Feed aggregator

July 15, 2023 5:00 AM

Videos and photos of wild elephant Arikomban raiding shops for rice have gone viral on social media.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says his counterpart Sergey Lavrov focused on attacking Washington and ‘attributed every problem in the world’ to the US.

Aotearoa New Zealand is increasing efforts to tackle climate change by joining with partners to support the Asian Mega-Deltas initiative that increases climate resilience and provides greater food security to the region. 

"To succeed in the global fight against climate change we need to find innovative ways to work together, become more sustainable and

The proposed reform of the military and uniformed personnel (MUP) pension fund was on top of the list of issues tackled during a recent meeting between Speaker Martin Romualdez and Philippine National Police chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr.

The Department of Migrant Workers will be holding online overseas job fairs twice a month starting this July.

The Department of Health has welcomed the Supreme Court ruling that dismissed petitions challenging the constitutionality of COVID-19 regulations imposed by different government agencies as well as local government units.

Describing it as a work of fiction, President Marcos does not see any problem in allowing the release of the movie “Barbie” in Philippine cinemas.

An incoming Grade 5 student from Olongapo City won a gold medal in an international mathematics competition held in New York City this week.

Still showing its gratitude after seven decades, the Japanese embassy in Manila commemorated on July 13 the 70th anniversary of the presidential pardon granted by the Philippine government to Japanese prisoners of war.

A group of local rice traders on July 14 said rice at P38 per kilo of rice would also be made available to the Kadiwa outlets amid the continued spike in retail prices of the grains.

Eleven suspects in the assassination of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and nine others were transferred to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facility at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City on Thursday evening.

Over 466,000 employers failed to remit over P92.49 million worth of premium collections to the Social Security System last year, according to the Commission on Audit.

The Commission on Audit has flagged the Department of Tourism over irregular, unnecessary and excessive expenses worth over P6.1 million last year.

Syria permitting the United Nations to use the Bab-al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey to deliver much-needed humanitarian assistance to the opposition-held northwest may seem like positive news to some. But the Syrian government cannot be relied upon to ensure aid gets to those who need it.

Two days ago, the UN Security Council

July 14, 2023 9:55 PM

They warned of larger protests if a second parliamentary vote does not install the majority coalition's PM candidate.

The blast is the latest in a series of failures in the country's space experiments.

The countries already signed an agreement to construct a state-of-the-art Hualong One reactor, and China gave Pakistan a US$5 billion to help unlock a bailout from the IMF.

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) was circumspect, judicious, and prudent in its contextual review of the “Barbie” film.

The power to ban any movie should be wielded sparingly and as a last resort among the many powers and tools at the disposal of the MTRCB.”

As a legislator looking at this matter using a policy lens, I can see the MTRCB wielded its authority responsibly.

I also take this opportunity to invite the MTRCB and the local movie and television industry to recommend to Congress amendments to the MTRCB charter or have a new law entirely that will address the regulatory issues affecting their sector.

The legislative proposals could be in the form of a codified omnibus law or a package of laws touching on the many facets of movie and television production, marketing, working conditions, and financing.

They may recommend more developmental roles for MTRCB and perhaps less regulation. I do see the movie and television sectors as over-regulated — a situation that hinders its growth and evolution. I would like to see the establishment of a grant-giving government agency for television and cyberspace.

“The movie sector already has the Film Development Council of the Philippines. There should be a television and cyberspace sector counterpart.”

I also believe local governments and the Department of Tourism should be empowered to attract film producers to choose the Philippines as their site for location shoots, enticing them with production grants, Filipino hospitality, and red tape-free regulations. The Philippines should become more competitive in these aspects compared to other countries.

A person I do not even know asked me on a Facebook thread what was wrong with me. All because I posted that I didn’t find drag artist Pura Luka Vega’s performance of “Ama Namin” blasphemous.

In fairness to the person, her comment was not as vitriolic as the others. Still, I understand where they are coming from. They believe religion is sacrosanct.

The Senate has also jumped on the bandwagon with Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri calling on authorities “to look into the matter” and saying that Vega “could be charged under Article 201, or the Revised Penal Code, which punishes offending a race or religion ‘in the performance of obscene or indecent plays, scenes, acts or shows.’”

But here’s the thing.

They’re not offended by the homelessness, the hunger, the widening economic inequality and I could go on with the list of social ills in the country. Or if they are, they’re not as vocal about it on social media.

The Roman Catholic Church, or should I say, the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines is not helping either. Instead of preaching tolerance and forgiveness, it is fanning the flames of hate.

Monsignor Raul Go, a canon lawyer, had plenty to say about Vega’s performance, calling it “disgusting and offensive.”

“I am personally offended by the disrespect,” he said. “If they do not mean disrespect by doing this, I cannot imagine how disrespect looks like.”

Hmm. I wonder what his thoughts are on the more than 200 cases of sexual improprieties of Filipino priests and bishops that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) admitted and reported back in 2002?

I read an article written by Father Shay Cullen that came out on Union of Catholic Asian News in December 2021 in which he said “clerical child abuse has become a crisis for the Church as an institution.”

So where’s the outrage against these morally depraved men of the cloth?

Father Cullen cited the arrest of Father Kenneth Hendricks in the Diocese of Naval in Biliran Province in December 2018 for allegedly sexually abusing dozens of boys.

According to Father Cullen, the alleged abuses were known in Naval but “no one would take action, talk to the victims or try to stop the abuse for years.”

Lo and behold, the CBCP, which had jurisdiction over him, “kept its distance from the issue.”

I hate to put the Church on the spot, especially since I know many priests and I only have the utmost respect for them but I can’t say the same for some of their fellow priests whose outright hypocrisy boggles the mind.

I’m sorry for digressing.

But I just wanted to point out to the faithful that they should be outraged at far more serious matters than a drag performer professing his faith in a manner he thought was appropriate.

Still, they are entitled to their opinion as am I, and I have no problem respecting their opinion as long as they respect mine.

So, to the person who asked me what was wrong with me, “let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”

More than just going to the airport, what could be something better than merely just travelling or getting to your next flight?

Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) recently launched “Rooted,” an exciting series of in-terminal activities highlighting Cebu’s art, history, culture, and heritage. This campaign offers passengers and airport users a creative and immersive experience that is firmly steeped in local identity, delivering a one-of-a-kind journey through the diverse and lively Filipino culture.

MCIA has announced its first-ever airport art exhibit, “Mga Pamalandong sa Kagawasan” (Stories of Independence), a contribution to the celebration of the Philippine Independence Day, which opened June 9, 2023. This engaging show features a selection of paintings by Cebuano painters from the renowned artist group known as the Friday Group Sessionistas (FGS).

Each work of art explores the concept of freedom while expressing the various components of primal human needs using a variety of mediums, including oil, acrylic, ink and others.

“I hope they will patronize Cebu arts, not only for us, Friday Group Sessionistas, but for all other artists,” said Ana Maria Lubanga, coordinator of Friday Group Sessionistas.

Edilyth Maribojoc, MCIA’s corporate affairs and branding manager, believes that collaborating with different departments in their sector especially in the operation and commercial team makes the entire concept of holding such events more effective.

“On a daily basis, we want to ensure that there’s more to the airport experience of each of our passengers. Together with the different departments of the organization, we create different events here at the airport,” Maribojoc said.

“Under commercials, we work with them as to where exactly we put the exhibit. So that in correlation with the operations, we don’t block the circulation of the passengers. We also have connections with other exhibitors. We just link those interests, and work with them overtime,” said Ma. Christina G. Angan, deputy chief commercial officer.

Looking ahead, MCIA is delighted to announce a series of forthcoming “Rooted” events, which will feature a varied range of performances, exhibits, installations and other displays of local talent and culture.

MCIA looks forward to collaborating with Cebu’s many artistic and cultural organizations. These projects will continue to emphasize Cebu’s distinct personality and colorful traditions.

“As we all know, MCIA is one of the icons of Cebu. It’s time to bring the root of Cebuano culture here in Cebu. What better way to showcase the culture of Cebu being an icon of Cebu also, is to bring the different talents, the culture,” Maribojoc said.

MCIA began its weekly Glee Hour performances in May 2023. Local artists serenade travellers in both Terminals 1 and 2 every Wednesday to Saturday, creating a pleasant ambiance packed with music and fun.

Passengers and guests are encouraged to check back for updates on forthcoming “Rooted” events. Visit the official website and social media outlets of Mactan-Cebu International Airport for additional information and to remain updated.