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Big 4 Volleyball tilt marks successful inaugural season, eyes bigger tourneys soon
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Big Four Volleyball Tournament wrapped up last weekend successfully at the Warehouse Sports Lab in Mandaue City. This grassroots volleyball tournament saw inaugural champions being crowned. The Subangdaku Trojans emerged as champions in the 13-under and the girls 14-17 divisions, while Cabancalan National High School ruled the 14-17 boys division. .....»»
‘P7 billion senior high vouchers went to non-poor’
Aside from around 19,000 “ghosts” or undocumented students receiving government assistance, more than P7 billion was spent on non-poor beneficiaries of the senior high school voucher program (SHS-VP), according to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian......»»
Extreme Heat as a ‘New Pandemic’: Thousands in PH Cancel Classes During ‘Hottest Year’
(Part 1 of 2) CEBU CITY, Philippines — The decades-old Gabaldon building of Leyte National High School in Tacloban City has narrow hallways, high and dark ceilings, and overcrowded classrooms. On hot and humid days, the rooms can feel stuffy and suffocating, prompting students like Dwight Lebrea, a 17-year-old Grade 12 student, to find ways.....»»
‘DepEd acting on senior high school voucher discrepancies’
The Department of Education is acting on supposed discrepancies in the voucher program under the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education......»»
SUPER SHOWDOWN: La Salle Paraiso vs UST Paraiso
Brent Paraiso made his name as a determined defender during his days in De La Salle Zobel. He rode that effort and energy all the way to a spot on the fully loaded lineup for De La Salle University in UAAP 79. Not only that, the 6-foot-2 swingman actually started five games for the Green Archers in their dominant 16-1 title run. Paraiso's norms were not necessarily eye-opening, but he contributed nonetheless to a championship - especially to a defense predicated on "mayhem." The year after, he yet again started five games as they wound up as runners-up. From there, however, the La Salle lifer decided to take his talents somewhere else - University of Sto. Tomas, to be exact. And in his first year as a Growling Tiger, he showed off a more well-rounded game, averaging 7.2 points and totaling 28 threes. The numbers were higher, without a doubt, but he also became less of an enforcer in black and gold. Meaning, the Brent Paraiso of now is not necessarily the Brent Paraiso of before - a fiery competitor that got under the skin of opponents all while getting his teammates going. Do you miss that old Brent? Or do you like the new Brent better? That is what we weigh against each other in this week's ABS-CBN Sports Super Showdown. To figure out who comes out on top between the old Brent and the new Brent, we will be judging them in five categories (shooting, finishing, defense, role, and attitude) with a boxing-style 10-point must system determining the decision. SHOOTING The new Brent is well on his way to becoming a 3-and-D guy. Paraiso made good on a respectable 32.6 percent of his 86 shots from downtown. For reference, he only attempted 11 triples in his two years in La Salle and only converted one of them. Of course, more minutes meant more openings for him to put up shots, but there is still no doubt that his stroke is now surer. Advantage, UST Paraiso 10-8 FINISHING Paraiso has never been known as a shot-creator. In black and gold, however, he has become more confident with his ballhandling. With that, the new Brent no longer settles for jump shots and could slice and dice his way to the ring if he wants to. Once inside, he prefers floaters and still has work to do in terms of taking it up strong. Still, this is an improvement from his days in La Salle when he was more of just a catch-and-shoot threat. Advantage, UST Paraiso 10-9 DEFENSE Quick feet and active hands have always been there for Paraiso. And in UST, he has coupled those with wisdom coming from age and experience. Still, the new Brent could not come close to the old Brent in terms of sticking to his man and standing his ground. That Paraiso was only third to Ben Mbala and Kib Montalbo in energizing La Salle's "mayhem." While his steal counts were never up there, but head coach Aldin Ayo always knew full well he could count on his youthful workhorse to do his best against an opposing team's weapon. Advantage, La Salle Paraiso 10-9 ROLE Starting games has been one of Paraiso's roles since his rookie season. From being a quality minutes guy in La Salle, though, he is now a regular rotation piece in UST. The old Brent proved worthy of being a sparkplug for the Green Archers in their first- and second-place finishes. As a Growling Tiger, however, he also proved he could be much more than that as they made it all the way to the Finals. Now, the new Brent is somebody who could impact the game on offense just as much as he could do so on defense. Advantage, UST Paraiso 10-9 ATTITUDE The old Brent is the classic played you would love on your side and you would hate on the other. The new Brent is no longer like that as he has matured and just puts his full focus on his role for UST. For out taste, though, Paraiso the enforcer remains a player to remember - much more than the more well-rounded player now in black and gold. Advantage, La Salle Paraiso 10-9 FINAL: 48-46 for UST Paraiso --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @riegogogo......»»
WHAT IF... La Salle didn t lose to Ateneo to sweep UAAP 79
History lesson: De La Salle University's Ben Mbala and Jeron Teng-led team was one of the most dominant in the history of UAAP Men's Basketball. The Green Archers lost just one game en route to the championship. More impressive, though, was how they did it. La Salle posted a 17.2 average margin of victory throughout the tournament. They had the Season MVP leading their lineup as Mbala averaged a double-double of 20.6 points on 54 percent shooting from the field and 16.2 rebounds on top of 2.4 blocks, 1.4 steals, and 1.2 assists. Right there with him was Teng who put up per game counts of 16.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists for a spot on the Mythical Team. Flanking them were then Rookie of the Year Aljun Melecio, "Man of Steal" Kib Montalbo, Andrei Caracut, Jason Perkins, Thomas Torres, and Abu Tratter. And oh, future stars Justine Baltazar and Ricci Rivero were, more or less, benchwarmers for this team. At at the controls of this juggernaut? Youthful mentor Aldin Ayo who had just taken the collegiate ranks by storm as he guided Colegio de San Juan de Letran to a Cinderella championship at the expense of archrival San Beda University the year before. When all is said and done, could those Green Archers have been more impressive? Well, they could have swept the season. Only, their fiercest foes denied them that. Near the end of the elimination round, Ateneo de Manila University upended the Taft-based team, 83-71. That was the green and white's first loss of the season. And it would end up as their only loss of the season as they dispatched Adamson University in the Final Four and then ran roughshod over the very same Blue Eagles in the Finals. Yes, there was one and only one blemish on the face of La Salle in Season 79 - a blemish coming from an Ateneo side they had gotten the better of three times out of four. If those Green Archers didn't have that blemish, would that change anything? Wethinks, yes. If so, Mbala, Teng, and company would have been the first-ever team to sweep both the elimination and championship rounds. If so, they would be the ones to make history - and not the Blue Eagles of Isaac Go, Thirdy Ravena, and Nieto twins Mike and Matt. And if so, La Salle would have done something that would be next to impossible to replicate - a squad to sweep the season that has the Season MVP and the Rookie of the Year. Now tell us, would that turn the tides of the argument for the best team ever in their favor? History. 16-0. Championship. Season MVP. Rookie of the Year. Around 17 points of an average margin of victory. It would be tough to think about another team competing with that. --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @riegogogo......»»
WHAT IF... Ben Mbala played his last year in La Salle
History lesson: Ben Mbala was one of the most dominant - if not the most dominant - forces the UAAP has ever seen. Winning a championship as well as back-to-back MVPs, Mbala was, hands down, the best player in all of college in his two years suiting up for De La Salle University. Technically, he had one more playing year, but decided against it to take back control of his career. This decision, coming right after the Green Archers got dethroned by archrival Ateneo de Manila University in a thrilling three-game Finals. That would just be the first of three championships in a row for the Blue Eagles who swept the University of the Philippines and the University of Sto. Tomas the following years. Meanwhile, without the Cameroonian powerhouse, the Taft-based team fell short of the playoffs the following years. Now, the green and white is trying to barge back into the playoff picture with a fourth coach in four years. It is far from a certainty that Louie Gonzalez, who replaced Aldin Ayo, would be able to hold off Gian Nazario - and active consultant Jermaine Byrd - and then Derrick Pumaren if he had led La Salle to the Final Four in UAAP 81. What is a certainty, however, is that with Mbala back in the fold, they are locks for the Final Four. And so, what if "Big Ben" played his last year in La Salle? Ateneo would remain the top-seed while Adamson University would fall to three and the University of the Philippines would fall to four. Mbala and company would then stake claim to the second-seed and the twice-to-beat advantage it entails before taking care of business yet again against the Soaring Falcons. In the other bracket, the Blue Eagles end the Cinderella story of the Fighting Maroons who would play in their first Final Four in 21 years, but would still be looking for their first Finals since 1986. With that, the rivalry trilogy would be set in motion - Ateneo-La Salle for all the glory for the third year in a row. And for the 6-foot-8 center, the rubber match would have been theirs. Asked in the inaugural episode of The Prospects Pod if they would have reclaimed the title if he had played his last year, he answered, "Yeah. I think so." Our own thought experiment, however, thinks otherwise and has the Blue Eagles getting the better of the Green Archers once more. The arrival of Rookie of the Year Ange Kouame is a brand new tall task to face for Season MVP Mbala. Of course, the now-three-time MVP still finds a way against the inexperienced Ivorian, but Ateneo's total team effort would still prove to be too much for La Salle. According to Mbala, if he had stayed, Ricci Rivero would have stayed as well and not taken his talents to UP. That means that Brent Paraiso would remain as well. A core of Mbala, Rivero, Paraiso, Andrei Caracut, Aljun Melecio, and Santi Santillan would be really nasty, but that also means Justine Baltazar would not get the room he needs to grow. They would fight with their all, for sure, but would also ultimately succumb to the Blue Eagles' otherworldly - and quite frankly, unfair - depth and balance. In the end, Ateneo still goes on to a three-peat, and counting, while La Salle just falls short for the second straight year. Mbala moves on to showcasing his skills overseas - and moves on to ribbing Kiefer Ravena that it's just a matter of time before the butt heads in the PBA. There would also be no more questions about how Kouame would have fared against the Green Archers' best foreign student-athlete. For his part, however, Mbala said that individual comparisons do not matter in basketball. "People tell me that I were there, it would (have been) a different story, but I don't do comparisons. It's not a one-on-one game, it's five-on-five," he said. He then continued, "It was not I will take the rebound and do everything I want. No, it's not that. It's not about the size, it's about the system." --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @riegogogo......»»
CCLEX safety enhancements pushed after US bridge tragedy
Cebu City, Philippines — In light of recent events, a call for increased CCLEX safety measures has been made to the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC) by a Cebu City legislator. Councilor Rey Gealon penned a resolution urging CCLEC to implement precautionary measures at the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway to prevent disasters, considering the high.....»»
All Hail the Camera King! HONOR Magic6 Pro Ranks Number 1 in Camera Global Rankings
The leading global provider of smart devices, HONOR, claimed the top spot as the best camera smartphone in the recent DxOMark ranking test, dethroning its competitors with a high-ranking score of 158. DxOMark, an independent camera testing organization that provides comprehensive evaluations of camera performances, has awarded HONOR Magic6 Pro as the top contender in […].....»»
ANZ raises Philippine inflation forecast to 3.8% this year
ANZ Research hiked its inflation forecast for the Philippines to 3.8 percent this year, from 3.5 percent previously, as risks may drive inflation up to above the central bank’s two to four percent target in the coming months......»»
Companies State it Takes More Than 6 Months to Fill Cybersecurity Positions
The latest Kaspersky survey found that 48% of companies require over half a year to find a qualified cybersecurity professional. A lack of proven experience was cited as one of the biggest challenges, along with the high cost of hiring and global competition in talent acquisition. With global labor markets continuing to clamor for InfoSec […].....»»
Mandaue drug bust: P476,000 ‘shabu’ seized from HVI
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Authorities seized suspected shabu worth at least P476,000 from a 45-year-old man described as a high-value individual during an anti-illegal drugs operation in Mandaue City early on Wednesday morning, March 27, 2024. The operation took place along Realty Road in the North Reclamation Area in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City, Cebu. The.....»»
Gilas women off to great start in FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup
The Gilas Pilipinas women had a strong start in the 2024 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup after coming up unscathed in the first day of the competition Wednesday at the Singapore Sports Hub......»»
P1.1 billion released to restore heritage school buildings
The Department of Budget and Management has released P1.1 billion to conserve and restore heritage school buildings in the country......»»
Fetus found in condo’s sewage treatment plant
A fetus was found dumped in the sewage treatment plant of a high-end condominium complex in Quezon City on Tuesday......»»
Philippines FDI ‘bound to improve’ in coming years – HSBC
The Philippines would be able to attract more foreign direct investments (FDI) in the coming years amid reforms that improved the country’s business climate, HSBC Global Research said......»»
TikTok Shop Launches TikTok Shop Business School to Help Digitize Filipino Entrepreneurs
TikTok Shop launched TikTok Shop Business School, a comprehensive one-day program for Filipino entrepreneurs that aims to equip them with the skills to grow their businesses in the digital sphere. The full-day program, which 50 TikTok Shop entrepreneurs attended, was comprised of master classes on Corporate Strategy and Business Model with Kim Lato, Founder and […].....»»
Urbanization fuels high demand for furniture
Urbanization fuels high demand for furniture.....»»
Tell it to SunStar: Summer school blues
Tell it to SunStar: Summer school blues.....»»
Scorching Heat
Pedestrians brave the scorching heat in downtown Davao City, as the heat index hit 43 degrees Celsius at 1 p.m. Monday, 25 March 2024, according to the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office. The agency advised the public to observe extreme caution as high temperatures could lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke. MindaNews photo.....»»