Drilon vows to oppose increased NTF-ELCAC funds in 2022, warns vs ‘election war chest’
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Tuesday vowed to oppose "tooth and nail" funds for the government's red-tagging task force in 2022 which he said could be used as a multibillion peso "election war chest.".....»»
BDO funds 28 green projects from P52.7 billion bond proceeds
Around 28 green projects benefitted from the first ASEAN sustainability bond issuance of BDO Unibank Inc. in January 2022, bolstering the bank’s sustainability commitment......»»
‘Spider-Man’ swings back to top of the box office
Jostling for the top three spots in North American theaters this weekend was the same films from last week, with "The Flash" overtaken by the latest "Spider-Man" iteration. The debut of the raunchy comedy "No Hard Feelings," as well as that of "Asteroid City," the latest offering from cult director Wes Anderson, failed to get past last weekend's top-earning films, although analysts said they performed well for their respective genres. Sony's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" took in $19.3 million over the weekend, according to Sunday estimates from Exhibitor Relations, bringing its domestic total to more than $317 million, with showings in international theaters pushing the cumulative global earnings to $560 million. The film, a sequel to 2018's "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" and the latest spin on the Marvel Comics superhero, picks up the story of half-Black, half-Latino Miles Morales, voiced by Shameik Moore. Pixar's animated immigrant fable "Elemental," which also held last week's No. 2 spot, earned $18.4 million, bringing its total to $65 million. Warner Bro.'s "The Flash" took the third spot, earning $15.2 million a week after it opened at number one, bringing its box-office war chest to $87.6 million so far. "No Hard Feelings," Sony's R-rated offering starring Jennifer Lawrence, debuted this weekend in fourth place. The movie's $15.1 million haul is "a good opening for an original romantic/sex comedy, at above-average levels for the genre," said analyst David A. Gross, writing for industry newsletter FranchiseRe. "After a long decline between 2015 and 2022, romantic/sex comedies are growing again," Gross said, with "Joy Ride" and "Barbie" coming out next month. Amid the spin-offs and sequels dominating the box office this weekend, Paramount's "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" brought in $11.6 million, for fifth place. Next in line, following a limited release last week, was Focus Features' "Asteroid City," from off-beat director Anderson, for $9 million. While that's a far cry from the $120 million netted by "Spider-Man" its opening weekend, it represents "a very good opening for a specialty independent comedy," Gross said. Rounding out the top 10 were "The Little Mermaid" ($8.6 million), "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" ($3.5 million), "The Blackening" ($3 million), and "The Boogeyman" ($2.5 million). The post ‘Spider-Man’ swings back to top of the box office appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Mother’s justice cry
Jonash Bondoc, a Philippine Merchant Marine Academy cadet, died from alleged fatal punches in a fistfight with a schoolmate in July 2021. His mother, however, believes Jonash did not die due to a fistfight, but was a victim of hazing. Gracelyn Gimang Bondoc, the mother of the victim, is now seeking the intervention of the Commission on Higher Education to issue a preventive suspension against the president of the PMMA, Commodore Joel Abutal and his chief of staff, Ensign Chuck de la Cruz. She also sought the filing of grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of public service pursuant to the 2017 rule on administrative cases in civil service. In a 6-page administrative complaint received at the Commission on Higher Education or CHEd office last 18 May, obtained by the Daily Tribune, Bondoc narrated that she received the bad news last 6 July 2021 that her son Jonash died. “After receiving the sad news, we went to PMMA to see my son. However, I was only allowed to see his remains on 8 July 2021, wherein we only saw his face and were not allowed to go near him since he allegedly had Covid-19,” she narrated, adding that Jonash was immediately cremated due to his health circumstances. Fall guy? She said on 7 July, a certain Jomel Gloria was charged with homicide after executing an Extra Judicial Confession admitting his culpability for the crime to support the scenario that Jonash’s death was the result of a fistfight. On 8 December 2022, the Regional Trial Court Branch 71 of Iba, Zambales promulgated its decision finding Gloria guilty of homicide, due to his admission that he punched the victim Jonash twice in the chest, causing his instant death. After his conviction, Gloria was released through provisional liberty pending his appeal or any remedy available to him after posting an additional bond of P60,000. But as Bondoc doubted the reason given for his son’s death, the mother secured a copy of a medico-legal report from the Zambales Provincial Crime Laboratory Office, and she found out that his son suffered multiple contusions and hematomas in his neck and head. After his conviction, Gloria was released through provisional liberty pending his appeal or any remedy available to him after posting an additional bond of P60,000. “Thus, we arrived at the conclusion that the injuries my son suffered are not commensurate with the attack made and as narrated by the accused Jomel and we believe that the same is not committed by one person by merely punching Jonash twice in the chest,” according to Bondoc. Mystery from top Another mystery is that the respondents being the highest official of PMMA did not investigate the possibility of a hazing incident, as it was not “a secret that there is hazing in PMMA.” Because of the purported extra judicial confession, the authorities including the respondents zeroed in as a suspect of the crime, the person of accused Jomel, leaving others scot-free and maintaining their position in PMMA without any worry whatsoever.” “Obviously, the foregoing showed that the act of respondents constitutes an obstruction of justice or violation of Presidential Decree 1829, which is tantamount to grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the public service,” the letter of Bondoc to the CHEd said. In an interview with the Daily Tribune, the lawyer of Bondoc, Atty. Banjo Lucman said they want CHEd commissioner Prospero de Vera III to “act swiftly on their request” to put Commodore Abutal under preventive suspension for his command responsibility, as well as for CHEd to reinvestigate the alleged whitewash that resulted in the demise of a PMMA cadet. The post Mother’s justice cry appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chatbot, am not
Two little mounds of flesh, So soft, so round, so fair, Upon a chest of snow, Two little buds of air. Two little peaks of joy, So sensitive, so sweet, That when touched, They stand erect, entice. Two little points of love, So full of life, so warm, That when they’re kissed They give thrills of joy. Two little cups of milk, So sweet, so pure, so white, That filled they give A nourishment so bright. Two little symbols of The love that God has given, To womankind to show Motherhood’s joys — Bard, waxing poetic on women’s bosoms ChatGPT, while still in continuous development since its release in November 2022, has taken the world by storm because its use of artificial intelligence, or AI, has allowed it to hold open-ended conversations with humans in written form. But rave about ChatGPT we’d rather not because OpenAI’s creation is just a more advanced and sophisticated variant of what personal assistants like Alexa, Siri, or Hey Google have been doing for many years now through smart devices, albeit only verbally or graphically. ChatGPT, I’d dare say, is more evolutionary than revolutionary. Suffice it to say, though, that we can see sooner than later chatbots and personal assistants crossing over into each other’s digital realms to cover all platforms whether written verbal, photos, videos, or robotics. Their very human creators (greed is exclusive to man, right?) would all do that because convergence holds the key to making money from disruptive or game-changing concepts like AI. Mind you, AI can be made to do a lot more things other than Google’s Bard being told to generate (did I say write?) that paean of a poem above on women’s nurturing nature. AI, as you read this, is already powering self-driving cars, smart cities, customer service, and revolutionizing education through customized tutorials. But AI, as a branch of computer science, deserves a series of columns. So enough of this digression and let’s go back to the specifics of those AI-powered chatbots, with me wearing my Daily Tribune technology editor’s hat. Am no expert here, but who can claim to be one when even Google’s top executives admitted in an interview with 60 Minutes that they could not put a finger on how Bard, their answer to ChatGPT, works? You know, just like opening Pandora’s or Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates: Either you get all of the evils of the world pouring out because of AI, or life’s gooey, mouth-watering goodness, or both. Who knows what the future holds? Going back to ChatGPT, which has gotten a headstart over Bard but may eventually cave in from the power of Google’s superlative search engine and wealth, there’s a certain depth of response that people get from it. Alexa or Siri could not hold a candle to ChatGPT in making some lazy people think they can use the AI chatbot instead of doing actual research or in passing themselves off as writers even at the risk of being exposed as plagiarists. One daughter told me that, in college, they have unmasked ChatGPT users among their peers, having analyzed the plagiarized works vis-a-vis what the chatbot does and its formula for responding to prompts. In most cases, ChatGPT throws in a structured response broken down into three parts: Introduction, body (where it does its data dumping, information overload), and conclusion, she told me. Likewise, perfection is a giveaway when somebody who could not even write a single grammatically passable sentence suddenly becomes Mark Twain-ish. As AI chatbots can get overly formulaic, it would not take rocket science to decipher a chatbot-generated piece of writing, notwithstanding Google’s attempt at selling Bard as one infused with black magic, a pathetic attempt at marketing hype. The post Chatbot, am not appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Every breath a struggle, as air pollution harms health in Thailand
An elderly patient hooked up to a tangle of tubes lies struggling for breath in a Bangkok hospital as Thailand battles a "drastic increase" in respiratory problems caused by a spike in air pollution. His wife holds his hand and strokes his face, with a nurse in blue scrubs listening to his chest through a stethoscope. Every single breath is an exertion. About 2.4 million people in Thailand have needed treatment for medical problems linked to air pollution since the start of the year, including nearly 200,000 this week alone, according to health officials. Bangkok and the northern city of Chiang Mai were among the top 10 most polluted cities in the world on Friday, according to air quality monitoring firm IQAir. Piamlarp Sangsayunh, a respiratory disease specialist at the Central Chest Institute of Thailand in Nonthaburi, says she has seen a "drastic increase in patients since February". "The patients usually have respiratory problems like coughing and sore throats," she told AFP on Friday, adding that eye irritation is also common. Elderly people are among the most vulnerable to air pollution, which can exacerbate existing conditions, sometimes requiring them to be put on oxygen machines, she said. But she said those working outdoors -- such as Bangkok's vast army of street vendors and motorbike taxi drivers -- were the ones "on the front line" of the crisis. Toxic air Uraiwan Chantana, who sells fish balls on the street in Bangkok's central shopping district, said breathing in toxic air every day made her exhausted, but she could not shut her stall because she had no other way to earn money. "I feel a burning pain inside my nose and I regularly cough," she told AFP. "I feel out of breath when I climb stairs when I normally didn't." World Health Organisation representative to Thailand Jos Vandelaer said air pollution was not solely a health issue but also dented economic productivity. "If people are sick they can't go to work, and there will be a reduction in economic activity," he told AFP. The economic cost of air pollution in Thailand in 2019 was equal to $63.1 billion or 11 percent of the gross domestic product, according to Kasetsart University environmental economist Witsanu Attavanich. One of the biggest concerns is tiny particles known as PM2.5, smaller than the diameter of a hair, which can penetrate deep into the lungs and even reach the bloodstream. According to IQAir, in 2022 the average PM2.5 concentration in Thailand was 3.6 times the WHO's annual air quality guideline limits. "In the long term, there are more risks for respiratory infections... If people have asthma that can get worse, people can develop chronic lung diseases, even lung cancer," Vandelaer said. "What is less well known is that this PM2.5 can cause cardiovascular diseases... increase the risk of a stroke or heart attack." Air pollution was a factor in about 31,000 deaths in 2019 in Thailand according to WHO data. Smoke from forest fires, farmers burning crop stubble, as well as vehicle emissions and heavy industry-generated fumes, are among the main causes of toxic smog in the kingdom. The El Nino weather pattern is also exacerbating the haze problem in Southeast Asia, experts say. Thailand is home to more than 70 million people and its poor air quality is a growing issue ahead of the country's May 14 election, with the incumbent government accused of not doing enough. "We need to fix the problem at the roots, as a doctor I'm just on the receiving end dealing with the consequences," Piamlarp said. Vandelaer said more regulation was needed to address fires and polluters, adding that individuals should also think about how their transportation and lifestyle choices affected air quality. Bangkok motorcycle taxi driver Tip Panyangam, 59, said he often felt unwell from the smog despite wearing a double mask. "I want the people in power to reduce it because I am worried about my health," he told AFP. The post Every breath a struggle, as air pollution harms health in Thailand appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Drilon vows to oppose increased NTF-ELCAC funds in 2022, warns vs ‘election war chest’
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Tuesday vowed to oppose "tooth and nail" funds for the government's red-tagging task force in 2022 which he said could be used as a multibillion peso "election war chest.".....»»
No paychecks for 11 big leaguers: advance larger than salary
By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Grant Dayton will notice one glaring absence this season after he reports to the Atlanta Braves: his twice-a-month salary. He is among 11 major leaguers whose prorated pay for the abbreviated 60-game season amounts to less than the $286,500 advance already received by the 32-year-old left-hander. “It’s going to be weird not getting a paycheck,” he said Friday, “but we already got paid.” Dayton gave up the 6,776th and final home run of of last season's record total, to the New York Mets' Dominic Smith. To resume preparation for the new season he will drive Monday from his home in Winter Haven, Florida, to Atlanta with wife Cori, 2 1/2-year-old son Decker and nearly 6-month-old Nolan for Braves' workouts at Truist Park. After opening day was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, Major League Baseball and the players’ association agreed March 26 to a deal that called for teams to advance $170 million in salaries over the first 60 days of the season. Others who won’t get paychecks because of lower prorated salaries are Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jimmy Nelson and New York Yankees reliever Jonathan Holder ($277,778 each), Pittsburgh infielder Erik Gonzalez and Minnesota pitcher Matt Wisler ($268,519 apiece), Philadelphia catcher Andrew Knapp ($262,943), Chicago Cubs pitcher Jharel Cotton ($237,037), pitchers Collin McHugh of Boston, Ross Stripling of the Dodgers and Jesse Hahn of Kansas City ($222,222 each) and Milwaukee pitcher Freddy Peralta ($575,200). “My first reaction was, wow, if we don’t have any games this year, I’m going to get paid the same amount that Freddie Freeman’s getting paid, so that’s pretty cool,” Dayton said in a reference to his teammate, a four-time All-Star first baseman with a $22 million salary that was cut to about $8.15 million. “I knew that there was going to be a point that if we resume games, I wouldn't get paid. And I was OK with that because we still received significant amounts of money and we’re fine.” Each of the roughly 480 players with so-called “straight” contracts that call for a single salary received $286,500. The 769 players with “split” contracts that have a lower salary in the minor leagues — generally a younger group not yet eligible for arbitration — got either $16,500, $30,000 or $60,000, depending on their minor league pay level. Dayton, who has spent parts of three seasons in the majors, has a $655,000, one-year contract. His prorated salary for the short season will be $242,593, assuming the contagion does not cause more games to be canceled. The group won’t have to return any cash because the March deal states “in the event there is a 2020 championship season, any amounts advanced to individual players that cannot be recouped by clubs via payroll deduction during the 2020 season for any reason shall be reimbursed to clubs from the International Tax Fund at the conclusion of the 2020 season.” That tax fund is money collected from teams that exceeded their specified bonus pools to sign high-priced Latin American amateurs. “We’re blessed because we’re getting more money than the prorated amount,” Dayton said. Most of the group has relatively low salaries for arbitration-eligible players because of injuries that sidelined them and reduced their statistics. Nelson returned last June from shoulder surgery and was limited to three starts and seven relief appearances. McHugh missed September and the postseason with a sore right elbow and signed a deal with a $600,000 salary and $3.65 million in performance and roster bonuses. Cotton, Dayton, Hahn and Stripling all were interrupted by elbow surgery early in their careers, and Gonzalez missed more than half of last season after breaking his collarbone. Peralta has a low salary in 2020 as part of a $15.5 million, five-year contract he agreed to in March. Dayton was 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 14 relief appearances last year and is 1-3 with a 3.34 ERA in 68 big league games that included time with the Dodgers in 2016-17. He wonders how he will fare in arbitration next winter. “It's going to be a weird year and a short season, but I guess they’re going to have to treat it on paper like a real season, a championship season," he said. "And as far as contracts go in the future, they’re going to have to take the stats this year, which is kind of scary for a relief pitcher, to be honest because you have one bad game, it takes a whole year to get that back. The slow starters can't be slow starters anymore." Stripling, a financial adviser for B. Riley Wealth Management when he’s not playing baseball, negotiated a $2.1 million deal in January but was able to have $1.5 million designated as a signing bonus, which is protected and not reduced. Only the $600,000 specified as salary in the contract gets prorated. “It will be strange to receive no money or paychecks throughout the year,” he said. “I’m thankful for my background in finance, because I’m comfortable with my ability to budget. I do worry about the 10 other guys in my situation. Technically will be receiving zero income until next April. That’s a long time to budget ahead.” One option for players could be licensing money they are owed that had been retained for them by the union. “Our PA is offering a stipend of sorts for guys in similar situations,” Stripling said. “But I don’t know how much money or how often they can receive it. It also comes from our `war chest,′ which is money saved for salaries in case of a work stoppage in 2022. Most guys will try to avoid pulling money from that unless they are in dire situations.”.....»»
CCLEX safety enhancements pushed after US bridge tragedy
Cebu City, Philippines — In light of recent events, a call for increased CCLEX safety measures has been made to the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC) by a Cebu City legislator. Councilor Rey Gealon penned a resolution urging CCLEC to implement precautionary measures at the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway to prevent disasters, considering the high.....»»
DMK criticises Election Commission for being biassed in allocating symbols to political parties
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 28 (ANI): The Deputy Secretary of the Student Wing of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Ka Amutharasan, has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of having a biassed attitude towards opposition parties by allocating election symbols as per their wishes. "ECI has allocated the symbols for the Tamil Manila Congress and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhgam that those parties wished for. Th.....»»
Milk tariff collections rise by 31% to P2.4 billion
Revenues raised by the government from various imported milk products jumped by 31 percent to P2.36 billion in 2023, the highest in at least eight years, from P1.8 billion in 2022......»»
Revisiting Uniteam (Last of 2 parts)
THE Uniteam coalition of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, described by many political analysts as the "dream team", had come a long way since sweeping the 2022 elections......»»
88% of Pinoys oppose Cha-cha – Pulse Asia
Public opinion on Charter change, which last year was roughly divided among Filipinos, is now largely skewed toward those opposed to changing the country’s Constitution, a survey conducted by Pulse Asia showed......»»
Security Council warns of foreign interference in 2025 polls
There may be foreign interference in next year’s midterm elections and the Department of Information and Communications Technology should prepare to counter cyberattacks, the National Security Councilwarned yesterday......»»
DOH: Pertussis cases 20 times higher since January
The number of pertussis cases nationwide has increased 20-fold this year from 2023, according to the Department of Hea.....»»
Most Filipinos reject Charter change, lifting foreign ownership restrictions
An overwhelming majority of Filipinos oppose changing the 1987 Constitution at this time, according to a new Pulse Asia Survey, with results showing Filipinos in all regions and all socio-economic classes did not support the lifting of foreign ownership restrictions in key industries......»»
UP Diliman warns of unofficial ads about online courses
The University of the Philippines Diliman on Wednesday warned the public against the spread of advertisements claiming to offer online courses in the university's name......»»
Fake booking scams up – ACG
Fake booking scams increased in the second week of March, the Anti-Cybercrime Group of the Philippine National Police reported yesterday......»»
2 Best Ways to Save Up for Something
Sometimes, you find yourself unable to afford something you desire. While resorting to debt might seem convenient, it’s far from ideal. Saving money is a superior alternative, albeit challenging. Often, the struggle lies in maintaining savings, as funds intended for one purpose end up diverted elsewhere. We’re all familiar with the difficulty of saving money. […].....»»
Rama reconsiders, unites with councilors for 2025 midterm elections
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Despite previously expressing doubts about his confidence in some incumbent councilors due to their cooperation with his vision, City Mayor Michael Rama appears to have reconsidered his stance. He recently announced that these councilors would still be part of his alliance for the 2025 midterm elections. READ: Rama: 2025 election candidates.....»»
8ID deploys troops to secure Negros Oriental’s BSKE 2023
The 8th Infantry “Stormtroopers” Division, Philippine Army rendered a send-off ceremony for the Company size troops who will be augmented to the troops of JTF-Spear in province of Negros Oriental for the conduct of Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election (BSKE) 2023......»»