IATF Resolution No. 84 (Davao City back to GCQ), 19 Nov 2020
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Azerbaijan claims victory after Karabakh separatists surrender
Azerbaijan said Wednesday it had regained control over breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh for the first time in decades after separatist Armenian fighters agreed to lay down their arms in the face of a military operation. The stunning collapse of separatist resistance represents a major victory for Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev in his quest to bring the Armenian-majority Nagorno-Karabakh back under Baku's control. Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over the mountainous region since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The years of conflict have been marked by abuses on both sides, and there are concerns of a fresh refugee crisis as Karabakh's Armenian population fears being forced out. A day after Azerbaijan launched its military operation in the region, Baku and the ethnic Armenian authorities in Karabakh announced a ceasefire deal had been brokered by Russian peacekeepers to stop the fighting. "Azerbaijan restored its sovereignty as a result of successful anti-terrorist measures in Karabakh," Aliyev said in a televised address. Aliyev claimed that most of the Armenian forces in the region had been destroyed and said the withdrawal of separatist troops had already begun. The attack left "at least 200 killed and more than 400 wounded," Nagorno-Karabakh separatist official Gegham Stepanyan said. Late on Wednesday, Armenia's defence ministry said that Azerbaijan had fired on its positions along the border between the arch-foes. Such skirmishes are frequent along the border. Truce deal Under the truce deal, the separatists said they had agreed to fully dismantle their army and that Armenia would pull out any forces it had in the region. Azerbaijan's defence ministry said that "all weapons and heavy armaments are to be surrendered" under the supervision of Russia's 2,000-strong peacekeeping force on the ground. Both sides said talks on reintegrating the breakaway territory into the rest of Azerbaijan would be held on Thursday in the city of Yevlakh. President Vladimir Putin said Russian peacekeepers would mediate the talks. Moscow has said several of members of its force in Karabakh were killed when the car they were travelling in came under fire. Latest violence Baku's operation marked the latest violence over the rugged territory. After the Soviet Union fell apart, Armenian separatists seized the region -- internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan -- in the early 1990s. The war left 30,000 people dead and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes. In a six-week war in 2020, Azerbaijan recaptured swathes of territory in and around the region. President Aliyev on Wednesday praised the "political competence" of his country's historic rival. "The developments that took place yesterday and today will have a positive impact on the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia," he said. Azerbaijani presidential foreign policy advisor Hikmet Hajiyev promised safe passage for the separatists who surrendered and said Baku sought the "peaceful reintegration" of Karabakh Armenians. A separatist official said over 10,000 people have been evacuated from Armenian communities in Nagorno-Karabakh and "forced to find a shelter" elsewhere in the territory. Russia's President Putin said he hoped for a "peaceful" resolution, adding that Moscow has been in contact with all sides in the conflict. Putin held talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Wednesday evening, but the Kremlin insisted the crisis was "Azerbaijan's internal affair". 'War is over' Jubilant residents in Azerbaijan's capital expressed hope the deal heralded a definitive victory and the end of the decades-long conflict. "I was very happy with this news. Finally, the war is over," 67-year-old pensioner Rana Ahmedova told AFP. In Armenia, there was fury at a second defeat in Karabakh in three years. Clashes broke out in Armenia's capital Yerevan, where thousands of protesters waving the separatist region's flag blocked a main road and riot police guarded official buildings. Demonstrators threw bottles and stones at police as they slammed the government's handling of the crisis, while officers used stun grenades and made arrests. The loss in Karabakh ratchets up domestic pressure on Pashinyan, who has faced stinging criticism at home for making concessions to Azerbaijan since the 2020 defeat. "We are losing our homeland, we are losing our people," said Sargis Hayats, a 20-year-old musician. Pashinyan "must leave, time has shown that he cannot rule. No one gave him a mandate for Karabakh to capitulate," he said. The Armenian leader has insisted that his government had not been involved in drafting the latest ceasefire deal. Again denying his country's army was in the enclave, he said he expected Russia's peacekeepers to ensure Karabakh's ethnic-Armenian residents could stay "in their homes, on their land". International pressure Azerbaijan's assault came as Moscow, the traditional power broker in the region is bogged down and distracted by its war on Ukraine, which has left it isolated in the West. But its peacekeepers there appeared to have played a key role in helping to negotiate the ceasefire and will now oversee its implementation. Turkey, a historic ally of predominantly Muslim Azerbaijan that views mostly Christian Armenia as one of its main regional rivals, had called the operation "justified". The EU and United States have been mediating talks between Baku and Yerevan in recent months aimed at securing a lasting peace deal between the two foes. The White House said Wednesday it was concerned by the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. "We're obviously still watching very, very closely the worsening humanitarian situation inside Nagorno-Karabakh," US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. He added the situation "has been exacerbated by the hostilities perpetrated by Azerbaijan" in Karabakh, where there are now fears of a refugee crisis. The post Azerbaijan claims victory after Karabakh separatists surrender appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘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......»»
Homemade gin with a hint of malunggay and sampaguita
Swing through the double glass doors along 30th street of Bonifacio Global City and straight into the city’s award-winning drinking den, The Back Room, as it serves its newest elixirs to enjoy. Spearheaded by mixologist Volkan Ibil, The Back Room offers 13 new concoctions. [caption id="attachment_183397" align="aligncenter" width="525"] The Bootleg.[/caption] “The bar’s philosophy is more tipple than fare. Our 13 new signature cocktails are categorized into five themes based on taste preference which were named after a specific narrative of the Prohibition Era: Jag Juice (strong, flavor-forward), Giggle Water (sophisticated and glamorous), Live Wire (refreshing), Moonshine (experimental) and On a Toot (for sharing),” says Ibil, head mixologist of Shangri-La The Fort, Manila. [caption id="attachment_183399" align="aligncenter" width="525"] The Daily.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_183400" align="aligncenter" width="740"] Shoeshine at 30th.[/caption] Since its inception, The Back Room received multiple recognitions, such as 50 Asia’s 50 Best Bar 2019; Best Hotel Bars in the World — The Legend Awards 2020 by Departures Magazine; 51 Asia’s Best Bars 2021; Best Bar in the Philippines by Travel + Leisure Asia’s Best Awards 2022; and most recently 75 Asia’s Best Bars 2023. The Back Room also has its homemade gin — Bee’s Knees — locally made which pays tribute to popular Philippine ingredients: dalandan, malunggay and sampaguita. The post Homemade gin with a hint of malunggay and sampaguita appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden urges ‘national unity’ 22 years after 9/11
President Joe Biden called Monday for Americans to unite despite bitter political differences as the United States marked the 22nd anniversary of Al-Qaeda's 9/11 attacks. Bells were rung and the names of nearly 3,000 people were read out in somber ceremonies in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania where the hijacked planes struck. "Let's honor September 11 by renewing our faith in one another," said Biden, speaking at a US military base in Anchorage, Alaska as he traveled back from a trip to India and Vietnam. "We must never lose our sense of national unity, so let that be the common cause of our time." Speaking in front of a huge flag, Biden added that "terrorism, including political and ideological violence, is the opposite of all we stand for as a nation." His speech comes as the United States is increasingly polarized, with tensions likely to increase as Biden, a Democrat, heads into a likely election rematch next year with Republican former president Donald Trump. Trump has been indicted four times since April, including for efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, with the 6 January 2021 Capitol attack by his supporters still fresh in the public's memory. 'Never forget' In New York, Vice President Kamala Harris and current and former mayors joined victims' families at the 9/11 memorial on the site of the World Trade Center twin towers brought down by two aircraft flown by hijackers. The names of the more than 2,600 who died in New York were read out by family members and young relatives not alive at the time of the attack. "I wish I had a chance to really know you. Everyone in the family misses you. We will never forget," said the grandson of firefighter Allan Tarasiewicz, who was killed at age 45 during rescue operations at the World Trade Center. At the Pentagon in Washington, where the attackers plunged a third aircraft into the headquarters of the US military, a sailor rang a ship's bell for each of the 184 killed there. And in western Pennsylvania, where a fourth hijacked plane apparently heading toward Washington was forced to crash, bells were rung for each of the 40 passengers and crew who died. "September 11 made America a nation at war, and hundreds of thousands stepped up to serve our country in uniform," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the Pentagon ceremony. "I know that it aches to remember this milestone year after year... The men and women of the Department of Defense will always remember." Across New York City, in Congress and elsewhere, a moment of silence was held to mark the attack, plotted by Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, who was found and killed nearly a decade later by US Navy Seals in a raid on his hideout in Pakistan. Biden noted in his speech that he himself had given the order for bin Laden's successor Ayman al-Zawahiri to be sent to the "gates of hell" last year in an airstrike in Afghanistan. "The soul of America is the fortitude we found in the fear of that terrible September day," he added. "The terrorists believed they could bring us to our knees, bend our will, break our resolve. But they were wrong, they were dead wrong." The post Biden urges ‘national unity’ 22 years after 9/11 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
QC all set for start of school year
The Quezon City government is gearing up all of its efforts and resources to aid students and teachers for the school year 2023-2024 to ensure a smooth and orderly opening on 29 August. “Education is a community responsibility. We want to make sure that our children are given the right tools, environment, and guidance to help them learn and develop their potential,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said. According to the Schools Division Office of Quezon City (SDO QC), it is expecting over 458,000 students for the coming school year. Being one of the cities with the highest student population, the city strives to address the challenges that remain present in the education sector, primarily school congestion and quality of learning. In coordination with the Schools Division Office, the city aims to implement various strategies to address classroom shortages. Proposed interventions include the construction of mid-rise school buildings and the institutionalization of blended learning. “Congestion is still an issue since QC is the biggest division in the country in terms of student population and there are no more buildable spaces. We have started building vertically in some areas. We are also institutionalizing the blended learning modality. Congested grades will shift to blended modality where there will be three days of face-to-face classes and two days of asynchronous or synchronous classes,” Belmonte said. “Together with the Schools Division Office and the Education Affairs Unit, we are also considering a school service or bus system to transfer excess students to QC schools that have not reached their full absorptive capacity,” she added. Moreover, the city is in the process of introducing the QC Voucher system for elementary learners similar to what is being done now at the senior high school level, where students will be given a voucher to enroll in accredited QC private schools. The LGU is also open to leasing unused buildings in private schools that can serve as extension facilities to congested public schools. Several schools are also undergoing renovation in an effort to provide a better and more conducive learning environment for the students. As part of ensuring that all QCitizen learners are ready to go back to classes, the city has started the distribution of learning kits to all K to 12 learners. QC Education Affairs Unit (EAU) Officer-in-Charge Maricris Veloso said that the distribution of school supplies for enrolled students has commenced, while public school teachers can expect an additional 1,000 laptops within the year. Since 2020, the city has distributed over 6,000 laptops to its public school teachers. Teaching and non-teaching personnel can likewise expect the continuous provision of monthly and quarterly allowances. The city government will provide additional sets of tables and chairs for teachers, 15,000 tablet armchairs for elementary schools, 10,000 tablet armchairs for secondary schools, and 5,100 sets of kiddie tables and chairs for kindergarten learners. Furthermore, QC will also procure 141,880 storybooks, 80,000 workbooks, SMART TVs, computers, and CCTVs, underscoring safety in schools. Efforts to improve the internet connectivity in schools as well as free internet access for hybrid learners, and provision of assistive technology for inclusive learning are also underway. As part of the city’s learning recovery initiatives, it is also implementing its tutoring program dubbed "Zero Illiteracy sa QC," to help improve students’ fundamental skills in reading and numeracy. “Our objective for the upcoming opening of classes is to ensure that learners will have their educational needs met and to lessen the parents’ worry,” the mayor said. SDO QC also noted that an Education Summit in consultation with education stakeholders; parents, barangay, school heads, learners, and teachers was conducted prior to the opening of classes. Oplan Balik Eskwela hotlines and help desks are also operational, and traffic management has been planned in coordination with the barangays and concerned city departments. “Let us help our students achieve learning excellence by actively engaging in our children’s education and being one with the city government,” Schools Division Superintendent Carleen Sedilla said. With all these preparations in motion, the city ensures the successful opening of classes for School Year 2023-2024. The post QC all set for start of school year appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Skating out of stress, to feel free
Since the first patent for a roller skate was awarded in 1819 to a certain M. Petibled of Paris, roller skating has gone through a lot of development before evolving into what we know it now as a recreational and competitive sport. While sports such as speed skating, hockey and figure skating have been institutionalized, recreational roller skating has had its time in the spotlight over the years. Then Covid-19 happened in early 2020, and roller skating became popular again as a solo activity. Its resurgence continues post-pandemic for fitness and just for fun. [caption id="attachment_175690" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Skating is good for fitness. | Photographs Courtesy of Chai Timbungco[/caption] Skating to destress Sesilya Rosario Timbungco, nicknamed Chai, started skating using inline skates (meaning the wheels are in a straight line) with her older cousins when she was around seven years old. Then she studied figure skating for two years, starting at age nine, before moving on to other things. In 2020, she picked up inlines again because “ironically, it was safer to be out on the streets because there were almost zero cars” at the height of community lockdowns and social restrictions. “What I like about skating is that it makes me feel good about myself,” she tells DAILY TRIBUNE in an online interview. “It’s also an outlet for me because it allows me to physically destress. From a technical standpoint, I like skating because of the diverse disciplines under its umbrella -- ice skating, dance skating, derby, quad hockey, speed, park, vert, etc.” The 31-year-old skater, who works as an insights community manager at a software company adds, “Skating is good for fitness because it involves the coordination of your entire body, even if it doesn’t seem like it. It’s all about balance, especially when learning your edges! Once you nail the basics, you pretty much won’t forget how to do it — just like riding a bike.” “It’s a good fitness option, but like with all other sports, make sure it is safe for you,” she points out. “Generally, skating is for everyone. But if you have balance issues, are pregnant or have bad hip mobility, it’s best to consult your doctor.” Chai makes it clear that skating is a sport, even if you do it recreationally or as a hobby. “So there will be maintenance expenses,” she says. “If you don’t get any upgrades and sticks with a decent pair, maintenance won’t be that expensive. A good entry-level pair costs around P5,000 to P8,000. There are many other factors to consider, but that’s the base price for entry-level skates.” These days, she usually skates at the basketball court at their home, though she really misses skating outdoors. She considers Bonifacio Global City as one of the friendlier spaces for skating. If she has to go to the rink, she says she only goes to Rolyo Sk8house at the Circuit Makati. Chai is also a co-founder of the Everywhere We Skate PH community on Facebook, whose goal is to “help raise awareness about local roller skating and make skating accessible in all ways, little ways, that we can,” while “bringing in roller skating brands into the local scene.” Chai’s tips in buying your first pair of skates: Measure your feet. Measure in inches and in centimeters. Never ever correlate shoe size with skate size. Skates have to be snug, but not tight. If you’re in between sizes, always choose the bigger size. There will be workarounds to a slightly loose boot, but it’s impossible for you to use skates that are too small Buy good brands, even if it means buying them second hand. That doesn’t mean branded is always good, nope. Make sure you research before buying anything! There are reputable brands that make nice skates that are good enough as second-hands. If that isn’t an option, make sure you buy skates that are within your current skill level. For example, buying an advanced boot is not the best for a beginner who doesn’t have proper foundation yet. Try them out at the rink first (if you can) before deciding on a big purchase like our own skates. Make sure you learn how to read wheel hardness (it’s not hard), as well as the other components of your skates. Other than looking up what to buy, also learn about maintenance and how to make normal adjustments to your skate. When skating for the first time, Chai recommends doing these steps: Bend your knees. “I can’t stress this enough, but bend your knees,” she says emphatically. “It’ll save you from potential nasty falls!” Wear gear. Avoid slopes. “It’s a common misconception that slopes are good for beginners because they’ll help you roll faster. That’s true, but that’s why it’s dangerous for someone who doesn’t know how to stop yet.” Feeling of freedom Roller skating was likewise a childhood hobby for Raqs Regalado, a 39-year-old event manager and costume designer. “But it was during the pandemic that I fell back into it,” she says in another online interview, “Because I found my old pair of skates (that I got at a Japanese thrift shop back in college) while we were trying to Marie Kondo our place during the first few weeks of the lockdown.” Post-pandemic, Raqs can usually be found skating at the Bike Playground or at other indoor rinks around the Metro, and for outdoor skating, at BGC. “What I like about it most is the feeling of freedom it gives me and the friends I’ve made in this hobby,” she points out. “It’s good for fitness because it activates muscles you never even knew existed. Like it’s a whole different muscle group working when you skate.” “There are cheap, generic ones but cheap skates also mean cheaper materials were used,” she adds. “Skates manufactured by bigger, skate-focused brands will always be more expensive than the generic ones, but I think of it as investing on the quality of skates you’re getting. Your safety depends on it.” Raqs truly believes that everybody can skate. “But I wouldn’t force it on someone who does not want to. You have to at least be interested to try it and eventually find happiness in it. Once you find joy in skating, that’s when you start wanting to learn more.” She has found her kindred spirits on Everywhere We Skate PH when it was founded in 2020: “Chai reached out to me and told me about the online skating community they’ve build. Of course, I instantly joined. There were only about 50 members that time. A few months in, and they asked me to be one of the group admins. Now, we have over 10,000 members. We welcome skaters of all levels and skate enthusiasts. Our main goal is to have a safe space for healthy exchanges of skate-related information.” Raqs’ tips in buying your first pair of skates: Assuming that you’ve already tried rental skates at the public rink, and you really liked it and want to get into skating, then start doing your research on the particular skates that have aesthetically caught your attention. Check for materials used, reviews and after-sales services. If you can also determine what type of skating you want to immerse yourself in (such as outdoor cruising, aggressive skating, artistic skating, etc.), that would also be very helpful in choosing your first pair of skates. If you’re skating for the first time, Raqs has these suggestions for you to do: Get safety gear. Watch video tutorials on how to fall safely because knowing how to do so can save you from serious injuries. Remember: You may fall a lot specially as a beginner, but don’t worry, it happens to all of us. The post Skating out of stress, to feel free appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Filipinos in Taiwan farms
Thirty-one Taiwanese farms are hosting 49 young Filipino farmer-interns, who are now about to learn Taiwan’s agricultural technologies and skills to be able contribute to the Philippines’ national food security and agricultural progress. The farms are specializing in rice, vegetables, fruits, mushroom, poultry, swine, dairy and aquaculture production. Taiwan has been widely recognized as one of the leading countries in the field of tropical agriculture; think tropical crops and seedling, soil and pest management, agribusiness, food processing. Starting 2024, the Taiwan government will increase the number of Filipino interns from 50 per year to 100 in this capacity-development program. Chairman and resident representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office Silvestre Bello III witnessed how big strawberries and lapu-lapus can grow through agricultural technologies in Taiwan, where the capacity of rice production is three times that of the Philippines’. “There is a very big difference. That is why it’s very important to send our young farmers to Taiwan where they can learn new agricultural technologies,” Mr. Bello said. Mr. Bello told the farmers that he found out that an overwhelming percentage of Taiwan scholarship recipients from the Philippines stay in Taiwan after they graduate rather than coming back to contribute to the Philippines: “Those who graduate from this intensive program should be given the means to be able to introduce and practice that technology.” Thus, he is going to write President Marcos, advising the government to give the interns five hectares each after they come back so that the young farmers will be able to develop and apply whatever knowledge they learned “because the Philippines needs you.” While recent projections have shown a significant decline in the working-age population in Taiwan (with labor shortages predicted to reach 400,000 by 2030), many scholarship recipients from other countries chose to stay in Taiwan after they graduate. The main reason is that Taiwan provides scholarship programs, not to attract talent but to develop their knowledge and skills so that the graduates can go back to contribute to their respective countries. To be a friendly and welcoming host city, Taipei City, the capital of Taiwan, is holding Taipei MassKara Festival on 10 September in Little Manila to celebrate diversity and multiculturalism. Little Manila is a community in Taipei along the east side of Zhongshan North Road Section 3 between Minzu East Road and Nong’an Street, and along Nong’an Street and Dehui Street where you can find St. Christopher’s Church, King Wan Wan Shopping Mall in which numerous Filipino shops are located, and EEC Grocery and RJ Supermart where Filipino and Asian goods are sold. As a result, Filipinos in Taiwan love to visit Little Manila on Sunday to go to the church, eat Filipino food and buy groceries, and they can meet hundreds and thousands of kababayans there. According to the Department of Civil Affairs of the Taipei City government, the Taipei MassKara Festival was initiated in 2020, given the increasing number of new immigrants, foreign students and migrant workers. This year, the Taipei City government will subsidize NT$10,000, equals to P17,700, to each group comprising 20 people participating in the event. The groups will create their own costume and mask theme, showcasing the rich elements and exotic features of the Philippines’ MassKara Festival during the parade. The post Filipinos in Taiwan farms appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Giuliani: ‘America’s Mayor’ threatened by anti-Mafia law he spearheaded
Forty years ago, Rudy Giuliani was the fearless Mafia-busting prosecutor whose aggressive use of racketeering laws brought down New York's Five Families. On Tuesday, he was fighting for his own freedom after being ensnared by the very legal strategy he had pioneered. The man once feted as "America's Mayor" for steering the US financial hub through the horror of the 11 September 2001 attacks has experienced a stunning fall from grace. Charged with 13 felonies over the help he is alleged to have given his client and longtime friend Donald Trump in trying to subvert the 2020 presidential election, the attorney is threatened with years behind bars as his 80th birthday approaches. "It's just the next chapter in a book of lies with the purpose of framing President Donald Trump and anyone willing to take on the ruling regime," Giuliani said on X, formerly known as Twitter, after he was charged Monday. It was a typically bombastic response from the 107th mayor of New York City, who played a starring role in Trump's post-election push to cling to power through an allegedly criminal campaign of lies about voter fraud. Giuliani was charged Monday under Georgia's Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Practices (RICO) statute, the plaudits he once earned squandered in a series of increasingly bizarre media appearances around the 2020 election. He is one of 18 co-defendants charged alongside Trump. 'Person of the Year' They included an unwitting cameo in a Sacha Baron Cohen movie in which Giuliani was filmed lying on a hotel bed with his hands down his pants and a post-election press conference held outside a landscaping business surrounded by a crematorium and a sex shop. At another press event, Giuliani and his allies claimed mass voter fraud without a shred of evidence as hair dye streamed in dark rivulets down the attorney's cheeks. Born in an Italian American enclave of Brooklyn on 28 May 1944, Rudolph William Louis Giuliani made his name in his 40s as a pioneering US attorney for Manhattan, using RICO to bring down the high command of the New York mob. Giuliani captured the New York mayorship in 1993 and gained national prominence in the wake of the 9/11 attacks by helping salve the shocked city's soul, earning Time Magazine's prestigious "Person of the Year" honor. "We've undergone tremendous losses, and we're going to grieve for them horribly, but New York is going to be here tomorrow morning, and it's going to be here forever," he declared. The Republican suffered his first big setback in 2008 with a disastrous bid for the White House and appeared adrift until Trump eventually brought him back into the fold. Gaffes and walk-backs After Trump was elected, he appointed Giuliani to fight a federal probe into the campaign's extensive ties to Russia, and the lawyer became a constant TV presence. But gaffes and walk-backs were as much a feature of Giuliani's lawyering as his spirited talk show diatribes -- and he led Trump into trouble as often as steering him away. Never the most reliable spokesman, Giuliani proved susceptible to seemingly unforced admissions -- contradicting Trump's denials over hush money payments to a porn star and his pursuit of a business deal in Moscow before the 2016 election. But the effort to reverse Trump's clear election loss in 2020 appears, in the end, to have sealed Giuliani's downfall. One by one, his post-election court challenges were withdrawn or dismissed as groundless. Giuliani's license to practice has been suspended in New York over his "demonstrably false" claims of a stolen election and the Bar in the nation's capital is considering disbarring him. Long before attracting the attention of a legal system that once basked in his reflected glory, Giuliani acknowledged that representing Trump could end up being his legacy. "I am afraid it will be on my gravestone. 'Rudy Giuliani: He lied for Trump,'" he told The New Yorker in 2019. "If it is, so what do I care? I'll be dead. I figure I can explain it to St. Peter." The post Giuliani: ‘America’s Mayor’ threatened by anti-Mafia law he spearheaded appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dane back home after ‘visiting every nation in the world’
A Danish man who claimed to be the first to visit every country in the world in a single trip without flying landed home Wednesday after 10 years away. Torbjorn Pedersen stepped off a Maersk container ship in the Danish port city of Aarhus, after visiting his 203rd country and final country -- the Maldives -- in late May. "I've been dreaming about coming back home and having it over with and done. So that's today. At the same time, I'm anxious about the future," Pedersen told AFP, describing the return as bittersweet. "A lot of things are up in the air and in the unknown, mixed emotions," he said while listing concerns about restarting his career and trying to adjust to everyday life. Known as "Thor," he has travelled by train, bus, boat or even on foot on the voyage he set off on October 10, 2013. The 44-year-old -- who previously had a career within the shipping sector -- is the first to make the feat. Leaving Micronesia in January 2020, he continued to Hong Kong, where he found himself stuck for two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Once the borders were open again, he set off for the island country of Palau, then continuing the countries of Oceania and the Pacific islands. Took longer than expected "Three have been to every country twice. Two have been to every country without returning home in between. And now, one has done it completely without flying. What can I say? Good luck to the second," he wrote on his blog. Keen to meet new people, the former UN peacekeeper never hired a car, preferring to instead to travel on public transport. Despite the geographical distance, Thor and his partner have managed to keep their relationship alive. During the decade of travel, she travelled to visit him 27 times. On the 10th occasion, he got down on one knee and asked for her hand in marriage -- but unfortunately the pandemic forced them to get married online. His wife Le Gjerum said she found his stubbornness in completing the task admirable but added she was looking forward to having a "daily life together." The inspiration for the trip came from an article his father emailed him. He was first apprehensive but didn't want the regret of not doing it, he however conceded that he originally thought the trip would be completed in less than half the time. "I thought it would take a maximum of four years in total, maybe three and a half if I went a little fast." Thor, who documented his journey on social media and in a blog, was also an ambassador for the Red Cross. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Britain's Graham Hughes was the first person to circumnavigate the globe without a plane, but his journey was interspersed with two returns home, which Thor did not do. The post Dane back home after ‘visiting every nation in the world’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dismissal in disguise
Constructive dismissal has been defined as a dismissal in disguise, or an act amounting to dismissal but is made to appear as if it was not. More specifically, it is when an employee quits work because continued employment is rendered impossible, unreasonable, or unlikely, or when there is a demotion in rank or a diminution in pay and other benefits. (Dimagan v. Dackworks United, Inc., G.R. 191053, 28 November 2011). The test of constructive dismissal is whether a reasonable person in the employee’s position would have felt compelled to give up his or her employment under the circumstances (St. Paul College, Pasig v. Mancol, G.R. No. 222317, 24 January 2018). Here are some examples of acts that constitute constructive dismissal: In one case, an employee who was hired as a bookkeeper in a company engaged in the real estate business was held to be constructively dismissed when she was deprived of office space, was not given further work assignments, and was not paid her salaries until she was left with no choice but to stop reporting for work (Tan Brothers Corp. of Basilan City v. Escudero, G.R. 188711, 3 July 2013). In another case, an employee who was hired as a waiter in a hotel company was held to be constructively dismissed when his regular work days were reduced from five days to two days. The change in his work schedule thus resulted in the diminution of his take-home salary. The fact that he may have continued to report for work does not rule out constructive dismissal, nor does it operate as a waiver. (Regala v. Manila Hotel Corp., G.R. 204684, 5 October 2020). The Supreme Court explained that “constructive dismissal occurs not when the employee ceases to report for work, but when the unwarranted acts of the employer are committed to the end that the employee’s continued employment shall become so intolerable. In these difficult times, an employee may be left with no choice but to continue with his employment despite abuses committed against him by the employer, and even during the pendency of a labor dispute between them.” (The Orchard Golf and Country Club v. Francisco, G.R. 178125, 18 March 2013). In another case, a managerial employee was instructed to perform functions that were below her position. When she assigned another person to do the said functions and suggested a different procedure to her boss, the latter reacted negatively and told her she was stupid and incompetent. She was also asked to resign on more than one occasion but was later told to stay. After she was assured that she could keep her job, she was treated indifferently by the management. The Supreme Court held that acts of disdain and hostile behavior such as demotion, uttering insulting words, asking for resignation, and apathetic conduct towards an employee are tantamount to constructive dismissal. (Bayview Management Consultants Inc. v. Pre, G.R. 220170, 19 August 2020). In another instance, an employee became the subject of constructive dismissal in the guise of a transfer. She was initially promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer in one of the employer’s branches. However, two months after her promotion, she was appointed instead as Compliance Manager, and her position of COO was declared abolished when the management decided to undertake an “organizational restructuring.” It appears, however, that the said position was actually never abolished as another employee was appointed to take her place. The appointment was even publicly announced via an official communication disseminated company-wide. The Supreme Court held that when another employee is soon after appointed to a position that the employer claims to have been abolished, while the employee who had to vacate the same is transferred against her will to a position that does not exist in the corporate structure, there is evidently a case of illegal constructive dismissal. (Ico v. Systems Technology Institute, Inc., G.R. 185100, 9 July 2014). An employee who is constructively dismissed is entitled to two reliefs, namely, back wages and reinstatement. However, where reinstatement is no longer feasible, the employee shall be granted separation pay in lieu of reinstatement (Cornworld Breeding Systems Corp. v. Court of Appeals, G.R. 204075, 17 August 2022). For more of Dean Nilo Divina’s legal tidbits, please visit www.divinalaw.com. For comments and questions, please send an email to cabdo@divinalaw.com. The post Dismissal in disguise appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl cinema in the first year of BBM
Here, we look back at the state of the Philippine film industry since he took the seat of power 13 months ago. When President Marcos Jr. became the 17th leader of the nation, the country was on the brink of the “new normal.” The campaign elections even saw multitudes of crowds in the streets, the Filipinos’ political passion overpowering the fear of a Covid-19 infection. Covid-pandemic viewing By May 2022, the month of the presidential campaigns, the Department of Health said the country was at “minimal-risk case classification” with an average of only 159 cases per day. By June 2022, when the President took his oath, 69.4 million Filipinos had been fully vaccinated. Along with the country, the Philippine film industry started healing. On the same month, the country went under Covid-19 Alert Level 2, with 50-percent allowed capacity in indoor cinemas. Live film festivals The Marcos administration saw the return of Filipino film festivals in theaters. On Marcos’ fifth month as president, the QCinema International Film Festival, with the theme “in10City,” held hybdrid screenings — in-person and online. The Metro Manila Film Festival in December 2022, six months into the new presidency, went full force in cinemas for the second time during the pandemic. Earlier, in 2020, during the Duterte administration, the festival was held online for the first time, and the following year, in December 2021, after level alert measures in the Philippines were relaxed, the MMFF finally went back to the cinemas. However, only around 300 cinemas (down from the usual 900) were allowed to screen the MMFF entries. Meanwhile, the 18th edition of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival was held from 5 August to 31 October 2022 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, in select mall cinemas and online. But what made a mark during the Marcos administration’s first year was the inaugural edition of the 2023 Summer Metro Manila Film Festival. The SMMFF was held in Metro Manila and throughout the Philippines. Organized by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority in partnership with the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines, the first MMFF was supposed to be held in 2020, but was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2023, held from 8 to 18 April 2023 with the theme “Tuloy-tuloy ang Saya,” the summer festival featured eight entries and, like its December counterpart, even held a Parade of Stars. About Us But Not About Us by Jun Lana, produced by The IdeaFirst Company, Octobertrain Films and Quantum Films, emerged as the first Best Picture of the summer festival. [caption id="attachment_161372" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] About Us But Not About Us by Jun Lana[/caption] The Film Development Council of the Philippines’ sixth edition of its own mini-film festival, held during the Marcos administration’s third month, headed back to cinemas, offering free access to award-winning classic films of the new National Artists for Film and Broadcast Arts at TriNoma Cinema in Quezon City and in all Cinematheque centers nationwide (Manila, Iloilo, Negros, Davao and Nabunturan). CCP closes for renovations On 1 September 2022, CCP president Margarita Moran-Floirendo announced during a hearing of the Senate committee on cultural communities, that The Cultural Center of the Philippines — home to the Cinemalaya festival — will close its doors starting January 2023 for renovation and structural retrofitting works, and will reopen in March 2025. This marks the first time that Cinemalaya, on its 19th year, which has the theme “ilumiNasyon,” will be held at various venues inside the adjacent Philippine International Convention Center, from 4 to 13 August 2023. The rise of political films With the country deeply driven by polarized political views, the Marcos administration saw a war between political commercial films. [caption id="attachment_161370" align="aligncenter" width="1800"] ‘MAID in Malacanang’ stars Cristine Reyes, Diego Loyzaga and Ella Cruz. | Photograph courtesy of viva[/caption] On 29 July 2022, Darryl Yap’s period drama Maid in Malacañang, touted as “the most controversial film of the year,” was released to packed cinemas. The movie, about the Marcos family’s last three days in Malacañang Palace before they were forced into exile, premiered at SM North EDSA and was released nationwide on 3 August 2022. Yap, who passionately campaigned for Marcos, became a controversial filmmaker with the release of his Marcos film. Leni Robredo supporters tried to boycott the film, with some Filipino movie critics exposing themselves as heavily political and non-neutral with their reviews, accusing the film of propaganda and historical revisionism. The attempt to quash the movie’s release failed and it became a box-office hit, with producer Viva Films releasing a statement that it earned a whopping P21 million on its opening day and P63 million three days after its release. It was the first time in Philippine cinema history that local theaters nationwide saw a deluge of moviegoers lining up to watch a movie on the big screen, mostly driven by political affiliation. Another unsuccessful political attempt to diminish the film’s release was Vince Tañada’s re-release of his Martial Law film Katips to counter Maid in Malacañang. Tañada’s film eventually won Best Picture at the Famas Awards. MIM actress Ella Cruz’s remark during a press conference, that “history is like tsismis,” further fanned the flames of political debate online. Eight months later, in March 2022, Viva released Yap’s second installment in his Marcos trilogy, Martyr or Murderer, which now focused on Ferdinand Marcos and the assassination of Ninoy Aquino. Two anti-Marcos movies rose to combat the film — Joel Lamangan’s Oras de Peligro, released on the same day, and Tañada’s movie adaptation of his musical play Ako Si Ninoy, released one week earlier. Movie buffs, political analysts, film critics, the press and social media influencers dove into feverish commentaries on the three films, and Philippine cinemas were ignited and, for a while, became alive with social discourse. New FDCP head On 21 July 2022, Tirso S. Cruz III officially assumed his position as the head of the country’s national film agency, the Film Development Council of the Philippines. He replaced Liza Diño, who was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as FDCP chairperson on 12 August 2016. [caption id="attachment_161368" align="aligncenter" width="736"] FDCP chair Tirso Cruz III. | PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF FDCP[/caption] Cruz, a veteran actor, said that the target of the FDCP under the Marcos administration was to support local films, not just in Metro Manila, but also from regional filmmakers. He also professed support for film students and highlighted archiving as part of the FDCP’s agenda, with 42,000 materials in its archives to be salvaged. MTRCB In September 2022, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board released a statement addressing the controversy about its proposal to expand its jurisdiction to online streaming services like Netflix, Vivamax, Amazon Prime and other streaming platforms. The MTRCB said it was responding to multitudes of complaints from parents and other concerned groups demanding that the agency regulate movie and TV online platforms to protect children from harmful viewing. The Marcos administration has seen a continuous boom in streamers, which began during the pandemic, with Vivamax becoming one of the leading local streamers due to the popularity of Filipino sexploitation films. On 23 February 2023, MTRCB chairperson Lala Sotto-Antonio expressed her gratitude to Senators Francis “Tol” Tolentino, Grace Poe and Sherwin Gatchalian for the separate bills they filed that would amend and expand the board’s mandate. “We welcome the move to amend the charter of the MTRCB as it will allow the agency to adequately adapt to changes in technology and the ever-evolving needs of the viewing public and our other stakeholders,” Sotto-Antonio said before the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media chaired by Senator Robinhood C. Padilla. Eddie Garcia Act In January 2023, the chamber passed through voice voting House Bill 1270, or the proposed Eddie Garcia Act, at the House plenary session. [caption id="attachment_161367" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] HOUSE Bill 1270 has been proposed in honor of the late actor Eddie Garcia. | Photograph courtesy of gma-7[/caption] Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte authored the bill, which aims to provide workers in the movie, television and radio entertainment industry opportunities for well-paid employment and protect them from economic exploitation, abuse and harassment, as well as hazardous working conditions. The bill was named after the late veteran actor Eddie Garcia, who died in 2019 after suffering a neck injury while shooting the television series Rosang Agimat, produced by GMA Network. According to Villafuerte, productions would go from 16 to 24 continuous work hours per set and would rush productions to save costs. The proposed law mandates that normal work hours of the worker or talent shall be eight hours a day; overtime work should not exceed more than 12 hours in a 24-hour period; and the total number of work hours shall not exceed 60 hours in a week. Paul Soriano Relatively unknown to most Pinoy moviegoers, filmmaker Paul Soriano was put on the limelight as the man behind the President’s advertisements — way back from campaigns since Marcos started out as vice governor, and then, governor of Ilocos Norte, up until his senatorial campaign, and eventually his campaign for the vice presidency and presidency. [caption id="attachment_161371" align="aligncenter" width="781"] PRESIDENTIAL Adviser on Creative Communications Paul Soriano. | PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ig/PAUL SORIANO[/caption] Of course, the opposition in the film industry predictably canceled Soriano, the blood nephew of First Lady Liza Cacho Araneta-Marcos. Dolly de Leon It was also during the BBM era that Filipina actress Dolly de Leon gained international fame for her performance in the 2022 Cannes Palme d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness. [caption id="attachment_161366" align="aligncenter" width="705"] Dolly de Leon gained international fame for her performance in the 2022 Cannes Palme d’Or winner ‘Triangle of Sadness.’ | Photograph courtesy ofig/dolly de leon[/caption] The 54-year old film, television and theater actress made history by becoming the first Filipino actor to be nominated at the British Academy Film Awards and Golden Globe Awards. Filipino movie fans and critics, having been exposed to global content since the rise of the streamers, plus the proliferation of self-published movie reviews, are generally still disappointed with the output and system of the Philippine film industry, but filled with hope that, with full support from the government, Philippine cinema will finally become truly internationally competitive, sustainable and recognized. The post Phl cinema in the first year of BBM appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tony Bennett, last of classic American crooners, dead at 96
Tony Bennett, the last in a generation of classic American crooners whose ceaselessly cheery spirit bridged generations to make him a hitmaker across seven decades, died Friday in New York. He was 96. Raised in an era when big bands defined US pop music, Bennett achieved an improbable second act when he started winning over young audiences in the 1990s -- not by reinventing himself but by demonstrating his sheer joy in belting out the standards. And then at age 88, Bennett, in 2014 became the oldest person ever to reach number one on the US album sales chart through a collection of duets with Lady Gaga -- who became his friend and touring companion but only one of a long list of younger stars who rushed to work with the singing great. Bennett's publicist, Sylvia Weiner, announced his death. Likened since the start of his career to Frank Sinatra, Bennett first tried to distance himself but eventually followed much of the same path as other crooners of yore -- singing in nightclubs, on television, and for movies, although his attempts to act ended quickly. His gift proved to be his stage presence. With a welcoming smile and dapper suit, he sang with gusto and a smooth vibrato in a strong, clearly enunciated voice, which he kept in shape through training from the operatic Bel Canto tradition. Starting with his recording of the film song "Because of You" in 1951, Bennett sang dozens of hits including "Rags to Riches," "Stranger in Paradise" and, in what would become his signature tune, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," which landed him two of his career's 19 Grammy Awards. But the British Invasion led by The Beatles initially took a toll on the singer, whose music suddenly sounded quaint and antiquated. He nearly died of a cocaine overdose in 1979 before sobering up and eventually reviving his career. "When rap came along, or disco, whatever the new fashion was at the moment, I didn't try to find something that would fit whatever the style was of the whole music scene," Bennett told the British culture magazine Clash. "I just stayed myself and sang sincerely and tried to just stay honest with myself -- never compromising, just doing the best songs that I could think of for the public. "And luckily it just paid off." Singing as hardscrabble youth Tony Bennett -- his stage name came after advice from showbiz A-lister Bob Hope -- was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in the Astoria neighborhood of New York's Queens borough. His father was a struggling grocer who immigrated from southern Italy's Calabria region, to which his mother also traced her ancestry. He showed early promise as an entertainer, singing at age nine next to legendary New York mayor Fiorello LaGuardia when he ceremonially opened the city's Triborough Bridge, now known as the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge. But his father's death at age 10, at a time when the United States was still struggling to exit the Great Depression, led him to leave school and earn money through jobs including singing at Italian restaurants and caricature painting, which remained a lifelong side career. During World War II, Bennett was drafted into the 63rd Infantry Division and was sent to France and Germany. But he was demoted after cursing out an officer from the South who objected to Bennett dining with an African American friend in the then racially segregated army. As punishment, Bennett spent his tour of duty digging out bodies and shipping them. But after the Allied victory, Bennett found an unexpected break into music as he waited with fellow troops in Wiesbaden, Germany to return home. With the city's opera house still intact, a US Army band performed a weekly show to be broadcast on military radio across Germany. Taken on as the band's librarian, Bennett was quickly impressed with his voice and was made one of four vocalists. "During this period in the army, I enjoyed the most musical freedom I've ever had in my life," Bennett later wrote in his autobiography, "The Good Life." "I could sing whatever I wanted, and there was no one around to tell me any different," he wrote. Outspoken against racism and war When he returned to the United States, he took formal singing lessons through the GI Bill, which covered educational expenses for returning troops. His experiences made Bennett a lifelong liberal. He became especially enraged in the 1950s when he played in Miami with jazz pioneer Duke Ellington, who was not allowed to attend a press party due to segregation at the hotel. In a then risky move for a popular entertainer, he accepted an invitation from singer Harry Belafonte to join civil rights icon Martin Luther King in the 1965 march from Selma, Alabama in support of equal voting rights for African Americans. He later wrote in his memoir that the hostility of the white state troopers reminded him of Nazi Germany. He was also an outspoken opponent of war, at times raising controversy. "The first time I saw a dead German, that's when I became a pacifist," he told popular radio host Howard Stern days after the 11 September 2001 attacks. Late in life, still cool Bennett was married three times and had four children including Antonia Bennett, who has followed his path as a singer of pop and jazz standards. But his son Danny Bennett was most instrumental in his father's career, aggressively courting MTV and other players in the pop world as a manager for his father. By the early 1990s, Bennett -- his style and look little changed from the 1960s, except for more gray hair -- was appearing in music videos on MTV and singing warm-up at concerts by alternative rock giants such as Smashing Pumpkins and Porno for Pyros. Proof that Bennett was back came in 1993 when he presented a prize at the MTV Video Music Awards alongside the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who hailed his cool factor and playfully sang part of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." His career only kept building and a decade later, he released three successful albums of duets. On one of them, "Body and Soul," he sang with Amy Winehouse in her last recording before she died in 2011 at age 27. He marked his 90th birthday with a star-studded concert at New York's Radio City Music Hall, which was turned into a television special and album. The title was taken from a song popularized by Bennett: "The Best Is Yet to Come." Bennett toured the United States and Europe into his final decade, playing his last public performance before the coronavirus pandemic halted touring in New Jersey on 11 March 2020. Soon after, he revealed he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016. He had kept his condition quiet for years. Upon turning 95, Bennett played two more birthday concerts, again at Radio City Music Hall, with Lady Gaga -- shows billed as his farewell to New York. He then canceled the remainder of his 2021 tour dates on "doctors' orders." "And let the music play as long as there's a song to sing / And I will stay younger than spring," he crooned during the first of his farewell shows, in a rendition of his ballad "This Is All I Ask." "You've been a good audience," Bennett said prior to his encore. "I love this audience." The post Tony Bennett, last of classic American crooners, dead at 96 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
App members continue to enjoy improved services and special features
Back in 2020, at the height of Covid-19 pandemic, Uniqlo launched its shopping app, Uniqlo.com, to provide a convenient and reliable way to purchase from the LifeWear line of this Japanese global apparel retailer. Today, Uniqlo.com app members continue to enjoy improved services and special features. For starters, they were treated to a celebration from 7 to 9 July at the Mega Fashion Hall of the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City. They got to access the different activations that showcase the various app features through the thoughtfully set up booths. They also availed some limited novelty items and freebies from partner brands. Meanwhile, new app members received a Php300 coupon upon registration. At the App Notification booth, members learned how they could be notified about new offers and arrivals, as well as updates on the availability of items from their wishlist and alerts on special prices and limited offers. They were then informed at the Online Exclusive Sizes booth that they could get exclusive sizes from XS to 3XL on preferred tops and bottoms, plus access to a wide array of colors. The Online Alteration Service booth enlightened members that they could have their purchases altered just by clicking the alteration tab and following the instructions to have their perfectly fit item delivered. Next, the Click & Collect + Next Day Delivery booth explained that items purchased on weekdays (except holidays) and before 12 noon would arrive at their doorsteps within 24 hours. Free shipping is available through the Click and Collect service. The pick-up option is now available, with Uniqlo Alabang Westgate and Blue Bay Walk stores as pick-up points. Over at the Capture Corner booth, members got to know they could conveniently check the availability of their desired items’ sizes and colors through either manual input or barcode scan. Finally, they found out at the Customer Review booth that they could not only check out ratings and reviews from other members, but they could actually write their own review of their purchases, whether bought online or in-store. Those members who visited all the booths and accomplished the tasks got a Uniqlo stainless steel bottle as a prize. The celebration has just started, as Uniqlo Philippines chief operating officer Geraldine Sia pointed out, “We aim to continue improving their shopping experience with its better features and benefits that will provide a more seamless purchasing process through their phones up to receiving their orders at their doorsteps and hassle-free.” The post App members continue to enjoy improved services and special features appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Face first for OFW entrepreneur
Self-made entrepreneur Marzen Salazar remembers the many moments when she would catch her grandmother in front of the mirror, filling in her eyebrows faded by time. Humans are said to be capable of nearly 10,000 facial expressions. The slightest twitch of facial muscle, the direction of the eye, and the movement of eyebrows all mean a plethora of emotions — the non-verbal cues that make up the unspoken daily chatter. Yet as one grows old, it becomes more difficult to do so; the muscles loosen, but most significantly, the eyebrows thin along with the lashes. “My grandmother always draws about her eyebrows. She would try it but (I) would never be satisfied,” remembers Marzen. “When I was growing up in the '90s, eyebrow tattooing was a popular solution to the fading of the brow for the elderly and people with thin strokes — but even tattoos have their limits.” Today, as Marzen recalls her time growing up in Laguna with her lola, Marzen is gradually and decisively building her own business to provide a better solution for eyebrows, lashes, and other facial care woes. In 2020 during the beginning of the pandemic, Marzen boldly launched Miss Derm — a clinic specializing in eyebrows, lashes, and facial treatment services, including microblading. A relatively new technology for Filipinos, microblading uses small needles to create soft and subtle hair-like strokes and deposit pigment on the skin. It is a form of cosmetic tattooing but, unlike the traditional tattoo that embeds pigment deep into the skin, microblading only injects pigment superficially on the body and thus is only semi-permanent. At Miss Derm, microblading is only done by certified microblading artists. Artists undergo intensive training to provide the highest level of quality and care for customers. More than just a business From one clinic in Makati, Marzen expanded Miss Derm to two more locations: Las Pinas and Quezon City —one additional business address each year. Despite travel restrictions, Miss Derm’s number of patrons have grown through word of mouth, attracted by the quality of premium services to help customers with their facial care needs. “I’ve always been motivated by the fact that the services we do at Miss Derm directly affect our customers’ disposition. If eyes are the windows to the soul, eyebrows and lashes are the frames that help define what you want to express and how you want to be seen. We want to help our customers increase their confidence and wear a brighter face every day,” says Marzen, a former wedding photographer-turned communications manager in Oman. Aside from its popular Elite Brows/Lips Package, Miss Derm offers a wide range of microblading, microshading, eyeliner and blading solutions. Customers will also find a menu of no-needle procedures, including Brow Lamination, Lash Lift, Lash Extensions, and HIFU Skin Tightening for the face, neck and the body. Miss Derm’s complete facial care and skincare solutions prove to be perfect for customers who desire convenience and a highly personalized level of care. At Miss Derm, artists converse with customers about their needs and suggest ways to achieve how they want to look. This level of service and hospitality is the product of Marzen’s entrepreneurial instincts, of putting customers at the heart of the process, and ensuring that employees are taken care of. Despite Marzen’s location in Oman, she has overseen the growth and initial success of Miss Derm with flying colors remotely, flying to Manila to visit the clinics when needed, but talking directly with her clients on a daily basis. “When customers chat on our social media channels for feedback or bookings, they’re likely talking to me. “I always had a passion for talking with customers, especially women. As a wedding photographer in Laguna and Oman, I deal with women on a regular basis. One should listen and be attentive; they know what they want. When you delight them with great service and you build a positive working relationship, they will come back for more and they will treat you like family,” says Marzen. To stay updated about Miss Derm, follow www.instagram.com/missderm/. The post Face first for OFW entrepreneur appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Davao seeks more sisterhood pacts
DAVAO CITY — The city government here is eyeing for more partnerships with local and international cities after recently forging a sisterhood agreement with Sennan in Osaka, Japan. In a radio interview, Councilor Augusto Javier Campos III, chairperson of the committee on international relations, said the city is also eyeing sisterhood deals with a city in South Korea and Israel. He added that the city council has pending resolutions for sisterhood agreements — Bayswater in Perth, Australia; Island Garden City of Samal and Monterey Park in California, which has the largest Asian-American population in California. “These have yet to be passed,” Campos said, adding that sister city agreements would enhance the exchange of best governance practices and identify areas of cooperation from both cities. “It also boosts the exchange of people and ideas with the hope that more investors will come and more direct flights will be added to open Davao City for more people to experience,” Campos said. Currently, the city has 10 foreign and 13 local sister cities. “Dabawenyos can also visit their places and see what they have to offer and bring the best back to our city,” Campos said, adding that there is a pending resolution appreciating the Embassy of Israel for opening a consular office in the city in 2020. “They have been very active in terms of innovation. Most recently, they donated equipment and materials worth US$9,000 to the City Health Office for upgrading three health centers,” he said. The post Davao seeks more sisterhood pacts appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
At its 787 Dreamliner factory, Boeing prepares for takeoff
As airlines seek to fulfill customers' growing post-pandemic appetites for long-haul travel, Boeing is aiming to speed up production of its 787 Dreamliners after a period plagued by repeated delivery interruptions due to manufacturing defects. At a hangar in the US East Coast state of South Carolina, the plane begins to take shape on its first assembly line -- here, the wings, cockpit, cabin and tail are still in separate pieces. It will take about a month for the entire aircraft to come together, with the final touches added later, in the parking lot. The US aerospace giant has already managed to up its manufacturing rate from fewer than two 787s per month in 2021 to four, and is hoping to get up to five by the end of the year. On the second assembly line in the hangar, located in the city of North Charleston, three completed airplanes are inspected. They had to be returned for adjustments, after the discovery of several production flaws beginning in 2020. There are still several dozen other planes under inspection, but Boeing plans to move that review process to its factory in Everett, in Washington state, by the end of the year. That will allow them to devote the second assembly line in South Carolina solely to plane construction, meaning they can ramp up to 10 787s per month by 2025 or 2026. That would bring the factory close to Boeing's pre-pandemic production rate of 14 jets per month, which was achieved by splitting 787 construction between South Carolina and Washington state, before it was all consolidated to the East Coast in 2021. Boeing says it's not worried about potential cancelations from airline clients unhappy with the delays. "Our problem right now is more to just getting these planes in the hands of the customers," Lane Ballard, the 787 program's general manager said during a press visit to Boeing's South Carolina locations Tuesday and Wednesday, ahead of the Paris Air Show later this month. Despite the rebound in sales of its flagship medium-haul 737 MAX last year -- giving the company its best delivery numbers since 2018 -- Boeing is pinning its financial hopes on the 787, after four consecutive years in the red. Recent months have finally seen an uptick in orders for large planes, the market for which was already suffering before the drop in long-haul air traffic during Covid lockdowns. Boeing has historically dominated the high-margin long-haul manufacturing scene with its 787 and 777 configurations, competing with Airbus's A350 and A330. Now, with Boeing no longer producing its 747 jumbo jet, the lag on its 777 passenger model and the five-year delay in certification for its 777X, set for 2025, the company is counting on the 787. It took a gamble on the 787 line -- which launched in 2004 and began flying in 2011 -- by increasing its use of carbon fiber composites for the fuselage and wings. As a result, the plane is lighter and requires less fuel. Many of the aircraft's major parts are shipped in from Italy, Japan and Kansas in one of Boeing's so-called Dreamlifters -- modified 747s specially designed for carrying cumbersome equipment. And back in South Carolina, the back of the aircraft is built in an adjacent hangar next door. Betting on the 787 seems to have paid off so far: Boeing has received 250 orders for the plane just in the last six months. "By the end of this year, it's almost guaranteed the 787 will be the most popular passenger wide-body in history," with even more total purchases than the 777 or Airbus A330, Boeing vice president of commercial marketing Darren Hulst predicted. The post At its 787 Dreamliner factory, Boeing prepares for takeoff appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
`Compete with all your heart,’ Go tells SEA Games-bound athletes
On Monday, 24 April, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go expressed his full support for Filipino athletes competing in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia as he attended their send-off ceremony at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. The event was led by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. who encouraged the Filipino athletes to go for the gold and bring back the Philippines' number one spot in the Games. In an interview during the event, Go, as chair of the Senate Committee on Sports and a sports enthusiast himself, said he understands the value of sports in the lives of young Filipinos. "Nandirito po ako to support. Being a sports enthusiast, noon pa talagang mahilig na po ako sa sports," said Go. "And that’s one way of encouraging the youth to get into sports and stay away from drugs. Isa po ito sa pamamaraan na ilayo po natin ang ating mga kabataan sa iligal na droga. Get into sports, stay away from drugs, and keep them healthy and fit," he added. To help in this cause, Go shared that he sponsored and defended additional funding for the Philippine Sports Commission during its 2023 budget deliberation, particularly for grassroots sports development and in support of athletes joining international competitions. "Gaya noon, full support po ako sa ating mga atleta. Not only sa SEA Games, Asian Games, Olympics, full support po ako," he said. Go continued, "In fact, during the budget deliberation, ang budget po ng PSC less than P200 million. Ako po ‘yung nag-defend at nag-suggest ng dagdag sa pondo nila." "Nagdagdag po tayo ng P1 billion sa budget ng PSC including budget na po para sa Southeast Asian Games, sa iba pang mga grassroots program, not only sa international competition, pati sa local," he added. Particularly, the increase in the PSC's 2023 budget reflected in the General Appropriations Act is intended to support Filipino athletes in the 2022 Asian Games, 2023 Southeast Asian Games, and 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Furthermore, athletes competing in the ASEAN Para Games, Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games, World Combat Games, World Beach Games, Asian Beach Games, and World Beach Games will receive similar support. Portions of the funds were allotted for the country's hosting of the FIBA World Cup in 2023 as well as for several sports programs, such as Batang Pinoy, the Philippine National Games, and the grassroots program under the Sports Development Council. There are also funds allocated for the development of sports infrastructure across the country, as well as for advanced research and development in sports sciences and sports technology. When asked about his message to the athletes, Go echoed Marcos' words of encouragement, "Sinabi na rin po ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos kanina, 'Go, go, go for the gold.' Ibig sabihin sana magtsa-champion po tayo. Ibalik natin ‘yung pagiging No.1 natin." Go reminded the athletes that the important thing is to fight and compete with all their hearts, as Filipinos are known for their passion and perseverance. Around 860 Filipino athletes, 76 reserved players, and 347 sports officials, medical personnel, and support staff will travel to Cambodia to compete in 608 events across 38 sports categories from 5-17 May. With the impressive performance of Filipino athletes in the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam, where they brought home 227 medals, including 52 gold, 70 silver, and 105 bronze, the Philippines is poised to once again make a strong showing in the upcoming games. In the 2019 SEA Games, the Philippines hosted the event and emerged as the overall champion with 149 gold medals, 117 silver medals, and 121 bronze medals. The National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act, or Republic Act No. 10699, entitles SEA Games gold medalists to a P300,000 incentive, silver medalists to P150,000, and bronze medalists to P60,000. During the Duterte administration, Go advocated for additional benefits to medalists. An advocate for grassroots sports development, Go earlier authored and co-sponsored RA 11470, establishing the National Academy of Sports in 2020 as part of his vision to ensure promising young athletes can further hone their talents while getting quality education. The NAS is a government-run academy aimed at developing the country’s future athletes by offering quality secondary education with a special curriculum on sports for gifted young Filipinos who want to enhance their physical and mental capabilities in sports. The senator also filed Senate Bill No. 423, or the proposed Philippine National Games Act of 2022, to provide a structure for a more comprehensive national sports program, linking grassroots sports promotion to national sports development The post `Compete with all your heart,’ Go tells SEA Games-bound athletes appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
A1 marks 25 years with a concert in Manila
The popular British–Norwegian boy band A1 is set to make a comeback in Manila in October, just in time to celebrate their 25th anniversary in the music industry. This is a highly anticipated event for their Filipino fans who have been waiting for the group’s return to the Philippines after their successful concert in 2018. Thus, their upcoming tour is aptly called Twenty Five. A1 has been back to their original line-up, which consists of Paul Marazzi, Christian Ingebrigtsen, Mark Read and Ben Adams, since Paul re-joined the group in 2018 for their 20th Anniversary Reunion Tour, now five years on the band return to celebrate their musical milestone. The concert, which will be held at the New Frontier Theater, Araneta Center in Quezon City, promises to be a night of pure nostalgia and great music for A1 fans. Performing their classic hits from their impressive discography including “Like a Rose,” “Everytime,” “Same Old Brand New You” and “Caught in the Middle” to name a few that Filipinos learned to love over the years. Likewise, the group feels ecstatic to perform in Manila once again. Back in 2020, A1 got a fantastic reaction when Ben performed a duet of “Like a Rose” with popular Filipino star Morissette as an online performance during lockdown. A1 toured Denmark in 2021 and Sweden in 2022. In September 2022 they commenced a headline tour of the UK, where they performed songs from their forthcoming album, although original dates were moved due to pandemic closures and then the Queen’s passing during the tour. Presented by Concert Republic, A1: Twenty Five-Manila will be held at New Frontier Theater on 14 October, 8 p.m. Tickets will go on sale starting 28 April, 12 noon. Available at all TicketNet outlets or log onto Ticketnet.com.ph. The post A1 marks 25 years with a concert in Manila appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Mantawi Residences: Cebu’s next frontier of progress
Picture this: A luxurious, but safe and quiet abode. Yes, that’s the commitment of Mantawi Residences, the newly launched property of Robinsons Land Corporation Residences in Cebu. Who wouldn’t want to be in such a place that promises its residents ultra-spacious living spaces and built-in smart home devices? Not to mention exclusive and sizeable penthouses with multiple loggias where residents can comfortably marvel at the city’s skyline. For the Gokongwei-led RLC Residences, Mantawi Residences exemplifies condo design. It’s one of those properties where each element conspires with all the rest to create a singular experience. “We are happy to come back here in Cebu with another promising project, Mantawi Residences,” said John Richard B. Sotelo, RLC Residences senior vice president and business unit general manager. “We are very proud to finally unveil this development that we envisioned for our future residents who are on the lookout for a home and investment that they can proudly call theirs.” Mantawi Residences is the newest and most ambitious addition to RLC Residences’ roster of properties in Cebu after its successful projects in Azalea Place Cebu, Galleria Residences Cebu, and Amisa Private Residences. [caption id="attachment_122273" align="aligncenter" width="650"] MANTAWI Residences grand launch at Nustar Resort and Casino in Cebu. (From left) Allen Miranda, RLC Residences vice president and head of sales; Winnie Go; Heart Evangelista, RLC Residences brand ambassador; Karen Cesario, marketing head and chief integration officer; John Richard B. Sotelo, senior vice president and business unit general manager; Engr. Emmanuel Arce, vice president project management; and Stephanie Anne Go, business development and design head.[/caption] “Mantawi Residences marks yet another strong signal from RLC of its confidence in Cebu — the strength of its economy and the vibrancy of its people,” Sotelo said during the grand launch event held at the Nustar Resort and Casino in Cebu City. Sotelo added that Mantawi Residences reflects the best thinking of RLC Residences to date, with something they haven’t done even in Metro Manila — its sprawling 1.3 hectares of amenities. Add to that are their efficient space layouts with larger unit sizes and loggias, sustainable certification with EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) and BERDE (Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence) and its curated retail areas. “We’ve brought our best thinking and understanding of the customers in Cebu, as well as those outside of Cebu and outside of the Philippines who are keen to invest in the Cebu market,” Sotela added. Upscale living Mantawi Residences is a four-tower premium condominium on the 20,328-sqm property with 474 units spread across the four 40-floor towers. The property, named after the Mantawi Festival, is situated along Ouano Avenue in Mandaue City. The pre-selling property offers 310 one-bedroom units (46 sqm), 148 two-bedroom units (92 sqm and 115 sqm), 12 three-bedroom units (138 sqm), and four penthouse units (207 sqm). Price ranges from P15 million to P60 million. [caption id="attachment_122277" align="aligncenter" width="525"] MANTAWI Residences Penthouse living room, dining and kitchen.[/caption] The opulent penthouse covers three bedrooms, a dining area, a kitchen, a living room, a study den, a utility room, a powder room, and a balcony. Sotelo disclosed that two of the penthouse units have already been sold. Stephanie Anne Go, RLC Residences assistant vice president and business development and design head, said each unit has upgraded home furnishings, including porcelain tile floorings, a kitchen with glass doors and a pantry cabinet, and glass shower enclosures. For the penthouse, the master bedroom’s toilet will have a bathtub. “We also want to make sure that most of the bedrooms of every unit will have their own loggia,” she said. “We have to be conscious about efficiency, not generally where we just want to put the bedrooms. Rest assured that all the units will be efficiently laid out.” Go ensures that there will be a feeling of airiness and openness in the property. Yes, fresh air and open spaces – who would have thought these two simple things could be luxuries for condo homeowners? The premier project enjoys a vast 1.3-hectare amenity area that provides landscaped areas, beach-inspired swimming pools, a cascading water wall, a pet park, and an outdoor play area, among others. Indoor amenities include a game room, a private theater, a fitness center, a kids’ playroom, and function rooms. It will also feature curated global retail brands on the ground floor. Mantawi Residences is near academic institutions, shopping destinations and hospitals. The area is also currently being modernized to become the main gateway of Cebu City. One of the critical projects in the area is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ rehabilitation of the Mahiga River. The property is also accessible to two progressive cities: Mandaue and Cebu City and is only five kilometers away from the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway — considered one of the area’s progress indicators. Future developments are also in the pipeline, as the Mandaue government plans to develop the Metro Cebu Expressway and the Cebu Bus Transit, plus turning the Cebu International Port into an international cruise docking area. Another essential program is the development of a premier waterfront development featuring commercial space and a luxury district. Target market Cebu continues to be the biggest real estate outside Metro Manila, with the demand increasing from six percent in 2020 to 24 percent in 2021. Karen Cesario, RLC Residences senior director-marketing head and chief integration officer, said they target overseas Filipinos and growing professionals aged 35 to 45 as potential homeowners. A one-bedroom, 46-square meter unit starts at P15 million. “We did take a long, hard look at the price point that we feel the Cebu market is ready for and willing to take,” said Sotelo. “When we were made to look at the design specifications and the features that we have incorporated into the building, we felt that it’s worth more than our previous premium properties. We are guided by what the market is telling us, what and how our competition also prices. The market in Cebu is telling us that it is ready.” Sotelo added that they expect to break ground Mantawi Residences in the fourth quarter of this year, with the turnover of the first tower by the fourth quarter of 2029. The post Mantawi Residences: Cebu’s next frontier of progress appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Protect 150K Pinoys in Taiwan, Go urges DMW
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go reiterated his call for the Department of Migrant Workers, to closely monitor the development of the growing tensions between Taiwan and China to prepare for necessary contingency measures to protect the welfare of 150,000 Taiwan-based overseas Filipino workers. Go, in an interview during a relief operation for fire victims in Parañaque City on 12 April, underscored the need for the government to prioritize the safety and welfare of OFWs. “As former president Rodrigo Duterte said during the UN General Assembly in 2020, ‘when elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled flat.’ Our country is close to Taiwan. In this situation, the Philippines is the grass. We will be caught in the crossfire if these two giants fight,” Go said in Filipino China recently simulated a three-day air and sea drill, dubbed the “Joint Sword” drills, around the Taiwan Strait. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the said military exercises were meant to be a “stern warning to the provocative activities of Taiwan’s independence secessionist forces and their collusion with external forces.” He said he has his full trust that President Bongbong Marcos Jr. will prioritize the interest of fellow Filipinos and the country. “It’s better to be a friend to all and enemy to none. It’s hard for us to empathize. Filipinos just want to live quietly. Importantly, the health and life of every OFW in Taiwan may be affected in case of trouble there,” he added. When asked if the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement will create a new conflict, Go said the government must prioritize what is best for Filipinos. “I’m sure our government and our military will not allow us to be used or we will be trapped,” he added. Meanwhile, Go has expressed his support for the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s plan to investigate Philippine National Police officials reportedly linked to a billion-peso drug haul. “You know, the truth must come out. Truth always,” he said. The fight against illegal drugs, he said, should continue. “We don’t want to waste what former president (Rodrigo) Duterte started against illegal drugs. When illegal drugs are back, crime will come back, government corruption will come back,” Go said in Filipino. The PNP, on 11 April, welcomed the DILG’s decision to probe the arrest of former police officer Rodolfo Mayo who was implicated in the P6.7-billion drug haul in October last year. The DILG expressed doubts that Mayo acted alone, indicating that there may have been other officers involved. “There is no forgiveness for those involved in illegal drugs. You know, it’s a big sin to our countrymen when you are involved in illegal drugs, especially the police who are supposed to implement the law,” he added. Go cited the need to separate the few bad apples from the many honest and dedicated police officers who are working hard to keep the community safe. “We fully support our police and military, they just have to do their job right for our countrymen,” he said. Earlier, Go filed Senate Bill 422 which, if passed into law, will entitle any officer or enlisted personnel of the AFP and Philippine National Police facing charges before the prosecutor’s office, court, or any competent body, arising from an incident related to the performance of official duty, to free legal assistance. He added that in the past, some police officers were wrongfully accused, prompting former president Duterte and himself to offer legal aid. The post Protect 150K Pinoys in Taiwan, Go urges DMW appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»