News & Current Events

‘Chicks Dig Vegetarians’ in New PETA Advert
October 10, 2016

‘Chicks Dig Vegetarians’ in New PETA Advert

Lead Guitarist Gets Amped Up to Promote Meat-Free Meals. James McVey, the lead guitarist for The Vamps, has proved that he's as compassionate as he is talented by starring in his second PETA campaign to promote kindness to animals—this time, through meat-free meals.
YouTube Kids launches in the Philippines
October 07, 2016

YouTube Kids launches in the Philippines

Got kids who love to watch videos on YouTube? Then, they will surely love this new app! YouTube Kids, an app designed for kids who love the video-sharing site, is now available in the Philippines.
Hugh Jackman Reveals Latest Wolverine Title as “Logan” and Teaser Poster
October 07, 2016

Hugh Jackman Reveals Latest Wolverine Title as “Logan” and Teaser Poster

Hugh Jackman finally revealed the official title of the latest Wolverine movie as “Logan” along with a teaser poster showing his bruised claw held by a much smaller hand.
UPDATE: DOTr to suspend window hours for Number Coding Scheme on Oct 17
October 11, 2016

UPDATE: DOTr to suspend window hours for Number Coding Scheme on Oct 17

In a bid to decongest EDSA and C5 Road for the holidays, the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (i-ACT) is looking at removing the window hours from their Number Coding Scheme starting October 31.
Duterte’s First 100 days: Drugs, Corruption, Economics, and Foreign Policy
October 07, 2016

Duterte’s First 100 days: Drugs, Corruption, Economics, and Foreign Policy

Whenever he opens his mouth, the media goes into a frenzy of supposedly misquoted and misunderstood statements. Daily news stories are filled with stories ranging from the on-going war against drugs, a strong stand on independent foreign policy, and the fight versus corrupt government practices.
Japanese department store brand Isetan Mitsukoshi eyes opening a store in PH
October 07, 2016

Japanese department store brand Isetan Mitsukoshi eyes opening a store in PH

Department store operator Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. is eyeing on opening a store in the Philippines, as per the sources of news website The Japan Times.
‘Fotobam’ is Filipino Word of the Year 2016
October 07, 2016

‘Fotobam’ is Filipino Word of the Year 2016

Among 10 words that have been nominated to become the Salita ng Taon or “Filipino World of the Year,” it was ‘Fotobam’ by History professor Michael Charleston Chua which gained the recognition in Sawikaan 2016 at the Filipinas Institute of Translation, held in University of the Philippines  Diliman. FOTOBAM. Filipino Word of the Year 2016. Image by sunstar.com.ph The word fotobam is a word derived from  the English word ‘photobomb,’ which means to ruin (a photograph) by appearing in the image without the photographer’s knowledge, as defined by dictionary.com. The said word became significant in the country when it first surfaced in the Torre de Manila issue which was hailed as pambansang photobomb (national photobomb) when it earned flak from netizens as […]
Qualified Filipinos can travel to Taiwan visa-free
October 07, 2016

Qualified Filipinos can travel to Taiwan visa-free

Filipinos looking to go to Taiwan who have either stayed in or have visited select countries are exempt from applying for a visa according to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO).
UPDATED: MMDA, i-ACT will suspend excavations from November to January
October 11, 2016

UPDATED: MMDA, i-ACT will suspend excavations from November to January

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) decided to temporarily suspend all excavation works in anticipation of the increased volume of traffic on major roads and secondary streets this Christmas season. A HALT TO ALL EXCAVATIONS. With the impending Christmas rush, the MMDA has decided to suspend all excavations along major roads and secondary streets. Image grabbed from Inquirer.net MMDA General Manager Thomas Orbos met with representatives from utility companies last Tuesday, October 4 to ask them to comply with the directive. MMDA said that these excavations tend to slow down the flow of traffic on major and secondary roads because of the spike of vehicles using them during Christmas season. […]
10 Filipino films to be shown at Busan Int’l Film Fest
October 07, 2016

10 Filipino films to be shown at Busan Int’l Film Fest

The Busan International Film Festival is one of Asia’s premier film festivals, and the Philippines is well-represented with 10 of our best independent films being shown during the festival which runs until October 15.
Two Filipino short films screened in Russian fest
October 07, 2016

Two Filipino short films screened in Russian fest

Included among the 20 other international films screened at the recent 15th International Kansk Video Festival in Moscow, Russia were Carlo Francisco Manatad’s Sandra and Jaime Habac Jr.’s Maria. The two short films were officially the Philippines’ entry in the Russian fest’s international section which had the theme “Surrealism vs Realism.” Movie Poster of Sandra. Image grabbed from this website osobnosti.cz The 11-minute running short film by Tuko Film Productions and Buchi Boy entertainment entitled Maria, tells a story about a 14-year-old girl who’s suspected as being pregnant by her family and a 50-year-old woman who gives birth to her 22nd child. Meanwhile, Carlo Francisco’s 15-minute running Sandra, is about […]
Yuka Saso leads Philippines to WJGC team title
October 06, 2016

Yuka Saso leads Philippines to WJGC team title

Finishing with a tournament-leading 2-under 286, Yuka Saso led the Philippine contingent to gold at the recently-concluded World Junior Girls Championship in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
19-year-old Filipina Designer is New York’s next big thing
October 05, 2016

19-year-old Filipina Designer is New York’s next big thing

Ericka Del Rosario, a 19-year-old Filipina based on San Francisco is upping the game in menswear with her new clothing label “Kakáslok.” Born in one of the most indigent areas in Quezon City, Ericka has had her childhood as lively as the frenzied streets of Project 6. “I was born in the projects in the Philippines. The neighborhoods are divided by projects, and I lived in Project 6, which is one of the most corrupt, impoverished areas.” she recalls during an interview with The Fader. Her collection takes in the sleek and clean mannish stir while embracing ultimate comfortable feel – like that particular clothing ensemble you’d choose to wear […]
Puerto Princesa’s own version of Cherry Blossom Park soon to open
October 05, 2016

Puerto Princesa’s own version of Cherry Blossom Park soon to open

A 5.8 – hectare park in Puerto Princesa known as “Baluyong Park” will feature Palawan’s version of Japan’s famed cherry blossom or “Sakura” trees. Image grabbed from this website cnnphilippines.com Palawan’s cherry trees, locally known as “Balayong” are endemic in the local area, it is a tree recognized with white and pink flowers when in full bloom.   Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron said that it has been a lifelong dream to be able to build a park that is capable of holding all the major events in the city thus the promotion of the project.   City Information Officer Richard Ligad said fully-grown balayong trees were transplanted to the […]
5 Filipino films to compete in Tokyo Film Fest
October 05, 2016

5 Filipino films to compete in Tokyo Film Fest

Five Filipino films are set to be screened at the 29th Tokyo International Film Festival in Japan from October 25 to November 3, 2016. DIE BEAUTIFUL. One of the Filipino films to be screened at Tokyo Film Festival. Image by Jun Robles Lana on Instagram, grabbed via sg.yahoo.com Director Jun Lana who has already competed in Tokyo in 2013 for “Barber’s Tales, (where actress Eugene Domingo won the best actress award)” will once again compete with “Die Beautiful” starring TV host and make-up transformation expert Paolo Ballesteros, who portrays the role of a transgender beauty queen. This is also Ballesteros’ launching film and this will be screened for the main […]
Philippines gets ‘near perfect score’ for its PPP program– World Bank
October 04, 2016

Philippines gets ‘near perfect score’ for its PPP program– World Bank

The Philippines Public-Private Partnership program gets a score of 96 in World Bank’s “Benchmarking Public-Private Partnerships Procurement 2017” report.
DOLE starts shutting down of ‘endo’ firms
October 04, 2016

DOLE starts shutting down of ‘endo’ firms

Starting October 4 (Tuesday), The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will be shutting down firms that engage with “endo” or labor contractualization.
22-year-old Fil-Aussie Model crowned Miss World PH at Manila Hotel
October 04, 2016

22-year-old Fil-Aussie Model crowned Miss World PH at Manila Hotel

Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray, a Filipino-Australian fashion and commercial model from Albay, Bicol was crowned Miss World Philippines 2016 at the Manila Hotel tent on Sunday.
Facebook rolls out “smaller” version of Messenger app
October 04, 2016

Facebook rolls out “smaller” version of Messenger app

Facebook and its messaging app Messenger have become an integral part of our daily lives. We rely on both to stay connected to friends and family. There is a “small” catch: both apps take up a lot of space on your smartphone, and they need a reliable internet connection to work as intended. 2015 saw Facebook address this issue by launching Facebook Lite, a downsized Facebook app that gives people a faster experience on slower mobile networks and entry-level Android smartphones around the world. Now, they’re facing the other half of the problem by launching Messenger Lite. THINGS ARE LOOKING LIGHT. A slimmer version of Messenger, Messenger Lite was designed […]
House bill filed for SSS to speed up payment of members’ claims
October 04, 2016

House bill filed for SSS to speed up payment of members’ claims

Quezon City 2nd district Representative Winston “Winnie” Castelo, who chairs the House Committee on Metro Manila Development, filed House Bill (HB) No.3544 or the “Expeditious Payment of SSS Benefits Act of 2016,” which mandates the Social Security System (SSS) to speed up the processing and payment of claims of legitimate claimants and beneficiaries.