Philippines News

The Polytechnic University of the Philippines remains the top source of talent among 700 companies from 42 industries in the country, while University of the Philippines graduates are considered “most desired” by employers.

A farmers’ group wants charges filed against people, including government officials, involved in smuggling, hoarding and price fixing of agricultural products.

The slower inflation last month indicated that the government’s efforts to support consumers, workers and businesses are working, President Marcos said yesterday.

President Marcos sees a more stable power supply and lower electricity rates with the expanded development of the Malampaya gas field and blending of imported liquefied natural gas.

After three years of pandemic lockdowns, the Philippine government has revived a tour designed for balikbayans or Filipinos residing in the United States, as well as Americans, starting this month.

The Department of Transportation and the Manila International Airport Authority have asked local carriers to lessen the number of their flights to address the problem of flight cancellations.

TikTok yesterday confirmed that it has taken down the account of religious leader Apollo Quiboloy, who is on the most wanted list of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation over sex trafficking charges.

The measure creating the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund – a pet bill of the administration – has been transmitted to Malacañang for President Marcos’ signature.

Students will not be required to take part in the National Learning Camp program that the Department of Education will pilot with Grades 7 and 8 students starting this month.

WITH a radiant bronze medal around her neck, Lyra Coronel-Malaki, an eighth-grade student-athlete, etched her name into the hallowed halls of Cebu City National Science High School. She became the second student to bag a medal in badminton at the Cebu City Olympics (CCO) last March 2023.

In the arena of regulation and effort, victory is hard-fought. And in this arena, Malaki, an honor student, faced fierce rivals.

Showcasing her agility in three intense matches, Malaki secured victory in two. As SciHi’s representative, nerves danced within her, but she soared above and claimed her place on the podium.

Years of training paved her path to glory. From local meets to district and unit competitions, she honed her skills. And it was these very skills that carried her to the CCO.

The bronze medal, a symbol of her relentless dedication, now shines bright. It marks a historic milestone for SciHi, a testament to Malaki’s talent and perseverance.

Last 2019, Alyssa Gwyn Arellano, once a student-athlete of the school, bagged the first-ever medal of SciHi when she triumph during the year’s CCO Badminton Competition, also bagging the bronze.

Supported by teammates, a personal coach, and her older brother Arturo, an accomplished Grade 12 student-athlete himself, Malaki embarked on this journey.

Reflecting on her experiences, Malaki shared, “In the early games, victory came easily. But the semifinals brought nerve-racking challenges against a skilled varsity player.”

“After winning bronze, I felt an indescribable pride. Overcoming challenges, I now strive for even greater heights,” she added. Though an eighth grader, her potential shines brilliantly.

Truly, Malaki has carved an unforgettable chapter in SciHi’s history. Her remarkable triumph will be remembered for generations to come. (ALYSSA MONIQUE TOLENTINO, CEBU CITY NATIONAL SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT)

AFTER a hiatus of a few years, the San Remigio Properties Invitational Basketball Tournament makes a return on July 7-9, 2023, at the Lux Oriens Gym inside the Sacred Heart School (SHS)-Ateneo de Cebu campus in Mandaue City.

Competing in the tournament are the reigning Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) champions SHS-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles, as well as perennial Cesafi contenders University of Cebu (UC) Baby Webmasters and the University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers.

Adding spice to the event is the presence of the National Yi-Lan Senior High School basketball squad, which flew to Cebu from Taiwan.

The tournament, which is being spearheaded by businessman and sportsman Mark Anthony Ynoc, will see the teams play a single round-robin, with the top two advancing to the winner-take-all finals. The competition tips off on Friday, July 7, with UC battling National Yilan School at 1:30 p.m. followed by a tiff between Ateneo de Cebu and UV at 3 p.m.

The Cesafi teams are also using this tournament to gauge their readiness for the Cesafi high school basketball wars, which is set to kick off in August. (JNP)

MANILA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines will launch e-visa system "within the third quarter" to facilitate the entry of foreign tourists and businessmen into the country, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday.

The e-visa system will allow foreign nationals to apply online for Philippine visas, Foreign Undersecretary Jesus Domingo told a news conference, adding the new system will make the a

FORMER ONE Championship fighter Roel “Akiyama” Rosauro is back in the limelight as he sees action in a four-man MMA tournament in Centurion FC (CFV 13) Rex Orientem at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Parañaque City on July 21, 2023.

Rosauro, a native of Camotes, is facing Brazilian veteran Eduardo Souza in the semifinals.

“I’m very excited for this because this is the first to try in this type of fight,” Rosauro, who fights out of Survival MMA Fitness Hub, told SunStar Cebu. “I’ve seen his fights. He just recently won his fight in CFC last March.”

The 37-year-old Souza fought last March 15 in a CFC show in Dubai. He beat fellow Brazilian Alexandre Ribeiro by unanimous decision.

Rosauro last fought in pro MMA in 2021. He lost to American James Yang in the second round.

The 35-year-Rosauro fought four fights in ONE Championship from 2018 to 2021. He went 1-3, in which his only win was a unanimous decision over Yohan Mulia Legowo.

“In his last fight, he was striking. But he’s a Brazilian so I’m expecting that he’s very good in grappling. I will pick my strikes wisely,” said Rosauro, who’s known for his striking prowess.

Rosauro is 5-4 with three wins by stoppage, while Souza is 16-5-1 with six wins by knockout and also six by submission.

The other fight in the four-man tournament is between Pinoy Red Romero and Bolivian Leonardo Rodriguez.

Romero, the former URCC featherweight champion, is looking to end a losing streak. He last fought on April 21 and lost to John Brewin by a third-round Von Flue choke in Indonesia.

Rodriguez won his last five contests and is coming off a first-round knockout of Rodrigo Almeida last year in Brazil.

Romero is 12-11 with six wins by knockout and four by submission, while Rodriguez is 6-1 with six stoppages.

The winner of the two bouts will face each other on the same night for the tournament title. (EKA)

Hundreds of same-sex couples in Nepal will soon be able to legally register their marriages following a landmark Supreme Court ruling on June 28 which cleared the way for marriage equality in the country.

Although Nepal's civil code currently describes marriage as being between a man and a woman,

From “It’s More fun in the Philippines” to “Love the Philippines.” The government’s slogan promoting the country’s tourism industry changes every new administration. The rebranding simply depends on taste and style of the current leadership.

But the latest “Love the Philippines” slogan has received flak from netizens and legislators when it was discovered that the advertising firm Doyle, Dane and Bernbach Philippines (DDB) that was contracted by the Department of Tourism (DOT) to come up with campaign videos used non-original materials in its audio-visual presentation (AVP).

Rep. Joey Salceda was disappointed after watching the promotional video wherein Mayon Volcano was not even included. “No love for Albay, no love for Bicol. Thank you na lang. Albay tourism will thrive without you, LOVE ALBAY!” Salceda wrote, obviously upset. (Manila Bulletin)

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro believes the “Love the Philippines” slogan was copied from the “Love Cyprus” slogan launched by the country’s Deputy Ministry of Tourism in 2021. “It is unacceptable for the Marcos government to resort to plagiarizing campaign slogans from other countries,” he said. (The Freeman)

To soften the criticism and impact against the department after non-original materials were shown, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco ordered the termination of the contract of DDB after the latter publicly apologized and admitted that non-original materials were used in the AVP.

According to the fact-checking platform of Agence France Presse, parts of the almost two-minute video for the “Love the Philippines” campaign prepared by DDB showed places in Brazil, Indonesia, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates, and that these were grabbed from stock image and footage websites.

Because of this issue against the DOT, Cebu’s local officials signed a manifesto of support for Secretary Frasco.

Part of the manifesto states: “We, the Congressmen, City Mayors, Municipal Mayors, and Councilors under the banner of a united and indivisible One Cebu Island, declare our full and unwavering support to the Department of Tourism (DOT) led by our very own, a Cebuana, Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.” They suspect sabotage against Secretary Frasco.

With due respect, the manifesto of support is unnecessary since the DOT and its officials, particularly the secretary, are faultless since the DDB already and publicly admitted its mistakes. The DDB deserves rebuke more than the termination of its contract with DOT.

I could only speculate that DDB must have run out of better ideas on how to best promote our tourism industry. They are simply lazy that they merely grabbed stock images of other countries instead of showing the beautiful and breathtaking places and scenery in our country like the Mayon Volcano.

The slogan “Love the Philippines” is, however, designed and aimed at inviting foreign tourists to visit and love our country and not meant for us, the locals or domestic tourists. So, how can we ask foreign tourists to love our country if we cannot show them that we love our country first and foremost? Look at our surroundings, trash is everywhere.

The rebranding of the tourism slogan brings me to the dream of Mayor Mike Rama of a Singapore-like Cebu City. While it is not essentially wrong to copy the best practices of developed countries like Singapore, it would have been better if the Cebu City Government came up with its own program like “love our city, keep it clean” since cleanliness is one of the biggest issues the city is currently facing instead of listening to the mayor’s rhetoric.

China is reckless and irresponsible. Her continued attempts to illegally occupy our territories only demonstrate her complete disrespect of international law.

This is why it is crucial that the Philippine government raise the West Philippine Sea issue to the United Nations General Assembly. I hope that the Senate can tackle my resolution regarding this as soon as session resumes, as we need the support of the wider international community to stop China’s unbridled aggression.

If the Chinese authoritarian regime truly wants to be the regional leader, she should act responsibly by de-escalating tensions in the region, instead of fanning the flames by engaging in these rash actions outside her territorial sea.

While pursuing political and diplomatic means to resolve this dispute, our defense establishment should simultaneously come up with alternate means to resupply our troops in Ayungin Shoal in order to secure them from harassment and interdiction by the Chinese.

Government should expend all possible resources to defend our sovereignty and keep our people safe.

What makes a tourism campaign go wrong?

A sane person with an objective viewpoint would say that the campaign is deemed unsuccessful only if it does not achieve the objective for which it was launched.

Under that framework, it is too early to judge whether the “Love the Philippines” campaign is successful or not. However, Every Juan (with apologies to Cebu Pacific) prodded on by a mischievous media, became overnight branding experts and jumped on the campaign’s use of stock footage and declared it as a total fiasco. To put things in their proper context, consider the following points.

• The “Love the Philippines” campaign is just a marketing tool designed to entice more tourists to visit the country. Ultimate expected outcomes include increased tourist arrivals and tourist receipts. Critics who harp on the harm of including stock footage depicting scenes from other countries can be likened to those raising an alarm on the icing melting on a cake because of a wrong ingredient, without focusing on how the actual cake is just delectable. Any defect in the icing can always be easily remedied just as the “offending” stock footage can be replaced. Have the few seconds showing the stock footage rendered the campaign useless and beyond repair? Nobody really knows for sure, not even the horde of current critics. Let the DOT (Department of Tourism) come out with a new and improved version and survey the intended audience to solicit their comments. To continue with the cake analogy, let the campaign run for an extended period and see if it has helped in improving tourism figures. The proof of the cake is in the eating. In the meantime, treating the campaign as stillborn is counterproductive to say the least.

•Ever since I can remember, the DOT operated as if their main reason for being is tourism marketing and promotion. (Maybe it is). Coming out with the catchiest slogan seemed to occupy much of the waking time of new DOT administrations. Indeed, while it is important to project the right brand and image for the Philippines to the world, it is equally important, if not vital, to provide adequate tourism infrastructure to give comfort and convenience to tourists. Studies by experts have long identified our country’s shortcomings in this space: among others, lack of modern access (either by land or sea) to our tourist destinations, absence of reliable and inexpensive internet connections, limited availability of health facilities outside the urban areas, dearth of tourist information sources including simple directional signage. We have not really addressed the infrastructure issue in a purposeful and consistent manner and as a result, sadly lag behind our Asean neighbors in this aspect. Perhaps, the “Love the Philippines” decriers can redirect their vociferous protestations to the tourism infrastructure concern and be more useful, instead of fixating on misplaced footage.

A 33-YEAR-OLD vendor was shot in Sitio Lower Yati, Barangay Quiot, Cebu City, and the suspect has already been identified.

The victim, Jeferson Fernandez Lausa, who hails from Sitio Liberty of the said barangay, identified alias Negro as the culprit.

According to Police Major Angelito Valleser, the chief of Labangon Police Station, that at 12:55 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, while the victim was seated by the side of the road, the suspect suddenly showed up and opened fire.

According to reports, the victim and Alias Negro got into a fight before the shooting, which the police believed to be the reason.

A manhunt operation against the suspect is now ongoing. (AYB, TPT)

Very recently, the world celebrated Mother’s Day, a day set aside to honor the best and most rewarding profession, in my humble opinion.

Locally, Qube Gallery presented 40 noted and budding artists with the theme “Mother and Child.” Qube Gallery co-director and show curator Pia Marie Mercado—not yet a mother herself—has this to say:

“My interpretation of the theme is rooted in my role as mentor to these artists; watching them grow has been incredibly fulfilling. They have brought their own experiences, emotions and creative impulses to bear on the theme, resulting in a fascinating and thought-provoking artwork collection.”

Indeed, a generous gathering of the art-conscious in the community proved this belief, and enthusiastically immersed themselves in the varied collection on opening day.

The contemporary artists did not disappoint. The diverse and non-traditional canvases were not the usual Mother-and-Child interpretations, but rather a wider range of art, from abstract, figurative, pop, surrealism, impressionism, sculpture, to even photography!

Viewers of this exclusive exhibition will also discover that this is an avenue for these artists to showcase their individual styles while beautifully and expressively capturing the theme.

In conclusion, Pia expressed:

”I cannot emphasize how proud I am to have established rapport with these artists for this show. As we all know, the theme of “Mother and Child” is universally relatable, so it did not take long for them to commit to be part of it. Working with 40 of them as the show’s curator, I have learned that while we strive to run a smooth show, by sticking to deadlines and managing logistics, we are actually dealing with 40 distinct souls, personalities and stories.”

“Artists are not, after all, mere art producing-factories, but souls who need understanding and compassion. The role of a curator goes beyond conception, selection and the hanging of works, realizing that they too, have their own current projects. Some discussions centered on their struggles, both as an artist, and as a human being. There is always a human factor involved.”

“This exhibition, like most, is not meant to be a one-way street. There are mutual learnings—artists from the audience, and vice-versa. Curator from the artists, and again, vice-versa. The cycle is endless, and if you agree, even the slightest, then the show has achieved its purpose.

“This is not about me nor the artists, but all of us. We contribute to the art world in our own capacities. Thank you for being with us on this incredible journey.”

Thank you too, Pia, for this incredible job!

Some of the measures that the president and leaders of Congress agreed to pass by December 2023 are the Mandatory ROTC bill, Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers bill and a bill amending the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act.