaraws have yet another weapon to burn opponents with. CESAFI MVP Kevin Guibao and transferee Simone Sandagon are no slouches either while Cholo Anonuevo has a roster spot waiting for him if and when he decides to come home after trying his luck in the US. RJ Abarrientos no longer appears here as he was already in FEU’s list last year. These are the new faces to see for the other teams: CSB Blazers LETRAN Knights JRU Heavy Bombers MAPUA Cardinals ADAMSON Soaring Falcons UE Red Warriors --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @riegogogo......»»
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Blue Eagles reassert mastery over Maroons in UAAP women s volleyball
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Blue Eagles coach tempers Final Four expectations amid momentum
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I bloom on my own : Moira Dela Torre named Hitmaker at 1st Women in Music
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AEBC Corporate Cup: Deo tows CBM Engineering past Davies Paints
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The CBM Engineering cruised to its second straight win behind Ivan Deo’s 30-point game against Davies Paints, 88-77, in the Architects and Engineers Basketball Club (AEBC) 7th Corporate Cup 2024 on Friday evening, March 22, at the University of San Carlos (USC) main campus gymnasium. Deo erupted for 30 points, and.....»»
Into the blue: 5 freediving spots in Cebu
Into the blue: 5 freediving spots in Cebu.....»»