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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......»»
PUBG Mobile continues steady rise in Philippines
PUBG: Mobile has been a steady shooting game that Filipinos have been playing since its release back in 2018. Since then, the game has had Filipino-centric initiatives in 2022......»»
Philippines resupply boat heavily damaged
Again, using water cannons and executing dangerous maneuvers, the Chinese coast guard made another attempt yesterday to block Filipino vessels from resupplying a military outpost on the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, causing “major damage” and triggering condemnation from the US, the European Union and Japan......»»
US condemns China’s latest aggression in WPS
The Philippines reported on Saturday that the Chinese Coast Guard blocked and damaged a Filipino supply boat with water cannons while it was on its way to Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal), causing injuries to personnel onboard......»»
Philippines resupply boatheavily damaged
Again, using water cannons and executing dangerous maneuvers, the Chinese coast guard made another attempt yesterday to block Filipino vessels from resupplying a military outpost on the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, causing “major damage” and triggering condemnation from the US, the European Union and Japan......»»
China Coast Guard water-cannons anew Ayungin-bound civilian Philippine boat
A China Coast Guard vessel again blasted a Filipino supply boat with water cannons during the latter's attempt to bring much needed supplies to soldiers stationed at the Ayungin (Scarborough) Shoal......»»
Marcos to exhaust legal remedies to bring Teves back to Philippines
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured the Filipino public that his administration will do every thing to bring expelled Negros Oriental 3rd District lawmaker and designated "terrorist" Arnolfo Teves Jr. back to the Philippines......»»
Miss Saigon co-creator praises musical s Philippine connections
Claude-Michel Schönberg is back in the country to witness the comeback of "Miss Saigon," which has close ties to the Philippines because of all the Filipino actors who took part in its numerous stagings, beginning with theater legend Lea Salonga......»»
‘Miracle’: Roger Pogoy returns in time for TNT after health scare
Roger Pogoy comes back earlier than anticipated after being diagnosed with a rare heart condition as he helps TNT catch the playoff bus in the PBA Commissioner's Cup.....»»
‘I couldn’t breathe’: Seoul crowd crush survivor writes to heal
Kim Cho-long escaped death by chance last October -- pulled from packed streets in South Korea's capital by a friend, as those around her were swept into an alley where 159 people later died in a crowd crush. Kim, 33, told AFP she'd been going to Halloween parties in Seoul's Itaewon district for years, but there were more people at the 2022 event -- the first post-pandemic celebration -- than she'd ever seen before. The crowd was so dense that she was quickly swept off her feet by the pressure, trapped and unable to breathe until her friend saw her and somehow managed to drag her into a nearby bar. "I was completely stuck in the crowd as I was pushed back and forth," said Kim, who has written a book about her Itaewon experience called "Am I a Disaster Survivor?" "The pressure first started from behind, and then pressure came from the front so hard that my feet were lifted off from the ground and I couldn't breathe." By chance, she was swept to the side of the street, and when her back hit a wall, she was able to catch her breath, before her friend saw her and pulled her out of the melee. With no police or official crowd control measures in sight -- an official investigation would later slam "massive failings" of preparation and response -- Kim said the confusion and chaos continued for hours, as she sheltered in a nearby bar with her friend. She had no idea what was happening or how close she had been to death. "I went out to the streets of Itaewon and saw people lying on the street receiving CPR. Ambulances were parked disorderly on the road and people were being taken away, but even then I didn't think that all those people were dead," she said. Writing to heal Kim walked for hours to get home, in a state of shock. "I couldn't sleep for two days. As if obsessed with something, I couldn't turn off the news on TV. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I only drank water and kept watching the news." Kim, a writer, struggled with feelings of survivor's guilt, and eventually, her therapist suggested that writing about her feelings might allow her to process what had happened. At first, she shared her writing only in private forums online, where she received overwhelmingly positive feedback, including from others who said it had helped them with their own Itaewon-linked trauma. After one of her posts went viral, local newspapers asked her to write for them, which she eventually agreed to -- but the reaction from the general public was overwhelmingly negative. "When it was released to the public, I did not receive comfort from the reactions I received. Personally, it was good as a way to release my feelings and it was helpful in relieving my depression," she said. Critics showered her with personal insults and told her she was spoiled and shouldn't have been out partying. But despite the onslaught of online attacks -- which are also aimed at families of victims campaigning for an independent inquiry into the disaster -- Kim remains positive. 'All survivors' "I believe that all citizens living in South Korea are survivors of the Itaewon disaster," she said. The police probe did not find any senior officials were to blame for the disaster, and none of the lower-level officials who are being prosecuted have yet been convicted or jailed. "Looking at this disaster from a survivor's point of view for a year, I don't think anything has been resolved and the truth has not been revealed legally, socially, or at any government level," Kim said. But her near-death experience has totally changed her view of society, for the better. "In the past, I never once imagined how bereaved families would live on. I thought it had nothing to do with me and it was none of my business," she said. "But now I realize it could have happened to me, and their pain could be mine someday. So I started to sympathize with them and took more interest in their lives." Kim, who hopes to have her book translated into English, said she plans to continue writing about what happened at Itaewon, to keep the memories of all the victims alive. "I will keep thinking hard about what I can do so that they are remembered for a long time." The post ‘I couldn’t breathe’: Seoul crowd crush survivor writes to heal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China to send youngest-ever crew to space station
Tiangong is the crown jewel of Beijing's space program, which has also landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon and made China the third country to put humans in orbit. The station is constantly crewed by teams of three astronauts, who are rotated out every six months. The Shenzhou-17 module carrying the trio to the station is scheduled to blast off at 11:14 a.m. (0314 GMT) Thursday from the Jiuquan launch site in China's arid northwest. "It is the crew of astronauts with the youngest average age since the launch of the space station construction mission," Beijing's State Council Information Office said in a statement. The all-male trio will be led by Tang Hongbo, who is on his first return mission to the Tiangong space station. "Throughout the past two years, I have often dreamt of going back to space," Tang said at a press conference on Wednesday. "The space station is our other home that takes us away from Earth and into the universe," he added. Accompanying him will be Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, both in their thirties and each making maiden space voyages. The crew has an average age of 38, compared to 42 for the crew of Shenzhou-16 when it launched. "According to the plan, the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft will conduct autonomous rendezvous and docking procedures after entering orbit," Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson for China's space program, said during a Wednesday morning press briefing. It will dock with the station's core module "about six-and-a-half hours" after first initiating the procedure, he added. 'Space dream' Plans for China's "space dream" have been put into overdrive under President Xi Jinping. The world's second-largest economy has pumped billions of dollars into its military-run space program in an effort to catch up with the United States and Russia. In June, the return capsule of the Shenzhou-15 spaceship touched down at a landing site in the northern Inner Mongolia region, with state media hailing the mission as a "complete success". That month also saw the launch of the Shenzhou-16 capsule, which carried the first Chinese civilian -- Beihang University professor Gui Haichao -- into orbit. That crew will return to Earth on October 31 after completing a handover, officials said Wednesday. Beijing also aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and plans to build a base on the lunar surface. Spokesperson Lin reiterated that aim Wednesday, saying that the "goal of landing Chinese people on the moon by 2030 will be realized as scheduled". Lunar plans The country's lunar plans were dealt a setback in 2017 when the powerful Long March-5 Y2 rocket failed to launch on a mission to put communication satellites into orbit. That forced the postponement of the Chang'e-5 launch, originally scheduled to collect Moon samples in the second half of 2017. Another robot, the Chang'e-4, landed on the far side of the Moon in January 2019 -- a historic first. Chang'e-5 eventually landed on the Moon in 2020, raising a Chinese flag on the lunar surface and returning to Earth with the first lunar samples in four decades. The final module of the T-shaped Tiangong -- which means "heavenly palace" -- successfully docked with the core structure last year. The station carries several pieces of cutting-edge scientific equipment, according to state news agency Xinhua, including "the world's first space-based cold atomic clock system". The Tiangong is expected to remain in low Earth orbit at between 400 and 450 kilometers (250 and 280 miles) above the planet for at least 10 years. China will send its youngest-ever crew of astronauts to the Tiangong space station this week, officials said Wednesday, as Beijing pursues plans for a manned mission to the Moon by the end of the decade. Tiangong is the crown jewel of Beijing's space program, which has also landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon and made China the third country to put humans in orbit. The station is constantly crewed by teams of three astronauts, who are rotated out every six months. The Shenzhou-17 module carrying the trio to the station is scheduled to blast off at 11:14 am (0314 GMT) Thursday from the Jiuquan launch site in China's arid northwest. "It is the crew of astronauts with the youngest average age since the launch of the space station construction mission," Beijing's State Council Information Office said in a statement. The all-male trio will be led by Tang Hongbo, who is on his first return mission to the Tiangong space station. "Throughout the past two years, I have often dreamt of going back to space," Tang said at a press conference on Wednesday. "The space station is our other home that takes us away from Earth and into the universe," he added. Accompanying him will be Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, both in their thirties and each making maiden space voyages. The crew has an average age of 38, compared to 42 for the crew of Shenzhou-16 when it launched. "According to the plan, the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft will conduct autonomous rendezvous and docking procedures after entering orbit," Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson for China's space program, said during a Wednesday morning press briefing. It will dock with the station's core module "about six-and-a-half hours" after first initiating the procedure, he added. 'Space dream' Plans for China's "space dream" have been put into overdrive under President Xi Jinping. The world's second-largest economy has pumped billions of dollars into its military-run space program in an effort to catch up with the United States and Russia. In June, the return capsule of the Shenzhou-15 spaceship touched down at a landing site in the northern Inner Mongolia region, with state media hailing the mission as a "complete success". That month also saw the launch of the Shenzhou-16 capsule, which carried the first Chinese civilian -- Beihang University professor Gui Haichao -- into orbit. That crew will return to Earth on October 31 after completing a handover, officials said Wednesday. Beijing also aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and plans to build a base on the lunar surface. Spokesperson Lin reiterated that aim Wednesday, saying that the "goal of landing Chinese people on the moon by 2030 will be realized as scheduled". Lunar plans The country's lunar plans were dealt a setback in 2017 when the powerful Long March-5 Y2 rocket failed to launch on a mission to put communication satellites into orbit. That forced the postponement of the Chang'e-5 launch, originally scheduled to collect Moon samples in the second half of 2017. Another robot, the Chang'e-4, landed on the far side of the Moon in January 2019 -- a historic first. Chang'e-5 eventually landed on the Moon in 2020, raising a Chinese flag on the lunar surface and returning to Earth the first lunar samples in four decades. The final module of the T-shaped Tiangong -- which means "heavenly palace" -- successfully docked with the core structure last year. The station carries several pieces of cutting-edge scientific equipment, according to state news agency Xinhua, including "the world's first space-based cold atomic clock system". The Tiangong is expected to remain in low Earth orbit at between 400 and 450 kilometers (250 and 280 miles) above the planet for at least 10 years. The post China to send youngest-ever crew to space station appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Mandaue City plans to remove fish pens and desilt wetland to prevent flooding
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines – Mandaue City will be distributing notices to vacate to the owners of the fish pens at the city’s wetland in barangays Banilad and Cabancalan to start desilting the wetland to prevent flooding. Lawyer John Eddu Ibañez, City Legal Officer and head of the city’s Task Force APAS (Atoang Problema, Atoang Sulbaron), said that they are currently in communication with the owners. READ: Mandaue launches Task Force APAS to help solve flooding concerns Ibañez said that Mayor Jonas Cortes also asked to prepare the financial assistance to be given to the affected families whose livelihood lies in selling aquarium fish and other kinds of fish, like tilapia. The City Legal Officer said that they are determining the number of beneficiaries. “Paghinabi ta sa fish pens owners atoa sad timbang-timbangon kay panginabuhian man sad nila pero welfare manggud sa kadaghanan atoa gitan-aw,” said Ibañez. The city wants to clear the fish pens to dredge the silted wetland in hopes of helping solve the city’s flooding problem. READ: Cortes, Rama sign pact for rehab of 2 rivers The wetland with an area of 146,270 square meters, functions as a catch basin, that holds rain and run-off water coming from Mandaue City’s neighbors such as Cebu City. But because it was already silted and with the presence of water lilies, the water tended to backflow to Sto. Niño Village which is located at the back of the wetland. The area is being monitored by the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office and Housing Urban and Development Office, he said. “Dili mataro’ng og limpyo ang wetland area tungod sa mga fish pens,” said Ibañez. It can be recalled that the village which serves as a boundary between Mandaue and Cebu City experienced massive flooding last September 13 after the retaining wall of the fish pond collapsed. Drainage Clean-Up Aside from clearing the fish pond, other initiatives were also undertaken to address the flooding problem. Currently, the Task Force APAS continues to conduct the desilting and declogging of drainages and manholes choked with garbage. When there is heavy rain, they immediately position submersible pumps, to help drain the flood. READ: Girl, playing in the rain, dies after she fell into a canal, got swept inside a culvert in Mandaue The task force is also monitoring other problem areas such as Lopez Jaena St., A.S Fortuna St., Rolling Hills, and A.C Cortes Avenue.....»»
Lester Pimentel Ong: The ‘Iron Heart’ director is also a restaurateur
When action films came to a screeching halt around year 2000 because of piracy, then stuntman Lester Pimentel Ong bravely ventured into the food business. For him, it was like wading into untested waters. “Nagsimula ako sa (I started in) Rice-In-A box 23 years ago. I started in the film industry as a stuntman. Nakatrabaho ko si Victor Neri, sa mga films ni direk Toto Natividad. Nawala ‘yung raket namin sa stunts kasi nauso ‘yung piracy sa film. Humina ‘yung action film so wala kaming raket. (I worked with Victor Neri, in the films of director Toto Natividad. We lost our stunt jobs because film piracy became prevalent. Action films slowed down, so we didn’t have a job). With his P80,000 savings, he started his rice-in-a-box business at Masagana City Mall, in Pasay, recalled Ong during the opening of the ninth branch of Wangfu, his Chinese-Singaporean restaurant that’s been up for 11 years now. That small rice-in-a-box business now has more than 100 stores consisting of food carts and food stalls. “That business financed all of our other businesses, all our other restaurants,” said Ong proudly. A foodie, Ong was exposed to street food when he was a wushu athlete who represented the country in many competitions abroad. He reveled in the street foods of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand. “I would go around to different places and tuwing may break kami, we would explore the street food market ng different countries. I fell in love with different kind of food, Asian food,” he said. Wangfu came about because, after shoots, “kapag late night, wala kaming makakainan. Nasa food business naman ako, so nagtayo kami ng restaurant sa Tomas Morato. Iyon ang first branch (of Wangfu),” he said. He was joined in the venture by business partner Ace Wang. Wangfu serves Singaporean cuisine like laksa, Hainanese chicken and salted egg fried chicken. From Sir Chief to Sir Chef Actor Richard Yap is also one of Ong’s partners in Wangfu. Yap disclosed that when he was young, he “used to cook at home because my mom cooks very well.” It was his love for food that drove him to study culinary arts. But he discovered along the way that cooking was not for him. “When I took up a culinary course, I found out na hindi pala para sa akin ang pagluluto (that cooking is not for me). Ang hirap ng preparations. It takes a long time. Kung ako ang magluluto (If I will do the cooking), it will take three to four hours if you do it by yourself,” he said. In college, Yap took up a pre-Med course, Medical Technology, for two years, and then stopped because his father asked him to take up Business Management instead. When he applied for Med studies at UST, he was told that he had to go back to first year again. “I said never mind. I’ll just finish my Business Management course at La Salle,” he recalled. Getting into showbiz 12 years ago was something that Yap didn’t see coming. “When I started out with “My Binondo Girl”, after that nagdadalawang isip ako (I had second thoughts). So, I had to ask around. One of my directors, direk Jeffrey Jeturian, said, ‘You know, you have to make a choice kasi it’s either you go full-time sa showbiz or not.’” Yap’s apprehensions were not without basis, since not a lot of people would make it at his age then, around 40. “Ako, sabi ko, late na ako (I’m late), wala pa akong experience. It would take me a lot of time to catch up with veteran actors and actresses,” he said. Fortunately, those around him told him he had a future in showbiz for as long as he persevered. And that he did — and now he’s Richard Yap, a popular actor and household name, forever remembered by many as Sir Chief of the blockbuster TV series Be Careful With My Heart. The post Lester Pimentel Ong: The ‘Iron Heart’ director is also a restaurateur appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Filipino fisherman chased by China coast guard in disputed waters
Filipino fisherman Arnel Satam guns the motor of his tiny wooden boat as he makes a dash for the shallow waters of Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea, with Chinese coast guard speedboats in hot pursuit. In a high-seas chase lasting several minutes, Satam tries in vain to outrun the faster boats in the hope of slipping inside the ring of reefs controlled by China, where fish are more abundant. Friday's pursuit was witnessed by AFP journalists on board the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship BRP Datu Bankaw, which was delivering food, water and fuel to Filipino fishermen plying the contested waters, sometimes for weeks on end. The fishermen complained that China's actions at Scarborough Shoal were robbing them of a key source of income and a place to shelter safely during a storm. "I want to fish in there," a defiant Satam, 54, told journalists as he stood barefoot on his light blue outrigger bearing a Superman "S" emblem. "I do this thing often. They already chased me earlier today," he said, adding the Chinese speedboats had bumped his vessel. "I just laughed at them." Scarborough Shoal is 240 kilometres (150 miles) west of the Philippines' main island of Luzon and nearly 900 kilometres from the nearest major Chinese land mass of Hainan. Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which China helped negotiate, countries have jurisdiction over the natural resources within about 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres) of their shore. China, which claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, snatched control of Scarborough Shoal from the Philippines in 2012. Since then, it has deployed coast guard and other vessels to block or restrict access to the fishing ground that has been tapped by generations of Filipinos. Philippine officials also accused the Chinese coast guard of laying a 300-metre (-yard) long floating barrier across the entrance to the shoal shortly before the BRP Datu Bankaw arrived. The temporary barrier "prevents Filipino Fishing Boats from entering the shoal and depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities," the Philippine coast guard and fisheries bureau said in a joint statement condemning its installation. Resupply missions It took 18 hours for the BRP Datu Bankaw to make the more than 300 kilometre journey to Scarborough Shoal from a port in Manila Bay. More than 50 wooden outrigger fishing vessels, which Filipinos call "mother boats", were operating in the deep waters outside the shoal when the Philippine ship dropped anchor last Wednesday. Some of the fishing crews had been there for two weeks already using nets, lines and spears to catch tuna, grouper and red snapper. To enable them to stay at sea for longer and catch more fish, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources carries out regular resupply missions. Four Chinese coast guard boats patrolled the waters, keeping the BRP Datu Bankaw and Filipino fishermen away from the shoal. The voice of a Chinese coast guard radio operator crackled over the airwaves 15 times, ordering the BRP Datu Bankaw to "immediately" leave "Chinese territory". The instruction was repeated in English on a scrolling digital message board on one of the Chinese coast guard vessels. Unfazed by the warnings, the 12 crew members of the BRP Datu Bankaw distributed 60 tonnes of fuel in blue plastic jerry cans to the fishing boats, as well as food packs for those running low on provisions. The supplies were free for the fishermen, but some showed their gratitude by giving the BRP Datu Bankaw crew tubs of freshly caught fish. 'This is ours' "We are very grateful for this assistance," said Johnny Arpon, 53, whose 10-metre boat "Janica" arrived at the shoal in time to stock up on extra diesel. Some of the Filipino fishermen crowding around the BRP Bankaw in small outriggers to receive provisions climbed aboard to eat snacks and drink fresh water. They told journalists they had been chased and water cannoned by Chinese vessels in the past and even had their anchors cut. "They should give it back to us because this is ours," said Nonoy de los Reyes, 40, referring to Scarborough Shoal. "They should leave this place." After decades of overfishing by countries surrounding the waters, the men have to spend longer at sea to catch enough fish to cover their costs and, hopefully, make a small profit. China's blocking of the shoal had made the situation even tougher and the fishermen said they hated them for it. "We barely have any catch so we'll probably need to stay two more weeks," said Alex del Campo, 41, who had already spent more than a week at sea. A day earlier, del Campo and two other fishermen had made a daring bid to enter the shoal in their small boats, but were chased away by Chinese coast guard personnel in rigid-hulled inflatable vessels. "We are defenceless because they are armed and there was just one fisherman in each of our three boats," del Campo said. "If they ram and sink our boats who will save us?" The post Filipino fisherman chased by China coast guard in disputed waters appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
MTRCB suspends ‘It’s Showtime’ for 12 airing days — but no mention of Vice-Ion
The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board issued today, 4 September, its decision to suspend the noontime program It’s Showtime for 12 airing days. In a statement released to the media, the government agency said it has received “multiple complaints” from viewers concerning the show’s episode last 25 July, in which unspecified hosts “allegedly acted in an indecent manner” during the “Isip Bata” segment. Based on those complaints, the MTRCB made a case against It’s Showtime. The case was referred to its Hearing and Adjudication Committee, which then summoned the people behind the show as respondents as part of the procedural process. The respondents may file one Motion of Reconsideration within 15 days after receipt of the decision, in accordance with the Presidential Decree No. 1986 (MTRCB Charter). If the MR gets an unfavorable decision from the agency’s Board, the show may appeal to the Office of the President within 15 days from the receipt of the decision on the MR. “Isip Bata” is a game played with 20 adult contestants guessing the recorded answers of 50 kids to a particular question, until only one remains to advance to the jackpot round for a chance to win P50,000. At one point during the 25 July episode, host Ion Perez playfully swiped icing off a cake he was holding. His cohost and spouse Vice Ganda (they were married in the U.S. city of Las Vegas in 2022) played along, swiping some icing off Ion’s finger then licking it. That act triggered complaints against the show filed at the MTRCB. But the MTRCB neither specified that incident nor mentioned any names in its statement announcing It’s Showtime’s suspension. However, it described two other cases that it said elicited additional warnings for the noontime show. The first case involved hosts Jhong Hilario and Vince Ganda’s “inappropriate utterance” of the word “G Spot” in the 24 January 2023 episode, deemed in violation of Section 2 (B), Chapter IV of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Presidential Decree No. 1986. The second case referred to host Vhong Navarro’s “inappropriate utterance” of the word “Tinggil” in the 3 June 2023 episode, also deemed in violation of Section 2 (B), Chapter IV of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of P.D. No. 1986. Both cases are now under review by the agency’s Board. Prior to this suspension, the MTRCB pointed out in its statement that it had imposed back in 2010 a 20-day preventive suspension on ABS-CBN’s noontime show then called Showtime. Here is MTRCB’s full statement: The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) issued today, 04 September 2023, its decision to suspend the live noontime program “It’s Showtime!” for twelve (12) airing days. Viewers have lodged multiple complaints before the MTRCB concerning the show’s 25 July 2023 episode wherein the program’s hosts allegedly acted in an indecent manner during one of its segments, “Isip Bata.” The said case was referred to the MTRCB’s Hearing and Adjudication Committee which heard the case and required the respondents to submit their position papers, following a procedural process. In accordance with the Presidential Decree (P.D.) No. 1986 (MTRCB Charter), the respondents may file one Motion for Reconsideration (MR) within fifteen (15) days after receipt of the decision. Should the Board’s Decision be adverse to the respondent’s MR, they may appeal to the Office of the President within fifteen (15) days from the receipt of the decision on the MR. This is not the first time that a preventive suspension order was imposed on It’s Showtime. In 2010, the MTRCB imposed a 20-day preventive suspension on ABS-CBN’s daily variety program then called “Showtime.” In 2023 alone, the MTRCB has received multiple complaints which the Board has given due course. Most recently, the Board issued two (2) additional warnings to the noontime show concerning the following cases: Case no. 1: Inappropriate utterance of the word “G Spot” by hosts Jhong Hilario and Vice Ganda, during the 24 January 2023 episode of “It’s Showtime!” in violation of Section 2 (B), Chapter IV of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Presidential Decree (P.D.) No. 1986. Decision: The Board found the Respondents (ABS-CBN Corporation Broadcasting Network [ABS-CBN], ZOE Broadcasting Network, Inc. [ZBNI] and TV 5 Network, Inc.) remiss in the performance of their respective functions and duties required under the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of P.D. No. 1986, specifically Section 2 (B) Chapter IV thereof, and are admonished to refrain from making any utterances of similar nature for the same will be dealt more severely. Case no. 2: Inappropriate utterance of the word “Tinggil” by host Vhong Navarro, during the 03 June 2023 episode of “It’s Showtime!” in violation of Section 2 (B), Chapter IV of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of P.D. No. 1986. Decision: Derelict in the performance of their respective functions and duties under the IRR of P.D. No. 1986, Respondents (ABS-CBN and ZBNI) were sternly warned by the Board that a similar utterance will be dealt with more severely. At present, the noontime show has duly submitted their MRs for the above-mentioned cases which are currently pending with the MTRCB’s Adjudication Committee. Prior Warnings It may also be recalled that the noontime show received prior warnings from the Board in relation to the utterance of the word “Pek Pek Shorts” in the 09 January 2023 episode of the show and the indecent attire and performance of Kim Duenas in the “Girl on Fire” segment aired on 14 February 2023, in both cases, the Respondents were admonished that similar violations shall be dealt with more severely. Dismissed Complaints over lack of Merit Apart from these, the MTRCB has received multiple complaints regarding the noontime show, which the Board dismissed in the spirit of fairness and equity, such as (1) Complaints regarding the “Rampanalo” segment money game where hosts were paired together to catch play money using their lips; (2) Complaints regarding the allegedly suggestive “macho” dancing in one of the show’s segments; (3) Complaints regarding the wardrobe malfunctions or “nip slips” of one of the performers, to which MTRCB issued a memorandum urging stakeholders to exercise prudence in securing their talents’ clothing during performances; and (4) Complaints of alleged inappropriate wearing of the Barong Tagalog of one of the Hosts, to name a few. The MTRCB only adjudicates cases which, to the Board’s judgment, have basis in law and its mandate, P.D. No. 1986. The post MTRCB suspends ‘It’s Showtime’ for 12 airing days — but no mention of Vice-Ion appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘C you soon’: EXO’s Chanyeol back in Manila soon for solo fan meet
Filipino EXO-Ls are in for a delightful treat: Chanyeol is coming back to the Philippines! On 26 August, Filipino cosmetic brand Ever Bilena dropped a grand announcement that surprised Yeolmaes (or Chanyeol’s fan base). “Catch our Cherry Prince at the Chanyeol for Ever Bilena–Fun Meet in Manila on 1 October at the PICC Plenary Hall,” Ever Bilena wrote on its social media accounts. Chanyeol was recently unveiled as the new face of Ever Bilena, making him the first international ambassador and the first male endorser of the cosmetics brand. He is also one of the ambassadors of the popular Filipino clothing brand Penshoppe. Not surprisingly, the announcement has garnered thousands of likes and positive reactions. Last May, Chanyeol came to the Philippines for a sold-out fan concert of EXO-SC with fellow EXO member Sehun. Together, they captivated their fans with a back-to-back concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Details on how to score tickets and the availability of fun meet kits are yet to be announced. The post ‘C you soon’: EXO’s Chanyeol back in Manila soon for solo fan meet appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
One giant step: Moon race hots up
Russia's plan to launch its lunar lander on Friday is the latest in an international push to return to the Moon that includes the world's top powers but also new players. Technology, science and politics are all essential factors in the Moon race. Here is the latest: China's great leap China is pursuing plans to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and plans to build a base there. The world's second-largest economy has invested billions of dollars in its military-run space program in a push to catch up with the United States and Russia. China was the third country to put humans in orbit in 2003 and Tiangong is the crown jewel of its space program, which has also landed rovers on Mars and the Moon. The unmanned Chang'e-4 rocket landed on the far side of the Moon in 2019, with another robot mission to the near side raising the Chinese flag there in 2020. That moonshot brought rock and soil samples back to Earth, the first time that has been done in more than four decades. NASA's Artemis NASA's Artemis 3 mission is set to return humans to the Moon in 2025 including its first woman and first non-white astronaut. Under the Artemis program, NASA is planning a series of missions of increasing complexity to return to the Moon and build a sustained presence in order to develop and test technologies for an eventual journey to Mars. The first, Artemis 1, flew an uncrewed spacecraft around the Moon in 2022. Artemis 2, planned for November 2024, will do the same with crew on board. NASA sees the Moon as a pit stop for missions to Mars and has done a deal with Finnish mobile firm Nokia to set up a 4G network there. However, NASA said this week that the Artemis 3 mission may not land humans on the Moon, depending on whether certain key elements, including the landing system developed by SpaceX, were ready. Elon Musk's firm won the contract for a landing system based on a version of its prototype Starship rocket, which remains far from ready. An orbital test flight of the uncrewed Starship ended in a dramatic explosion in April. Russia's Luna Russia's launch of Luna-25 on Friday will be its first to the Moon since 1976 and marks the beginning of Moscow's new lunar project. President Vladimir Putin is looking to strengthen space cooperation with China after ties with the West broke down following the start of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. New players Recent technological progress has reduced the cost of missions and opened the way for new players in the public and private sector to get involved. India's latest space mission Chandrayaan-3 entered the Moon's orbit in August ahead of the country's second attempted lunar landing later this month. But getting to the Moon is not an easy task. Israeli non-profit SpaceIL launched its Beresheet lunar lander in 2019, but it crashed. And in April this year Japan's ispace was the latest company to try, and fail, at the historic bid to put a private lunar lander on the Moon. Two other US companies, Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines, are set to try later in the year. The post One giant step: Moon race hots up appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sabotaging reforms
Consumer groups have petitioned the Court of Appeals to take back its permanent injunction on the Energy Regulatory Commission ruling stopping San Miguel Corp. from breaking its supply contracts. The Power for People or P4P Coalition cited the real threat of a chain reaction in other power producers holding straight pricing contracts similar to SMC’s units to make a mockery out of the competitive selection process, or CSP since they can always go to the courts to overturn ERC decisions. The CA injunction effectively opened the door for SMC to discard the PSAs without any consequence. Under the PSA, a unilateral termination of the contract will mean heavy penalties including P255.5 billion for a “Termination in the Event of a Default.” The CA injunction took away all the safeguards in the contract against unilateral actions which was what SMC wanted. ERC issued an order blocking SMC from forcing consumers to shoulder fossil fuel volatility costs which it committed initially to absorbing during the auction for the PSAs. Based on ERC records, some 23 straight-price contracts are at risk of following the footsteps of SMC which will mean higher rates since the court injunction can undermine the regulatory powers of the ERC. P4P said consumers are now at the mercy of power companies which acquired the freedom to trick us into committing to a contract, “only to back down when it is no longer profitable for them.” Consumers are without a choice but to pay higher prices in such a situation. In the 2019 PSA auctions, SMC’s generation companies South Premier Power Corporation, or SPPC, and San Miguel Energy Corporation, or SMEC, secured 650 megawatts or MW and 330 MW supply deals, respectively. SMC in response to consumer groups’ skepticism over the ability of fossil fuel power plants operators to comply with a fixed price contract, insisted it will voluntarily shoulder risks. In May last year, SMC filed motions for price adjustment claiming that it had incurred P15 billion in losses from SPPC and SMEC. Late last year, ERC denied SMC’s motions for price adjustments. Instead of appealing the ERC order, SMEC and SPPC filed a petition for Certiorari before the Court of Appeals to suspend their PSAs and reverse the ERC’s decision. CA quickly acted with a temporary restraining order suspending SPPC’s 670 MW PSA while SMEC’s PSA remained after the 16th division of the court denied SMC a TRO. The catch, however, was that the CA consolidated the two cases into the 13th division which acted favorably to SMC. The recent injunction order, thus covered both SPPC and SMEC, thus ending the PSAs. To make up for the lost capacity of 670 MW, two emergency Power Supply Agreements, or EPSA, was bid out with SPPC cornering a supply of 480 MW. In the five months that the SPPC PSA was suspended, electricity bills have jumped from P1,370.90 to P3,363.53 for an average household. P4P described the battle between ERC and SMC as an experience in which big businesses ultimately hijack power purchase bidding systems that are in place to protect consumers. It added that SMC dared to bid for the same power requirement shortage of Meralco that it caused. The spirit of competitive selection and least-cost electricity thus went out of the window after the brazen legal maneuvers of SMC, the consequence of which will be shouldered by consumers. Reforms initiated to improve the lives of ordinary Filipinos are negated by profit greed which frequently happens with the help of the intrusive injunctions. The post Sabotaging reforms appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Icon Grandmaster Flash leads the Bronx in 70s-style hip-hop jam
As a teenager Grandmaster Flash began pioneering the turntable-as-instrument, playing the now iconic Bronx block parties that gave birth to hip-hop and revolutionized music. On Friday, he was back home, commemorating 50 years of the genre with a performance that had New Yorkers born in the mid-20th century reliving their youth -- and hip-hop's. "This is not a concert -- this is a jam!" Flash, now in his 60s, shouted from the stage, as hundreds of fans roared in applause in the South Bronx's Crotona Park. The audience swayed with their hands in the air as Flash threw it back to the jams of the early 1970s, which ushered in the genre that's profoundly impacted music as well as fashion, dance and the culture at large. The community parties offered teens and families a lifeline in an era of financial crisis that left much of the borough in crippling poverty. "It was the music that really resonated at the time in New York," said Quentin Morgan, 54, who rolled into the park on his bike to catch the event that's part of a series of festivities commemorating hip-hop's birth. "It was gritty in New York -- barely any laws," he said with a chuckle. "It was a different era." Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in 1982 released "The Message," delivering a raw portrait of urban life and bringing a socially conscious element to the genre on a grand scale. On Friday night, the air was electric as Flash brought MCs Melle Mel and Scorpio onstage where they delivered a rendition of the iconic hit. That preceded a fierce appearance from MC Sha-Rock, widely considered the first woman to MC during hip-hop's nascent years. And KRS-One, who also hails from the South Bronx, freestyled to a chorus of cheers as Flash scratched and transformed, manipulating the vinyl, using now-standard techniques he pioneered half a century ago. Earlier in the evening as opening acts warmed up the crowd, Coke La Rock -- who on 11 August 1973 joined DJ Kool Herc at the party many musicologists consider hip-hop's official conception -- told AFP that for him, hip-hop and the Bronx are one and the same. "I can't see no division of it," the 68-year-old said, calling offshoots of the genre across the United States and even the world "my kids." "They all my kids, if I'm the patent, they the product." 'Biggest music on earth' Speaking to AFP backstage, Flash said Friday's event was meant to emulate the jams of his youth. "It was recreation -- moms said go outside and play," he said. "Never... did I think it would become part of the biggest music on earth." Organizers also relayed a message from the mayor of New York, as the city officially declared August 4 "Grandmaster Flash Day." Keisha Harmon joined the event with her partner of 27 years -- "my Teenage Love," she said, quoting the rap classic by Slick Rick. She'll be 50 in October: she was born in the Bronx just months after the genre she grew up on. "I have chills, look, goosebumps," she told AFP. "All the songs that are playing -- I'm a mother of seven and I'm a grandmother of eight -- and they take me back to No Kids." She described how the hip-hop jams of her childhood spread by word of mouth: "Hey, DJ-such-and-such is in the park, and we would have parties and sing, and it was just fun." "And this reminds me of that," Harmon added, motioning to the park crowded with partygoers on a humid August evening. The celebration "shows our talent" as citizens of the Bronx, she added. "It shows what we contributed to the arts," Harmon said. "Hip-hop has a substance." "The artists were storytellers." "South South Bronx, South Bronx!" the audience shouted throughout the evening, singing the song by Boogie Down Productions produced by KRS-One and DJ Scott La Rock. According to city organizers, Friday night was Grandmaster Flash's first time playing the Bronx in two decades. Along with fellow hip-hop pioneers, he was joined by a troupe of breakdancers who wowed the audience with a throwdown. "Where's my old-schoolers at?" Flash asked the joyous crowd. "I wanna keep it in the 70s." "Somebody say Bronx!" The post Icon Grandmaster Flash leads the Bronx in 70s-style hip-hop jam appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Treat yourself good in small and big ways
Celebrate your daily achievements, whether big or small, by indulging on simple yet enjoyable treats. Here are some activities you can do to reward yourself. Put on a facial mask for 15 minutes. The beauty of facial masks is that it can be applied easily and only takes about 15 minutes to use. This is a perfect reward to give yourself before going to bed after a long day. It can also be a good way to relax when you need a breather in between your tasks. Schedule a relaxing massage. Spending a good chunk of your time in the office and on the road can take a toll on your body. Try booking a massage session to help improve your physical well-being and to give your body a much-needed rest. Enjoy a yummy home-cooked meal. A delicious meal can help put you in a good mood, especially if it is a dish that you made for yourself. Treat yourself for a productive week by trying out a new recipe. Catch up on your favorite series. Sit back and chill at home with your go-to TV shows on your downtime. It can be a K-drama, reality show or any entertaining series that catches your eye. Go on a walk. On weekends, bask under the sun and enjoy nature. Visit a nearby park for a breath of fresh air and enjoy an overall relaxing morning. You can even bring your fur baby along for a bit of playtime, or go to the mall for a quick retail therapy. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon with a cozy cup of Swiss Miss. A great way to cap off your day is to whip up a warm, cozy cup of Swiss Miss. Made from premium ingredients, this powdered chocolate drink is a satisfying reward that you can enjoy daily. Choose from its various flavors (Milk Chocolate, Hazelnut and Dark Chocolate) to satisfy your sweet cravings after a stressful day. You can even spice things up by enjoying it over ice or with a dollop of whipped cream on top. No matter how busy you may be, remember to find time to treat yourself good in small and big ways. Swiss Miss is available in leading supermarkets and Universal Robina Corporation’s official stores online. The post Treat yourself good in small and big ways appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»