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Second round of Fukushima wastewater release to start next week
Japan will begin releasing a second batch of wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant from next week, its operator has said, an exercise that angered China and others when it began in August. On 24 August, Japan began discharging into the Pacific some of the 1.34 million tons of wastewater that has collected since a tsunami crippled the facility in 2011. "The inspections following the first release have been completed... The (second) discharge will start on 5 October," TEPCO said on Thursday. China banned all Japanese seafood imports after the first release, which ended on September 11, despite Tokyo's insistence that the operation poses no risk. Russia, whose relations with Japan are also frosty, is reportedly considering following suit on a seafood ban. In the first phase around 7,800 tons of water were released into the Pacific out of a planned total of 1.34 million tons, equivalent to more than 500 Olympic swimming pools. TEPCO says that the water has been filtered of all radioactive elements except tritium, which is within safe levels. That view is backed by the UN atomic agency. China has accused Japan of using the ocean like a "sewer", accusations echoed at the United Nations last week by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of the Solomon Islands, who has developed close relations with Beijing. The release, which is expected to take decades to complete, is aimed at making space to eventually begin removing the highly dangerous radioactive fuel and rubble from the wrecked reactors. "As was the case for the first discharge, we will continue to monitor the tritium levels. We will continue to inform the public in ways that are easy to understand based on scientific evidence," TEPCO official Akira Ono told reporters Thursday. Despite China's ban on Japanese seafood imports, Chinese boats are reportedly continuing to catch fish off Japan in the same areas that Japanese vessels operate. Rahm Emanuel, the US ambassador to Japan, last week posted photos of what he said were Chinese fishing boats off Japan on 15 September. "They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Chinese vessels fishing off Japan's coast on September 15th, post China's seafood embargo from the same waters," Emanuel said on social media platform X. The post Second round of Fukushima wastewater release to start next week appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Katya Angara – The journey of a woman and artist
The promising artist that Katya is today is the latest phase in a lifelong journey that began at an early age when she began drawing characters from cartoon comics. All the while she was growing up in a home that nurtured her interest in the arts, as much as it prepared her for rigorous academic training. She read early in life, in a house filled with books. In this second part of our interview, Katya shares with us how she made a number of choices that would lead to where she is today. But once upon a time, for all that had been given to her on a silver platter, she was in a quandary as to what to do with her life. But when she finally decided on what she wanted, there was no stopping the talented and smart girl who, it turned out, possessed an intellectual prowess not unlike those of her parents, the lawyer, and senator Edgardo Angara, whose affinity for the land had been impressed on his daughter, and the lady educator Gloria Manalang Angara, who opened up her daughter’s eyes and minds to the wonders of world literature and the other arts. And it was in art that the young girl did not only find solace but also healing. Here is the final part of our interview: DT: After high school, did you immediately leave for London? KA: To be honest, and I don’t want filters here, I had mental health issues at that time. I was severely depressed. Before I went to London, I went through a tumultuous period of deciding where to go with my education. So, after Poveda, I went to Woldingham (boarding school). then I did half of my BA Psychology degree at UP Diliman from late 2000 to 2002. I loved my time at Diliman but it was a tumultuous transitional period for me, so I decided to revisit pursuing university in London. Central Saint Martins, to be precise, is one of the most prestigious and distinguished art and design schools in the world DT: Around what time was this? KA: It was in 2002. I was bouncing around like I couldn’t anchor myself to one thing. Like, okay, I’m here in London already. And then, okay I’m going to study Psychology in UP. So, what’s with the leap, the sudden jump, the sudden shift? I couldn’t make up my mind. And I think that frustrated my parents for the longest time. I was also being hard on myself because I ended up causing a lot of frustration for myself. And I think that depressed me. So, you know, I’ve been diagnosed with different things. I’m bipolar. And then, I had the hallmarks of ADHD. Let’s just say that my brain works differently DT: Well, one can never be sure about oneself. KA: No, you can never be sure about yourself. And I was questioning myself. For the longest time, all those years I thought, what’s wrong with me? Why am I making all these strange decisions? Why am I behaving this way? Why do I react to people this way?”. You know, parang I shouldn’t be talking or reacting to people like this in this kind of situation. And I’m not just saying with family or what. But with my classmates in school. What drew me to art was it being a place that has its own language e. It’s a place where I can express myself. Art is also a way of healing your own wounds. It’s also a way of revealing those aspects of yourself that you wouldn’t be able to otherwise. It really was a way of healing for me. And I didn’t even know that I needed it. Because again, I was a very quiet and introverted kid. I don’t know why. I couldn’t rely on people, talk to people the way I thought, or maybe people thought I should. So, you know, I kept to myself. I’d hide away in the library every recess or lunch. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. So, that carried on until my university years. Daily Tribune (DT): What did you finally take up in college? Katya Angara: Well, first I just wanted to do a purely art course. So, my foundation course to get me a degree was an Art and Design course. My first choice for this was Central Saint Martins, which continues to be ranked as one of the best art and design schools in the world. I was over the moon when I made it in. DT: What did you have to show to qualify? KA: I needed to show my work. I had some already since I was drawing a lot in my childhood and teenage years. DT: Your works are not the usual ones that use oil, watercolor, acrylic, and all that. KA: I was drawing mostly. And for some reason, I have always been more of a draftsman eh. I’m always more into drawing. I have more illustrating tendencies. DT: Like pen and paper? KA: Yes, pen and paper. Pencil, charcoal. I’ve always had a thing for dry media and pen and ink. It’s more about the control and the precision. That’s my personality. DT: That’s not easy ah. KA: It’s not easy. But you have an affinity for it. And your hands have to be steady. Which is unlikely for someone with pasmado hands like me. But that’s where I find my control eh. That’s why I like it so much. DT: So, what was it like when you showed your drawings at Central Saint Martin? KA: So, I showed my drawings because that was required during the interview. And so I went through the ropes. They asked questions like, "why do you want to do this course here?" DT: Your work must have been good to get you accepted. KA: They were fine. I think it was good enough. But there was a lot I had to improve on. I only knew that once I got into the school. Then, you told yourself, Ah, oo nga pala. There was so much I had to learn. That I could be taught. DT: How was your learning experience? KA: From the beginning, as a child, I always copied from cartoons. And they didn’t like that. They didn’t want to see any cartoons or anything like that. They wanted to see me. They wanted to see my work. My drawing from life. DT: So, how did you do that? It must have been challenging KA: So, I gave them the best of my life drawings. But when I showed them my other works, they weren’t happy with them. So, I learned from that. Being young, you got a bit crushed. But then, you realize it’s a different way of thinking. It’s a different way of doing things. Okay, there’s still so much to learn in terms of art. And it’s not the be-all and end of it all. And then, they said, “This is where you should be learning from.” And they showed me art books. They said, “Go to this gallery or this museum.” DT: How was it like living abroad? Back home, you were the daughter of a senator. KA: Which means nothing when you’re abroad. It meant nothing. Which I actually loved. It was something that I was looking for. Because I lived in a bubble back home. To my parents’ credit naman there’s a reason for that. I was very protected. They wanted to keep me safe and secure given my father’s position. So, I’d always lived in a bubble. I’d always have bodyguards and drivers and all that. And it just felt at times a little restrictive. DT: So, it was a welcome thing? KA: It was a welcome thing. Really, I felt different. I felt normal na parang my family name didn’t mean a thing. And that was refreshing. I could be anything I wanted to be. I could experiment and nobody would judge. Because in schools like that and abroad, especially in Europe, they’re so open-minded. They’re so liberal. DT: How were the teachers? KA: Oh, wonderful. Of course, you always have your favorites, right? Very varied. Depending also on what course you were taking up, whether industrial design or sculpture which I was horrible at when I tried it. I didn’t really get close to my tutors until I moved on to my actual degree. Funny enough, instead of ending up in a practical course. Which would have been like Fine Arts, Graphic Design, or even Illustration because I love drawing. You would think that I would end up in a more practical course like Fine Arts, Graphic Design, or even Illustration, I did a complete shift and I did a theoretical course. I did Curation, Art Criticism, and Art History. So, my training is as a curator and an art critic. DT: Wow, that was very intellectual. It’s good that you always read a lot. KA: Yes, I think that helped because you have to read a lot. You have to love reading. You have to like doing the research. And that served me well. Who would have known, right? But if you think about it, as long as you follow what you want to do in life, it just opens up even if you don’t intentionally seek it. Somehow it just finds you It just fell into place for me in that sense. This is not what I initially set out to do. But I think you have to allow yourself to change your mind. Parang whatever happens at the time, you change with it. You adjust to it. And it worked out beautifully for me. DT: So, were the teachers terrors? KA: Mabait naman sila. But they have very different personalities. My course leader was a lovely older lady who was really into Victorian arts and culture. As in, Victoriana lahat. She would tell you everything about English Victorian history. And she was very passionate about it. And you know, it involved a lot of writing and research. But my favorite tutor was someone who was writing about comic books. Comic books and Pop culture. So, for me, that was a revelation because I didn’t think you could take comics books and put them in the academe. You know, academic level like intellectual. Pwede pala e. Because he showed me a way. He took me under his wing and he showed me his work and from there I learned to write. And because I love comic books. I’m actually a huge geek. I’m a nerd, I’m a dork. DT: What was your thesis? [caption id="attachment_165427" align="aligncenter" width="463"] Roger Sabin was Katya's pop culture mentor at Central Saint Martins in London.[/caption] KA: Because I wanted Roger Sabin, my pop culture tutor, as my professor for my thesis, it was about a 1990s Japanese animated film called Ghost in the Shell 101. It was an animated film based on a very heavy graphic novel, a manga or Japanese comics, by Masamune Shirow. And for me, his work is revelatory. It wasn’t just the style of the Ghost in the Shell. And to think just one man could draw like this. I mean it was a very thick graphic novel. He could draw like that. And he wrote the story too. And to think you had the mental stamina to be able to write something like that and to draw. DT: You must enjoy doing comics. KA: Since I was a kid, I’ve made my own comic books. You know, I would sell my own comic books and people would actually buy them. I taught myself to draw in the comic book style. I learned them all. You know, there’s like Stan Lee of Marvel. DT: You really had it in you. KA: I had it in me. My love for comic books started by reading the ones my brother had collected over the years. He had a stash of them, so, I just devoured them. It was all very amazing to me. Kasi the drawings, the stories, these are worlds written by someone else. So, you have Marvel comics, DC comics, Dark Horse comics. [caption id="attachment_165417" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] With brother, Senator Sonny Angara, whose comic books she devoured for their cartoon figures.[/caption] Q: You didn’t idolize anybody? A: Well, I wasn’t particularly huge on the American comics. I think it was until I stumbled upon the Japanese comics or manga. That really piqued my interest to a degree I never felt before. Kasi it wasn’t just the style, which at first for me was very girly. I mean, I love the romantic comics. But I also felt myself leaning toward the darker stuff. DT: What did you like about Ghost in the Shell? KA: It’s a cyberpunk graphic novel. So, ang galing, ang ganda ng style. It was like, wow. You know, the sheer amount of detail that he puts into the drawings. I said I want to draw like this. I want to tell a story like this. But I don’t know if I was capable of telling if I had the stamina to tell something so intricate and complex. DT: When did you graduate? KA: In 2008. The BA in the UK is only three years. That’s why you take a foundation course. There’s a BA in Curation, and Communication, and criticism in Arts and Design. DT: I am told that you graduated at the top of your class. But you’re not telling me. KA: It sounds so funny kasi eh. Anyway, I graduated with first-class honors for my degree. So, basically, I was Suma Cum Laude in my batch in my year. So, that was what sealed the deal for me and my dad. Kasi for the longest time, I was kind of meandering. I was kind of flip-flopping. My mom knows this eh She goes, “You know Katya you have a tendency to be whimsical.” I am an artist eh, what can I do? Besides, I was young and I wasn’t sure. I knew what I wanted to do, which was to be in the arts but not where I wanted to go. I was asking myself if I had the stamina, the commitment, the fortitude to see it through. [caption id="attachment_165415" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Katya and mom Gloria Angara, who first ignited her interest in the arts.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_165419" align="aligncenter" width="854"] Katya with her dad, the late Senate President Edgardo Angara from whom she learned to apply the principles of nature to her art[/caption] DT: College made you really bloom. KA: Yes. It was the environment. it was the people I was with. Because I was able to go into something I really enjoyed. I wasn’t just doing homework because I was told to do homework. I loved what I was doing. I was invested in it. DT: What did you do after you graduated? KA: Apart from community work, I also worked for some small galleries. I did some work for the Victoria and Albert Museum. I tried to have experiences in bigger institutions, bigger museums, and small independent galleries. I thought that experience would hone me and make me well-rounded. With the smaller galleries, I was able to practice my curatorial background. I was able to help a lot of young artists. They don’t know how to talk about their work or they’re not confident enough to do so. So anyhow, apart from helping them put together shows, I help them speak about their work. Or offer them a perspective they have never seen or thought about. And I feel that that was helping them and I think that’s where I have been able to engage with them. It was fulfilling to help them find their voice as an artist. DT: All the while, you were all alone in London? KA: I was married actually. To a Filipino who was born in the UK, in London. He’s an Englishman, for all purposes. It didn’t work out. We have a daughter. I had a beautiful little girl with him. She lives in London with her father. She’s been here. She lived here in her early years. After she was born in 2010, I decided to move back here. Then, after four years, we went back to London because it was what my husband wanted. He and my dad had a falling out. DT: When was your first exhibit? KA: Last year. Earlier, I did a group show at the Lethaby Gallery at Central Saint Martins. So, I did it with other emerging artists. My next group show was at The Crucible. But it was for a book that Sari Ortiga had commissioned me to do. He wanted to do a series of children’s books about Philippine artists. I did mine. Mine was about Anita Magsaysay-Ho. I did the illustration. It wasn’t new to me because I had been making my own books. I would staple them myself. Although up until that point I didn’t know how to really do it professionally. I found out it could be lucrative and fulfilling. This was in 2008 when I didn’t have a daughter yet. DT: Tell me about your forthcoming show. (The current show had yet to be opened). What paintings are you showing? KA: They’re not paintings, they’re not just drawings. They’re an amalgamation. They’re what you call a compendium of everything I’ve ever done as an artist. The book illustration, and then I dabbled a bit in black-and-white photography. I like the look of black and white photography. So, I do it with my phone or a simple camera. It’s also good for taking reference photos for my work. Because if you can’t sit in the park drawing people or objects, or subjects, the next best thing is you take pictures. And you can draw from those pictures. Kaya maganda siya for reference. So, my work is that, actually. DT: So, what about your subjects? KA: Well, I’m a very central person. We live in a very conservative culture. And I have subjects that would make people say ay, you know, you shouldn’t talk about that. So, there’s no filter, it’s very raw, very natural. In London, I was able to talk to people about things like BDSM or Bondage Sado-Masochism. And you know, that can get a bad rap. Because if you do it wrong, it would look strange to anyone who is not familiar with it. Among the Japanese, there is a subculture that does that. DT: Do they consider BDSM an art form? KA: There’s a particular Japanese artist whose work I used to admire. He’s a photographer. And his subject is BDSM. There were pictures of women tied up and then there were flowers and reptiles. So it was very sexual. I found myself drawn to that because there’s the element of the dark side. Carl Jung, the psychoanalyst, talked about how we have to make our unconscious conscious. The darkness in us is unconscious. And if you don’t make your darkness conscious, it’s going to come out in other ways at some point. Meaning to say, you shouldn’t repress those sides of you. I think it is a side that’s intertwined with the creative side of me. I can’t be an artist without being sensual. Without that aspect, all that would be macabre. Which brings me to my mom again. She used to chide me for reading Stephen King when I was a kid. I’m a huge Stephen King fan. She was like, “It’s so macabre, so dark.” And I’m like, “I like it, I like his work.” He’s such a skilled writer. And I like how he could take something so mundane and make it terrifying and frightening on all levels. Stephen King said that he writes two thousand words every morning. I’m not sure if I can do that. I wanted to write na rin eh because the natural partner of my art is my writing. Because as a curator, I didn’t just read. I had to write a lot. And that’s where I honed my skills. Kasi siyempre, it’s a sword that you have to sharpen every now and then. So, for the show. I did a lot of writing. I did my own writing. DT: While we're on the talk of artists, what about the Filipino artists? Who among them do you admire? Do you have any mentors and idols? KA: Among Philippine artists, Junyee is my second father and my first artistic mentor. He is my OG sage and shaman of Philippine art, the Father of Philippine Installation Art. I'm actively lobbying for him to become National Artist soon, as no one deserves it more than he does, with his magnificent oeuvre. I'll always remember how, in a fleeing moment of impostor syndrome, he consoled me by saying that making art for myself always comes first. Love the process and the rest follows. The maverick attitude is very Junyee! And yet, he lives a modest life in the forest-like setting of his home in Los Banos, echoing the nature-loving ethos of our favorite Japanese animator, Hayao Miyazaki, creator of Toroto, Nausicaa, Spirited Away, among many other magical films. Since I was a child, Junyee saw my potential and continued to push me to have my own gallery shows, as did his longtime friend and one of my other mentors, Sari Ortiga. Sari's daughter Yasmin is a good friend and batchmate of mine from Poveda. Sari owns and runs the distinguished Crucible Gallery, and he hired me to illustrate one of the children's books for his series "Growing up with Philippine art" in 2009. It's thanks to Sari that I pushed myself to evolve as an artist, to grow outside of my comfort zone. The acclaimed visual artist and sculptor Jinggoy Buensuceso is something of a bad boy du jour of the Philippine art scene, and his dissident attitude is something I can identify with. I love the unorthodox, the sensual, the macabre, the dark stuff that delves deep into the psyche. I'm so bored of the "covers" or "riffs" of the countless Amorsolo, Basquiat, Picasso, or Rothko-type artworks that I see so much of in the local art scene. As wtih Junyee and Sari, Jinggoy has taught me how to navigate the perilous seas of art and life, echoing Junyee's advice to remain myself, in a world that often pushes us to be someone else. My three mentors, by example, taught me how to be original. DT: How many are you exhibiting? How many works? KA: Now, I have 9 complete pieces. I’d like to add another one. Honestly, medyo cramming ito because I only had two months to do the show. Normally for this kind of work - especially with the big piece I am doing - it’s a seven-foot piece. I would need, preferably to be comfortable, at least four to six months to do all this work. Kasi, there is so much nicer when you give it time to compost. To come together, to become fertile. DT: Is there enough time for one more work? A: Yes. I have one more work that I want. Because I feel that it rounds it up eh. If I do ten, I love the work that I’ve already done. Again, it’s not a painting, it’s a collage. So, I’d call it a photographic collage with paper cuttings on canvas. I wanted to treat canvas in a way that is not painting DT: Shouldn’t someone curate for you? KA: For now, I’m happy to have to do it myself. Because I feel that I’m the only one who can portray myself in a way that I feel I should be portrayed. Kasi it’s art eh. You’re trying not so much to explain yourself as you’re trying to convey who you are to somebody without being obvious. That’s art. DT: Where does Stephen, your partner, come in? [caption id="attachment_165418" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] With her partner and anchor, Stephen Lu.[/caption] KA: Stephen is somewhat of an anchor for me. So, I feel comfortable, I feel more confident when he’s around. But I guess I’m okay. DT: Now, as we wind up, let’s talk about how you are like your parents and not like them. You said that your interest in the arts came from the exposure that you received from your mother, and of course, the presence of books at home. Tell me more about your father’s role in your becoming the person that you are. KA: One of my fondest memories of my father was his love of nature, gardening, and farming, which I learned from him. He was at his best and calmest when he was at his farm in Nasugbu and Baler. Whilst my father was a “man of the soil”, I learned to be an “artist of the soil”, a gardener who applies the principles of nature to my art. Hence the overlying themes of nature in my oeuvre of artwork. And the most resonant themes of philosophy (which my father also studied and applied in his life) are the themes relating to lessons learned from nature: patience, fortitude, temperance. From this I’ve become more acutely aware of life’s transience, making our time all the more precious, being grateful for small and simple pleasures, and the opportunities that come my way. The naïveté of my younger years meant that I didn’t have a complete grasp of the opportunities presented to me by my father, I took much for granted. Now I see why he did what he did, he gave me the tools to be able to achieve my full potential. Only now that I’m embracing that fire and heading in a direction that makes the most of my talents. I had impostor syndrome for the longest time. Always questioning and doubting myself. Now I can fully embrace who I am and it is cathartic. DT: In what way are you like them? KA: I have the different strengths of my parents. I’ve inherited their academic minds and cultured tastes, with an eye for detail and beauty. I have many mannerisms and behavious in common with my mum, in terms of poise and self-possession. But, she is like Audrey Hepburn and I am infinitely more of a Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn was also a very private person and something of a poet and writer. I guess it’s no surprise that I am drawn to art and writing; I am highly introspective, painfully self-aware and attuned to my moods and to the moods of others; like my Dad, I’m intuitive and know how to read people. DT: My last question is, how has art influenced you in your direction in life? And where are you going from here? KA: Being an introvert, I don’t always translate into easy social interactions with most people. So I channel it all into my art. It’s a language that best expresses my psyche, thoughts, and emotions. Working with my hands is healing and consolation for the isolation, depression, and anxiety attacks that grip me on bad days. That’s why as an artist of the soil, gardening and art go hand in hand. In the future, I can see myself tending to the land and becoming a farmer as my father was. It’s like coming home. The post Katya Angara – The journey of a woman and artist appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Winning Huawei shot
Huawei Philippines launches XMAGE Awards 2023 Philippines. The contest, which runs until 15 August, offers participants the opportunity to showcase their talents in both photography and videography in capturing the country’s natural beauty, diverse culture and vibrant scenes using their Huawei smartphones. Echoing the aspiration of the Global Huawei XMAGE Awards 2023 last 7 April to celebrate inspiration and creativity, the XMAGE Awards 2023 Philippines encourages professional photographers, smartphone-photography enthusiasts, and dedicated video content creators alike to share their masterpieces and win amazing prizes. Up for grabs are a Huawei P60 Pro, a Huawei Watch GT Runner, a Huawei Sound Joy and a Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2. Huawei’s recently launched XMAGE brand from 2022 has primarily focused on the optical system, mechanical structure, imaging technology and image processing in photography. All four pillars of XMAGE now form the tenets of HUAWEI’s new smartphone camera technologies available in the latest HUAWEI Mate 50 Pro’s Ultra Aperture Camera and HUAWEI P60 Pro’s Ultra Lighting Telephoto Camera to produce stunning images day and night with its unprecedented full-path light capturing capabilities. Aligned with the global HUAWEI XMAGE Awards 2023, the contest has the following categories: Night Walk, Outdoor, Portrait, Art and Fashion, Hello Life, Storyboard, Action and Storytelling. Participants are encouraged to capture the lively and animated nightlife in the Philippines according to these categories by using Huawei’s unique night-photo settings. With HUAWEI P60 Pro’s Ultra Lighting Telephoto Camera and Ultra Lighting Main Camera that boasts an F1.4–F4.0 auto-adjustable physical aperture, pristine photos can be captured from any distance, day and night, thanks to its unprecedented full-path light capturing capabilities. Revel in unique XMAGE styles to produce vivid photography in low-light settings, fully displaying details in the dark, or immersive photography with enriching details in bright setting, well-defined light and shade. Capture breathtaking photos of the moon and even nocturnal animals or take portraits at the local night market. You will surely end up with dynamic shots that perfectly embodies the essence of your subjects. The winners of the XMAGE Awards 2023 Philippines photography contest will be selected by a panel of esteemed judges, including industry experts Kublai Millan (artist and sculptor), Jelito de Leon (lifestyle photographer and visual storyteller) and Li Changzhu (VP of Consumer Strategy). The post Winning Huawei shot appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Who’s who in Philippine basketball history (part 11)
It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but I just need the first name and surname of some of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) players from the Swinging Seventies. The long quiz begins. Get ready with your ball pens, I mean, mobile phones and tablets. THE QUIZ (part 11) 101 – This […] The post Who’s who in Philippine basketball history (part 11) appeared first on Bandera......»»
Farmer group in remote Samar town gets nearly half a million assistance from DAR
Some P465 thousand worth of assistance were formally turned over on August 7 this year by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Samar Provincial Office to the Calanyugan Farmers Association (CFA)......»»
Meta quarterly profit jumps but it sees volatility in ad market
Meta on Wednesday reported that its quarterly profit more than doubled from last year's figure as it looks ahead at a volatile ad market and lawsuits accusing it of profiting from "children's pain." "Meta earnings looked pretty good," said independent tech analyst Rob Enderle. "They have clearly cut back on the bleeding surrounding their metaverse efforts and the company appears to be on a more even keel right now." The tech giant said it made a profit of $11.6 billion as ad revenue climbed 23 percent to $34 billion when compared to the same period a year earlier. "We had a good quarter for our community and business," said Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. The number of people using Facebook monthly rose slightly to 3.05 billion in a year-over-year comparison while monthly active users of Meta's "family" of apps was 3.96 billion a 7 percent increase from the same quarter in 2022, the company reported. Meta said it had trimmed costs, with layoffs and other belt-tightening measures started last year providing "greater efficiency." Meta had suffered a rough 2022 amid a souring economic climate and Apple's data privacy changes, which allowed users to block ad targeting, the pillar of Meta's business. Meta's vow of austerity on spending brought an unprecedented round of cost-cutting that saw the company lay off tens of thousands of workers since last November. Meta shares, which closed the formal trading day down, fell more than three percent further in after-hours trades to $289.50. Chief financial officer Susan Li said during an earnings call that Meta is seeing "volatility" in an ad market that started to soften when the conflict between Israel and Hamas began. "It's hard for us to attribute demand softness directly to any specific geopolitical event," Li said. "We have seen broader demand softness follow other regional conflicts in the past, such as in the Ukraine war, so this is something that we're continuing to monitor." Lawsuit peril Analyst Enderle maintained that Meta is at risk from lawsuits poised to damage its image and its wallet. Dozens of US states this week accused Meta of profiting "from children's pain," damaging their mental health and misleading people about the safety of its platforms. "In seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its Social Media Platforms," argued a joint lawsuit filed in federal court in California. The states accused Meta of exploiting young users by creating a business model designed to maximize time they spend on the platform despite harm to their health. In total more than 40 states are suing Meta, though some opted to file in local courts rather than join in the federal case. Meta said the states were singling it out unfairly instead of working with social media companies to develop universal standards for the whole industry. "This landmark lawsuit could herald a seismic shift in how social media platforms approach product features and user engagement," said Insider Intelligence principal analyst Jeremy Goldman. "That said, even as tech stocks face uncertainty, Meta's consistent performance cements its leadership in the digital realm." Meanwhile, the European Union is seeking details on measures Meta has taken to stop the spread of "illegal content and disinformation" in light of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The AI race The tech giant is putting artificial intelligence into digital assistants and smart glasses as it seeks to gain lost ground in the AI race. "I'm proud of the work our teams have done to advance AI and mixed reality with the launch of Quest 3, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, and our AI studio," Zuckerberg said in the earnings release. The second-generation Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses made in a partnership with EssilorLuxottica have a starting price of $299. "Smart glasses are the ideal form factor for you to let AI assistants see what you're seeing and hear what you're hearing," Zuckerberg said. Meta has taken a more cautious approach than its rivals Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google to push out AI products, prioritizing small steps and making its in-house models available to developers and researchers. "The majority of the world's population will have their first experience of generative artificial intelligence with us," Meta chief technology officer Andrew "Boz" Bosworth told AFP in a recent interview. Meta recently unveiled AI-infused chatbots with personalities, along with tools for creating images or written content using spoken prompts. The post Meta quarterly profit jumps but it sees volatility in ad market appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Valenzuela toasts 400th year with ‘Oktoberfest’
Valenzuela City celebrated its 400th Founding Anniversary with a three-day beer and music festival called “Oktoberfest” which started last Friday and ends Sunday, 22 October with a line-up of events at CJ Santos Street, Barangay Malinta. “Oktoberfest” is a grand beer and music festival that features a concert of several musical artists and rock bands alongside beer stations and food concessionaires that Valenzuelanos can enjoy. Filled with merriment and exciting performances, this event was also deemed special as it commemorates the city’s 400 years of history and progress. On the day of its grand opening, Mayor Wes Gatchalian, Vice Mayor Lorie-Natividad Borja. Councilor Gerald Galang, and other city officials spearheaded the ribbon-cutting ceremony which marked the beginning of the event. They also shared words of welcome to further rev up the excitement among Valenzuelanos. A search for contestants for the Battle of the Bands and Rap Contest was held prior to “Oktoberfest”. On its first day, the finalists of the said contests gave their performances as well as other local rappers and the bands “Inner Core” and “The Big Thing.” Meanwhile, the second day featured a “Hip-hop Night” which was graced by special musical guests such as Karl Banayad, Salbakuta with the special participation of Axcel of Barakojuan and Cursebox and Apekz with the special participation of Yung Bawal. Following the awarding of winners of the rap contest, rapper Nik Makino also took the stage for a groovy, pop-off rap performance. These invited guests were also the judges of the rap contest. The last day of “Oktoberfest” is a night of rock. Finalists of the Battle of the Bands were narrowed down to three and only one will be crowned as champion. Renowned Filipino rock bands Siakol and Join The Club are featured artists in the grand finale. Streamed with lights and lined up with a variety of food booths and beer stations, the streets of CJ Santos were filled with the life and energy of the Valenzuelanos. This year’s “Oktoberfest” is a toast to the city’s continuous growth and progress over the years — a definite milestone worth celebrating and sharing with one another. The post Valenzuela toasts 400th year with ‘Oktoberfest’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Druggie yields P400K shabu
A female drug suspect was arrested and more than P400,000 worth of suspected shabu was seized in an anti-illegal drugs operation in Pasig City Friday evening. The 29-year-old woman was identified only as alias Kukay, a resident of Barangay Bambang, Pasig City. She was nabbed in a buy-bust operation conducted by joint operatives of the Pasig City Police Station’s Drug Enforcement Unit, Bambang Police Sub-Station 3 and Station Special Weapons and Tactics Team at Villa Reyes Street, Barangay Bambang at about 7:30 p.m. Confiscated from the suspect were one piece of heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet and one piece of knot-tied transparent plastic containing suspected shabu weighing more or less 65 grams with an estimated street value of P442,000, P200 buy-bust money, ten pieces of one-thousand bill, and a black pouch. The suspect will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The post Druggie yields P400K shabu appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dutertes’ anger at secret fund scrutiny, queries opens crack in ‘UniTeam’
MANILA, Philippines—With the decision of the House of Representatives to strip Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte of P650 million in confidential funds, her father, Rodrigo Duterte, seemed to have no choice but to come to her defense. The former president said Sara was planning to use some of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) confidential funds for the revival of the controversial Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). ALSO READ: ‘Know who your true friends are’ – VP Sara Duterte He told SMNI, a radio station owned by Duterte pal Apollo Quiboloy, that Sara will insist in making ROTC compulsory. But based on government documents, confidential funds are only for confidential expenses related to surveillance activities in civilian government offices that are intended to support their mandate or operations. The elder Duterte later said he prodded his daughter to instead say that her confidential funds—P500 million for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and P150 million for DepEd—would be used against “communists in Congress.” He even went on threatening one of the fiercest critics of confidential and intelligence funds in the government, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro of the progressive Makabayan bloc in the House. The elder Duterte’s thirst for secret funds, which was removed from his daughter’s OVP and DepEd budgets by a “small committee”, also led him to attack the institution that had backed him throughout his six-year presidency. The House is the “most corrupt institution,” he alleged. But House Secretary General Reginald Velasco immediately countered the former president, saying that the institution is constantly subjected to checks and balances, even by the COA, which was once criticized by the elder Duterte, too. The row became evident, even online, with his propagandists echoing his words. Some even said the House, even the Senate, has billions of pesos worth of funds for extraordinary expenses and that Sara is being singled out. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s secret funds should be removed, too, some said. The constant Duterte Velasco pointed out that Rodrigo’s expletives were offensive and that a lot of the members of the House considered the remarks of the former leader as a serious attack, saying that the institution has been unwavering in its dedication to serve Filipinos. The elder Duterte’s latest outburst is consistent with his usual way of expressing anger. Remember how he outrightly stated, even without presenting evidence, that once a person is addicted to.....»»
LIFE’S PASSING GRADE
As the sun slowly descends in the western sky, a man on the balcony of a Malate condominium is gazing at the undulating waters of Manila Bay as it mirrors the disappearing sun. While enjoying this scenic view, the man casts his eyes on the tinted window glass next to him and sees his “youthful” visage. Blessed with baby-faced features, round face and big doe eyes, he looks younger than 50. However, his silvery hair and crow’s feet tell a different story. The man suddenly wonders, “What does it feel like to be 75?” The awareness dawns that, at the age of 75, he will find himself at the twilight of his life, contemplating on the rich tapestry of experiences that have shaped his journey. As the question lingers in his mind, he finds solace in the belief that life, like the enduring waves of Manila Bay, will keep going, revealing its beauty in every rise and fall. [caption id="attachment_194598" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] The grade of 75 may not be a perfect score, yet it symbolizes the lessons learned along the way. | PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF unsplash/ nguyen-dang-hoang-nhu[/caption] Make the grade Like everyone else, the man had his fair share of ups and downs, successes and failures. As he pondered through the chapters of his life, he couldn’t help but compare life to an exam, with 75 as the passing grade. Life threw questions at him — some easy, others hard and challenging. Some were like multiple-choice quizzes, offering options that seemed equally plausible. Others resembled open-ended questions, requiring thoughtful reflection. Yet, there were times when the questions could be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” It was very rare for him to encounter a question without a clear right or wrong answer. Regardless of the nature of the exam, the man faced each one head-on. While he stumbled along the way, as any person might, he always got up, learning from each test. Wisdom and experience played a significant role in overcoming obstacles. The grade of 75 may not be a perfect score, yet it symbolizes the lessons learned along the way. In his moments of introspection, he sees 75 not merely a passing grade but a mark of resilience, reflecting the valuable insights he gained from life’s diverse questions. Each failure, each wrong answer, had been a lesson woven into the fabric of his being, contributing to the mosaic of experience that defined him. With three-quarters of a century’s worth of experience, the man, upon reaching the age of 75, plans to continue relishing life every day until the sun goes down on him. Shoot a 75 A typical 18-hole golf course usually has a total par of around 72. If a course has a par of 72 and a golfer takes 75 strokes to complete the course, the reported score is “three-over-par,” indicating that the golfer took three shots more than par to finish. Think of life like playing a round of golf. Reaching the age of 75 can be likened to completing an 18-hole golf course. In this analogy, the par 72 represents the average life expectancy. According to global data analyst, database.earth, the current average life expectancy for the Philippines in 2023 is 72.2951 years. If, at age 75, an individual encounters certain challenges or deviates from the conventional path, it can be compared to a golfer taking 75 strokes to finish a par 72 course. The reported score of “three-over-par” serves as a metaphor for the additional efforts or adjustments one might need to make in life at that age. The main difference, however, between life and golf lies in the fact that being “under par” is favorable in the sports, while being “over par” has a positive meaning in getting older. Near the twilight Sipping his coffee, the man now observes the sky shifting its colors from fiery orange to deep purple. While his outlook upon reaching 75 may appear positive, he wonders if he can still play golf or any of his favorite sports at that age. At 75, an individual is often considered to be in a phase of life where he encounters unique health challenges. This prompts contemplation about the quality of life, medical care and societal perspectives on aging. The post LIFE’S PASSING GRADE appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Cage crown is ‘worth a thousand golds’
In the eyes of POC president Abraham Tolentino, the victory in men’s basketball “is worth a thousand golds.”.....»»
Cage crown is ‘worth a thousand golds’
In the eyes of POC president Abraham Tolentino, the victory in men’s basketball “is worth a thousand golds.”.....»»
‘Worth a thousand golds’: Cone, Gilas hailed for monumental Asian Games triumph
Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin joined Philippine sports officials in congratulating Gilas Pilipinas for winning the gold medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games......»»
How Jake Cuenca created ‘Iron Heart’s’ rock-star villain Eros
“It has to be two words: rock star.” That was Jake Cuenca’s reply when we asked him to describe his Eros character in The Iron Heart during the show’s finale mediacon recently. Playing Eros, who in the series becomes a perfect foil to Richard Gutierrez’s Apollo character, is something that Cuenca relished, as he was given a free hand to “personalize” his attack on it. Cuenca, consummate artist that he is, really invested in his character, something that he learned from the late actor Eddie Garcia. He bought his own prop guns and accessories and gave his character his own distinct sartorial taste. “With Eros, as fun as it was to portray him, it’s very, very challenging. There are times na when you’re exhausted on the set, kapag pagod na pagod ka na, sometimes it’s hard to try to keep the voice, sometimes it’s hard to keep the accent kasi pagod ka na, eh, so you try to get it right, you try to do it right,” he said. For the first time, revealed Cuenca, he didn’t go out of character even in his free time. “I was never out of character with this one to the point na even in my free time I was trying to find him all the time kasi I really enjoyed myself. One thing I’ll never forget about this role, this is the first time they really allowed me to really put layers, to put an accent, to put on a voice, to change things. They allowed me to personalize it.” The series’ finale is one for the books as it will be shot abroad and will involve katana fighting. “I’ve been training for this for two weeks now. It’s gonna be intense,” he said. While it’s Cuenca’s first time to be wielding a katana sword, sword-fighting isn’t new to him as “I’ve done it in the past like kami ni Coco (Martin) sa Panday. His promise for the series’ finale: “I think our ending is beautiful. Itong ending na ito, it’s very, very emotional, it’s very, very intense pero lalaking-lalaki ‘yung eksena,” he said. Photoshoot for P1 million loot This talent manager’s greed for money has reached colossal proportions. We’re saying this because we were informed that this manager duped her wards one time into believing all they were doing was just a pictorial. The manager gathered five of her wards and told them it had been a time that they had recent photos. So a pictorial was set pronto. But that wasn’t all there was to it. Without the wards knowing, the photoshoot was in fact for billboards and other collaterals to promote the cold-cuts products of a politician -businessman from the North with whom the talent manager has had long ties. When the manager was issued checks worth P1 million, she told the politician-businessman to keep mum about it and not tell her wards that it was for their services rendered. Why was the talent manager confident that her secret would not be discovered by her wards? Because they didn’t frequent the North. The post How Jake Cuenca created ‘Iron Heart’s’ rock-star villain Eros appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SM Hypermarket Street Food Festival 2023
Brace yourself for an unforgettable food party at the most delicious street food event of the year, the SM Hypermarket Street Food Festival 2023. This year, it’s all about celebrating delicious street food, featuring street food vendors, event-exclusive promos, live cooking demos from its guest celebrity chef, and exciting activities in the bustling SM Hypermarket Fairview. [caption id="attachment_190800" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Chef Boy Logro dancing with SM Markets mascots[/caption] Celebrity Chef Boy Logro Takes Center Stage! [caption id="attachment_190799" align="aligncenter" width="854"] Chef Boy Logro showing how to prepare SM Bonus Pork BBQ[/caption] Prepare to be amazed as the one and only Kusina Master, Chef Boy Logro, headlines the festival with his exceptional and creative cooking skills. Known for his culinary mastery and captivating cooking shows, Chef Boy Logro will grace the event with live cooking demonstrations that will surely make you crave. Watch in amazement as he showcases SM's finest pre-blanched meats, including the mouthwatering sisig and tender beef tendon, into classic street food creations. But the excitement doesn't stop there! Chef Boy Logro will also introduce the newest SM Bonus Marinated Pork Barbecue on stick – a premium taste sensation that’s delicious, tender, and ready to cook. A Street Food Party Like No Other [caption id="attachment_190801" align="aligncenter" width="854"] Chef Boy Logro cooking sisig using SM’s blanched sisig[/caption] The SM Hypermarket Street Food Festival 2023 is your passport to a world of street food delights, made possible by its partners Nestle Magic Sarap, Nestle All Purpose Cream, Knorr Seasoning, Knorr Cubes, Knorr Soup, Purefoods Hotdog, Purefoods Heat & Eat, Lucky Me, Alaska Crema All Purpose Cream, Joy Dishwashing Liquid, 555 Sardines, 555 Tuna, CDO Hotdog, CDO Tocino, CDO Chicken Franks, Bounty Fresh Chicken & Farm Fresh Liempo. [caption id="attachment_190802" align="aligncenter" width="854"] SM Markets mascots and Customer Assistants at the Street Food Festival[/caption] [caption id="attachment_190803" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Guests and shoppers watching Chef Boy Logro’s live cooking demo[/caption] Explore a diverse range of street food stalls offering an irresistible array of snacks, treats, and bites that capture the essence of street cuisine from around the world. From sizzling skewers to crispy empanadas, it's a street food paradise you won't want to miss. In addition to the delectable street food offerings and Chef Boy Logro's culinary expertise, shoppers can enjoy special discounts, freebies, and fun activities such as our Hook-A-Duck game, plus snap some cool shots with the trending SM Turon and Five Star coffee pillows at the Photo Alley. [caption id="attachment_190804" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Chef Boy Logro with media guests[/caption] Shop to your heart's content and take advantage of unbeatable deals and discounts available only at the festival. Enjoy freebies for every purchase of Street Food Festival bundles, as well as big savings when you buy participating items with your SM Advantage or Prestige card. You can even get free SM Bonus Pork BBQ sticks with a minimum purchase of P1,000 worth of participating items. [caption id="attachment_190805" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Chef Boy Logro at the Street Food Festival photo alley[/caption] [caption id="attachment_190806" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Shopper enjoying the Street Food Festival’s Hook-A-Duck game[/caption] That’s not all. Shoppers may still get the Street Food Festival experience within the comforts of home through the online promos. They can get free SM Bonus lobster balls for a minimum of P1,500 worth of groceries inclusive of Street Food Festival participating items if they use the code FREEILOBYOU at smmarkets.ph. Don't miss the SM Hypermarket Street Food Festival 2023! It's going to be the best street food party. Join us in SM Hypermarket stores from September to October for mouthwatering street food, and exclusive deals. The post SM Hypermarket Street Food Festival 2023 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Online lending worse than 5-6
During his term, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte declared his intention to eradicate the 5-6 system, which ensnares our fellow Filipinos in perpetual debt bondage. True to his word, in 2016, he initiated a crackdown on the 5-6 lending scheme and issued warnings to foreigners involved that they would face arrest and deportation. The 5-6 lending scheme offers small loans at a hefty interest rate of 20 percent per month until fully paid. It is primarily attractive to poor people and small businesses because it requires no collateral or other stringent requirements. The name 5-6 originates from lending P5,000 and expecting P6,000 in return after one month. Although some criticize this practice, it has aided numerous small and medium-sized enterprises, as our banking system often makes it exceedingly challenging to secure loans. This has made the government realize the importance of providing easier access to formal sources of credit. This has become a battle cry to the banking and financial sectors in collaboration with the government. This financial inclusion as an aspect of governance will be discussed in a different article. Enter today’s online lending services. I can readily say they are far worse than 5-6, with interest rates reaching 30-40 percent in just seven days. These rates are difficult to repay and keep borrowers in perpetual financial bondage. As an Undersecretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, I have received complaints from my fellow citizens regarding this practice and its illegal collection methods. These violate the Financial Products and Consumer Protection Act, the Lending Company Regulation Act, and the Data Privacy Act. These criminal offenses can incur fines of up to P2,000,000. Apart from the unethical and sometimes outright criminal tactics these online companies employ to collect debts, we need to emphasize the excessive interest rates they impose. One example shared with me provides the following details: Loan Terms: Credit Amount P12,000 Period 180 days Assessment Fee P840 Platform Fee P1,560 Payment Expense P960 Transfer Charge P25 Amount Received P8,615 Total Interest P1,764 Payment upon Due Date P13,764 In the illustration above, despite stating a loan period of 180 days, the due date is only within seven days, with a nominal fee of 100 pesos due in 180 days, which is waived if you pay the total amount within seven days. From the above illustration, when you borrow P12,000, you receive an amount of P8,615, and within seven days, you are required to repay P13,764, which is an additional 37.4 percent of the received amount. This online borrowing scheme makes the 5-6 system appear far less obnoxious. It even makes the latter system seem reasonable. Upon further inquiry, I discovered that when you download these types of online apps, you must grant permission for them to access your location, contacts, and camera. In addition to contacting emergency references during debt collection, some lenders even send collection messages to those in your contact list, which may include your friends. This is deeply concerning. The practice could be more intrusive and unnecessary. On top of the data protection, cybercrime, and privacy issues it legally straddles, the ethical considerations alone are worth noting. This is only the beginning of my investigation into this issue, and I hope that, with the assistance of our government, we can crack down on illegal and heartless lending practices that are plaguing our country, leading to the closure of these predatory lending companies and the imprisonment of their owners. The post Online lending worse than 5-6 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Removal of Chinese barrier in WPS necessary — PBBM
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday defended the removal of a Chinese floating barrier in the West Philippine Sea, saying that it was necessary to protect the country's fishermen and maritime territory. In an interview with reporters in Siargao, Marcos said that the barrier was inside Philippine territory, preventing fishermen from accessing their traditional fishing grounds. "I don't see what else we could do because those fishermen, when the rope was cut, the fishermen who entered on that day caught 164 tons of fish, just in one day. That's what our fishermen are losing. So, it's not right to put up a barrier like that, and it's clearly inside the Philippines," Marcos said. "We're not looking for trouble. We're just going to continue to defend the Philippines, the maritime territory of the Philippines, and the rights of our fishermen who have been fishing in those areas for hundreds of years," Marcos added. He added that he did not understand why China had installed the barrier, but that the Philippines was "avoiding conflict" and "heated words." "We are steadfast in defending the territory of the Philippines," Marcos said. In recent months, China's actions in the West Philippine Sea have been marked by an increasing level of aggression, asserting control over nearly the entire South China Sea. China has also disregarded the 2016 arbitral ruling that upheld the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and rejected China's historical claims. Last week, Chinese Coast Guard ships placed a barrier made of ropes and nets, supported by buoys, when a Philippine government fisheries vessel was approaching, and over 50 Philippine fishing boats gathered around the shoal, as reported by the Philippine Coast Guard. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said earlier this week that the Philippines might submit a new protest to a tribunal after the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) uncovered damaged coral reefs in a region of the West Philippine Sea frequently visited by Chinese militia vessels. In an interview with Anthony Taberna, Bersamin affirmed that China knew the Philippines' preference for a multilateral approach in its foreign relations. The executive secretary verified that the President issued the directive to eliminate the floating barriers. "When such orders are given, they come directly from the President after consulting with officials involved in the matter. We cannot disclose the details of how it was done. Still, a decision-making process was established, and they convened to decide to go there," Bersamin said. The post Removal of Chinese barrier in WPS necessary — PBBM appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Budget season
Marathon meetings were held this week in the Senate and the House of Representatives in line with the budget season leading to the approval of the ever-increasing P5.7-trillion budget for 2024. The yearly “budget-serye” (budget series) never fails to disappoint in bringing out issues that extract the tiniest of details in our government that are given monetary figures in the form of public funds, amounting to millions and even billions of pesos. And every year, we see how the majority gets its way, especially early in the Administration, such as where we are right now. My biggest pet peeve in these sessions is the consistent usage of incompetent sponsors for specific government offices who deserve much better. These sponsors, whose mandate is to defend their sponsored government office before the increasingly knowledgeable and wise interpolators, must be technically and legally verbose and experts in the Philippine budget process. Clearly, this is all wishful thinking since we see neophyte, inarticulate, incapable, yet extremely loyal sponsors who would do anything to prove their worth to the powers that be, even if it means being humiliated and trending on social media for the wrong reasons. Indeed, this is the time for the opposition lawmakers to shine and feast on the mental shortcomings of their counterparts. The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives finds itself in the limelight as it engages in its own “hunting season” against willing victims, may they be Cabinet secretaries or, gasp, the Office of the Vice President, whose massive confidential and intelligence funds are being questioned repeatedly anew. Lo and behold, we have a statement from the House Appropriations Committee chairman that these OVP allocations will be realigned to more deserving government agencies, i.e., the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard. However, we have yet to see the indisputable evidence to prove this happened. Nevertheless, it is a fair and conclusive presumption to say that the majority will still get its way despite the awkward and unconvincing defenses and sponsorships in favor of the government agencies. Is the budget process faulty? It appears not since the correct agencies still receive what is due them. The problem, in my humble opinion, lies in the implementation of these budgets granted to them. For instance, the alleged spending by the OVP of its confidential funds amounting to P125 million in 19 days or 11 days, whichever is true, is a problem of implementation, not allocation. What prevented the OVP from spending this amount earlier? What’s likely is that the OVP rushed the spending so they would not be accused of failure in spending public funds for the right and correct reasons. The other issue on the alleged unconstitutional transfer of funds by the Office of the President to the OVP, while the GAA of 2023 was in effect, is likewise the product of faulty, inefficient implementation of the law. It is illegal for a government office, such as the Office of the President, to casually assign a portion of its fund to the OVP because this renders the budget process faulty and even useless. If there is something that may be attributed to faulty implementation, it can be its failure to set proper safeguards that would lead to the enforcement of new ones. In fact, a Supreme Court decision on the alleged unconstitutional transfer made by the OP to the OVP is in the works. This would place the 2023 “budget-serye” on record as the landmark budget season that would define those in the coming years. For comments, email him at darren.dejesus@gmail.com. The post Budget season appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hamilton is perfect in every shot
Hamilton is brilliant theater. No wonder tickets were for a time being sold and selling for a thousand dollars each on Broadway. The musical gets all its shots right. It is funny, romantic, inspiring, engaging, absolutely well-written and an absolute blast......»»
‘Rama, Hari’ gala is a cultural feast
Rama, Hari (Rama the King) returns to live stage, becoming one of the most anticipated cultural events of the year. Produced by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, in partnership with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the ballet and musical had its gala at the rehabilitated Manila Metropolitan Theater on 15 September. Aside from the show itself, there were a lecture and a small tiangge (bazaar), affording the audience a fuller experience and a deeper appreciation of the ballet, as well as the source material, the Sanskrit epic Ramayana. Also an initiative in line with the recently signed Philippines-Indonesia Memorandum of Understanding on Cultural Cooperation and the Philippines-India Cultural Exchange Program, the lecture, “Perspectives: Understanding Ramayana, The Great Epic of Asia,” was held in the early afternoon at the Metropolitan Theater Ballroom, tackling the impacts and different interpretations of Ramayana not only in India but also in Southeast Asia. Speakers were Agus Widjojo, ambassador of Indonesia to the Philippines; Shambu Kumaran, ambassador of India to the Philippines; and Dr. Marilyn Canta, retired professor from the University of the Philippines in Diliman. [caption id="attachment_185911" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Indian Ambassador Shambu Kumaran, Dr. Marilyn Canta, NCCA chairman Ino Manalo and Indonesian Ambassador Agus Widjojo. | Photograph by Roel Hoang Manipon[/caption] The Hindu epic, said to date back as early as the mid-eighth century BCE, is a much beloved work and has many versions in Southeast Asia. Its influence is very much evident in Indonesia, where the epic has a version written in old Javanese, called the Kakawin Ramayana. The Prambanan, the ninth-century Hindu temple compound, has bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the epic, and the Ramayana Ballet is regularly performed up to this day. In the Philippines, the Meranaw people of Mindanao has a folk story derived from Ramayana, “Maharadia Lawana,” which was adapted into an hours-long, modern theatrical showcase for the Budayaw: The BIMP-EAGA Festival of Cultures in 2017. On the other hand, the tiangge, at the Hardin ng Ekspresyon, the west courtyard of the theater, had booths offering Indian food, spices and home decors. Fashion brand Plains & Prints also set up a corner featuring their latest collection featuring heritage sites in collaboration with photographer Mark Nicdao. On the other hand, the tiangge, at the Hardin ng Ekspresyon, the west courtyard of the theater, had booths offering Indian food, spices and home decors. Fashion brand Plains & Prints also set up a corner featuring their latest collection featuring heritage sites in collaboration with photographer Mark Nicdao. Audience members started arriving at six. The first-timers to the theater explored and took photographs of the different corners. Illustrious guests were led by National Artists Virgilio S. Almario, Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera, Ricky Lee and Agnes Locsin, as well as cultural agency heads, National Archives of the Philippines executive director and NCCA chairman Victorino Mapa Manalo, National Museum of the Philippines director Jeremy R. Barns and Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino chairman Arthur P. Casanova. Also in the audience were theater and cinema scholar Nicanor Tiongson, professor and researcher Galileo Zafra, actor and satirist Mae Paner, actor Menchu Lauchengco Yulo, talent manager Noel Ferrer, theater critic Amadis Maria Guerrero, Manila Vice Mayor Yul Servo, chef Gelo Guison and designer Barge Ramos. Aika Robredo, the eldest daughter of former Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, also enjoyed the show. [caption id="attachment_185913" align="aligncenter" width="525"] The wedding of Rama and Sita.[/caption] Her mother graced a rehearsal on 6 September, especially invited by Rama, Hari choreographer and director, National Artist Alice Reyes and composer, National Artist Ryan Cayabyab. On 7 September, Robredo enthused on Facebook: “Yesterday, we, together with some local artists from Naga, trooped to the Metropolitan Theater in Manila to watch their first full stage rehearsal and we were stunned. They were not in costumes yet and the stage design was not even mounted yet but the entire production left us breathless and speechless!! It is the best of Philippine Dance and Music.” She encouraged everyone not to miss “the only collaboration that features the masterful works of five National Artists.” Aside from Reyes and Cayabyab, the other National Artists involved in the production are the late Bienvenido Lumbera, who wrote the lyrics and libretto; Salvador Bernal, who designed the stage and costumes; and Rolando Tinio, who translated it to English. They were not yet declared National Artists when the production by Ballet Philippines premiered on 8 February 1980 at CCP’s Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo. The original staging featured Nonoy Froilan, Basil Valdez, Kuh Ledesma, Leo Valdez and Edna Vida. Rama, Hari was not restaged until 2012, starring Christian Bautista, Karylle Tatlonghari, Richardson Yadao and Katherine Trofeo. It won 14 Philstage Gawad Buhay awards. An adaptation was mounted in 1999, called Rama, Hari, Rama at Sita, The Musical, featuring Ariel Rivera and Lani Misalucha as performers, directed by Leo Rialp and choreographed by Locsin. The music was composed by Cayabyab and Danny Tan, and the lyrics written by Roy Iglesias and Dodjie Simon, based on Lumbera’s book. Rama, Hari was planned to be the closing production of Ballet Philippines’ 50th season in March 2020, but was canceled when lockdowns were imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic. When Reyes established her own dance company in 2022, the Alice Reyes Dance Philippines, Rama, Hari became one of its cherished projects. [caption id="attachment_185909" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Energetic dancing by Alice Reyes Dance Philippines. | Photographs courtesy of Teddy Pelaez[/caption] Reyes put both dancers and singers on the same stage, interpreting scenes and emotions in both words and movements. The cast is led by Arman Ferrer as Rama with alternate Vien King and dancer versions Ronelson Yadao and Ejay Arisola. Sita is portrayed by singers Karylle Tatlonghari, Shiela Valderrama-Martinez and neophyhte Nica Tupas and dancers Monica Gana and Katrene San Miguel. [caption id="attachment_185910" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Erl Sorilla as Lakshmana and Monica Gana as Sita. | Photograph courtesy of Teddy Pelaez[/caption] Singers Poppert Bernadas, Matthew San Jose and Jonel Mojica and dancers Richardson Yadao (also dancer for King Janaka) and Tim Cabrera take on the villain role, the demon king of Lanka, Ravana. Other performers are Audie Gemora (singer, King Dasaratha), Lester Reguindin and John Ababon (dancers, King Dasaratha); Miah Canton and Raflesia Bravo (singers, Kooni and Soorpanakha); Ma. Celina Dofitas and Sarah Alejandro (dancers, Soorpanakha); Michaella Carreon and Dofitas (dancers, Kooni); Katrine Sunga and Maron Rozelle Mabana (singers, Kaikeyi and the Golden Deer); Janine Arisola and Karla Santos (dancers, Kaikeyi); Erl Sorilla and Renzen Arboleda (dancers, Lakshmana and King Sagreeva); Paw Castillo and Jon Abella (singers, Hanuman and Lakshmana); and Dan Dayo and Ricmar Bayoneta (dancers, Hanuman); Alejandro and Krislynne Buri (Golden Deer); Dayo and James Galarpe (Bharata). Aside from ARDP and CCP’s Professional Artist Support Program, other performers come from Guang Ming College Artist Residency Program, Philippine High School for the Arts, De La Salle College of Saint Benilde and the Ryan Cayabyab Singers. Music is performed by Orchestra of the Filipino Youth with Antonio Maria P. Cayabyab as conductor. After the two-night gala on 15 and 16 September at the Manila Metropolitan Theater, the production moves to the Samsung Performing Arts Theater of Circuit Makati in Makati City on 22 and 23 September. The post ‘Rama, Hari’ gala is a cultural feast appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»