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Lady Bulldogs hungrier in 2nd round, says Bella Belen
Expect a more determined National University Lady Bulldogs as the second round goes on in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament, as they attempt to put their two first round losses behind them......»»
Another Chavez an Olympian in making
Ronald Chavez Jr. wasn’t even born yet when his father and boxing mentor Ronald Sr. and uncle Arlo made it to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics......»»
Chavez Jr., Fajardo keep Paris Olympic boxing goal alive
Ronald Chavez Jr. wasn’t even born yet when his father and boxing mentor Ronald Sr. and uncle Arlo made it to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics......»»
The birth of El Born Philippines
El Born is a trendy neighborhood in Barcelona......»»
First Pinoy bakery in Barcelona opens
Forn de Manila, the first and newly opened Filipino bakery in Barcelona, Spain that specializes in authentic Filipino bread and pastries, has quickly garnered attention and patronage from both the Filipino community and local Spaniards......»»
Messi reunites with ex-Barcelona teammate as Inter Miami signs Suarez
Luis Suarez joins Inter Miami from Brazilian side Gremio as he links up with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba.....»»
DoT’s Philippine Experience Program to help LGUs develop, enhance tourist spots
Albay — The Department of Tourism on Monday maintained that the Philippine Experience Program, which brings hundreds of delegates to various tourist attractions in the country, is its way to make local government units, especially those with underdeveloped tourist spots, to be at par with other known local destinations. During her speech in Albay for the third leg of the DoT’s Philippine Experience Program on Sunday night, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said the program is in line with Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s order to bring countryside development through tourism. “Recognizing how strong as a social economic tool tourism can be given the right tool to succeed in making the countryside grow, PEP gives opportunities to local government units, provinces, cities and municipalities all over the Philippines to be equally developed and promoted,” she said. The program seeks to reintroduce the Philippines to the world, “not only our natural resources, our stunning landscapes, our beautiful coastlines, our majestic mountainscapes, but also, our heart and soul as Filipinos.” Albay Governor Edcel Greco Lagman expressed support for the Philippine Experience Program and its swing through Bicol. “Parading the call to experience Bicol, a tapestry of history, tradition, and arts, this program embodies the essence of what makes a region unique and exceptional. Albay, with its enchanting landscape, rich cultural heritage and untapped potential plays a pivotal role in the national tourism industry,” Lagman said. In a video message, Albay 1st District Representative Edcel Lagman also expressed his confidence that the visit from the DOT chief will “inspire” the tourism industry in Albay. “Thank you for your visit, Secretary Frasco, and we are certain that your visit will be both memorable and productive,” the congressman said. The third leg of the Philippine Experience Program started with the official opening of the Kasanggayahan Festival in the Provincial Capitol of Sorsogon, followed by a visit to the pristine sceneries of Bulusan and Barcelona Ruins in Sorsogon. On Day 2, delegates of the Philippine Experience Program Bicol on Monday revved up for an adrenaline-fueled all-terrain vehicle adventure in Legazpi City, the booming capital of Albay dubbed as the "City of Fun and Adventure," followed by a visit to Daraga Church or the Nuestra Señora dela Porteria, then a visit to the famous Cagsawa Ruins and Sumlang Lake in Camalig. The Philippine Experience Program highlights the Filipino brand and identity in all aspects of the travel and tourism experience, focused on heritage, culture and arts to enhance current tour and domestic circuit offerings with thematic experiences on Food and Gastronomy, Pilgrimage and Wellness, Festivals, Living Cultures and Heritage, and the Arts. It also aims to link key destinations to lesser-known destinations, as well as expand the country’s tourism portfolio, which includes sun and beach offerings, nature-based tourism, diving, food, education, health, MICE and farm tourism. The post DoT’s Philippine Experience Program to help LGUs develop, enhance tourist spots appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Major airlines cancel dozens of flights to Tel Aviv
Major airlines have canceled dozens of flights to Tel Aviv this weekend after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise large-scale attack against Israel. American Airlines, Air France, Lufthansa, Emirates and Ryanair are among those pulling flights to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport. However, airport authorities did not stop commercial air links with Israel's second international airport at Eilat, a tourist destination on the Red Sea. And Israeli flag carrier El Al said Sunday that it was maintaining its Tel Aviv flights for now, though some flights operated by foreign partners had been cancelled. "We might cancel flights to places where we don't have a lot of Israelis to help other Israelis in other places," a spokeswoman told AFP. In a statement, El Al added that it was operating "in accordance with the instructions of the Israeli security forces", with all flights now departing only from Terminal Three at Ben Gurion airport. Like most other airlines, it said clients could change their tickets without charge. After Saturday saw a list of major carriers cancelling flights Spain's AENA airports operator told AFP four of nine flights scheduled to Tel Aviv on Sunday had been cancelled, two from Madrid and two from Barcelona. Another nine flights, from Tel Aviv to airports in Spain, have so far been unaffected, the operator said. Spain's Air Europa said it had cancelled its two flights scheduled between Madrid and Tel Aviv, while Iberia Express, the low-cost arm of national carrier Iberia, went ahead with a Madrid-Tel Aviv flight after suspending two on Saturday. Vueling, the Barcelona-based low-cost airline, said given the situation in Israel, "flights to/from Tel Aviv are affected and experiencing delays". A spokesman for Germany's Lufthansa on Saturday cited "the current security situation" to say it was cancelling all flights to and from Tel Aviv "up until and including Monday", adding it was monitoring the situation. Brussels Airlines, part of the Lufthansa group, also cancelled its Tel Aviv flights. Air France said it had halted Tel Aviv flights "until further notice", and the Air France-KLM group's low-cost carrier Transavia said it was cancelling all flights from Paris and Lyon to Tel Aviv up to and including Monday. Spanish airline Iberia announced that its budget subsidiary Iberia Express was cancelling its Tel Aviv flights. Italy's flag-carrier ITA airways cancelled its flight until Sunday morning at the earliest "to protect the safety of passengers and crew", while Polish carrier LOT also cancelled its flights from the Polish capital on Saturday. Other airlines suspending flights included Aegean, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Wizz Air and Air Canada. The post Major airlines cancel dozens of flights to Tel Aviv appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bystanders less likely to give women CPR — research
Bystanders are less likely to give life-saving CPR to women having a cardiac arrest in public than men, leading to more women dying from the common health emergency, researchers said Monday. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) combines mouth-to-mouth breathing and chest compressions to pump blood to the brain of people whose hearts have stopped beating, potentially staving off death until medical help arrives. In research to be presented at a medical conference in Spain this week, but which has not yet been peer-reviewed, a team of Canadian doctors sought to understand how bystanders administer the procedure differently to men and women. They looked at records of cardiac arrests that took place outside of hospitals in the United States and Canada between 2005 and 2015, which included nearly 40,000 patients. Overall, 54 percent of the patients received CPR from a bystander, the research said. For cardiac arrests in a public place, such as in the street, 61 percent of women were given CPR by a bystander -- compared to 68 percent of men. Alexis Cournoyer, an emergency physician at the Hopital du Sacre-Coeur de Montreal who conducted the research, told AFP that this gap "increases women's mortality following a cardiac arrest -- that's for sure". Cardiac arrests are a leading cause of death, with more than 350,000 occurring in the US alone every year, according to the American Heart Association. Only around 10 percent of people who have a sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital survive, research has shown. 'Barrier of recognition' The researchers sought to find a reason for the gender gap. One theory was that bystanders in public could be uncomfortable touching a woman's breast without consent, Cournoyer said. The researchers looked into whether age could play a role, he added. But it did not -- women were less likely to receive CPR than men from a bystander regardless of their age, the data showed. Cournoyer said another possibility was a "barrier of recognition" for women having a cardiac arrest, which is often represented as something that happens only to men. Before a cardiac arrest, men are more likely to have chest pain -- a commonly depicted symptom in media -- while women are more likely to experience shortness of breath, according to a study published last month in Lancet Digital Health. Cournoyer said further research was required to shed light on the gap between men and women, in particular involving data on the gender of those performing CPR. The research, which the team plans to publish in a peer-reviewed journal, will be presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress 2023 in Barcelona. The post Bystanders less likely to give women CPR — research appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ChatGPT diagnoses ER patients ‘like a human doctor’: study
Artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT diagnosed patients rushed to emergency at least as well as doctors and in some cases outperformed them, Dutch researchers have found, saying AI could "revolutionize the medical field". But the report published Wednesday also stressed ER doctors needn't hang up their scrubs just yet, with the chatbot potentially able to speed up diagnosis but not replace human medical judgment and experience. Scientists examined 30 cases treated in emergency service in the Netherlands in 2022, feeding in anonymized patient history, lab tests, and the doctors' own observations to ChatGPT, asking it to provide five possible diagnoses. They then compared the chatbot's shortlist to the same five diagnoses suggested by ER doctors with access to the same information, and then cross-checked with the correct diagnosis in each case. Doctors had the correct diagnosis in the top five in 87 percent of cases, compared to 97 percent for ChatGPT version 3.5 and 87 percent for version 4.0. "Simply put, this indicates that ChatGPT was able to suggest medical diagnoses much like a human doctor would," said Hidde ten Berg, from the emergency medicine department at the Netherlands' Jeroen Bosch Hospital. Co-author Steef Kurstjens told AFP the survey did not indicate that computers could one day be running the ER, but that AI can play a vital role in assisting under-pressure medics. "The key point is that the chatbot doesn't replace the physician but it can help in providing a diagnosis and it can maybe come up with ideas the doctor hasn't thought of," Kurstjens told AFP. Large language models such as ChatGPT are not designed as medical devices, he stressed, and there would also be privacy concerns about feeding confidential and sensitive medical data into a chatbot. 'Bloopers' And as in other fields, ChatGPT showed some limitations. The chatbot's reasoning was "at times medically implausible or inconsistent, which can lead to misinformation or incorrect diagnosis, with significant implications," the report noted. The scientists also admitted some shortcomings with the research. The sample size was small, with 30 cases examined. In addition, only relatively simple cases were looked at, with patients presenting a single primary complaint. It was not clear how well the chatbot would fare with more complex cases. "The efficacy of ChatGPT in providing multiple distinct diagnoses for patients with complex or rare diseases remains unverified." Sometimes the chatbot did not provide the correct diagnosis in its top five possibilities, Kurstjens explained, notably in the case of an abdominal aneurysm, a potentially life-threatening complication where the aorta artery swells up. The only consolation for ChatGPT: in that case the doctor got it wrong too. The report sets out what it calls the medical "bloopers" the chatbot made, for example diagnosing anaemia (low haemoglobin levels in the blood) in a patient with a normal haemoglobin count. "It's vital to remember that ChatGPT is not a medical device and there are concerns over privacy when using ChatGPT with medical data," concluded ten Berg. "However, there is potential here for saving time and reducing waiting times in the emergency department. The benefit of using artificial intelligence could be in supporting doctors with less experience, or it could help in spotting rare diseases," he added. The findings -- published in the medical journal Annals of Emergency Medicine -- will be presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress (EUSEM) 2023 in Barcelona. The post ChatGPT diagnoses ER patients ‘like a human doctor’: study appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
VR, AI bring Wallace, and Gromit to ‘life’
VENICE, Italy (AFP) — The rapid evolution of virtual reality was on display here this week, with visitors brought into the world of Wallace and Gromit and watching books come to life before their eyes. Running alongside the world’s oldest film festival, Venice Immersive is tucked away on a former quarantine island that transforms each year into a showcase for the latest frontiers of entertainment. This year showed how quickly technology is evolving. Some experiences had users interacting with the virtual environment using hand controllers. Thus “Wallace & Gromit in The Grand Getaway” plunged them into the world of the famous animated duo. Players become Gromit, helping him fix his hapless owner’s contraptions and rescue them from an accidental trip to Mars. “The interactivity in those worlds is increasingly precise and diverse,” said Venice Immersive co-curator Michel Reilhac. “Makers are finding ways to hijack the technology and use it in really unexpected ways.” Another experience used VR helmets to put several people at once in the studio of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi, allowing them to snoop around his workshop and watch as his famous Barcelona cathedral rose up spectacularly around them. AI was an inevitable talking point, with one experience using a mix of two AI apps, ChatGPT and Midjourney, to ask users about their deepest thoughts before creating a bespoke story and images based on their answers. One of the most technologically impressive was “Jim Henson’s The Storyteller.” Page-turner Visitors don augmented-reality glasses to watch a 3D film come to life on a special book they hold in their hands, moving through different chapters as they turn the pages. It is the latest innovation from VR pioneers Felix and Paul Studios, who have created immersive tours of the International Space Station, the Obama White House and LeBron James’s training sessions. The interactive book was another “leap of faith,” co-founder Paul Raphael told AFP. “We wanted to realize the dream of what an augmented book could be,” he said — but that required “pushing the technology so much further.” Cameras in the glasses read the surface of the pages and track their position in real time, which the algorithm, designed from scratch, uses to calculate where to overlay the constantly moving 3D images. “The performance and speed at which it needs to happen is kind of insane,” Raphael said. With the emergence of new headsets from Apple and other companies, he believes augmented books could soon become widely available. Immersive “It’s early days and there’s so much ground to cover,” he said. “Even after 10 years, it feels like we could do this our whole lives and still just scratch the surface.” The festival highlighted social experiences, particularly VR Chat, an online platform allowing users to meet and play in virtual worlds. “VR immersive is no longer a solitary experience,” said Reilhac. “It’s gained a social dimension — and that’s where it will find its ‘killer app’ that wins over a much bigger audience.” As the tools evolve, creating these virtual worlds has become much easier, with free templates available for newcomers to use. The post VR, AI bring Wallace, and Gromit to ‘life’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
What to do and eat in Barcelona
The last leg of our European holiday was Barcelona......»»
Pope’s vigil in Portugal draws 1.5 million pilgrims
A sea of 1.5 million pilgrims packed a riverside park near Lisbon on Saturday for a vigil held by Pope Francis as part of a global Catholic youth festival. Worshippers cheered as the 86-year-old pontiff slowly drove by on his "popemobile" to the stage at the Parque Tejo on the outskirts of the Portuguese capital. "We are the pope's youths!" they chanted. Several national flags fluttered in the crowd estimated at around 1.5 million people according to the Vatican, citing Portuguese officials. Many waited for hours under a blazing sun for the start of the vigil, singing, dancing and playing cards to pass the time at the park, which was built for the occasion on a former landfill site. There was little shade, and worshippers protected themselves from the sun with umbrellas or makeshift tents made from sheets, or tried to cool off by pouring water over their heads. Portugal's state weather office has put Lisbon on alert for scorching temperatures that reached nearly 36 degrees Celsius (97 Fahrenheit) on Saturday. "It is very impressive to walk around and see the number of Catholics who turned out today," Ana Carvalho, a 19-year-old Portuguese nursing student, told AFP. The vigil is part of World Youth Day festivities, which is actually a week of religious, cultural and festive events held every three years in a different city. - 'Everyone can enter' - Santi Salvador, a 19-year-old Spanish student, said he walked to Lisbon from Barcelona to attend the event, a distance of some 1,300 kilometers (800 miles). "We left 40 days ago... It's a pilgrimage to see the pope," he told AFP. Earlier Saturday, Francis visited the shrine of Fatima, a revered site north of Lisbon devoted to the Virgin Mary, where he was welcomed by around 200,000 people. He recited the rosary with sick and disabled youths at the chapel built on the spot where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to three shepherd children in 1917. In an address to the crowd, the pontiff reinforced calls made many times during his trip for an inclusive Church. "This little chapel where we find ourselves, is like a beautiful image of the Church, welcoming, without doors," he said in improvised remarks. "The Church does not have doors, so that everyone can enter," he added to applause from the crowd. It is the second day running that the pope has not followed his prepared remarks. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told reporters the pope had improvised one of his speeches on Friday due to "discomfort of vision", but that in Fatima it had been "a choice". - Final mass - The pope prayed in silence for several minutes before a statue of the Virgin Mary in the chapel. In a text published later on Twitter, recently rebranded as X, the pontiff said he had prayed for the "church and the world, especially for countries at war". The pontiff, who now uses a wheelchair or walking stick to get around, arrived in Portugal on Wednesday for the World Youth Day jamboree. The leader of the world's 1.3 billion Roman Catholics will deliver a final open-air mass on Sunday morning at the Parque Tejo before returning to Rome. World Youth Day, created in 1986 by John Paul II, is the largest Catholic gathering in the world and features a wide range of events, including concerts and prayer sessions. This edition, initially scheduled for August 2022 but postponed because of the Covid pandemic, will be the fourth for Francis after Rio de Janeiro in 2013, Krakow in 2016 and Panama in 2019. cmk-lf/ds/js © Agence France-Presse The post Pope’s vigil in Portugal draws 1.5 million pilgrims appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Kai’s last chance
Up to now, Kai Sotto’s stint in the FIBA Basketball World Cup remains unclear. Sure, he has been in the country for over two weeks and has been attending some Gilas Pilipinas events, but the fact that he has yet to actually train with his teammates is making Chot Reyes anxious. Sotto is tipped to play a crucial role in the Gilas squad. His 7-foot-3 frame, athleticism and feathery shooting touch from the perimeter will be needed when the Filipinos battle the best players in the world in the prestigious basketball spectacle from 25 August to 10 September. But it will be impossible for Reyes to involve Sotto in his game plan if he has yet to actually see him banging bodies with his fellow big men like World Cup veterans June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar, as well as rising star AJ Edu. It is no secret that Sotto’s dream is to make it to the National Basketball Association. He was still a gangly kid when he started joining the Junior NBA program before moving to Ateneo de Manila University and eventually donning the national colors in various age-group events — the biggest and most prestigious was the 2019 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Greece. A lot of offers came his way, including a chance to play for prestigious European clubs like Alba Berlin, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Baskonia, but Sotto, then 17, decided to bring his talent to the United States — not to enter play at the collegiate level — but to make a daring leap straight into the NBA. After training at The Skill Factory, he joined Team Ignite, a developmental team in the NBA G League that aims to prepare athletes for the NBA. At Team Ignite, Sotto showed some promise as he played for former Los Angeles Lakers coach Brian Shaw together with future NBA players Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Daishen Nix, and Isiah Todd. But when Team Ignite was about to start its season and enter the G League bubble in Orlando, Sotto shockingly flew home and joined Gilas in the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. Ignite eventually dropped Sotto, prompting him to look for other ways to realize his dream of becoming the first full-blooded Filipino to make it to the NBA. He found one in Australia. He played for the Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League and had some measure of success. In fact, he was able to gauge his prowess when the 36ers played against Chris Paul, Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton and the Phoenix Suns in an NBA preseason match. After a couple of seasons in Australia, he moved to Japan to play for the Hiroshima Dragonflies in the B League. He had some impressive games, but it wasn’t enough to earn the attention of NBA coaches, scouts, and talent evaluators. Still, he joined the NBA Summer League. Playing against veteran free agents, journeymen, and incoming rookies looking to earn spots on the opening-day rosters of NBA teams, Sotto rode the Orlando Magic bench in their first three games before making his debut against the Portland Trail Blazers, recording six points, four rebounds and three blocks in their 71-88 loss. Sotto tried to play in his fifth game, but he was slowed down by a back injury. His return to Manila was surrounded by controversy as he failed to join the Gilas squad that was set to go to China for the final leg of its preparations for the World Cup. He opted to stay home to “rest and recover” from his back injury. Until when? It’s something that only Sotto and his American handlers know. But Sotto should realize that the doors of the NBA are slowly closing on him. He already made a bad decision by snubbing the invitations of top European clubs as well as prestigious American collegiate programs like Kentucky, Georgia Tech and Auburn that could have helped him develop his game and gain confidence while playing against kids his age. Instead of staying patient and working on his game away from the prying eyes of NBA scouts, he rushed the process by signing up with Team Ignite before committing another massive blunder of flying back to Manila just before the G League season tipped off. Now he has only one chance — the FIBA Basketball World Cup. A lot of Filipinos ranging from Johnny Abarrientos to Aguilar, Kiefer Ravena and Ray Parks all tried — and failed — to make it to the NBA. On the contrary, Sotto is being presented with a rare opportunity to display his talent and carry the torch in a world-class event. Sadly, despite repeatedly saying that he is ready, his body language suggests that he is reluctant to step up to serve as the hero of this basketball-crazy nation. The clock is ticking for Sotto. The doors of the NBA are slowly closing right before his very eyes. He has to lace his sneakers, grab that Gilas jersey, and play his heart out for the country in the FIBA Basketball World Cup before he becomes another “what if” in the history of Philippine basketball. The post Kai’s last chance appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Eala bows out of W60 Barcelona tourney
Filipina tennister Alex Eala has exited the W60 Barcelona tournament after suffering a two-set defeat against a heavily-favored Georgina Garcia-Perez of Spain, 6-4, 6-3......»»
Eala stuns second-seeded foe, advances to W60 Barcelona quarters
Alex Eala entered the quarterfinals round of the W60 Barcelona singles tournament after upsetting Germany’s Eva Lys, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, early Thursday morning (Manila time)......»»
DAR, NNC partner on nutrition drive for pregnant women in Sorsogon
The Department of Agrarian Reform on Monday said it recently forged a memorandum of understanding with the National Nutrition Council Bicol for a feeding program for pregnant women in three municipalities in the province of Sorsogon . DAR-Sorsogon Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Nida A. Santiago said the NNC’s Tutok Kainan: Dietary Supplementation Program is being implemented under the Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty program. “For this year, the program is focusing on feeding 300 pregnant women from the municipalities of Prieto Diaz, Barcelona and Sta. Magdalena,” Santiago said. Santiago said that Tutok Kainan’s objective is to contribute to the prevention of stunting among children 0 to 23 months old by improving the quality and quantity of food and nutrient intakes of pregnant women and babies. Officer-in-Charge PARPO 1 Liza B. Repotente said that the products of agrarian reform beneficiaries from the Salvacion Farmers’ Development Cooperative will be used for the feeding program. “This program is two-pronged. One, pregnant women will be fed freshly harvested rice, fruits and vegetables. Two, it guarantees the ARBs a ready market for their agricultural products,” Repotente said. Under the agreement, NNC-Bicol will purchase rice, vegetables and poultry products from SAFADECO, a DAR-assisted cooperative, intended for pregnant women in the municipalities of Prieto Diaz, Barcelona and Sta. Magdalena. The post DAR, NNC partner on nutrition drive for pregnant women in Sorsogon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Angeles residents evacuated amid ‘Egay’
Angeles City, Pampanga — The local government here on Tuesday ordered the preemptive evacuation of residents living near riverbanks and creeks as part of its preparations for the coming super typhoon “Egay.” Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. said that he instructed Angeles City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer chief Rudy Simeon and City Engineer Donato Dizon to lead the evacuation, stressing that it is better to be alert and prepared before any disaster happens. He also assured that in the event of an emergency, the city government — through the ACDRRMO and CEO — is ready to respond to any rescue, evacuation and clearing operations. According to Simeon, the ACDRRMO is closely monitoring the major river channels in Angeles City, the Abacan River and Sapang Balen Creek and as of the moment, no incident of overflowing and soil erosion on both sides of the riverbanks and creeks were reported. Waterflows in Sapang Balen creek and Abacan River, on the other hand, are still under normal condition. The ACDRRMO is in continuous coordination with the 33 Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils for any alerts in case of typhoon “Egay’s” onslaught. Meanwhile, Dizon said that his roving teams are ready to clear roads from any obstructions. Lazatin, meantime, wants to ensure everyone’s safety in the event of emergencies like strong winds toppling down certain obstructions. In other developments, at least 480 passengers are stranded in two ports of Western Visayas following the cancellation of trips due to super typhoon “Egay” and the southwest monsoon on Tuesday. Data from the Coast Guard District Western Visayas showed that 165 passengers bound for Tabuelan, Cebu were stranded at the Barcelona port in Escalante, Negros Occidental while 315 others bound for Mindoro, Romblon, and Batangas were stuck at the Caticlan Jetty port in Malay, Aklan. Canceled trips included those from ports of Estancia, Iloilo going to Sicogon/Gigantes Island; Concepcion to Tambaliza, Igbon, and Malangabang; Bancal in Carles to Gigantes Island, all in Iloilo and Ajuy port going to EB Magalona in Negros Occidental. Trips from the port of San Carlos City in Negros Occidental going to Toledo, Cebu were also suspended. The Montenegro Shipping Lines canceled its trips from Lapuz wharf going to Guimaras. Trips from Iloilo City to Bacolod City via Ocean Jet and Weesam Express were canceled except for the latter’s 11:30 a.m. schedule. The post Angeles residents evacuated amid ‘Egay’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Food and the Chief Executive Hail to the ‘Chef’
What is served during the State of the Nation Address and other official banquets is a statement about the kind of signal an administration wants to send to the public. Usually, it’s along the lines of “We want to showcase our culinary identity.” For President Bongbong Marcos’ SONA last year, the menu was sago’t gulaman, bam-i guisado, grilled pandesal, palitaw, bibingka and puto bumbong, which seemed as much to virtue signal themselves away from the ostentation associated with their name… supposedly, but what leaders eat in private is a different matter altogether. There are certain food (and wine, ahem) we’ve come to associate with certain presidents, some more well-known than others. If you say Erap, the chorus of Petruses will be faster than you can shake a stick at. It was what he was known for, as was the quality of the food at meetings afternoons or, indeed, midnights. According to veteran journalist and foodie Teddy Montelibano, Erap had a black book for food. “It was just the best of everything…the best lechon….etc.” [caption id="attachment_161364" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Chateau Petrus, said to be former president Joseph Estrada’s favorite wine.[/caption] Fewer presidents were known for their cooking, if at all, and President Cory Aquino is famous for her mastery of a very difficult dish, the Peking Duck. President Noynoy Aquino, too, was a hearty eater and very fond of good Chinese food, according to Montelibano. When PBBM won last year, a slew of features regarding his cooking skills and favorites have been well-documented. Bongbong is reportedly an avid cook listing sinigang, pinakbet, osso buco as some of his specialties. Among his listed favorite things to eat, on the other hand, the kanduli sinigang sa miso often mentioned as something he looked forward to coming home to. He prefers a light breakfast of muesli, honey and yogurt. His spirit of choice is cognac. In an interview with culinary personality Reggie Aspiras, who is also a cousin of the current President, it was revealed that he had gone to El Bulli in Barcelona, Spain, which in the 2000s was known as the greatest restaurant in the world — and predictably the hardest to get into. El Bulli is much acclaimed for its modernist and cutting-edge cuisine, a brainchild of the godfather of molecular gastronomy, chef Ferran Adria. Adria decided to shut the doors on El Bulli in 2011, still very much at the top of his game, and it had been rumored that the restaurant still had a wait list of over 30,000 people. As for President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the usual Ilocano fare like pinakbet is often mentioned. “I don’t think Marcos Sr. was a foodie,” said Montelibano. “I mean he’s Ilocano, you know,” Marcos Sr. did have a fish preference, an expensive one that’s nearly extinct. Agence France Press in 2010 reported that Marcos Sr.’s favorite fish, the lobed river mullet, known as ludong or banak, was facing extinction. Its identity had been so tied to Marcos Sr. that it’s still referred to as “president’s fish.” It is a rare fish that is only found in a handful of countries, and even in the Philippines. It only swims in a few rivers in the north. Thirteen years later, the state of ludong has not improved; it is still near extinction despite the fisheries bureau calling for a five-year ban on catching it. “It is a threatened species and we have to do something about it before it goes extinct. If we don’t stop the indiscriminate catching, in a short while, it could vanish,” the AFP quoted Jovita Ayson, then a regional director of the fisheries bureau. Back then, it sold for P5,000 ($114) a kilogram, “which only the wealthiest can afford, making it the most expensive fish in the Philippines.” To date, it is still the most expensive fish in the country. The post Food and the Chief Executive Hail to the ‘Chef’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
2 teeners stabbed in Tondo
Two teeners, one 14 years old and another 15, were wounded after their adversary, a 16-year-old, stabbed them early dawn Saturday in Madrid Street, corner Barcelona Barangay 73 Tondo, Manila. Presently being treated at the Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Center are victims Mario and Eddie (not their real names) both Tondo residents. The suspect, presently at large, was described as a child in conflict with the law. He was identified as “Jun”. Based on an investigation, the incident occurred at 12:45 early dawn. It was learned that while the victims were eating in front of a 7-11 convenient store, suspect “Jun” arrived and first stabbed Mario on the legs. Eddie ran fast to escape but was chased by “Jun” and was stabbed at the back. The stabbing was due to enmity between their groups which figured in a recent riot. Police are still is on the manhunt against the suspect. The post 2 teeners stabbed in Tondo appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»