Arroyo shows class in US juniors series
Rising junior golfer Monique Arroyo ruled the FCG National Tour Series last July 12 – two weeks before the historic Olympic gold feat of Hidilyn Diaz – at the Lomas Santa Fe in California.....»»
Elijah Woods on first-ever Asia tour, ‘loving’ Filipino fans
Canadian singer-songwriter and producer Elijah Woods (stylized as elijah woods) is bringing to Asia his ilu 24/7, 365 tour. The series of shows will commence on May 13 in Singapore and travel through Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Tokyo and Taipei......»»
Nina Lim-Yuson — A lifetime of girl scouting
The president of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Nina Lim-Yuson, grew up in a family and home of Girl Scouts. Her grandmother, Pilar Hidalgo-Lim, was one of the co-founders of the GSP. “It was actually my Lola Pilar who suggested to Josefa Llanes Escoda, the GSP founder, to go to America to learn about girl scouting.” This tidbit of history, Nina shared in an online interview with the DAILY TRIBUNE. Pilar Hidalgo-Lim became GSP president, and so did Nina’s mother, Estefania Aldaba-Lim, who served as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Nina’s sister too, the eminent broadcast journalist, Cheche Lazaro, was a Girl Scout. Coming from a lineage of women achievers, Nina could not have chosen a different path. It was scouting that formally introduced the family to social responsibility, skills development and citizenship. Her brothers were also Boy Scouts. “I started when I was six years old and it was my Lola Pilar who inducted me as a Brownie. It used to be called Brownie because we were still using the American pattern,” she related. She belonged to Troop Number One, the first to be organized by the GSP national headquarters. In high school at the Jose Abad Santos Memorial School of the Philippine Women’s University, she became a junior and later a senior Girl Scout. College would briefly end her Girl Scouting as she focused on her studies. Along the way, she also danced with the Bayanihan Folk Dance Company. It was not unexpected that she would return to scouting, her first love, and her first extra-curricular activity. For the last 36 years, she has been active in various organizations and volunteer work. She founded the Museong Pambata. She is a recipient of The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service and is active in its various social development efforts. What Nina brings to her post is the legacy of leadership that had been passed on to her through generations of women leaders in the family. “My Lola Pilar was my idol. She was such a nice person and I never knew her totally as a president. I knew her more as a loving lola from all the stories she related when we rode up to Baguio. “My mother, on the other hand, was the opposite. She was very career-minded. I learned naman from her a lot of things, like being thrifty and having a list of things to do. In terms of organization, she was like that. Because she was in government. And, you know, when we started Museo, while it was actually my concept, I learned a lot from her. She would call me up at 5 o’clock in the morning and she would rattle off what needed to be done, like ‘number one, number two and so on.’ That was her. And I’m glad that I worked with her for six years in Museo. She was the president and I was the executive director for six years. I took over in 2000 as president and chief executive officer. And then, I stepped down in 2017.” Girl Scouts who read and tell stories Nina was elected president of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines for the term 2021-2024 during its 2021 national convention. From day one, she shared, “My purpose was to reach out to the community-based troops because we have always been school-based. Many young women now have social problems so we need to reach out to the communities through our community-based troops.” Also on top of her priorities is literacy development, a cause that she addressed even in the Museo Pambata. She explained, “My advocacy has always been education. So, I was very concerned because the Asian Development Bank reported in 2022 that the World Bank found out that our Filipino children at ages 9 and 10 cannot read. So, I felt that because girl scouting is all over the country, with 96 local councils, the organization could serve as a vehicle for improving literacy in our country. “We started the Girl Scout Storyteller project because storytelling affects the heart first before the mind. When young people start with storytelling, they will love the stories and then the written word. They would then want to read. “We now have storytelling in economically challenged communities and we have partners. We sent out 2,500 books throughout the country with the help of our partner couriers.” Initially, she sought the help of her family foundation “to give a donation. I also sought the help of Ging Montinola, who is into literacy development. Together, we founded the literacy program. We are building this fund to cover the cost of buying children’s books. We will have a storytelling contest next year.” Raising funds for Camp Escoda Nina then shifted the conversation to another major endeavor that she is spearheading as GSP president — fundraising for the 27-hectare Camp Josefa Llanes Escoda in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, which was donated by the provincial government during the term of Governor Amado Aleta, the father of consul and civic leader Fortune Ledesma. “Palayan is beautiful because it has rolling hills, but it doesn’t have electrical and water facilities and roadworks. It doesn’t have a swimming pool, and it’s so hot in Nueva Ecija. It also does not have a conference hall. This is a big one-time fundraising project because it’s for the future of the girls who are going to the camp. Because as of now, if you go camping there, you have to walk up the hills to get your drinking water. You have to make buhos to take a bath.” She recalled, “In my time as a young Girl Scout, which was of another era, we had to walk in the dark to fetch water to fill up two drums. I was so scared because there were tuko in Los Baños. That taught me to be courageous. Camps really build up your lifetime skills and attitude. Camping is very integral in girl scouting and boy scouting. So, this camp will serve a purpose. It just needs various basic facilities to make it world-class and convenient with the proper amenities, but the girls will continue to learn all those survival techniques and appreciate nature right on the camp.” She praised architect Pippo Carunungan, “who is an environmental planner. He surveyed the site and drew up everything. It will be a beautiful camp, he said, because it’s a gift of nature.” First Lady as Chief Girl Scout Nina recently led the Girl Scouts in a fundraising ball attended by the “First Lady, Liza Araneta-Marcos, who is our Chief Girl Scout. It’s mandated in the GSP constitution that whoever is the female president of the country or the First Lady is the Chief Girl Scout. In the past, we had Imelda Marcos, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. All the first ladies were all Chief Girl Scouts. “Mrs. Liza Marcos spoke before us and she promised to help. She said, ‘We will make it the best campsite.’ Everyone was excited to see her and she obliged everyone who asked to have selfie with her. She is very friendly. She is really a Girl Scout.” Nina shared, “A generous couple is sponsoring the swimming pool at P6 million, while a gentleman entrepreneur is sponsoring the perimeter fence at P1.5 million. Many other businessmen and leaders have pledged to help build this dream GSP project. “We really need to raise about 50 million to have a very good camp. But when the First Lady heard about it, she said, ‘It has to be P250 million.’ But, really, when we have the funds, we can have deep toilets that have running water instead of tabo-tabo. Since we have a little Pampanga river that runs across the camp, we can build a bridge that crosses it and then the girls can have white-water rafting there in the Pampanga river. “Camp Escoda will be a very important and significant venue for our Girl Scouts to gather, bond, learn new skills and develop as morally upright citizens of the country and the world. It is especially so because camping is integral in any Girl Scout’s life. If you don’t have camping, it’s like half of your scouting life is missing. Every Girl Scout remembers that time of her youth. And being the national camp, it will welcome Girl Scouts representing the 96 councils from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao who will participate in various events and trainings.” Girl Scouts of all ages As GSP president, Nina travels to various parts of the country. “We have regional conferences aside from the meeting of the Central Board when regional heads and executives come to Manila. “I had just come from Baguio where I stayed for two-and-a-half days. I met our young Girl Scout representatives from ages 14 to 18. I enjoyed listening to them and exchanging ideas with them. I am so happy that we have a wealth of intelligent girls who want to serve the country. They are the ones who are going to take over. “It’s amazing that GSP is no longer limited to old people on the board. We finally have young ones on the board. Our Escoda committee is headed by Jade Delgado from Iloilo. Then we have Justine Bautista. She’s a psychometrician. She heads the Program Committee, which is a big committee because when we were in Baguio, we had 86 girls from all the councils throughout the country. Many of them are running for SK. “So, in my 70s now, which I don’t feel at all, I don’t take any medicines or something like that. Being with young people is what inspires me. Because at 15, 16 or 17, they already know that they have some kind of a mission.” Nina proudly shared that the venue of the Baguio conference, 'Ating Tahanan' on the South Drive was bought during the tenure of my Lola Pilar. We have four buildings there, including the houses of Senator and actor Rogelio de la Rosa and Carlos Valdes, the accountant. Lola Pilar, according to Carlos Valdes, twisted his arm to get a low price. I’m so thankful for all those who preceded me because they bought these places. It’s on South Drive which is so valuable. We even have a reserved forest behind us.” As she looks forward to the next camping and gets even busier raising funds for Camp Escoda, Nina feels elated that “every one of us in the Girl Scouts has been together in our various undertakings. The nice thing is we are now intergenerational because we try to bring in the old with experience, institutional memory and their wisdom born of their long life, and the young who are full of enthusiasm, energy and new ideas.” A star scout for a granddaughter While Nina does her part for the bright future of girl scouting in the country, her personal family too has not stopped contributing to the roster of members to this worldwide organization. Today, a granddaughter of hers, seven-year-old Rocio Yuson de Guzman, is a Star Scout. She is the daughter of Nina’s daughter, Nicky. No grandmother could have been prouder. Nina said, “Rufio loves being a star scout. When I arrived from the recent world conference in Cyprus, I came back with some badges and I gave some to Rufio who is very proud of the little badges that I got for her.” For sure, Nina will pass on not just the badges to Rufio. More importantly, she will give her granddaughter the once-in-one’s-childhood experience of being a Girl Scout and learning “the values that are identified in the Girl Scout Promise and Laws. I think that while there is so much to enjoy and learn, it is the inculcation of these values that would mold her into a well-rounded human being. As we all know, a Girl Scout’s honor is to be trusted. A Girl Scout is loyal, thrifty, courteous… and so on. It’s like a mantra -- the values that one lives by. “I have reached that point when it is not about success or what one accumulates in life, whether awards or accomplishments or material things. It is more about what I can share and scouting gives me that honor and privilege — to do my part in helping mold our young girls and making them aware even at an early age that they have a mission and worthy purpose in life. It is not just about being good and outstanding on your own but it is also about helping others to become better in what they’re doing and live better lives. “And I need not look far. As a grandmother, I dote on my Star Scout granddaughter, Rufio. There’s a world out there for her to discover and in which she has a role to play and use the skills and values she will learn from scouting.” The post Nina Lim-Yuson — A lifetime of girl scouting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PBBM graces PMMA commencement exercises
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attends the 200th commencement exercises of the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) "MADASIKLAN" Class 2023 at PMMA Grandstand, PMMA Complex, San Narciso, Zambales on Thursday, 20 July. The president during his message told the graduates this year to help the country maintain its name globally in the maritime industry. The PMMA, based in San Narciso, Zambales, is the pioneer institution in maritime education and one of the oldest institutions in the country having been established in 1820. With support from the government and the shipping industry, it has produced many master mariners, chief engineers, shipping executives, naval officers, and other practitioners in the marine and maritime industry. The PMMA primarily offers two four-year programs namely, Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation (BSMT) and Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering (BSMarE). It started offering Master in Shipping Management and Master in Maritime Education and Training programs in 1996. Joining the president are Secretary PMMA Superintendent Commodore Joel Y. Abutal, Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr., former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo among others. The post PBBM graces PMMA commencement exercises appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Education biz group: K-12 needs review
The Philippine Business for Education or PBEd is asking the government to assess first the present K-12 system before venturing into a tweaked form of education, being pushed by former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In an ambush interview during the PBEd Annual Membership Meeting on Monday in Taguig City, attended by business leaders to discuss recommendations to improve the country’s education system, PBEd executive director Justine Raagas said the “K to 10 plus 2” being pushed by Arroyo needs further consideration. “I think we really need a comprehensive assessment of the current system first. It is easy to say the system failed because of the dismal result of international assessments. But we have to think about the fact that K-12’s first entrants just came from the class of 2012,” Raagas said. “Meaning, they just graduated last 2022. So, it is unfair to say that the system has failed, where in fact, those who have graduated and entered the workforce were products of an older system,” she added. She added that the Pampanga lawmaker should identify what she means by her statement that “the system has failed.” “Does it mean the employability side or the learning poverty that students did not learn to read or write, because these issues can be addressed in the implementation? It is very radical to completely change the system because there are areas that do not work and because we can actually do some implementation and pivots within the system,” Raagas said. She added the K-12 was actually triumphant in other countries, which is why she wondered if the same system failed in the eyes of the lawmaker. To recall, Arroyo’s House Bill 7893 seeks to establish the “K+10+2,” where the last two years will not be vocational-technical education but will be preparatory to the university education similar to the foundation of college courses in Europe. The former President said she filed the bill in consultation with Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte and with the knowledge of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “This bill seeks to replace the present K to 12 education program in the country covering Kindergarten and 12 years of education with a K+10+2 program covering compulsory Kindergarten and 10 years of basic education with, for those seeking to proceed to professional degree studies such as accounting, engineering, law, medicine, an additional two years of post-secondary, pre-university education,” the explanatory note of the bill read. Arroyo explained that Grades 11 and 12 were added to the basic education program on the assumption that with the two additional years, senior high school graduates will be prepared to get a job. “Unfortunately, the reality of the market seems to be that the private sector continues to prefer hiring college or university graduates over those who finish the K-to-12 program,” Arroyo said. Meantime, Raagas said that as they always urge the involvement of the private sector in education, they are asking the business owners to look at the present curriculum to provide outputs, as the senior high school in the present K-12 system should be an entry to employment. “There should be a connection between what is being taught in schools and what is needed in the workplace. The private sector should be more involved also in training graduates of K-12,” said Raagas. Despite this, Raagas still believes that the current state of education in the country “remains in crisis.” Last year, Trade and Industry Secretary Fred Pascual proposed the transfer of general education subjects from the college curriculum to the senior high school for grades 11 and 12 “to be able to produce skilled graduates or the so-called “holistically developed Filipinos” to address the needs of domestic industries. The Trade chief told business leaders in September 2022 that the general education subjects should no longer be taught in college but rather be included in the K to 12 system or in the senior high school to fully equip students for jobs in industries upon graduation. The post Education biz group: K-12 needs review appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Arroyo shows class in US juniors series
Rising junior golfer Monique Arroyo ruled the FCG National Tour Series last July 12 – two weeks before the historic Olympic gold feat of Hidilyn Diaz – at the Lomas Santa Fe in California.....»»
Survey shows Cha-cha still unpopular with Filipinos — Senate leaders
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said that the findings of the survey by private pollster Pulse Asia, which was released on Wednesday, show that Charter change is an "unpopular move.".....»»
Unlock business success at Franchise Asia Philippines Expo
The Franchise Asia Philippines Expo 2024 is set to hold a series of dynamic seminars designed to empower entrepreneurs, investors and business enthusiasts with the knowledge and tools needed to thrive in the ever-evolving world of franchising. Slated from April 12 to 14 at the SMX Convention Center Manila, these seminars offer invaluable insights into key aspects of franchising and business growth......»»
Holy Week 2024: Tabor Hill in Talamban, experience the authentic essence of Via Crucis
CEBU CITY, Philippines – This Holy Week, the Via Crucis, also known as the Stations of the Cross, is one of the most practiced form of devotion among Catholics, particularly in the Philippines. The Via Crucis commemorates the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It typically involves a series of 14 stations.....»»
Sheryl na-starstruck kay Ate Guy; Martin may pa-Tortang Talong!
HINDI napigilan ng Kapuso actress at singer na si Sheryl Cruz ang magpaka-fan girl nang makita up close and personal ang Superstar na si Nora Aunor. Inamin ng seasoned actress na na-starstruck siya nang makasama ang National Artist sa taping ng GMA afternoon series na “Lilet Matias, Attorney-At-Law.” Baka Bet Mo: Ellen hinamon ng netizens.....»»
Baltimore bridge collapses after cargo ship rams it
A major bridge in the US city of Baltimore almost entirely collapsed Tuesday after being struck by a cargo ship, sending multiple vehicles and up to 20 people plunging into the harbor below. Dramatic footage shows a container ship hitting a footing of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, sending the steel-built structure into the Patapsco.....»»
Gundam series, Ultraman film coming this year
Streaming platform Netflix had fans excited after teasing what anime content it has in store for 2024, including a new "Mobile Suit Gundam" series and an "Ultraman" movie......»»
Marian ikinumpara si Gabby sa lafang: Walang itulak-kabigin sa kanya!
PINALIGUAN ng positibong mga salita ni GMA Primetime Queen Marian Rivera ang isa sa Ultimate Leading Man sa Pilipinas na si Gabby Concepcion. Sa wakas, natuloy na rin ang pinakaaabangang pagtatambal nina Marian at Gabby sa pinakabagong primetime series ng Kapuso Network na “My Guardian Alien.” Magsisimula na itong umere simula sa April 1 sa.....»»
Rombawa, Diaz triumph in Escudero juniors netfest
Aljhon Rombawa proved to be an unstoppable force at home, claiming two titles in the boys’ category, while Bacoor, Cavite’s Jana Diaz dominated the girls’ division in the Don Arsenio Escudero Sr. National Juniors Tennis Championships......»»
Fil-foreign teams top NBTC finals
Global squads stamped their class as Fil-Am Nation Select-USA and Canada’s Top Flight Sports reigned supreme in the Smart-National Basketball Training Center National Finals Division 1 and 2, respectively, over the weekend at the Mall of Asia Arena......»»
Rombawa, Diaz twin champs in Escudero netfest
Aljhon Rombawa proved to be an unstoppable force at home, claiming two titles in the boys’ category, while Bacoor, Cavite’s Jana Diaz dominated the girls’ division in the Don Arsenio Escudero Sr. National Juniors Tennis Championships at the Aera Tennis Club in San Pablo City......»»
Unique love storyline brings ‘Asawa ng Asawa Ko’ close to viewers
‘There was a farfetched but intriguing circumstance that would give the story a richer context, namely, the kidnapping and the four-year experience that would transform the protagonist from a protected, middle-class bride to a toughened survivor when she returns. That was the thing that was different in this project,’ says director Laurice Guillen of the ‘Asawa ng Asawa Ko’ storyline......»»
Kiray may inamin sa mga natatakot at tumatawag ng maldita kay Marian
NAKAKATAKOT! Maldita. Mahirap katrabaho. Ilan lang yan sa mga salitang ikinakabit sa Kapuso Primetime Queen na si Marian Rivera. Actually, matagal nang natsitsismis na nakakaloka raw katrabaho si Marian at kung anu-ano ngang malilisyosong kuwento ang naglalabasan tungkol sa kanyang tunay na ugali. Kaya naman sa grand mediacon ng comeback series ng wifey ni Dingdong.....»»
Blue Eagles reassert mastery over Maroons in UAAP women s volleyball
The Ateneo Blue Eagles swept their UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball series with the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, blasting their Katipunan rivals 25-14, 25-20, 25-15, Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum......»»
NCAA juniors champ, Finals MVP Manalili basks on day full of wins
Finals MVP Jonathan Manalili helps power Letran to the NCAA juniors basketball championship, then scores another winning romp in the NBTC All-Star just a few hours later.....»»
Kieffer Alas shines brightest in 2024 NBTC adidas All-Star Game
IN the midst of the hottest young guns of juniors basketball, La Salle Zobel guard Kieffer Alas stood tall on Saturday's 2024 Smart-NBTC All-Star Saturday......»»