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Brownlee formula
The issue surrounding Justin Brownlee is a major blackeye to Philippine basketball. It is yet another heartbreaker for Filipinos, who were hoping and praying to see the national team reassert its dominance in the international arena. For the longest time, the Filipinos had struggled internationally. In the Asian Games, for instance, the Philippines emerged victorious in its first four editions — 1951 in New Delhi, 1954 in Manila, 1958 in Tokyo, and 1962 in Jakarta before suffering a string of frustrating finishes. The closest we got to the gold medal was in 1990 when the Basketball Association of the Philippines tasked the Philippine Basketball Association with assembling a team that would reclaim our Asian glory. It was a tall order at the time as the Philippines was coming off a bitter setback at the hands of Malaysia in the 1989 Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur. The BAP knew that only an Asian crown would soothe the pain of a nation craving revenge. But it didn’t happen. Coached by Robert “Sonny” Jaworski, the team bannered by Allan Caidic, Benjie Paras, Ramon Fernandez, Samboy Lim, and Chito Loyzaga surrendered to powerhouse China featuring Shan Tao and Ma Jian in the gold medal match. Eight years later, Tim Cone was given the marching orders to assemble another star-studded squad to represent the country in the Bangkok Asian Games in 1998. But like Jaworski, his bitter coaching nemesis at the time, Cone was also unsuccessful as his Centennial Team had to settle for bronze behind China and South Korea. In the next edition in Busan in 2002, hopes were high. Despite a sudden coaching change after American mentor Ron Jacobs suffered a stroke in the final stretch of preparations, Jong Uichico was still able to form a solid team that had a mix of Filipino-foreign stars like Asi Taulava, Eric Menk, and Rudy Hatfield, as well as homegrown stars like Olsen Racela, Kenneth Duremdes, and Danny Ildefonso. But fate wrote a cruel script. The Philippines was ahead, 68-66, in the final 23.9 seconds of the semifinal clash against South Korea. A victory would have sent the Filipinos to the gold medal match against China, while a setback would relegate them to a battle for bronze against Kazakhstan. Racela was at the charity stripe for a chance to ice the game and seal the victory. But he missed both free shots. In a shocking — and heartbreaking — turn of events, Korean gunner Lee Sang Min buried a long three-pointer off a broken play at the buzzer that sent the host country to the finals. The players were crushed while a river of tears flowed through the streets of Manila as the entire country couldn’t believe how merciless the basketball gods could be. Since then, Philippine basketball has been reduced to a mere footnote in Asian basketball. We bombed out of the medal podium in Doha in 2006 and Guangzhou in 2010. We even suffered international embarrassment when head coach Chot Reyes instructed naturalized player Marcus Douthit to shoot at our own basket in Incheon in 2014. In 2018, a legitimate National Basketball Association campaigner, Jordan Clarkson, came along and was billed as the hero who would save Philippine basketball. But he was unsuccessful. The Filipinos’ string of misfortunes continued as Gilas Pilipinas settled for fifth place. Then here came Brownlee, tapped to see action as a naturalized player in the Hangzhou Asian Games. The 35-year-old American was tasked to power a team already familiar to him — guys he had been playing with for more than five years. The coach — Cone — had been his mentor since he arrived in Manila in 2016 and led Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to six PBA titles while winning three Best Import honors. There was no honeymoon period to speak of. He hit the ground running. The result was impressive as Brownlee dropped 36 points to lead Gilas Pilipinas to a razor-thin 84-83 win over Iran in the quarterfinals, before dropping back-to-back three-point bombs in their miraculous 77-76 victory over host China in the semifinals. The Filipinos won their first gold medal in 61 years following a 70-60 victory over Jordan in the final, but an asterisk was attached to the victory after Brownlee tested positive for Carboxy-THC, a banned substance linked to the use of cannabis. At this point, it is unknown whether Brownlee will contest the findings or how long his possible suspension will be. What is clear is that Brownlee made a tremendous impact on Philippine basketball as he proved that the best way to win an international title is to field a naturalized player who is very familiar with the Filipinos’ style of play. Brownlee may not be as exciting and flashy as Clarkson or as tall as Douthit and Blatche, but he knows Philippine basketball like the back of his hand. It’s time for the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to create more Justin Brownlees by recruiting young foreign players who are willing to stay in the country for a longer period — not just to earn and play as imports in the PBA — but to win the hearts and minds of these basketball-crazy Filipinos. Brownlee’s professional career is in great peril, and we may not see him don the Gilas or Ginebra jerseys again. But we should always remember his most significant contribution to Philippine basketball. Nope, it wasn’t the incredible play he delivered against China or how he stood his ground against Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and the powerful Jordanians that led to the country’s first Asian Games title in 61 years. His most important contribution was the idea that to gain international success, the federation must recruit a naturalized player not based on skills, height, or popularity but on his love, respect, and dedication to the country he wishes to represent. The post Brownlee formula appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BRICS seen overtaking G7
A political analyst at a known think tank disclosed that a rare event happened in world affairs only recently but which hardly merited mention in global publications. Austin Ong, political analyst at the think-tank Integrated Development Studies Institute, said Bloomberg forecasted that the new BRICS+ grouping would dominate the world’s GDP by 2050, overtaking the economic output of the top industrialized countries under G7. BRICS+ recently added six regional players, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, aside from the emerging Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and around 20 more countries have expressed interest in joining. The analysis said developing economies desire a greater role in reforming global trade and financial architecture which was manifested in the recent expansion of BRICS. It said marginalizing the Global South is one of the structural flaws of the longstanding Western-built and led world order. The existing system had long given privileges to North America and Western Europe. Geopolitical experts said the industrialized countries failed to adjust to changing realities, notably the rise of a more multipolar world. Emerging and fast-developing countries will no longer beg or wait for a seat at the table if their appeals fall on deaf ears and trade barriers are put up to restrict them. 2006 foundation Ong said BRICS has come a long way since the meeting of foreign ministers of Brazil, Russia, India and China on the sidelines of the 61st UN General Assembly in 2006 which resulted in the forming of the group. The original BRIC convened their first leaders’ summit in Yekaterinburg, Russia in 2006. Developing economies desire a greater role in reforming global trade and financial architecture which was manifested in the recent expansion of BRICS. By 2010, South Africa had joined. In 2015, they created the New Development Bank, based in Shanghai. The group indicated openness to new members, which can bring vitality and expand the organization’s resources and influence. In contrast, the G7, which dates to 1973, remained stagnant since expelling Russia from a short-lived G8 in 2014. US-led Quad, founded in 2007 and revived in 2017 is also having a hard time taking off. The security quartet failed to induct new members despite overtures to other Indo-Pacific countries. “The obvious security focus of the grouping made regional countries edgy about formally joining the minilateral,” according to Ong. The post BRICS seen overtaking G7 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Breakthrough for Germany
There have been only 10 sweeps in 19 FIBA World Cups and Germany’s brooming this year is the fifth straight. Team USA accounts for four unblemished marks set in 1954, 1994, 2010 and 2014. Spain was unbeaten in 2006 and 2019. .....»»
Thai king cuts Thaksin’s sentence to 1 year
Thailand’s king answered ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s request for royal pardon Friday by cutting his prison term to one year from eight. The partial pardon from King Maha Vajiralongkorn was confirmed by the official Royal Gazette, with the announcement pointing to his service to the country as prime minister. “He is loyal to the institution of monarchy. When prosecuted, he respected the justice system,” the statement said, noting that Thaksin also suffers numerous health problems. “His Majesty the King has granted him amnesty and reduced the sentence on Thaksin Shinawatra, the prisoner, to one year in prison, so that he could use his expertise and experience to develop the country further.” Shinawatra was convicted in absentia of graft and abuse of office but went into self-exile for 15 years, avoiding prison. The 74-year-old billionaire returned home last week as his Pheu Thai party formed a coalition government with royalists and pro-military parliamentarians. Pheu Thai’s Srettha Thavisin is now the prime minister, the party’s first premier since Thaksin’s sister Yingluck was thrown out in a coup in 2014. Thaksin, twice elected PM and ousted in a 2006 military coup, was sent to prison last week immediately after returning to the kingdom for the first time since 2008. WITH AFP The post Thai king cuts Thaksin’s sentence to 1 year appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
El Niño offers opportunities — DA
The Department of Agriculture on Saturday said that El Niño can also increase yield for some crops, especially when its strength is weak or moderate or in water-sufficient irrigated rice areas. While many fear El Niño because of crop losses, reduced food supplies, and water resources depletion, the DA said when El Niño is preceded by normal to above-normal rain, this allows water reservoirs to stock enough water for irrigation. Sunny weather brings higher palay yields and better milling recovery from better quality palay harvest. Agriculture Undersecretary for Rice Industry Development Leocadio Sebastian exhorted DA field officials to apply their knowledge of agricultural science (crop science, crop physiology, agronomy, and agro meteorology) when analyzing historical and current data on El Niño’s impact on agriculture. He further advised them to carefully examine the PAGASA El Niño advisories and climate data to guide their decisions. He expected to be negatively impacted by El Niño during the dry season are water-deficient areas like those in the tail ends of irrigation systems and the rain-fed areas. According to Sebastian, when El Niño is weak to moderate, such as those occurrences in 2002, 2004, and 2007, this may lead to increased production, while the weak El Niño of 2019 caused declines in output in non-irrigated areas while production in irrigated rice fields increased. He asked the field officials to maximize production in irrigated areas and diversify crops in areas expected to suffer from water deficits. Seven El Niño episodes have so far hit the country since 2000. These were in 2002, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2015 and 2016, and 2019. During mild El Niño, palay production still increased, such as in 2002, 2004, and 2007. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority from 2000 to 2022 showed that palay production in 2001 was at 12.95 million metric tons, rising in 2002 to 13.27 MMT (El Niño), and then inching up to 14.5 MMT in 2004 (El Niño) from 13.50 MMT in 2003, and from 15.33 MMT in 2006 to 16.24 MMT in 2007 (El Niño). Production declined to 15.77 MMT in 2010 (El Niño) from 16.27 MMT in 2009, and rice production was 18.97 MMT in 2014 before dipping again to 18.15 MMT in 2015 (severe El Niño) and sliding even more to 17.63 MMT in 2016 (continued severe El Niño). Production recovered after the 2015-2016 El Niño more dramatically at 19.28 MMT in 2017, dropping in the 2019 El Niño to 18.81 MMT before recovering ground to 19.29 MMT in 2020. So far, PAGASA has been forecasting moderate to strong El Niño by December this year. This should not indicate a doomsday scenario for the rice sector, depending on the amount of rainfall and water reserves accumulated in the dams and reservoirs for the 2024 dry season. And depending on the availability of precipitation or rainfall and water reserves, this should not indicate a doomsday scenario for the rice sector just yet, Sebastian calculated. The US National Weather Service has forecasted a 96 percent probability of El Niño greater than 0.5 degrees Celsius from July 2023 to January 2024; 93 percent from December to February; 90 percent from January to March further receding to 85 percent in February to April. At 1 degree Celsius, the probability of El Nino is 76 percent from August to October; 82 percent from October to December; dropping to 81 percent from November to January 2024; and 64 percent from January to March to 52 percent by February to April 2024. A recent ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) report said chances of a moderate event are at 84 percent while the odds of it becoming strong at its peak are pretty good at 56 percent. ENSO is a recurring climate pattern involving changes in the temperature of waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. A World Bank study of the impact of El Niño in the Philippines in 2016 cited seven severe ENSO events since 1980, which include both El Niño, ENSO’s warm phase, and La Niña, ENSO’s cold phase. In 1982–1983, El Niño–related droughts affected 450,000 hectares of farmland in the Philippines. The most severe El Niño occurred in 1997–1998, when rainfall fell to half of the historical levels, causing drought in two-thirds of the country. This led to forest fires that destroyed almost 10,000 hectares of natural forests, the WB said. In 2015–2016, dry El Niño conditions lasted for 18 months and affected about a third of the country. In total, six cities, 16 provinces, and 65 municipalities declared a state of calamity. By May 2016, over 400,000 farmers and 550,000 hectares were directly affected by El Niño–induced drought. Later, La Niña caused flooding in low-lying farm areas causing increases in crop pests and diseases. Overall, the most recent El Niño event in 2015–2016 caused $327 million in agricultural production losses, the WB report stated. The post El Niño offers opportunities — DA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Thai reformist Pita’s PM bid crashes on establishment opposition
Thai reformist leader Pita Limjaroenrat's bid to become prime minister ended Wednesday, despite his party winning the most votes in May elections, after the military and pro-royalist establishment blocked his bid for power. Pita's Move Forward Party (MFP) has ridden high on the support of young and urban Thais frustrated by nearly a decade of army-backed rule, but its efforts to form a government have stumbled. The 42-year-old was dramatically suspended from parliament while seated in the chamber for discussions on his candidacy, which came to an end when lawmakers voted to refuse considering him for a second ballot. "I would like to say goodbye until we meet again," he said, raising his fist as he left the assembly floor to the cheers of party allies. Pita's suspension came when Thailand's Constitutional Court said it would proceed with a case that could see the leader disqualified from parliament altogether for owning shares in a media company. Lawmakers are forbidden from doing so under Thailand's constitution, though the television station in question has not broadcast since 2007. Pita, Harvard-educated and wealthy from a family-run agrifood business, has said the shares were inherited from his father. He has 15 days to respond to the case. After he left the parliament, lawmakers voted by a large margin to rule that he could not be considered for the post a second time. "Pita can't be nominated twice in this parliamentary session," speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha said, over howls of protest from within the chamber, immediately before the day's proceedings were called to an end. Dozens of supporters cried and shouted abuse at a large riot police cordon guarding the gates of parliament after news of Pita's suspension broke. "Why even ask people to go to the polls?" one protester, who did not give his name, told AFP. Protesters began gathering in the evening for a public rally near Bangkok's Democracy Monument and police said they were prepared for any unrest. "No matter what their opinions are, they need to follow rules and orders set by the police," said Archayon Kraithong, a spokesman for the Royal Thai Police. Roadblocks Pita's first tilt at the premiership failed when he fell dozens of votes short of the required support in a joint parliamentary sitting. Thailand's senate is stacked with military appointees, with only 13 of 249 serving senators voting for Pita last week. Other roadblocks have been thrown in front of his Pita's candidacy. The court has also agreed to hear a case alleging that MFP's campaign promise to amend Thailand's royal defamation law is tantamount to a plan to "overthrow" the constitutional monarchy. Pita's party has refused to compromise on its pledge to revise the law, which can allow convicted critics of the monarchy to be jailed for up to 15 years. The MFP's reformist platform also poses a threat to family-owned business monopolies that play an outsized role in the kingdom's economy. The Constitutional Court has intervened in Thai politics before. The billionaire leader of MFP's predecessor party, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, was disqualified as an MP in 2019 after falling afoul of the same shareholding rule. Compromise candidate Pita has vowed to step aside to make way for another party to form a government if his second attempt fails. The coalition backing him is expected to fall in line behind property tycoon Srettha Thavisin, potentially relegating MFP to serve in opposition. Srettha's Pheu Thai party is seen as a vehicle for the Shinawatra political clan, whose members include two former prime ministers ousted by military coups in 2006 and 2014. But as a successful entrepreneur liked by fellow business leaders, the 60-year-old is seen as a potential compromise acceptable to the Thai elite. Prawit Wongsuwan, 77, a former Thai army chief who served as number two in the junta that took power in 2014, has also been floated as a candidate by parliament's military bloc. Thai voters roundly rejected army-backed parties in May's election. Political analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak told AFP the prospect of a military presence in the next government could spark a backlash in a country that is no stranger to political unrest. The post Thai reformist Pita’s PM bid crashes on establishment opposition appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PAL gets safety standard seal
An internationally recognized safety evaluation association has reaffirmed the compliance of flag-carrier Philippine Airlines to the highest international aviation safety standards. PAL and PAL Express have completed their respective IATA Operational Safety Audits or IOSA, which according to PAL president and chief operating officer Stanley K. Ng is hinged on the group’s “culture of safety.” “We all commit to live and promote a culture of safety above all, the cornerstone of PAL operations. As the aviation industry strives to meet the surge in travel demand, the safety of our flights and our passengers remains our top priority,” Ng said. The IOSA is the internationally recognized safety evaluation system of the International Air Transport Association or IATA that assesses the operational management and control systems of an airline. Gold standard Conducted every two years, the IOSA is accepted by top government authorities as the gold standard in airline safety assessments. The IOSA audit affirms that PAL and PAL Express are committed to adhering to safety standards in the areas of flight operations, aircraft engineering and maintenance, organization and management, operational control and flight dispatch, cabin operations, ground handling operations, cargo operations, and security management. Similarly, PAL Express marked its adherence to the global standard with its 5th successful IOSA renewal. PAL Express first entered the IOSA Registry in 2014. Its current IOSA registration is valid until March 28, 2025. PAL said it was the company’s 9th consecutive successful IOTA renewal, marking nearly two decades of consistent work in Operational Safety by the flag carrier. PAL’s first IOSA registration was in 2006. The new IOSA registration is valid until 10 April 2025. The PAL Group is mandated to complete the IOSA recertification once every two years. The post PAL gets safety standard seal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Retirement 101
Sixty years is the age, under the law, that is considered a retiring age. Aside from discounts on basic necessities and prime commodities, senior citizens, who are still part of the working sector, may avail themselves of retirement benefits under the law. Retirement benefits, as explained by the Supreme Court, are “intended to help the employee enjoy the remaining years of his life, lessening the burden of worrying about his financial support, and are a form of reward for his loyalty and service to the employer.” (Pantranco North Express Inc. v. NLRC, 328 Phil. 470 [1996]) Article 302 (287) of the Labor Code mandates that in the absence of a retirement plan or agreement providing for retirement benefits of employees in an establishment, an employee upon reaching the age of 60 years or more, but not beyond 65 years, which is hereby declared the compulsory retirement age, who has served at least five years in the said establishment, may retire and shall be entitled to retirement pay equivalent to at least one-half month salary for every year of service, a fraction of at least six months is considered as one whole year. Thus, retirement is optional at the age of 60 and compulsory at 65. The retirement pay law applies to all employees in the private sector, regardless of their position, designation, or status and irrespective of the method by which their wages are paid. They include part-time employees, employees of service and other job contractors, and domestic helpers or persons in the personal service of another. The law, however, does not cover (1) employees of retail, service, and agricultural establishments or operations employing not more than 10 employees or workers; and (2) employees of the national government and its political subdivisions, including government-owned and/or controlled corporations, if they are covered by the Civil Service Law and its regulations. (Postigo v. Philippine Tuberculosis Society, G.R. 155146, 24 January 2006) Further, the law applies only to a situation where (1) there is no Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) or other applicable employment contract providing for retirement benefits for an employee, or (2) there is a CBA or other applicable employment contract providing for retirement benefits for an employee, but it is below the requirement set by law. (Grace Christian High School v. Lavandera, G.R. No. 177845, 20 August 2014). Clearly, the determining factor in choosing which retirement scheme to apply is still superiority in terms of benefits provided. (Elegir v. Philippine Airlines Inc., G.R. 181995, 16 July 2012). In other words, the retirement pay under the Labor Code is simply the minimum benefit to which a retiree is legally entitled and will not apply if there are higher benefits provided under the CBA, employment contract, or existing company policies or practices. The phrase “one-half (1/2) month salary” means 22.5 days: 15 days plus 2.5 days representing one-twelfth (1/12) of the 13th month pay, and the remaining five days for service incentive leave. (Elegir v. Philippine Airlines Inc.). It is not uncommon that companies offer early retirement benefits to their employees. While such offer may be acceptable to some employees, it may not be financially feasible for others who still need to earn for themselves and their families. Thus, jurisprudence requires that for early retirement programs to be valid, acceptance by the employees of an early retirement age option must be explicit, voluntary, free, and uncompelled. (Robina Farms Cebu v. Villa, G.R. 175869, 18 April 2016). *** For more of Dean Nilo Divina’s legal tidbits, please visit www.divinalaw.com. For comments and questions, please send an email to cabdo@divinalaw.com. The post Retirement 101 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Wage deductions
Dear Atty. Angela, I have been working as a sales clerk for a boutique in a mall. Due to a mistake I made, it resulted to a problem on the point-of-sale system of the company. I was dismissed without any due process and the management deducted P18,000 on my salary in the last pay. They told me there was a negative variance which allows the deduction. I’ve accepted my dismissal but is the deduction legal? Melanie ***Z** Dear Melanie, Negligence or mistake at work, without proof of direct responsibility for loss or damage, does not justify deduction on salary. In the case of Bluer Than Blue Joint Ventures vs Esteban, G.R. 192582 (2014), the Supreme Court disallowed the deduction from the wages of the employees to compensate the employer for negative variance. Meaning the losses incurred by the employer, absent any showing that the conditions under the Implementing Rules of the Labor Code were complied, is illegal. “In this case, the petitioner failed to sufficiently establish that Esteban was responsible for the negative variance it had in its sales for the year 2005 to 2006 and that Esteban was given the opportunity to show cause the deduction from her last salary should not be made. The Court cannot accept the petitioner’s statement that it is the practice in the retail industry to deduct variances from an employee’s salary, without more.” Pursuant to Article 113 (c), the Labor Code and its Implementing Rules and Regulations allow the employer to deduct charges from its employees’ wages in the following cases: (a) Deductions for loss or damage under Article 114 of the Labor Code, provided the following concur: (1) That the employee concerned is clearly shown to be responsible for the loss or damage; (2) That the employee is given reasonable opportunity to show cause why deduction should not be made; (3) That the amount of such deduction is fair and reasonable and shall not exceed the actual loss or damage; and (4) That the deduction from the wages of the employee does not exceed 20 percent of the employee’s wages in a week. Thus, in order to justify the deductions from losses incurred by the employer from the employee’s acts, the said conditions should be met. In this case, if the company fails to establish that you were responsible for the negative variance and not given the opportunity to show cause why deduction should not be made, any deduction on your last salary will be considered illegal. Atty. Angela Antonio The post Wage deductions appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Wage deductions
Dear Atty. Angela, I have been working as a sales clerk for a boutique in a mall. Due to a mistake I made, it resulted to a problem on the point-of-sale system of the company. I was dismissed without any due process and the management deducted P18,000 on my salary in the last pay. They told me there was a negative variance which allows the deduction. I’ve accepted my dismissal but is the deduction legal? Melanie ***** Dear Melanie, Negligence or mistake at work, without proof of direct responsibility for loss or damage, does not justify deduction on salary. In the case of Bluer Than Blue Joint Ventures vs Esteban, G.R. 192582 (2014), the Supreme Court disallowed the deduction from the wages of the employees to compensate the employer for negative variance. Meaning the losses incurred by the employer, absent any showing that the conditions under the Implementing Rules of the Labor Code were complied, is illegal. “In this case, the petitioner failed to sufficiently establish that Esteban was responsible for the negative variance it had in its sales for the year 2005 to 2006 and that Esteban was given the opportunity to show cause the deduction from her last salary should not be made. The Court cannot accept the petitioner’s statement that it is the practice in the retail industry to deduct variances from an employee’s salary, without more.” Pursuant to Article 113 (c), the Labor Code and its Implementing Rules and Regulations allow the employer to deduct charges from its employees’ wages in the following cases: (a) Deductions for loss or damage under Article 114 of the Labor Code, provided the following concur: (1) That the employee concerned is clearly shown to be responsible for the loss or damage; (2) That the employee is given reasonable opportunity to show cause why deduction should not be made; (3) That the amount of such deduction is fair and reasonable and shall not exceed the actual loss or damage; and (4) That the deduction from the wages of the employee does not exceed 20 percent of the employee’s wages in a week. Thus, in order to justify the deductions from losses incurred by the employer from the employee’s acts, the said conditions should be met. In this case, if the company fails to establish that you were responsible for the negative variance and not given the opportunity to show cause why deduction should not be made, any deduction on your last salary will be considered illegal. Atty. Angela Antonio The post Wage deductions appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Jade refused to quit
It’s a rare thing in pro boxing that a chunk of a fighter’s ear is nearly torn off from excessive pounding. In 2006, Argentinian Sebastian Lujan’s ear was badly cut by Mexico’s Antonio Margarito and lost by a 10th round TKO in Atlantic City. Four MMA gladiators also suffered major damage in their ears – James Thompson in 2008, Kazushi Sakuraba and Shigeyuki Uchiyama in 2010 and Leslie Smith in 2014. Of course, the list doesn’t include Evander Holyfield whose two ears were bitten by Mike Tyson in 1997......»»
Alert Level 4 in Mayon Volcano possible—Phivolcs
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology or Phivolcs is not ruling out the possibility of raising Mayon Volcano’s status to the alert level 4 category amid its increasing “magmatic unrest” on the summit dome. In an interview, Phivolcs officer-in-charge Director Teresito Bacolcol said the danger zone in the sector—where the crater rim is low—will also be expanded to eight kilometers or more once the alert level has been further raised. Bacolcol said they are monitoring two scenarios that may happen in Mayon, including the 2014 eruption and the 2018 explosion. “The 2018 scenario [is] the rockfall events progress into a magmatic eruption which ah would include which included lava flows fountaining or 2014 scenario may also happen which is the rockfall activity progress into a very slow rate dome exclusion then followed by a short lava flow so we are hoping for the second scenario,” he explained. Phivolcs has logged 199 rockfall events and six pyroclastic density currents. The crater glows in the volcano and is monitored but can’t be seen by the naked eye with its edifice currently inflated. Mayon also spewed 332 tonnes of sulfur dioxide and emitted 800 meters tall of volcanic plume drifting south of the province. From Alert Level 2 (increasing unrest), the Phivolcs raised Mayon’s status to Level 3 (increased tendency towards hazardous eruption) on Thursday, following a continuous increase in its rockfall events. Mayon’s Level 3 category means it is exhibiting magmatic eruption of a summit lava dome, with increased chances of lava flow and hazardous pyroclastic density currents, affecting the upper to middle slopes of the volcano and of potential explosive activity within weeks or even days. Entering to six-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone and flying aircraft close to the volcano remained prohibited as rockfalls, landslides or avalanches, ballistic fragments, lava flows and lava fountaining, pyroclastic density currents, and moderate-sized explosions could be very dangerous. If raised to alert level 4 category, Mayon may pose hazardous eruptions, with intense unrest and persistent tremor and many low frequency-type earthquakes are possible. While SO2 emission levels may show a sustained increase or abrupt decrease. Level 4 category in Mayon likewise indicates intense crater glow, incandescent lava dome, lava fountain, and lava flow in the summit area. Mayon Volcano has erupted more than 50 times since 1616, with the most destructive eruption recorded in 1814, when the town of Cagsawa was buried killing 1,200 people. Its eruption in 1993 caused 79 deaths, while subsequent eruptions in 2000, 2006, 2009, 2014, and 2018 forced tens of thousands of residents in nearby villages to evacuate. In December 2006, rains from powerful Typhoon Durian caused mudslides and floods at the foot of the volcano that killed more than 1,000 people. In 2014, a new lava dome growth of 30 to 50 meters height was observed in Mayon but there was no crater glow. In 2018, the Mayon status was raised to Alert Level 4 after it exhibited a five-kilometer tall phreatomagmatic eruption that lasted 8 minutes and logged explosion-type earthquakes corresponding to the vertical column eruptions, 15 tremor events, some corresponding to lava fountaining episodes, 35 rockfall events and two pyroclastic density currents or PDCs from lava collapse. This event has affected more than 54,000 people of Albay and displaced 1,300 families or 5,016 individuals residents nearby the volcano. Bacolcol said Mayon’s eruption interval is usually three to 10 years with the most recent being five years ago, in 2018. He said the Mayon’s unrest as of this time is “shaping up to be similar to the 2018 event.” Nonetheless, he hopes that the Mayon’s imminent eruption will change course. “We’re hoping it would be a 2014-like event,” he said. The post Alert Level 4 in Mayon Volcano possible—Phivolcs appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sparkle GMA Artist Center names new VP
Media giant GMA Network Inc. recently promoted Joy C. Marcelo as vice president of Sparkle GMA Artist Center. Prior to joining Sparkle, Marcelo was the program manager for various GMA Public Affairs programs, namely, "Imbestigador," "Wish Ko Lang" and "AHA!," the latter of which she conceptualized herself. She served as the program manager for these shows from the years 2006 to 2014. In 2014, she moved to GMA Network's talent management arm, Sparkle GMA Artist Center, as a talent manager and unit head. Marcelo has played an integral role in boosting the careers of some of the top Kapuso stars today such as Gabbi Garcia, Sanya Lopez, Barbie Forteza, David Licauco and recently crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee. Marcelo was then appointed as Sparkle's assistant vice president in January 2022. Under her direction, the talent management arm has grown exponentially, leading to grand launches and huge events. Some of the talent agency's biggest achievements include the launch of the Sparkle brand, Sparkle's Next Brightest Stars, Sparkada and the Sparkle Teens. Sparkle also organized the GMA Thanksgiving Gala, Sparkle Spell and the Sparkle Gives Back charity event. Aside from events and launches, Sparkle also became more aggressive in the digital landscape under Marcelo's leadership. With additional resources invested in social media, Sparkle was able to increase its online presence and following by almost 200 percent. Sparkle's official YouTube channel also earned its Silver Play Button in 2022, proving the efficacy of Marcelo's foresight to ramp up Sparkle's digital efforts. Her leadership has also led to major endorsements and branded deals, resulting to a double-digit increase in income for the department. As the new vice president for Sparkle, Marcelo envisions a bright and progressive future ahead for its artists and for the leading talent management group in the country. The post Sparkle GMA Artist Center names new VP appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Good things come with babies’
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the 36-year-old leader of the main opposition Pheu Thai party, was given a rock star welcome as she returned to the campaign trail for the first time since giving birth less than two weeks ago. The daughter of billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra fulfilled a promise to get back on the campaign trail after giving birth on 1 May. Paetongtarn has been first or second in surveys of voters’ preferred choice of prime minister and her Pheu Thai party — the latest incarnation of the political movement founded by her father — is leading most opinion polls. “I believe that good things come with babies, so this is a blessing for my family,” she told reporters at Bangkok’s Praram 9 hospital on 3 May. A heavily pregnant Paetongtarn was a near-constant presence at campaign rallies in searing tropical heat until just a week before giving birth. The baby, named Prutthasin Sooksawas and nicknamed “Thasin” in honor of her father, is Paetongtarn’s second. Napisa Waitoolkiat, a political analyst at Naresuan University, said the pregnancy and birth might help win over swing voters. Emilie Pradichit, of feminist human rights organization Manushya, said she had sent out a strong message in a patriarchal society. “By actively participating in the electoral process, while also sharing about her pregnancy, she is breaking barriers, Pradichit told Agence France-Presse. “It challenges the notion that pregnancy and motherhood are incompatible with political careers.” Voters are predicted to deliver a heavy defeat to the government of former army chief and coup leader Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, with Pheu Thai and the rival opposition Move Forward Party leading the final polls. Paetongtarn, the daughter of billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra — himself ousted in a coup — arrived to an electric atmosphere at Bangkok’s Impact arena. “May 14 will be a historic day where Thailand will change from a junta rule to a democratic rule,” she told around 10,000 supporters clad in Pheu Thai’s signature vivid scarlet colors. Sunday’s election is a clash between the opposition, fired up by the youth-led pro-democracy street protest movement of 2020, and the older conservative royalist-military establishment embodied by Prayut. Pheu Thai, which draws on a deep well of support from rural voters in the northeast, is well ahead in the polls, but winning most seats in the lower house is no guarantee of taking power. The prime minister will be chosen by the 500 elected members of parliament and 250-strong senate — whose members were appointed by Prayut’s junta, stacking the deck in favor of army-linked parties. The Shinawatra family’s bitter tussle with the royalist-military establishment has been at the center of Thailand’s rolling political drama. Thaksin was removed in a 2006 coup, and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra by Prayut’s putsch in 2014, and some analysts are skeptical that the military will release its grip on power now. The post ‘Good things come with babies’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Time doesn’t heal’: Ukraine’s war widows count the cost
Olga Slyshyk began to fear the worst in January this year when her husband, Mykhailo, a military engineer serving on the front line in eastern Ukraine, didn't contact her on her birthday. It wasn't unusual for the 40-year-old trained lawyer to be offline for days at a time, but Slyshyk knew he would reach out -- one way or another -- on January 14 if he was alive and well. "I was sure he would call or find some way to congratulate me. But I had had a very bad dream and I already knew something was wrong," she told AFP in Kyiv wearing black and holding her two-year-old son Viktor. "On January 15, I found out he had died." More than one year after Moscow invaded, Slyshyk is among a growing number of women widowed by Russian forces and left to count the cost of Ukraine's determination to hold out and push Moscow's invasion back. Neither side has disclosed the exact figures of troops killed, though recently leaked US intelligence documents suggest as many as 17,500 Ukrainian servicemen have been lost. Slyshyk said a social media group for war widows she joined had more than 300 members after her husband was killed defending Soledar in the eastern Donetsk region, but it had doubled in size since. President Volodymyr Zelensky last August hosted widows and their children at an honors ceremony to reassure next of kin their loved ones' sacrifice had not been in vain. "They will remain forever at battle. But they live on in the memory of their relatives," he said, greeting mourning women and their children one by one. Thirty-year-old Slyshyk, who was born in Mariupol -- a port city besieged and captured by Russian forces last spring -- said she often evokes the memory of her killed husband. "All the time. Both in my head and aloud. I'll be unable to open a tin can, weeping from frustration, and I cry out: 'Misha, I'm not even able to do this' and then suddenly, it opens." Daria Mazur, 41, said she learned of her husband's death in 2014 from graphic pictures of his bloodied corpse published on Russian media after fierce fighting with Kremlin-backed separatists. He was killed while withdrawing from Ilovaisk, an infamous and costly chapter of the conflict for Ukraine that saw hundreds killed that August as Kyiv troops pulled back in the face of advancing pro-Russian forces. "Time does not heal. You just get used to it. You accept it. You learn to live with it. And that pain just becomes a part of you," she told AFP in her kitchen in Kyiv, next to pictures showing her husband smiling with their child in his arms. They met on a beach in 2006, fell in love and married in 2010 in the southern region of Kherson, where Mazur fled from when Russia invaded last February. Her hometown is currently occupied by Russian forces. She said her final conversations with her husband, Pavlo, who was 30 when he was killed, betrayed a sense of foreboding. He knew the situation was precarious. "He told me: 'please promise me that no matter what happens to me, you will be happy,'" she recounted to AFP. "These guys are giving their lives so we can live on," she added, referring to Ukrainian servicemen fighting now. It was precisely this need to go on that pushed Oksana Borkun, who also lost her husband to the Russian invasion, to create "We Have to Live," an organization that supports widows -- the same group that Slyshyk joined. Borkun said that while the government offers financial and psychological support, she wanted to go a step further. "The girls face a huge amount of pain. You can say it's possible to go crazy from it. Life is going on around you, and you want to talk to those who understand." The organization gathers money for widows, offers logistical and moral support, too, but chiefly it provides a platform -- mainly online -- for already nearly one thousand widows country-wide to share. For Slyshyk, her husband's family has proven a stronger pillar of support than her own. Her mother, who is also a widow of two years, lives in Donetsk, a pro-Russian stronghold city captured by separatists in 2014 and does not support Ukraine in the war. The fact they have both lost their husbands has not brought them together, she said. Months after Mykhailo's death, Slyshyk is torn when weighing whether his sacrifice was worth it. "He said he was going there for me and Viktor," she recounted, explaining her husband believed Ukraine had no choice but to fight back and win. "But if you want me to be safe, to be ok, I need you by my side, not somewhere else," she added, swallowing back tears. "For now, I'm emotionally conflicted". The post ‘Time doesn’t heal’: Ukraine’s war widows count the cost appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
COA affirms P256-million disallowance vs ex-Napocor execs
The Commission on Audit has ordered the return of P256.411 million in performance incentives and life insurance plan granted by former executives of National Power Corp. to officials and employees in 2004 to 2006 and 2014 to 2015, respectively......»»
Thai PM to dissolve parliament before term ends next month
The ballot could make for a grudge match for the premiership that pits two royalist former army chiefs against the billionaire Shinawatra family, whose elected governments the generals helped to overthrow in coups in 2006 and 2014.....»»
‘Senate rules on Cha-cha on the right track’
The Senate rules on amending the 1987 Constitution are “on the right track” and ready even before the sub-committee wraps up its discourse on the Resolution of Both Houses 6 pushing Charter change, a senator said......»»
Lady Spikers remain on track
Reigning champion La Salle kept a stranglehold of second spot with a 25-19, 25-21, 25-18 win over FEU in the second-round elims of the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament yesterday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum......»»
Stemming the tide at Terrafirma
It hasn’t been exactly a joyride for Terrafirma since joining the PBA in 2014-15. In 21 of 22 conferences, the Dyip failed to advance beyond the eliminations with the 2015-16 Governors Cup the only exception when the team barged into the quarterfinals with a twice-to-beat advantage but lost two in a row to Meralco.....»»