Mandaue City gov’t asks residents near rivers to be vigilant, cooperate when told to evacuate
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu—The Mandaue City government is asking residents living near rivers to be vigilant and to cooperate if asked to evacuate when there is a heavy downpour. Lawyer John Eddu Ibañez, the executive secretary of Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, made this appeal after heavy rain caused several flooding in areas near the Butuanon […] The post Mandaue City gov’t asks residents near rivers to be vigilant, cooperate when told to evacuate appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Fisherfolk raise alarm over demolition of Navotas City fishing structures
“Affected fisherfolk and other residents ‘highly believe’ that the dismantling order is part of the 650-hectare reclamation project in the area.” The post Fisherfolk raise alarm over demolition of Navotas City fishing structures appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Big 4 Volleyball tilt marks successful inaugural season, eyes bigger tourneys soon
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Big Four Volleyball Tournament wrapped up last weekend successfully at the Warehouse Sports Lab in Mandaue City. This grassroots volleyball tournament saw inaugural champions being crowned. The Subangdaku Trojans emerged as champions in the 13-under and the girls 14-17 divisions, while Cabancalan National High School ruled the 14-17 boys division. .....»»
2 hurt in another gun attack in Cotabato City
Two local residents were wounded in another ambush incident in this city at about 11:00 p.m. Monday......»»
Zamboanga City residents warned against bushfires
Zamboanga City residents warned against bushfires.....»»
Samal residents rally vs power woes
Electricity consumers in the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte province joined an interfaith prayer rally over the weekend to protest the continued power woes in their area......»»
PSA-7: Report to us if PhilSys ID not accepted
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Philippine Statistics Authority in Central Visayas (PSA-7) urged Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) ID holders to report to the agency if some entities do not accept their IDs. PSA-7 chief administrative officer of Edwina Carriaga told CDN Digital in a phone interview that the agency is urging PhilSys ID (National ID).....»»
Mandaue to host 7th International Cat Show 2024
CONSOLACION, Cebu – Mandaue City is set to host the 7th International Cat Show 2024 for the second time, supported by the World Cat Federation (WCF) and the Society of Feline Enthusiasts of the Philippines (SFEPI) with the Island Rescue Organization (IRO) as the beneficiary. This two-day cat show will be held on April 13-14.....»»
Rama: No need to rush RPT revision
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said revising the Real Property Tax (RPT) wasn’t yet necessary, showing a sudden change in his position. At first, Rama said the RPT revision had to be done this month. Later, he told the council that imposing the RPT suddenly wasn’t necessary, showing a change in.....»»
OFW aspirants told: Engage with licensed recruitment agencies only
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The regional director of the Department of Migrant Workers in Central Visayas (DMW-7) warned aspiring Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to engage with only legitimate and licensed recruitment agencies. Lawyer Karl Arriola, DMW-7 director, told CDN Digital that even if he was a lawyer, he still subscribed to the doctors’ advice: Prevention.....»»
Rama asks Malacañang to suspend Gwen over CBRT dispute
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Preventive Suspension. Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is seeking the suspension of Governor Gwen Garcia over issues related to the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT). Rama filed an administrative complaint before the Office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. against Garcia after the governor issued a cease and desist order to the.....»»
People Power
A child asks her aunt to explain the People Power photographs on display at the MIC Cursillo House in Davao City on Sunday (25 February 2024), the 38th commemoration of the People Power Revolution. MindaNews photo by CAROLYN O. ARGUILLAS.....»»
MPUV operator asks city council for help
MPUV operator asks city council for help.....»»
Castro asks DOJ to review grave threat raps vs ex-president Duterte
Rep. France Castro (ACT-Teachers Party-list) asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to dismiss the fiscal's resolution after the Quezon City prosecutor junked the grave threat charges against former President Rodrigo Duterte......»»
Gwen asks Cebu City to allow fast food chains’ booths inside CCSC
CEBU CITY, Philippines — As the Sinulog sa Kabataan sa Lalawigan draws near, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn “Gwen” Garcia hopes that the Cebu City government will allow vendors inside the Cebu City Sports Complex (CCSC). This aims to ‘facilitate public convenience’ for those who will be witnessing the event on January 14, Sunday. READ: Sinulog sa.....»»
Withdraw case, LTO chief asks losing bidder
Land Transportation Office chief Vigor Mendoza II yesterday appealed to the losing plastic card bidder to withdraw the case it filed after a Quezon City court stopped the delivery of plastic driver’s licenses......»»
P1B for Marawi victims a cruel joke (1)
I beg my readers’ kind indulgence for using this column as a platform to air our grievances. This is something personal to us, and it is my moral obligation to add my voice to the public indignation sweeping a part of Morolandia. For transparency and disclosure, my family was a victim of the war and is seeking compensation for the damage to our precious possessions. Having said that, as the national budget deliberations for 2024 draw to a near conclusion, the public discourse in Morolandia on the compensation for the 2017 Marawi Siege victims heightened. It’s the issue much discussed in public fora, coffee shops, and social media platforms of Muslims. The Moro attention is largely riveted to the budget deliberations in the House of Representatives, where the budget bill originates by provision of the Constitution. Social media likewise reported the hearing conducted by the Oversight Committee for the Marawi Compensation Law jointly chaired by Senator Ronald dela Rosa and Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong. According to reports, P1 billion is proposed in the 2024 budget for compensation, which is the same amount appropriated in the current budget, alarmed resident victims. They have reason to fear that P1 billion is becoming the appropriation template for the ensuing years. The Marawi Compensation Board or MCB, created to process, approve and pay legitimate claims, will fold the tent and become a functus oficio in 2028 because the law provides for a five-year life span. Let’s do the math. If the budget is not increased, the aggregate appropriation for Marawi victims will only be P5 billion, which is ridiculously insufficient vis-a-vis the number of victims and the magnitude of their claims. From an unofficial report, we gathered that “as of 18 September 2023, there were 75 death claims, 74 structural claims, 1,858 other properties claims, and 4,041 multiple claims. Hence, there were 6,048 claims as of the latest report by the in-take team from July to September. (And) 362 claims have been evaluated or are ready for final deliberation.” The claims statistics are increasing exponentially by the day, with the list of claimants getting longer. The MCB asks for something like P10 billion or more as an aggregate ballpark figure to compensate all the victims. The sparse appropriation has triggered unkind comments from citizens calling the proposed amount outrageously deficient, cruel jokes and insulting the victims. While the public is amused by the stories in tri- and social media on funding for projects that are less urgent — like the millions needed for the confidential and intelligence funds of agencies to address “kuno” (allegedly) the threat of terrorism — here we have a situation where the threat of terrorism is real. Our security and intelligence authorities will tell you that the remnants of the ISIS-affiliated Maute Dawliyah Islamia group are just around the corner, engaged in sporadic hit-and-run guerrilla ambushes to make their presence known. Terrorist cells are confirmed to be existing in the hinterlands of Morolandia. The disgruntled victims of the Marawi war are easy prey for recruitment by the dissidents. There is no denying the depth and scale of the damage sustained by the Marawi victims of the war. The whole world was watching on their television sets for months the daily telenovela-like bombing of the city in what Confucious described as “burning the house to catch a rat.” We have written numerous published articles pleading for cessation of the bombing, but the thrashing by state authorities continued. We note with gratitude the public expression of support by Senator De la Rosa, chair of the Special Committee on Marawi Rehabilitation, who spent years studying at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, along with Muslim Senator Robinhood Padilla. Senator Risa Hontiveros, in her recent trip to Marawi, saw for herself the progress of the claims processing and has likewise committed support. The list of senators and House representatives joining the chorus of support is getting longer. (To be continued) amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post P1B for Marawi victims a cruel joke (1) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ready for it? Belgian university offers literature course on Taylor Swift
A hubbub grips the class in the Belgian city of Ghent as university students eagerly discuss whether US pop star Taylor Swift is a "literary genius". The question elicits passionate responses from students, and it's an exercise their professor hopes will enliven their engagement with more traditional figures of the English Literature canon. The course is among a handful that have popped up at universities around the world as pop titan Swift has racked up hits and awards and as her Eras Tour is expected to set a record for the first billion-dollar tour. "To read her lyrics without the context of the song, it can feel like poetry," one student says, after the teacher opens the floor to discussion. Another student pipes up to suggest it's too soon to say Swift, 33, has had the same cultural impact as William Shakespeare, known around the world for many centuries. While Shakespeare wrote at least 38 plays, Swift has recorded 10 albums. Some will wonder what Shakespeare and his peers share in common with today's biggest US singer-songwriter. Well, they are all the subject of Elly McCausland's course called "Literature (Taylor's Version)" for Master's degree students at Ghent University, which will run until the end of the year. During the first class on Monday, assistant professor McCausland piqued the students' curiosity with controversial questions, including why certain authors and literature are considered timeless, while other books are not valued the same way. McCausland's goal? To make literature more accessible. "I'd like to get people excited about literature, thinking about literature in a new way and realizing that actually even literature from centuries and centuries ago still has something to add to our conversations," she told AFP at the class. 'Swift is a real poet' The 10-session course will use Swift's songs as references for themes and will focus on a series of historic texts including Charlotte Bronte's Villette, lesser known than Jane Eyre. The course has proved popular, with 61 students signed up, twice as many as usual. There are even students from other parts of Belgium. Zina Ringoot, 20, had learned just hours before that she could attend the course and made the 90-minute trip to Ghent from Antwerp in the northeast. "I'm a huge Taylor Swift fan," said Ringoot, an English literature Master's student. "I'm hoping to write my thesis on Taylor Swift's album 'folklore' and how it connects to romanticism. So I thought I would get a lot out of this class." Not everyone in the class is a Swiftie, as her fans call themselves. Joris Verschelde, 21, admitted he was "not that big of a fan" but wanted to "see the connection between the songs and what what we already learned" in the older texts. Laughter often fills the windowless auditorium, despite the fact that serious themes are on the agenda, including feminism, sexism and misogyny. When McCausland asks: "Who are the gatekeepers" of English literature, one student quips: "A bunch of old men!" Even if critics reject comparisons with the canonical greats, Swift has fans even among Shakespeare experts including British academic Sir Jonathan Bate. After attending a concert during Swift's record-breaking Eras tour, Bate wrote in the Sunday Times in April: "I came away with confirmation of a thought I first had 15 years ago: this isn't just high-class showbiz, Taylor Swift is a real poet." Beyond Belgium University courses looking at Swift have been popping up around the world. New York University's Clive Davis Institute launched its first-ever course on Swift last year, and Queen Mary University of London offered a summer school this year looking at Swift through a literary lens. In Arizona, PhD student Alexandra Wormley is hosting a course on the social psychology of Swift at Arizona State University this autumn. Critics online and even some media pundits have pondered just what it is about Swift that is so appealing. For Clio Doyle, an academic who hosted the summer course at Queen Mary, "Swift is a really fascinating songwriter". The lecturer in early modern literature added that another reason she looked at Swift was because of her popularity and the discussions surrounding her work. "A course about Swift would be an opportunity for students both to deepen their readings of Swift's lyrics and to think about what it means to study something as literature," Doyle, who runs a similarly-themed podcast about Swift, told AFP. The summer course will be offered again next year, and interest is not limited to the United States or Europe. The University of Melbourne will host a three-day "Swiftposium" looking at Swift's cultural, economic and global impact in February 2024, the same month her tour arrives in Australia. The post Ready for it? Belgian university offers literature course on Taylor Swift appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
More cities suspend classes due to Taal’s volcanic smog
Several towns in Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, and southern parts of Metro Manila suspended classes on Friday, 22 September due to the health hazards brought by the volcanic smog or vog emitted by Taal Volcano. Here is the list of municipalities that canceled classes today: Batangas (all levels; public and private): Balayan, Balete, Calaga, Calatagan, Lian, Nasugbu, Lemery, Tanauan City, Taal, Tuy, San Nicolas Cavite (all levels; public and private): Alfonso, Amadeo, Bacoor City, Carmona, Cavite City, Dasmariñas City, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo (Bailen), Gen. Mariano Alvarez, Gen. Trias, Indang, Imus, Kawit, Magallanes, Mendez, Maragondon, Naic, Noveleta, Rosario, Silang, Ternate, Trece Martires, Tagaytay City, Tanza. Laguna (all levels; public and private): San Pedro Metro Manila (all levels; public and private): Las Piñas and Muntinlupa. Taal's volcanic smog According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology in its advisory on Thursday afternoon, the vog coming out of Taal contains a high amount of sulfur dioxide which is acidic and can cause irritation of the eyes, throat, and respiratory tract. "People who may be particularly sensitive to vog are those with health conditions such as asthma, lung disease, and heart disease, the elderly, pregnant women and children," the advisory said. The advisory also asks the public to limit outdoor activities, shut the doors and windows to block out the vog, wear an N95 facemask, and drink water to reduce any throat irritation or constriction. The post More cities suspend classes due to Taal’s volcanic smog appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US military asks for help finding its lost stealth jet
A stealth-capable US fighter jet vanished on Sunday -- not from prying eyes but rather from the American military, prompting an unusual call to the public to help locate the missing multimillion-dollar plane. After what authorities labeled a "mishap," a pilot flying an F-35 in the southern state of South Carolina on Sunday afternoon ejected from the craft. The pilot survived, but the military was left with an expensive problem: it couldn't find the jet, leading Joint Base Charleston to ask for help from local residents. "If you have any information that may help our recovery teams locate the F-35, please call the Base Defense Operations Center," a post from the base read on X, formerly known as Twitter. Base authorities said they were searching, in coordination with federal aviation regulators, around two lakes north of the city of Charleston. The planes, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, cost around $80 million each. The post US military asks for help finding its lost stealth jet appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Take care of school supplies, students told
Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan appealed to parents of students from the city’s public elementary schools to guide their children into taking good care of the school supplies being given to them by the city government of Manila and making it all the way through college. Lacuna said the supplies, especially the schoolbags, are of top quality and were given to the students through funds coming from the city coffers. Also given were notebooks, paper, pencils and PE uniforms. The lady mayor notably did not credit the provision of supplies to herself, as she underscored that the funds used for them came from the residents themselves. According to Lacuna, all that she asks for in return is for the students to study hard and make sure that they finish their education to be able to fulfill their parents’ dreams and even help them someday. On the part of the parents, Lacuna said all she wants is for them to never get tired of supporting their kids and availing of free education for them until they get their college degree. The post Take care of school supplies, students told appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»