SEAG triathlon champ Nikko Huelgas gives back to frontliners on birthday
The triathlete, who is also the chairman of the Philippine Olympic Committee Athlete's Commission, gave away more than 200 packed meals to frontliners and the needy in his home city of Las Pinas......»»
What makes Ricci Rivero and Leren Bautista compatible
Ricci Rivero and Leren Bautista crossed paths in the feeding program held last year in Los Baños, Laguna in celebration of Ricci’s birthday. Leren, a councilor in Los Baños, was invited to participate in the event. That meeting led to something beautiful and romantic. The five-year gap between the two is like a magnet for other people to make snippy comments. The couple is handling it well. The beauty queen-turned-politician answers back by using her wit, while Ricci doesn’t care much about the criticism......»»
Enrique Gil kay Liza Soberano: I’ll always have your back no matter what
ISANG short but sweet message ang alay ng aktor na si Enrique Gil para kay Liza Soberano. Nitong Huwebes, January 4, nag-upload ang Kapamilya actor sa kanyang Instagram story ng larawan nila ni Liza bilang pagbati sa 26th birthday ng dalaga. Ginulat ng aktor na si Enrique Gil ang kanyang mga tagahanga nang mag-post ito.....»»
Swiatek back as champ, No. 1
Poland’s Iga Swiatek thrashed Jessica Pegula to win the WTA Finals on Monday, sealing her return to world No. 1......»»
Worthy of national pride
Ending his birthday vacation cum official visit in Singapore, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. flew back to Manila at the crack of dawn last Monday. During his five-day stay there, he spoke at the Asia Summit and watched anew from the sidelines his favorite Formula One race......»»
At UN, fading hopes for improving lives on planet
World leaders meeting in New York next week will try to revive key goals meant to improve the lot of humanity by 2030, plans that are in doubt today as hunger, poverty and other crises persist. Leave no one behind In 2015, UN member-states adopted 17 wide-ranging development goals to be met by 2030, which included eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, providing access to drinking water, ensuring gender equality and health care for all. "In thriving economically in the 21st century, you cannot any longer try to do so at the expense of nature, or at the expense of people who are left behind," the head of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Achim Steiner, told AFP. But the 2030 Agenda is in trouble, according to the UN. "The Sustainable Development goals are in peril," the UN said in a report published in July. In order to meet these goals, governments coming together at the UN General Assembly on Monday are slated to commit to "act with urgency... for people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership, leaving no one behind," according to the draft declaration. Poverty and hunger Progress has been slow and, in some cases, things are even worse now than they were in 2015. The Covid-19 pandemic has halted progress in combating extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $2.15 per day. Far from the hoped-for eradication, at the current rate 575 million people will still be living in such conditions in 2030, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa. And the world has returned to levels of hunger not seen since 2005. Furthermore, 1.1 billion people live in urban areas in slum-like conditions, more than two billion still do not have access to drinking water, 38 out of 1,000 children die before their fifth birthday and the impacts of climate change are increasingly devastating. Debt burden Crippled by various world crises, from Covid-19 to the war in Ukraine, many countries are crumbling under the weight of their debt and do not have the means to change course. "Countries are not able to pursue the development they want right now, but they can only opt for a recovery, where they go for the growth they can get," Steiner said. That, however, is a risky path. "That growth takes us back to the fossil fuel dependency and to greater inequalities, precisely the things that have led to so many tensions, protests on our streets," he added. That is why the draft declaration that will be discussed on Monday talks about reforming international financial institutions, over which, however, the UN has no control. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also called for investing an additional $500 billion per year by 2030 in order to meet the ambitious goals. His plan received support at the recent G20 summit. Vicious or virtuous circle? Getting out of poverty, having access to education, drinking water or clean energy, being in good health and living in peace -- all these development goals are largely interdependent. Global warming and the extreme weather events it causes undermine most of the development goals as they destroy crops, infrastructure and livelihoods. That is why change must be comprehensive, Steiner said.. "We can use $1 to deliver more than $1 of impact. If you address poverty, you can also address access to electricity or vice versa," he said. "If you address access to electricity and combine it with the objective of decarbonization, you can achieve both poverty reduction" and address climate change. Steiner has worked with 95 countries to identify priorities to modify the growth model, such as policies aimed at creating decent jobs and investing in sustainable cities that offer basic services and affordable housing and infrastructure. The post At UN, fading hopes for improving lives on planet appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BBM: Our calm, kind, gentle President
The most challenging thing is to write an essay about the country’s President who is celebrating his birthday. I should probably go back to the years when he was the “crush ng bayan.” From London, he would come home for vacation and would be met at the airport by his doting parents, with his mother kissing him on the forehead. He was very fashionable, from his haircut to his clothes and, well, he was the epitome of “cuteness” as cute could be. He did not sport long hippie hair but had bangs and his lips were well-pronounced. His mom took pride in his looks. “Kamukha ko (he looks like me),” she would say. Bongbong grew into the Oxford student who would come home and occasionally appear on television. I recall in 1973, he and his friends danced the latest craze on live television. He was, by then, oozing with appeal, his shy and boyish smile adding to the enigma that comes with being the president’s son. Many years later, I saw him when he and his sister Irene graced the opening of a project in Isabela. I am trying to remember if it was for natural gas or the largest dam in Asia. But he was there on the stage set up at the Cauayan airport, looking fresh and friendly, although he was smiling at everyone and no one in particular. I stood alone, away from the other welcomers, and somehow got him to look at me. I looked at him like I was telling him I know you or we know each other, and he stared back, smiling too, looking like he was wondering if he might have seen me before somewhere. It was one of my tricks. [caption id="attachment_183135" align="aligncenter" width="525"] The President has a long way to go, but that’s no reason for him to relax and wait for things to happen. | Photograph courtesy of BBM FB[/caption] Much would be said of the young gentleman, of his not being who he was supposed to be because he had died somewhere. Also, that he had killed someone who had called his father a dictator. Bongbong Marcos, for better or worse, was the fodder for both favorable and malicious talk. He became governor of Ilocos Norte in the mid-1980s when he took over from his aunt, Elizabeth Keon. At the same time, he wore the military uniform of the officer rank bestowed on him by his father, the President. Moving fast forward, Bongbong Marcos became a congressman and a senator, ran for vice president, and lost. Sometime after he caught Covid-19. After he had lost the vice-presidential contest and was protesting its result, he appeared on Daily Tribune’s online show, Spotlight. I remember only a little, not because he or his remarks were forgettable, but I blame my old age for not remembering. But I recall a pleasant interview, for he was relaxed and calm, and while he seemed occupied by his electoral protest, he was at the same time accepting of it. It was the Marcoses’ turn to be cheated, people said. The next presidential election had him and Leni Robredo, along with others, slugging it out. And while everyone had taken to microphones to condemn and attack him and his father, martial law and the dictatorship, he remained silent. He chose not to participate in the debates, leaving it to his supporters and fans to fight back for him. One UP professor who may have been unbiased took a liking to him, like an older woman in love for the first time, gushing over the assets of a fine, young, sexy gentleman. But that was not unexpected. Bongbong Marcos, after all, was the “crush ng bayan” from the time he was a teenager. Today, he is the President of the Philippines. I was talking with one youthful matron who possesses both beauty and wisdom and whose family was best known to be in the opposition against the Marcoses. She said that when President Rodrigo Duterte began his term, she gave him a chance to prove himself because he had been elected. As her gauge for the success of a presidency had much to do with how the stock market fared, she was disappointed because stocks dived very low to the depths. She gave RRD a failing mark. When BBM became President, she also gave him a “chance.” She told me, “I have yet to see what will happen next because he has just finished his first year, and it is too early to know how well or evil he has done. The people elected him, he is now the President, so let’s give him a chance.” The woman’s statement, I believe, more or less sums up the general feeling of the Filipino people. Here is one President perceived to be good and kind, and one who is not to be feared compared to his father or even his daring and feisty elder sister. One would hear, “Matatakot kayo pag si Imee ang presidente (You would be afraid if Imee were president),” which is people’s way of saying what they feel and think about the Marcos siblings. So, we have a kind President who has had to deal with all kinds of issues and problems: Typhoons, the pandemic, and now the rice shortage. I have always been a BBM fan (after all, he was “crush ng bayan” in our youth), and even if he had not become a statesman in the tradition of many of our top legislators, one thinks of him as a pleasant guy who plays it cool and is lovable. Now comes a wife who is perceived to be running the show. All because, like it or not, she has the educational credentials; she proved herself in the Big Apple; and as her husband himself would tell one and all, she has excellent organizational abilities. She ran the campaign, many would assume, although she much preferred to keep to the sidelines. Like it or not, Liza Marcos, the First Lady, is a potent mover in this administration. Her many worthy projects in the creative industry, health care, education, and environment, along with her brand of diplomatic maneuvering using Filipiniana fashion as a vehicle for international friendship, bode well for this administration. We got two leaders for one vote, and we are better off as a nation. To the President’s credit, he recognizes the role his wife plays in his administration, and that speaks of a man secure in his position as the head of his family. Regarding cronyism, BBM has his friends in the business sector, top men and women, titans and tycoons, czars and magnates, who accompany him on his travels abroad. One of them described their roles as similar to those of club guest relations officers — entertaining guests and clients. We are told that they talk with their counterparts on the international scene, wherever the presidential itinerary takes them. Hence, the public does not see the usual kind of cronies who are there for what they could take. These friends want to help because if this administration succeeds and the economy improves, the Filipino people, including the business sector, will live better lives. The greatest challenge to BBM, everyone perceives, is the conflict with China over the West Philippine Sea. In this regard, BBM has proved to be wise, circumspect and decisive. He has the backing of the international community and his people. We hope he will pass the test, because if he passes it we are all together the victors. BBM deserves our prayers and hopes for the best of his administration. If he succeeds, and we hope he does, we will rise as a people. The President has a long way to go, but that’s no reason for him to relax and wait for things to happen. There are some things that people feel he should handle with steel gloves, akin to his father’s style, and that is up for him to decide. A kind and gentle President may be all we need to make this nation great again, and there’s Bongbong Marcos to take on the role and fulfill the promise of a happy, progressive, and peaceful country and people. BBM is not only the best-looking President, but the kindest and, of late, the most eloquent, as he is proving himself to be. He is also the coolest. The post BBM: Our calm, kind, gentle President appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Marcos to celebrate birthday in SG for F1 race, Asia Summit
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will present his administration's priorities to economic and business executives at the Milken Institute's 10th Asian Conference and attend the finals of the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix 2023 in Singapore this week. In a Malacañang statement late Monday, Marcos is expected to highlight his administration's in improving the life of the Filipinos on 13 September at the Milken Institute. "Marcos will headline the 30-minute talk, highlighting the government efforts in improving the lives of Filipinos amid challenges from significant global events. Marcos will be the first sitting Philippine President to address the Milken Institute's Asia Summit," Malacañang said. "Marcos will be the first sitting Philippine President to address the Milken Institute's Asia Summit," it added, noting that the event will also be live-streamed on the Milken Institute's website. Anwar Ibrahim, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, will also speak at the annual meeting. The Asia Summit 2023 will focus on peace and stability, inequality, cultural differences, and irreparable environmental damage. The Milken Institute hosts it and it has been going on for ten years. The Milken Institute is a non-profit think tank that focuses on accelerating progress toward giving everyone a meaningful life, Malacañang said. Malacañang added it brings together the best ideas and practices for how to hold a dialogue on critical global problems. Lee Hsien Loong, the prime minister of Singapore, has also invited Marcos Jr. to the finals of the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix in 2023. In September 2022, Marcos Jr. went to Singapore for a state visit. After a month, he came back for the F1 Grand Prix. The post Marcos to celebrate birthday in SG for F1 race, Asia Summit appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Oh, Napoli!
NAPLES, Italy — This is a city you won’t expect to be in Europe... especially in Italy. Many tourists shy away from this gritty area of the country situated on the Gulf of Naples simply because it does not boast of Rome’s romantic allure. Instead, wandering around Naples — especially in the Quartieri Spagnoli (Spanish Quarters) — would make you wonder if you’re really in Europe or in some not-so-picturesque section of Manila or Jakarta. [caption id="attachment_178845" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Naples’ Quartieri Spagnoli or Spanish Quarters.[/caption] A colleague who went ahead of me for a few weeks didn’t enjoy the visit so much. “Tondo vibes,” she warned me, laughing, referring to that depressed and dirty part of Manila. Still, it didn’t deter me from going, knowing that there are treasures hidden somewhere and my gut telling me Naples is simply misunderstood. Besides, I used the city as my base for exploring Pompeii, which is just a short train ride away. Well, she was right about saying that Naples is, you know, not your usual Italian city oozing with pomp and pageantry. To feel the pulse of the city, I stayed at the Spanish Quarters, an 800,000-square meter-neighborhood that had a reputation for being a bad area to find yourself in regardless of the time of day. Having grown up in Manila and going to places even hardcore individuals try to avoid, what I saw here didn’t compare to the squalor back in my homeland. It looked like Forbes Park compared to what I have seen in the Philippines and Indonesia. So, I stayed up a bit late, drank quite a number of tasty Italian beers and walked around the “bad neighborhood.” In the morning and in the evening, I took a walk and dined and shopped. There were no troublemakers to be concerned about and my daily strolls took me to the city’s jaw-dropping sites and majestic churches. For three days, Naples brought a smile to my face. Tondo vibes? Nah. While the Eternal City is head and shoulders above in terms of well-known attractions and must-see spots, it does not mean travelers have all the reason not to experience what it has to offer. Finest pizzas Oftentimes tagged as the jump-off point to the ancient ruins of Pompeii, a mere 24 kilometers by rail, Naples is a haven for food lovers. It was here that pizza was invented while being watched over by the once-violent Mount Vesuvius in the backdrop. But don’t get me wrong. If you think that you have tasted the finest pizza in the world by sampling the bestsellers being peddled by premium fast-food outlets, then you should be more than willing to try the original pizza that is being sold here. [caption id="attachment_178847" align="aligncenter" width="1536"] Pizza Margherita cooked the old-fashioned way.[/caption] It’s not the usual thin and crispy crust you often wolf down whenever somebody’s celebrating his or her birthday at the office. It’s more than that. [caption id="attachment_178846" align="aligncenter" width="1536"] Napoli staples. Pizza Napoletana, a cold brew and your favorite cola.[/caption] The pizza being baked here — known as Pizza Napoletana — is of a different kind and usually has two flavors: Margherita and Marinara. And they’re almost identical. Margherita has pomodoro, fior di latte, olio, basilico (tomato, fior di latte cheese, oil and basil) and Marinara has pomodoro, origano, aglio, olio (tomato, oregano, garlic, oil). After devouring one huge serving of the €5 Margherita at the renowned L’ Antica Pizzeria da Michele, where Julia Roberts dined and shot Eat, Pray, Love, I took a walk once again and ran into the Bulso di Pulcinella (Bust of Pulcinella). [caption id="attachment_178843" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Julia Roberts took a bite of the renowned Pizza Napoletana during the filming of ‘Eat, Pray, Love.’[/caption] According to legend, one has to rub the statue’s nose for good luck and that’s exactly what I did. [caption id="attachment_178848" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Rub his nose for good luck. | PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF AUDREY GIONGCO[/caption] Medieval structures If you love old — and ancient churches —there’s a lot within this lovely area. At almost every corner, there’s a medieval church that is very Instagrammable. But what stood out was the one I visited one balmy morning when residents were either still soundly asleep or just about getting ready to start another day. The Chiesa del Gesu Nuovo (New Jesus) completed in the late-1700s, is undoubtedly the city’s most beautiful church despite its sober facade. [caption id="attachment_178849" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The main altar of Gesu Nuovo, said to be Naples’ most beautiful church.[/caption] Aside from the Gesu Nuovo, worth visiting as well are the Naples Cathedral (Cattidrale di San Gennaro), Basilica di Santa Chiara and the Girolamini. Definitely, by the time you are done, you will be famished. Head to the nearest pizzeria and get the Margherita and pair it with a small bottle of cola zero zuccheri or the ubiquitous Nastro Azzurro in the green bottle. Salute! Would I make a return trip? You bet! The post Oh, Napoli! appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bob Barker, 99
Bob Barker, longtime host of The Price Is Right, has passed away according to his publicist. He was 99. “It is with profound sadness that we announce that the World’s Greatest MC who ever lived, Bob Barker, has left us,” publicist Roger Neal said in a statement on Saturday. USA TODAY reports that the game show emcee died of natural causes at his longtime Hollywood Hills home. No specific cause of death was given. Barker, whose real name is Robert William Barker, was born in South Dakota on 12 December 1923. He attended Drury College in Springfield, Missouri, on a basketball scholarship. He dropped out two years later to join the US Navy during World War II. He went back shortly to Drury as war ended long before he even made it to the field. He worked his first media job at KTTS-FM Radio in Springfield. In 1950, Barker was given his own program, The Bob Barker Show. Game show producer Ralph Edwards was looking for a new host to replace Jack Bailey in Truth or Consequences as Barker was hosting the audience-participation radio show KNX (AM). Barker started headlining the program on 31 December 1956 until 1975. In 1972, CBS expressed interest in modernizing the revival of The Price Is Right with Barker as host. However, Barker offered to present another game show on the network, The Joker’s Wild. CBS did not accept the proposal. He began hosting The Price Is Right on 4 September 1972. He announced his retirement on 31 October 2006 saying that he would retire from The Price Is Right by June 2007. He taped his final episode on 6 June 2007. The show aired twice on 15 June. After his retirement, Barker made three return appearances to the program: On 16 April 2009 to promote his autobiography, Priceless Memories; on 12 December 2013 to celebrate his 90th birthday; and on 1 April 2015 for an April Fools’ Day special. The post Bob Barker, 99 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lawyer places Marawi bet via Café Sindaw
As Marawi City rose from the Islamic State-led 2017 siege and the pandemic, lawyer Rohairah “Kookai” Lao saw the period as an opportunity to present fresh ideas that were missing in the capital of Lanao del Sur. With a successful career as Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ’s regional prosecutor, she wanted to help stimulate the local economy by putting up a business. “I am at a point where I want to give back to my community. To do this, I need something which promotes tourism and is likewise an inspiration,” Lao said. An inveterate traveler, Lao thought of bringing the café culture into the laidback city. She saw potential along the scenic strip that led to Mindanao State University and Lake Lanao, the province’s prime tourism destination. Named Heaven Road, it opens to views of the forest-covered countryside and is blessed with a temperate climate. Bucking the urban legend that the place was a dumping ground for bodies after a rido or a skirmish, the entrepreneur took the risk. She pioneered in building Heaven Road’s first commercial establishment. Lao recalls that her savings were insufficient to finance the construction of the café. Fortunately, she gained access to lending companies. Her brother-in-law, who owned a hardware and construction company, provided the materials at cost. Café hands-on Although she worked with an architect, Lao was hands-on in the design which comprises two levels and a viewing deck. “I made sure that when the café was completed, people who know me can see my personal touch,” she says. Named Café Sindaw (meaning “hope” in Maranaw), the restaurant-cafe aspires to lighten up the lives of the people of Lanao del Sur. “It aims to encourage them to stand up after the fall. There is always some prospect for people who have faith,” says Lao. She invested in an Italian-made coffee machine that is operated by baristas who were trained by experts from Mindanao’s major cities — Davao and Cagayan de Oro. The head barista worked extensively in Saudi Arabia. The menu is an eclectic mix of coffee beverages, pizzas, beef rendang, sasati (spicy balls of smoked fish) and ramen, among others. During Ramadan, one of the private rooms is converted into a prayer room. It accepts orders for iftar-sponsored meals for a minimum of 30. Market turns discriminating Lao observes that the local market is becoming more discriminating as diners appreciate cosmopolitan cuisine and special brewed blends. The resto-café is frequently booked for meetings and birthday parties. The customers gained during the early days of Heaven Road have remained loyal to Café Sindaw despite the mushrooming of similar restaurant cafes. When Café Sindaw opened in February 2022, there was hardly any competition. Following Lao’s example, entrepreneurs have since built their own cafes along Heaven Road. It is now a tourist destination because of the comfort food and beverages and panoramic vistas. Lao observes that people tend to go into business when the economy starts to thrive. As in most ventures, there are challenges, “Opening a restaurant or café is not easy. It involves compliance to national and local regulations. These can sometimes be a burden such as payments of several fees and taxes to the business sector,” Lao said. Then there’s learning to increase operational competence, create a top-performing menu, train and retain staffers. The post Lawyer places Marawi bet via Café Sindaw appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Birthday Baby
A baby’s first birthday is one of the most meaningful milestones for parents, family members and friends who share a special bond with the toddler. [caption id="attachment_172947" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Raemy Marian Cortes with daughter Yzeia Raeven.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_172946" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Bianca Serafica with son Sancho, Rica Serafica Torres with her children Julia, Clara, Isabel and Julio. In the middle in black shirt is Niña Resabal and Jose Eleandre Muñoz.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_172945" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Andrea and Agustin Muñoz with sons EnricoTadeo and Jose Eleandre, and Catherine Larrazabal Tan, Bremeglida Yoo and Niña Restauro.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_172944" align="aligncenter" width="505"] Andone Tan with son Iñigo.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_172942" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Agustin and Andrea Muñoz with their two sons, Jose Eleandre and Enrico Tadeo. | Photographs courtesy of Honey jarque loop[/caption] [caption id="attachment_172940" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Jehs Banzon[/caption] Never mind if the youngster is still oblivious — it is about creating memories one can look back on in the years to come. Adorable baby Enrico Tadeo, second child of Agustin and Andrea Tan Muñoz, recently celebrated his first birthday party in Ormoc City’s finest hideaway, the laid-back beachfront Sabin Resort Hotel. His ever-talented mom, Andrea, considered one of the top event specialists in the city of the Queen Pineapple and owner and creator of Andrea’s Floral Basket, left nothing to chance and crafted a truly unique children’s party not seen before — all with imaginative creativity, pinpoint organization and discerning attention to detail. With the theme Wild One Safari, the spacious Rose Grand Ballroom was totally transformed with life-sized animal standees, plus dozens upon dozens of stuffed animals, such as giraffes, lions, tigers, monkeys and cheetahs scattered around the venue which completed the safari-inspired day. There were live animals as well, such as iguanas, Burmese pythons, baby crocodile, eagle and sulcata tortoise. And, of course, birthdays are only complete with hundreds of balloons in every imaginable color. Adhering to the motif, attendees were game and donned safari outfits. Among the special guests were Enrico’s godparents Celestino Larrazabal, Nikka Villegas, Raemy Marian Cortes and his titos and titas, Andrew, Andone and Endika Tan. Maternal grandma Catherine Larrazabal Tan, whose diverse talent is beyond question, lent a hand and took charge of the kiddie meals of chicken poppers, all-time favorite spaghetti and hotdogs, mini barbeques, chocolate crackles, popcorn and cupcakes, cotton candies and lots of soft and chewy candies. Cheers and laughter abounded as kids jumped for excitement and joy with the parlor games — they all took home coveted goodies! To top off the event, a mesmerizing magic show put the crowd in a trance, with sly tricks and sudden sleights of hand to amaze the kids into a loud applause. The post Birthday Baby 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......»»
From East to West to southern trap, 50 years of hip-hop
Five decades after a Bronx block party ushered in hip-hop's 'Big Bang' moment, the culture-shifting genre is celebrating its 50th birthday Friday. The reigning music style has evolved in rapid, anarchic ways -- in many ways defying categorization -- but some patterns have emerged. What follows is a run-down of some of hip-hop's key phases. Old school What's now broadly referred to as old-school hip-hop is the genre's earliest commercially recorded music, and typically refers to songs put out from approximately 1979 to 1983. The Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" became the first commercially successful hip-hop song after it was released on September 16, 1979. It's preserved in the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. "The Message" from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, released in 1982, brought a socially conscious element to the genre, delivering a raw portrait of urban life and the stresses of poverty. Other prominent artists of the moment included Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Kool Herc, Melle Mel, and Grandmaster Caz. East Coast New York and the East Coast were pivotal to the development of hip-hop throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, the "golden age." Run-DMC was among the most influential acts of the era, achieving a smattering of notable firsts for the genre. They, the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy offered harder renditions of hip-hop than their disco-tinged predecessors, with the latter rising to prominence for their political themes including racism and Black power. More complex wordplay with swift delivery and elaborate metaphors were emblematic of the age, with acts including Eric B. & Rakim, LL Cool J, Nas, Big Daddy Kane, and The Notorious B.I.G. gaining wide acclaim. De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest were meanwhile pioneering "alternative hip-hop," bringing in jazz and R&B elements. Salt-N-Pepa, Foxy Brown, Queen Latifah, and Lauryn Hill broke barriers for women, with Hill in particular popularizing melodic rapping. The Notorious B.I.G. -- or "Biggie" -- with the backing of Puff Daddy's "Bad Boy Records" became the East Coast's king following the release of his landmark debut album "Ready to Die" in 1994, up until his shock murder in 1997. And the Wu-Tang Clan also popularized East Coast styles, emphasizing hard edges and strong beats. West Coast The sounds emerging from California were fast and influenced by electronica, centering more on DJs than raps. Ice-T pioneered West Coast and gangsta rap in the late 1980s, while N.W.A. went platinum with its album "Straight Outta Compton" in 1988. Dogged by controversy and censorship over profane lyrics -- which many alleged were misogynist while also glorifying drug use and crime -- N.W.A. made waves for laying bare experiences of endemic racism and excessive policing. The group's dissolution saw members including Dr. Dre and Ice Cube gain solo acclaim. And Tupac Shakur also preferred messages of injustice as he became one of the greatest rappers of all time prior to his 1996 murder, which came just months before Biggie's. Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" charted new paths for rap as a seminal album of the era. It also introduced one of his most famous proteges, the then-budding rapper today known as Snoop Dogg, whose laid-back, windows-down lyrical delivery came to epitomize G-Funk, and whose debut album "Doggystyle" was a Dre production. Dre also shaped another household name: Eminem. "He's a creator who has moved popular culture three times... with gangsta rap, G-funk, and Eminem," said industry magnate Jimmy Iovine of Dre. Bling and Prog Biggie's commercial fame paved the way for other East Coast stars, including Jay-Z, DMX, Busta Rhymes, and 50 Cent, with the turn-of-the-millennium bling era. Jay-Z's "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" was a major hit years before he would become one of hip-hop's billionaires and an industry mogul. His work also brought producers including Kanye West to the fore. Early in his career, West gained near-universal acclaim, not least for his integration of house, electronica and soul into creatively risky productions. And Nicki Minaj was praised for her chameleon talents and blistering flow, while Drake brought in R&B sensibilities and churned out hit after hit. Kendrick Lamar became one of contemporary music's most impactful writers, with his verses offering insight both personal and systemic, all set to jazz-heavy instrumentals. Lamar, along with West and Common, all became torchbearers of the broadly defined progressive rap, defined by a focus on social ills and change. Hip-hop was also burgeoning across the South, with artists including 2 Live Crew, Missy Elliott, and Outkast gaining traction. Trap and Drill Into the 2010s, rap's nexus shifted to Atlanta, home to the trap subgenre characterized by cymbal patterns and synthesized drums. Trap remains among American music's most popular styles, with its influence crossing into pop and EDM as well as Latin America's wildly popular reggaeton. Much of its lyricism focused on life in "the trap" -- a reference to drug-dealing spots. Artists including Outkast, T.I., Gucci Mane, and Lil Wayne expanded its popularity, while the idiosyncratic Young Thug became one of contemporary hip-hop's most emulated artists. Today's trap-influenced superstars include Migos, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion. Internet virality has been key to several contemporary movements including "Soundcloud rap," whose angsty, jagged sound injected vulnerability into hip-hop. And the equally dark drill has brought the aggressive lyricism of gangsta back to prominence. It began percolating in Chicago before traveling to Britain and resurfacing in New York. Brooklyn drill gained mainstream clout thanks to work from artists including the late Pop Smoke and Fivio Foreign, as today's stars like the Bronx's Ice Spice take it viral. See more photos here: The post From East to West to southern trap, 50 years of hip-hop appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
From East to West to southern trap, 50 years of hip-hop
Five decades after a Bronx block party ushered in hip-hop's 'Big Bang' moment, the culture-shifting genre is celebrating its 50th birthday Friday. The reigning music style has evolved in rapid, anarchic ways -- in many ways defying categorization -- but some patterns have emerged. What follows is a run-down of some of hip-hop's key phases. Old school What's now broadly referred to as old-school hip-hop is the genre's earliest commercially recorded music, and typically refers to songs put out from approximately 1979 to 1983. The Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" became the first commercially successful hip-hop song after it was released on 16 September 1979. It's preserved in the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. "The Message" from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, released in 1982, brought a socially conscious element to the genre, delivering a raw portrait of urban life and the stresses of poverty. Other prominent artists of the moment included Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Kool Herc, Melle Mel, and Grandmaster Caz. East Coast New York and the East Coast were pivotal to the development of hip-hop throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, the "golden age." Run-DMC was among the most influential acts of the era, achieving a smattering of notable firsts for the genre. They, the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy offered harder renditions of hip-hop than their disco-tinged predecessors, with the latter rising to prominence for their political themes including racism and Black power. More complex wordplay with swift delivery and elaborate metaphors were emblematic of the age, with acts including Eric B. & Rakim, LL Cool J, Nas, Big Daddy Kane, and The Notorious B.I.G. gaining wide acclaim. De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest were meanwhile pioneering "alternative hip-hop," bringing in jazz and R&B elements. Salt-N-Pepa, Foxy Brown, Queen Latifah, and Lauryn Hill broke barriers for women, with Hill in particular popularizing melodic rapping. The Notorious B.I.G. -- or "Biggie" -- with the backing of Puff Daddy's "Bad Boy Records" became the East Coast's king following the release of his landmark debut album "Ready to Die" in 1994, up until his shock murder in 1997. And the Wu-Tang Clan also popularized East Coast styles, emphasizing hard edges and strong beats. West Coast The sounds emerging from California were fast and influenced by electronica, centering more on DJs than raps. Ice-T pioneered West Coast and gangsta rap in the late 1980s, while N.W.A. went platinum with its album "Straight Outta Compton" in 1988. Dogged by controversy and censorship over profane lyrics -- which many alleged were misogynist while also glorifying drug use and crime -- N.W.A. made waves for laying bare experiences of endemic racism and excessive policing. The group's dissolution saw members including Dr. Dre and Ice Cube gain solo acclaim. And Tupac Shakur also proferred messages of injustice as he became one of the greatest rappers of all time prior to his 1996 murder, which came just months before Biggie's. Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" charted new paths for rap as a seminal album of the era. It also introduced one of his most famous proteges, the then-budding rapper today known as Snoop Dogg, whose laid-back, windows-down lyrical delivery came to epitomize G-Funk, and whose debut album "Doggystyle" was a Dre production. Dre also shaped another household name: Eminem. "He's a creator who has moved popular culture three times... with gangsta rap, G-funk, and Eminem," said industry magnate Jimmy Iovine of Dre. Bling and Prog Biggie's commercial fame paved the way for other East Coast stars, including Jay-Z, DMX, Busta Rhymes, and 50 Cent, with the turn-of-the-millennium bling era. Jay-Z's "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" was a major hit years before he would become one of hip-hop's billionaires and an industry mogul. His work also brought producers including Kanye West to the fore. Early in his career, West gained near-universal acclaim, not least for his integration of house, electronica, and soul into creatively risky productions. And Nicki Minaj was praised for her chameleon talents and blistering flow, while Drake brought in R&B sensibilities and churned out hit after hit. Kendrick Lamar became one of contemporary music's most impactful writers, with his verses offering insight both personal and systemic, all set to jazz-heavy instrumentals. Lamar, along with West and Common, all became torchbearers of the broadly defined progressive rap, defined by a focus on social ills and change. Hip-hop was also burgeoning across the South, with artists including 2 Live Crew, Missy Elliott, and Outkast gaining traction. Trap and Drill Into the 2010s, rap's nexus shifted to Atlanta, home to the trap subgenre characterized by cymbal patterns and synthesized drums. Trap remains among American music's most popular styles, with its influence crossing into pop and EDM as well as Latin America's wildly popular reggaeton. Much of its lyricism focused on life in "the trap" -- a reference to drug-dealing spots. Artists including Outkast, T.I., Gucci Mane, and Lil Wayne expanded its popularity, while the idiosyncratic Young Thug became one of contemporary hip-hop's most emulated artists. Today's trap-influenced superstars include Migos, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion. Internet virality has been key to several contemporary movements including "Soundcloud rap," whose angsty, jagged sound injected vulnerability into hip-hop. And the equally dark drill has brought the aggressive lyricism of gangsta back to prominence. It began percolating in Chicago before traveling to Britain and resurfacing in New York. Brooklyn drill gained mainstream clout thanks to work from artists including the late Pop Smoke and Fivio Foreign, as today's stars like the Bronx's Ice Spice take it viral. The post From East to West to southern trap, 50 years of hip-hop appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hacked! Mark Bautista’s IG now overflowing with naked women
The more than 568,000 followers of singer-actor Mark Bautista's Instagram account woke up on Monday to an unfamiliar sight: photo after photo of naked women on his site, which had obviously been hacked. Bautista subsequently confirmed the hacking and plaintively asked for help through a tweet on the site formerly known as Twitter: "so na hack nga instagram ko haaaay.. pls help me report it guys. Salamat sa lahat ng nag message sakin." Bautista said he'll try to retrieve his account, but no word yet on whether he's gotten it back. The singer-actor faces the prospect of losing his more than half a million IG followers just days before his 40th birthday on 10 August. The post Hacked! Mark Bautista’s IG now overflowing with naked women appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tinig Migrante | Not all migrant workers
For many Filipino migrant workers abroad, advancements in technology have been able to provide comfort as they navigate the long and painful separation from their children, spouses, and parents back in the Philippines. They can check if their children have done their homework, watch their graduation ceremony live, virtually join a family reunion or birthday celebration, or share a prayer with their ailing mother or father. Smartphones, the internet and social media have become essential tools in their lives as migrants. For most Filipino migrants, visits back to their home provinces are expensive, and these are not even possible for many undocumented OFWs. The post Tinig Migrante | Not all migrant workers appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
‘Happy Sunday’ — FLLAM
First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos shared a photo of herself with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former First Lady Imelda Marcos on her Instagram account on Sunday. She captioned the photo with a simple message, "Happy Sunday everyone", after visiting Cebu over the weekend to inaugurate the National Museum in the region. In the photo, the current First Lady could be seen wearing a polo with a zebra-stripes print, while President Marcos wore a plain gray shirt. Meanwhile, Araneta-Marcos' mother-in-law wore a red dress. In the comments section, many netizens wished the first lady and her family a happy Sunday, too, while some expressed their support for the Marcos administration. This is not the first time that the First Lady has used her social media accounts to connect with the Filipino people. First Lady Marcos has been active on social media since her husband took office as President of the Philippines. She has used her platform to share updates on her activities and promote her advocacies. Meanwhile, President Marcos and the First Lady recently had a reunion with Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia and her family during their visit to Cebu province. Also, present to greet and catch up with the Marcoses were Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco and her husband, Cebu 5th District Rep. Duke Frasco, and their children. The visit of the presidential couple coincided with the birthday celebration of X, the youngest son of the Frascos. Rep. Duke conveyed his gratitude for the significant visit of the Marcoses in an Instagram post, where he expressed thanks for the affectionate gesture and the birthday greetings extended to X. “Thank you for the love and for stopping by and wishing X a happy birthday, President @bongbongmarcos and FL Atty. @lizamarcos,” he said. “Gov @gwengarcia12 @christinafrasco and I are always honored to have you back in Cebu and in our home,” he added. The First Couple traveled to Cebu to lead the inauguration of the National Museum in Cebu City on Saturday. The museum, housed at the Aduana building, boasts an impressive collection of artwork and valuable treasures that showcase Cebu's rich history and culture. The post ‘Happy Sunday’ — FLLAM appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Cambodian PM quits,Thai ex-premier returning
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen announced Wednesday he is stepping down as the former leader in neighboring Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, ends his 15-year self-exile and will be back in his country on 10 August. Hun Sen, the 70-year-old former Khmer Rouge cadre who has ruled Cambodia since 1985, is paving way for a dynastic succession by handing power to his eldest son, 45-year-old four-star general Hun Manet. “I would like to ask for understanding from the people as I announce that I will not continue as prime minister,” Hun Sen said in a special broadcast on state television. The prime minister’s announcement followed his Cambodian People’s Party’s landslide victory in Sunday’s election that was nearly bereft of challengers with opposition candidates disqualified. The victory virtually assures the CPP of all but five lower house seats. While 84.6 percent of voters turned out in the polls, Western powers including the United States and European Union condemned the poll as neither free nor fair. Meanwhile, 74-year-old billionaire Thaksin is expected to inflame an already tense political situation on his return announced by his daughter Wednesday. “Dad is coming back on Aug 10 at Don Meung airport,” his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra wrote on her official Facebook page on Wednesday — Thaksin’s birthday. The military, which ousted Thaksin from power in 2006, was badly beaten in the May elections and its senators is blocking the elections of a reformist prime minister in parliament. Paetongtarn was a candidate to become prime minister for the Pheu Thai party, which came second in the election and is now trying to form a government after Move Forward Party’s Pita Limjaroenrat was suspended. Days before the May election, Thaksin said on social media that he would return to Thailand “before my birthday” because he was getting old and wanted to spend time with his grandchildren. Thaksin was convicted in absentia on corruption charges in 2008 — and has since faced numerous other cases — but said in May he was ready to face the courts. Parties linked to Thaksin have dominated Thai politics since 2001, but lost two prime ministers to military coups and another to a court ruling. WITH AFP The post Cambodian PM quits,Thai ex-premier returning 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......»»
Bong Go: Food, hotel stay, reimbursement for inconvenienced flyers
Senator Christopher “Bong" Go on Wednesday called on airlines to provide passengers affected by canceled or delayed flights with food and water, alternative flights, accommodation in nearby hotels, and prompt reimbursement of expenses they incurred from disrupted trips. The senator made the call during the Senate inquiry on passenger complaints against Cebu Pacific, including the airline's overbooking, offloading, and online booking glitches. Senator Nancy Binay chaired the hearing of her Committee on Tourism. Earlier, she filed Senate Resolution 575 that called for the investigation after her office compiled at least 3,000 complaints from passengers from social media platforms. Binay emphasized the need to identify problems and immediately craft strategies to prevent similar complaints in the future. Go told the Committee that even former president Rodrigo Duterte experienced a flight scheduled at five o'clock but changed to 9:30 last Saturday. The senator also cited his own experience that caused him to celebrate his birthday on an airplane at midnight of 14 June. "Last Saturday, I have an 11:25 p.m. flight. I received the boarding time on my cellphone at 10:40 p.m. It means you have to get ready. Then all of a sudden, when you are in the door, you will be told that the airplane has not yet arrived?" he said in another instance of delayed flight. "Why is that? What the online advisory said was different, that the plane was already there when the truth was that it was not there. Passengers should be given proper information to have a comfortable travel." Go added, "The situation is also difficult for our OFWs who are working tirelessly abroad to support their families. Delayed or canceled flights may jeopardize their employment and livelihood." He also lamented the practice of selling more airline tickets than available seats, which has led to situations where passengers with confirmed reservations have been denied boarding, disrupting their plans and causing immense inconvenience. "The airline should compensate affected passengers for their inconvenience," Go said. During the hearing, several Cebu Pacific passengers complained about apparent website errors that resulted in them being charged multiple times for transactions, yet it appeared to be unsuccessful. Cebu Pacific chief marketing and customer experience officer, Candice Iyog, told the committee that the airline is already working on “a fix or an enhancement” to the interface of the website, which will likely be ready at the end of this month. Iyog said they recently reminded their customer service agents to allow passengers to get back to their original flight or to remove add-ons that were “accidentally added.” The post Bong Go: Food, hotel stay, reimbursement for inconvenienced flyers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»