Balut is among the most popular delicacies in the country. But have you ever wondered why it’s usually sold at night?

According to Kuya Kim on “24 Oras,” Thursday, there is a common belief that the boiled fertilized duck egg is an aphrodisiac, on top of being one of Filipinos’ favorite hangover foods.

Aphrodisiac refers to an agent, including food items, that increases one’s libido to cause sexual desire.

According to Ryan Moralde, a nutritionist, there is no credible research to back up the claim that balut is an aphrodisiac. But balut does help when it comes to generating body heat.

A balut egg typically contains 359 milligrams of cholesterol, which exceeds the daily recommended 300 milligrams of the Food and Drug Administration.

Too much consumption may lead to heart complications.

Despite balut ranking as the worst egg dish in the world in 2022, many Filipinos still love balut, maintaining its popularity in the country.

—Carby Basina/MGP, GMA Integrated News

It’s a union between pizza and beer!

This irresistible combo is taking over Poblacion as Nolita Joe’s, a collaboration between local food & beverage brands Nolita Pizza and Joe’s Brewery, is now officially open in Poblacion.

Initially separate entities, Pat Santos of Nolita Pizza and Joey and Marco Viray of Joe’s Brew, struck a partnership that resulted in the refreshed F&B concept located in the heart of Makati.

Known for its authentic New York-style pizzas that feature a crust with a unique combination of crunch and chewiness and in flavors inspired by The City That Never Sleeps, Nolita’s pizzas have cemented its name as a crowd-favorite pizza brand in the local casual dining scene.

Meanwhile, Joe’s Brewery is known for its best-selling local craft ales and brews, starting from the Virays’ garage to eventually finding its space in Poblacion.

Perfect for a late afternoon snack to wind down after work, a starting point for a night out in Poblacion, or even a nightcap post-dancing and bar hopping, Nolita Joe’s pizza and beer pairing is a fuss-free refreshing meal for anyone who likes spending their days and nights in Makati’s hippest bloc.

For pizza, you may choose among Nolita’s bestsellers: Four Cheese (P190/slice), Chicken Parmesan (P260/slice), Wild Mushroom (P280), or SPM, that’s sausage, pepperoni, and mushroom (P300/slice). The pizzas are also available in boxes of 12″, 16″, and 21″, with prices ranging from P350 to P2300.

Each order is made complete when paired with Joe’s Brew’s signature craft beverages from lighter hops like the Fish Rider Pale Ale (P150) and Sierra Madre Wheat Ale (P150) to full-bodied brews such as 34th Pursuit IPA (P180) and Sunsweeper IPA (P180).

Nolita Joe’s is located at 5666 Don Pedro Street, Barangay Poblacion, Makati City. It’s open from Tuesdays to Sundays, 6 p.m. to 3 a.m.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News

The long wait is over because Seo In Guk is finally having a fan meeting in the Philippines!

The K-drama star is holding his first Asia fan meeting, which includes a stop in Manila on August 12 at the New Frontier Theater.

According to the ticketing page shared by event promoter EPIC Events, a VVIP ticket is priced at P12,273, while a VIP ticket costs P10,139.

Orchestra tickets, meanwhile, cost P9,072 each, while a Loge ticket costs P8,538. Balcony tickets cost P4,803 each.

The ticket selling started on Tuesday.

Seo In Guk starred in the hit series “Doom at Your Service” in 2021, “Shopaholic Louis” in 2016, and “Reply 1997” in 2012.

He also made his fans cry in 2018 in “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes” with his fellow star Jung So Min.

—Carby Basina/MGP, GMA Integrated News

Zeinab Harake is dating Bobby Ray Parks Jr.

On Thursday’s episode of “Fast Talk With Boy Abunda,” the vlogger did not hesitate to confirm that she is in a relationship with the basketball star.

“Yes or no, is Bobby Ray Parks your boyfriend?” Tito Boy asked.

“Yes, he’s my partner now,” Zeinab said. “Natutuwa ako kasi parang hindi boyfriend ‘yung nakita ko and sana nga ‘wag mausog.”

Ray, who plays as an Asian import for Nagoya Diamond Dolphins in the Japan B.League, was present in the studio in support of his girlfriend.

Zeinab said Ray is a really good man who won her approval.

“Hindi naman po ako magtitiwala agad-agad kung hindi niya rin naman in-earn ‘yun sa akin and pinatunayan niya naman na ‘yung sarili niya,” she said.

Zeinab has a daughter, Bia, with former partner Skusta Clee. They lost a son, Baby Moon, due to miscarriage.

The vlogger also has an adopted son, Lucas.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News

MANILA, Philippines — Chris Brown, the British adventurer and not the American singer, already made a downpayment to join the Titan submersible voyage now missing in the Atlantic on its way to see the wreckage of the Titanic.

Like his friend, British billionaire Hamish Harding, one of the five passengers in the missing sub, Brown is a thrill seeker. The 61-year-old digital marketing tycoon, however, pulled out from the voyage after finding out that the sub was just using controls “based on computer game-style controllers,” he said in an interview.

Apart from the modified Logitech gaming console, complete with thumbsticks and four colored buttons that the operator maneuvers to control the sub, Brown expressed concern over the experimental sub’s other substandard materials and technology.

“I found out they used old scaffolding poles for the sub’s ballast — and its controls were based on computer game-style controllers… If you’re trying to build your own submarine you could probably use old scaffold poles. But this was a commercial craft,” Brown said.

“Eventually I emailed them and said, ‘I’m no longer able to go on this thing’. I asked for a refund after being less than convinced.”

Josh Gates

American explorer Josh Gates, host of the Discovery Channel series “Expedition: Unknown,” echoed Brown’s concerns over the Titan’s sub’s safety measures.

“To those asking, Titan did not perform well on my dive,” he revealed in a Twitter post.

In a previous post, he shared that he had “the unique opportunity to dive” while inside the sub and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its operator, OceanGate, Stockton Rush, who is also among the five passengers of the missing tourist submersible.

I had the unique opportunity to dive in the @Oceangate #Titan sub with Stockton at the helm in preparation for its maiden mission to Titanic. I pray for a positive outcome to the rescue efforts of those aboard, including fellow @ExplorersClub member Hamish Harding. pic.twitter.com/z6jjLf6tO6

— Josh Gates (@joshuagates) June 21, 2023

“I had the unique in the Oceangate Titan sub with Stockton at the helm in preparation for its maiden mission to Titanic. I pray for a positive outcome to the rescue efforts of those aboard, including fellow ExplorersClub member Hamish Harding,” Gates tweeted with a photo of him and Rush inside the Titan.

Rush’s own wife, Wendy, went to dive to see the Titanic wreckage three times with OceanGate in the past two years. Wendy, the company’s communications director, is the great-great-granddaughter of Macy’s co-owner Isidor Straus and his wife Ida, died on board the Titanic and were depicted in the James Cameron 1997 film as the elederly couple lying while hugging in bed in their first-class cabin while the water rises to engulf them.

According to Gates, his safety concerns during his dive with the Titan made him say “no” to another bigger expedition aboard the craft.

“Ultimately, I walked away from a huge opportunity to film Titanic due to my safety concerns w/ the platform. There’s more to the history and design of Titan that has not been made public – much of it concerning,” he said in his tweet.

To those asking, #Titan did not perform well on my dive. Ultimately, I walked away from a huge opportunity to film Titanic due to my safety concerns w/ the @OceanGate platform. There’s more to the history and design of Titan that has not been made public – much of it concerning.

— Josh Gates (@joshuagates) June 21, 2023

Mike Reiss

Reiss, one of the writers of hit animated TV series “The Simpsons,” shared that he had a “constant trepidation” during his Titan dive nearly a year ago.

“I kissed my wife goodbye, thinking that was the last time I might ever see her,” he told CNN. 

Like other passengers, Reiss signed a waiver saying that the journey might end in catastrophe like death. He, however, still went through it because he found the submersible’s design to be “reassuring.” He even fell asleep two-and-half-hours down to Titanic’s site.

Despite the sub’s technical issues, Reiss went to dive with the Titan for four times.

“I took four different dives with the company and communication was lost at least briefly every single time,” he recalled. “One dive we took, as soon as communication went out, we went right back to the surface. I was going to see a U-boat just off the shore of New York.”

Despite fears for his life while onboard, Reiss defended OceanGate and said that the US-based company is in it not just for money or for thrill: “They’re not hot dogs. They’re not daredevils. They take this very seriously.”

Aaron Newman

Newman, an OceanGate investor, said in an interview that he felt “very safe” as a 2021 Titan passenger.

“They were a professional crew, they did a lot of training around safety and the backup systems around dropping weights, so I felt very safe,” Newman told TODAY. 

He, however, acknowledged that taking the dive was not a walk in the park.

“But … this is not a Disney ride, right? We’re going places that very few people have been, and this is inventing things. So there are risks, right? And we know that, but all these people accepted that.”

He described the journey as “basically going to another planet.”

“You’re getting in this craft — you’re bolted in. It’s a tube that’s comfortable, but not spacious,” he narrated. “And at the surface, when you first get in, it gets very hot and stuffy and so you’re laying down and you have a little packed lunch with you and a little bit of water, but you’re planning for the day to be there.”

According to him, by the time the sub reaches the wreckage, it was so cold and pitch black. There were no light sources other than what’s in the vessel.

“By the time you hit the bottom, the water down there is below what standard freezing temperature is,” he said, estimating the water some 12,500 feet below the sea’s surface to be at 29 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. 

“That’s going to conduct right through that metal, so it was cold when we were at the bottom. You had to layer up — we had wool hats on and were doing everything to stay warm at that bottom.”

Arthur Loibl

Loibl, a 60-year-old German adventurer, called his Titan submersible experience two years ago a “suicide mission.”

Speaking with German media outlet Bild, Loibl said he was “incredibly lucky” to survive.

Prior to the Titanic, Loibl had traveled to the north and south poles and has flown over Russia aboard a MiG-29 fighter jet, but nothing beats the Titanic experience, he said.

Booking via an English company into organizing special “safaris,” Loibl paid 100,000 Euros (about P6.2 million) for his set on the Titan.

Apart from Rush, he dove with the sub’s pilot, French navigator Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who has been dubbed “Mr. Titanic” for being the global leader in Titanic underwater studies. Nargeolet is also now among those missing together with Rush and their billionaire passengers.

Loibl, nevertheless, recalled that after the first submersible they tried did not work, the second dive attempt had to be abandoned. Parts of the sub fell off, while the voyage was delayed for five hours because of electrical problems.

“The first submarine didn’t work, then a dive at 1,600 meters had to be abandoned. My mission was the 5th, but we also went into the water five hours late due to electrical problems.”

Before the sub was launched, Loibl said the stabilization tube’s bracket, which balances the vessel as it dives deeper into the ocean, fell off but “was reattached with zip ties.” 

“That didn’t worry me,” he said.

The conditions inside the craft, nonetheless, is quite worrying: the 22-foot long sub only had 2.5 meters of interior space, had no seats and only had a single toilet with a pull-in black curtain. By about 3,200 feet, everything is pitch black as sunlight can no longer get through.

“You need strong nerves, you mustn’t be claustrophobic and you have to be able to sit cross-legged for 10 hours,” Loibl said. “It must be hell down there…” 

But upon reaching the Titanic, all of Loibl’s worries seemed to have sank together with the ocean liner. He circumnavigated the wreck aboard the Titan twice and even touched down on its deck before making the return trip back to the surface.

“To those questioning why people would dive to Titanic: the ship has fascinated the world since the night she sank,” Gates tweeted.

“It’s a time capsule to another era of our history. It takes courage to make a trip like this. Admiration and prayers for the passengers aboard OceanGate Titan.”

RELATED: Titanic tourism: Why pay $250k to visit wreckage if you can watch the movie, actual footage on YouTube?

Zeinab Harake revealed that she is currently not co-parenting with her ex-partner, Skusta Clee.

On Thursday’s “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda,” the King of Talk asked the vlogger about her current relationship with the rapper.

“For now po, wala po akong any connections sa kanya,” Zeinab said.

“Ako po ginagawa ko lang naman po kung ano po ‘yung makakabuti para sa mga anak ko. Dun ako mas nagfofocus ngayon kesa sa mga bad things na nangyari before,” she added.

Zeinab said that she is open to the idea of co-parenting with her ex-partner as long as respect is present.

“Dadating po siguro tayo sa time kapag talagang OK na, meron nang respeto sa ‘ming dalawa, tsaka magkakaron ng respeto para sa ‘ming lahat,” she said.

“Bukas naman po ako basta po makikitaan ko ng… basta kausapin mo ako nang maayos, patunayan mo ako na nirerespeto mo ako, desisyon ko or anything, wala pong magiging problema.”

On Bea Alonzo’s vlog last year, Zeinab publicly confirmed her breakup with Skusta Clee and said the rapper cheated on her.

Zeinab and Skusta have a daughter, Bia. They also had a son, Baby Moon, but Zeinab miscarried during her pregnancy.

In the same interview, Zeinab confirmed that she is now dating basketball star Bobby Ray Parks Jr.

—Carby Basina/MGP, GMA Integrated News

MANILA, Philippines — Singer-actor James Reid said his future collaborations will involve artists from across Philippine shores, all the way to South Korea.

James shared about his upcoming projects last Saturday at the launch of “Rhythm & Roll,” a collaboration between Johnnie Walker and VICE Asia, that saw him working with local skating group, The Skatebomb Girls.

“In the next few months, definitely within this year, I have some collaborations coming up with artists from Singapore, South Korea, other Southeast Asian countries,” James shared after being given the green light to talk about future projects.

WATCH: James Reid (@tellemjaye) teases that he has upcoming collaborations with Southeast Asian and South Korean artists in the following months, the biggest of his career so far. | via @kjpurneII pic.twitter.com/cYS7qx5wBT

— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) June 18, 2023

The “Pinoy Big Brother” alum and current head of Careless Music said he wanted to explore international collaborations, beginning with artists in the Philippines and then nearby countries.

“I’ve never done collaborations like this before, definitely the biggest I’ve had. It’s very exciting and that’s all for now,” James added.

James’ song that the Skatebomb Girls collaborated on was his recent single “So Fire,” and it features him performing on roller skates.

RELATED: James Reid opens up about Cebu’s Wavy Baby festival, future of his Careless label

The learning continues as GMA Regional TV brings another leg of the award-winning “GMA Masterclass: The Icons Series” to Zamboanga City this June 23, featuring GMA’s Chief Marketing Officer Ms. Lizelle G. Maralag.

Maralag will share her knowledge and expertise in the field of marketing with the students and other participants from Western Mindanao State University in Zamboanga City. Last March 3 and 4, Maralag graced the “GMA Masterclass: The Icons Series” at St. John Paul II College of Davao, Davao City and Notre Dame of Dadiangas University, General Santos City, respectively.

“We are thrilled to have our Chief Marketing Officer, Lizelle G. Maralag, join our GMA Masterclass: The Icon Series. This marks another exciting opportunity to fulfill our mission of promoting learning and inspiring students from all corners of the Philippines especially in Western Mindanao. By bringing this initiative to Zamboanga City, we aim to create a lasting legacy of knowledge and inspiration,”  said GMA Senior Vice President and Head of Integrated News, Regional TV, and Synergy Oliver Victor B. Amoroso, whose vision gave birth to the GMA Masterclass Series.

The 28th and 29th legs of the GMA Masterclass Series were held last May 3 and 5 at the University of St. La Salle-Bacolod, Bacolod City and University of San Agustin, Iloilo City, respectively. GMA’s Senior Vice President for Corporate Strategic Planning and Business Development, and Concurrent Chief Risk Officer and Head of Program Support Regie C. Bautista and Senior Vice President for Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable instilled new learnings to the students and other participants as they graced the said events.

Launched in 2018, the GMA Masterclass Series aims to provide students and professors with another venue for new learning and discourse on various local and national issues. It was recognized as the “The Most Development Oriented TV Plug” at the Gandingan 2020: The 14th UPLB Isko’t Iska Multi-media Awards and took home the second Excellence Award under Communication Training and Education Category at the 18th Philippine Quill Awards.

PARIS, France — A French research ship equipped with an unmanned robot able to search deep under water arrived near the wreck of the Titanic on Thursday to join a massive search and rescue operation for a missing submersible.

With just hours of oxygen believed to be left for the five people onboard the submersible Titan, the Atalante ship has begun operations at the scene in the North Atlantic, the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER) said.

The ship, which is operated by IFREMER, and its team were urgently dispatched from France on Tuesday.

It carries the Victor 6000, a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) capable of descending to a depth of 6,000 meters.

The Titanic wreck sits at a depth of 3,800 meters, making it a particularly difficult area to search — or reach for a potential rescue mission.

The Atalante has begun using its multibeam echo sounder to create a map of the nearby seabed to “allow Victor 6000 to have a more efficient dive,” an IFREMER spokesperson told AFP.

But the echo sounder, which bounces acoustic waves off the seafloor to work out its depth, would not be able to detect the submersible itself, the spokesperson added.

The tourist submersible Titan began its descent towards the wreck on Sunday, losing contact with its support ship on the surface two hours later. 

It was carrying British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, the CEO of the company OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush, and French submarine operator Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

Based on the sub’s capacity to hold up to 96 hours of emergency air, rescuers estimate that the passengers may run out of oxygen on Thursday.

‘Doesn’t look good’ 

Rob Larter, a marine expert at the British Antarctic Survey, told a press conference on Thursday that he thought the Victor 6000 was the “main hope” for an underwater rescue.

Alistair Greig, a professor of marine engineering at University College London, said the robot’s two manipulator arms could potentially allow it to untangle the Titan, or attach a device that could float it to the surface.

The Victor 6000 also has strong lights, allowing to see through some of the murk at such depths.

But the experts warned that the rescuers would need to know fairly precisely where to look for Titan, which currently does not seem to be the case.

Finding the submersible “could potentially take weeks of intense survey,” Larter warned.

And even if search teams do find the submersible, a rescue operation could take up precious time.

In a normal situation, it would take two hours for a ROV like the Victor 6000 to get down to the necessary depth — and another two hours to float back up, Greig said. 

The missing submersible is also reportedly bolted from the outside, which could take up more time, he added.

Larter said it was a “desperate situation.”

“It’s kind of unimaginable if people are alive, trapped in a submersible with oxygen supplies running down.

“An objective assessment of where things are at the moment: it doesn’t look good,” Larter said, adding that it was important to stay optimistic. 

IFREMER has said that the Victor 6000 was able to operate throughout the night if necessary. 

The search and rescue operation is being coordinated by the US Coast Guard, which will hold a press conference at 1830 GMT on Thursday, the IFREMER spokesperson said.

RELATED: Inside Titan sub: Past passengers recall ‘suicide mission’ to visit Titanic wreck

LOOK

Pauline Amelinckx is flying to Poland very soon to compete in the Miss Supranational 2023.

On Instagram, the Boholana beauty queen shared several photos of her during her send-off party for the pageant.

Pauline looked radiant in an asymmetrical yellow gown with a half cape, which perfectly matched her white and gold crown.

“I admit I felt a bit nervous earlier before the start of the send-off. Considering it was a new experience leading to a new journey gave me a few jitters. But the good kind, the kind that’s also exciting,” she said.

“I thank the stars for this experience, this opportunity, this once in a lifetime adventure and I thank the stars for all the people I get to share it with,” she added.

Pauline already competed in the headshot challenge for Miss Supranational. She also posted photos and a video of her rocking a black swimsuit, giving her fans a glimpse of what they can expect from her at the pageant.

Pauline was crowned Miss Supranational Philippines in the Miss Universe Philippines pageant. 

The Miss Supranational 2023 will be held on July 14. Pauline will try to win the second crown for the Philippines, after Mutya Datul became the first Filipina beauty queen to win the title in 2013.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News

LOOK

Sharon Cuneta’s family dropped by on the set of her upcoming film with Alden Richards.

On Instagram, Thursday, the Megastar posted a photo of her family, sans eldest daughter KC Concepcion, sharing a meal at one table.

Present in the photo were her husband, former senator Kiko Pangilinan, and their children, Frankie, Miel, and Miguel.

“Surprise visit from my family!” Sharon wrote in the caption.

In another post, the Sharon shared that Jackie Lou Blanco is also part of the film’s cast.

Sharon and Alden will play the roles of a mother and son in the film. They will also be working with Miles Ocampo and Tonton Gutierrez.

—Carby Basina/MGP, GMA Integrated News

2023 Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup

Harold Alarcon was hailed the Most Valuable Player of the 2023 Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup as the 6-foot-1 guard steered University of the Philippines to the crown — their first-ever since joining the tournament.

Alarcon also led the Mythical Five selection alongside teammate Malick Diouf, and the duo of Evan Nelle and Kevin Quiambao of De La Salle University, which finished the elimination round with a perfect slate. Jun Roque of University of Perpetual Help System DALTA completed the mythical team after helping the Altas reach the semifinals.

— Bea Micaller (@beamicallerrr) June 21, 2023

Perpetual’s Cyrus Nitura, meanwhile, was named the Best Defensive Player.

The Fighting Maroons defeated La Salle, 87-76, in their winner-take-all finals on Wednesday with Alarcon finishing with nine points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News

Veterans Jack Animam and Afril Bernardino are tasked to lead Gilas Pilipinas Women when the nationals compete in the 2023 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup set on June 26 in Sydney, Australia.

Joining the two are six other holdovers from the squad that finished silver in the 2023 SEA Games last month in Khate Castillo, Janine Pontejos, Camille Clarin, Ella Fajardo, Angel Surada, and Chack Cabinbin.

Completing the 12-player lineup is the debuting Vanessa de Jesus alongside Jhazmin Joson, Louna Ozor, and Mikka Cacho, who suited up for the 3×3 national team in the biennial meet in Cambodia, with seasoned tactician Patrick Aquino still at the helm.

The Filipina ballers are in Group B where they will first face host Australia on the 26th before taking on Japan and Chinese Taipei on June 27 and 28, respectively.

The Philippines finished seventh overall in the 2021 edition of the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News

The Philippine women’s volleyball team escaped India in the quarterfinals, 25-22, 26-28, 11-25, 29-27, 18-16, to remain in contention in the 2023 ASEAN Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Challenge Cup for Women on Wednesday in Indonesia.

Shaya Adorador sent the Filipinas to a 9-6 cushion in the crucial fifth set before the Indians notched four straight points to retake a 10-9 lead. Aiza Maizo-Pontillas then drilled back-to-back attacks to give the Philippines momentum with an 11-10 upper hand.

India got the first match point, 14-13, but an off speed attack from Adorador and a block from setter Djanel Cheng gave the Filipinas two match points, 16-15. Adrador’s down-the-line kill made it another match point for the Philippines, 17-16, as Cheng’s ace delivered the winning point.

The Philippines will still face Australia on June 23. They need to finish at the top two in order to book a semifinals spot.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News

NEW YORK – Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan will play in their fourth Women’s World Cup alongside a number of new faces as United States head coach Vlatko Andonovski unveiled his squad on Wednesday ahead of their bid for an unprecedented third consecutive title.

Nearly two decades sit between the oldest and youngest players, with 18-year-old forward Alyssa Thompson joining 37-year-old Rapinoe at the tournament starting on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand.

“”We’ll do anything possible to help this team make history,” Andonovski told reporters. “We want to do it for the players, we want to do it for the team, we want to do it for the community, we want to do it for this country.

“We want to do something that has never been done before.”

The top-ranked Americans are fielding one of their least experienced squads in recent memory, with 14 of the 23 players going to their first World Cup, compared to 11 in 2019 and seven in 2015.

Key defender Naomi Girma, 23, earned a spot after bursting on to the scene last year and uncapped 25-year-old midfielder Savannah DeMelo was a surprise inclusion amid a strong National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season.

“Based on the needs that we have in terms of the opponents and different situations that we may face, we see (DeMelo) being very important for us going forward,” said Andonovski, who led the team to Olympic bronze in Tokyo.

Up front, Andonovski has put his faith in 22-year-old NWSL MVP Sophia Smith and 21-year-old Trinity Rodman along with the 33-year-old Morgan.

“We believe in the quality of the team, we believe in the support that we have and we think that we have what it takes to make it possible,” said Andonovski, who took the reins from Jill Ellis in 2019.

Five players, Rapinoe, Morgan, midfielder Julie Ertz, defender Kelley O’Hara and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher were part of the victorious US World Cup squads in 2015 and 2019.

‘Winning combo’

The four-times champions hold a coveted place in American culture as crusaders for gender equality and last year resolved a lengthy dispute with their federation over equal pay on what the players described as a landmark day for the sport.

U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden appeared in a celebrity-filled video unveiling the squad.

“From lifting trophies to fighting for gender equity, these women have been a source of inspiration to Americans of all ages – our family included,” Biden said.

Pop star Taylor Swift announced Morgan’s name while four-times NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal congratulated Rodman, and Mikaela Shiffrin, the most successful Alpine World Cup skier, cheered for her fellow Coloradoan Smith.

“Colorado kids and World Cups? That sounds like a winning combo to me,” said Shiffrin.

Injury issues

The squad will, however, travel to the tournament without several key players due to injuries.

Leading scorer Mallory Swanson went down in April with a serious knee problem, while captain Becky Sauerbrunn said last week she would miss out due to injury and midfielders Catarina Macario and Sam Mewis were also ruled out.

Andonovski said Sauerbrunn would “always be our captain” as he decides on her replacement.

“We’re going to miss her on the field, we’re going to miss her off the field,” he said.

Sam Mewis’s sister and fellow midfielder, Kristie Mewis, was included in the roster for her first World Cup at age 32. Her Gotham FC team mate, Lynn Williams, also made the cut for the global showpiece tournament for the first time at age 30.

The US begin their World Cup campaign on July 22 against Vietnam. They also play the Netherlands and Portugal in Group E.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

Defenders: Alana Cook (OL Reign), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Kelley O’Hara (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign)

Midfielders: Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC), Julie Ertz (Angel City FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyonnais, FRA), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Kristie Mewis (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)

Forwards: Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC) — Reuters

NBA

Kristaps Porzingis could be headed for the Celtics as part of a three-way trade involving Boston, the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers.

According to reports, the swap involves Porzingis to Boston and Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon relocating to L.A., with Clippers forward Marcus Morris and draft picks being offered to the Wizards. ESPN and Stadium reported the deal gained steam Wednesday, one day before the 2023 NBA Draft.

The Wizards are reportedly looking for a new home for point guard Chris Paul, who was acquired in the Bradley Beal trade from Phoenix earlier this week.

ESPN and Yahoo reported the Celtics were also kicking the tires on a trade for Suns center DeAndre Ayton.

After the two sides set the groundwork toward a four-year, $180 million extension in March, Washington reportedly re-engaged Porzingis about a new contract before the looming deadline for his 2023-24 player option worth $36 million. But the 7-foot-3 forward appears intent on testing free agency or being traded for the third time in his career. Porzingis, drafted by the Knicks, was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2019 and then acquired in February 2022 by the Wizards.

Porzingis, who turns 28 in August, averaged a career-high 23.2 points per game last season.

Brogdon exclusively played off the bench in Boston in 2022-23 and averaged 14.9 points and 3.7 assists per game.

The former Bucks and Pacers guard landing with the Clippers could chart the course for Paul and another veteran at the position — unrestricted free agent Russell Westbrook. Westbrook joined the Clippers following a contract buyout in Utah. The Jazz acquired Westbrook from the Lakers at the deadline.

Morris, 33, averaged 11.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game with the Clippers last season and is owed $17.1 million next season.

–Field Level Media/Reuters

NBA Draft

Victor Wembanyama has known where he will be playing professional basketball since the moment the San Antonio Spurs won the draft lottery last month.

And the 19-year-old French phenom can’t wait to officially become a member of the Spurs, who intend to open the draft by using the No. 1 pick on Wembanyama on Thursday night in New York.

“For me, San Antonio is synonymous with winning,” Wembanyama said at Wednesday’s pre-draft press conference in New York. “On lottery night, when the Spurs got the No. 1 pick, I was just thinking, I was feeling lucky that they had the pick as a franchise that has that culture and that experience in winning and making, creating good players. So I really can’t wait.”

The Spurs have won five NBA titles under coach Gregg Popovich and have previously hit the No. 1 overall draft pick jackpot twice with the selections of David Robinson (1987) and Tim Duncan (1997).

Both players are members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as is Popovich.

Another appealing thing about the Spurs to Wembanyama is that French players Tony Parker and Boris Diaw had successful stints with the Spurs.

San Antonio definitely needs Wembanyama, who is alleged to stand 7-foot-4. The Spurs missed the playoffs in each of the past four seasons and were a woeful 22-60 last season. San Antonio has lost more games on just two occasions.

Call it amazing timing to grab Wembanyama, the most hyped draft pick to enter the league since LeBron James in 2003.

Wembanyama isn’t the least bit rattled by all the fuss about him leaving France to play in the world’s top basketball league.

“I don’t let this, all this stuff, get into my head because I got such high expectations for myself that I’m immune to all this stuff,” Wembanyama said. “So I really don’t care.”

Part of what makes Wembanyama so intriguing is the fact that he is not your typical 7-foot-plus player.

Wembanyama likes to bring the ball up court and fire 3-pointers. He doesn’t mind getting physical in the interior but he prides himself on his all-around skillset.

“No one is going to stop me from dribbling the ball, bringing the ball up and shooting 3s,” Wembanyama said. “Nobody is going to stop me from doing that. Even though sometimes coaches in my career would try to stop me from doing that because they had to win right now.

“So it was really an everyday fight to stay true to myself, and, yeah, this is something that I’m never going to lose, for sure.”

However, Wembanyama made just 27.1 percent of his 3-point attempts in 44 games for Boulogne-Levallois this season in France. He made a sizzling 75.1 percent of his two-point attempts to shoot 55.2 percent overall.

Wembanyama averaged 20.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.0 blocked shots and 2.5 assists this season for the Metropolitans 92.

–Field Level Media/Reuters

NBA

Kristaps Porzingis reportedly is headed to the Boston Celtics in a three-team trade.

The late twist Wednesday night, though, was that the deal will send guard Marcus Smart from Boston to the Memphis Grizzlies, according to ESPN and The Athletic.

The Washington Wizards, the team shipping out Porzingis, reportedly will acquire guard Tyus Jones from the Grizzlies and a second-round pick (35th overall) in Thursday’s draft from the Celtics.

Memphis is sending first-round picks in this year’s draft (No. 25 overall) and next year’s draft to Boston, per the reports.

ESPN added that Porzingis, a 7-foot-3 forward/center, is opting into the $36 million player option on his contract for the upcoming season.

Washington is also acquiring Celtics forward Danilo Gallinari and center Mike Muscala in the deal, according to ESPN’s report.

An earlier three-way trade involving the Celtics, Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers fell through earlier Wednesday night, according to multiple media reports.

In that scenario, Porzingis was to go to Boston with Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon relocating to L.A. while Clippers forward Marcus Morris and draft picks would have gone to the Wizards. ESPN added that Los Angeles would have sent Amir Coffey to Washington, which also would have received Danilo Gallinari from Boston.

According to The Stein Line and The Athletic, the three-team deal collapsed due to the Clippers’ concern about Brogdon’s health. Brogdon played through a torn tendon in his right arm during the Celtics’ playoff run.

The Wizards reportedly are looking for a new home for point guard Chris Paul, who was acquired in the Bradley Beal trade from Phoenix earlier this week.

ESPN and Yahoo reported the Celtics were also kicking the tires on a trade for Suns center Deandre Ayton.

Washington reportedly had re-engaged Porzingis about a new contract before the looming deadline for his 2023-24 player option, after the sides set the groundwork toward a four-year, $180 million extension in March. Porzingis, drafted by the New York Knicks in 2015, was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2019 and then acquired in February 2022 by the Wizards.

Porzingis, who turns 28 in August, averaged a career-high 23.2 points per game last season.

Smart, 29, was the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2021-22, and he is a three-time All-Defensive Team selection. Last season, he averaged 11.5 points, a career-high 6.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 61 games.

Over nine NBA seasons, all with the Celtics, he has career averages of 10.6 points, 4.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals.

Brogdon, 30, played exclusively off the bench in Boston in 2022-23 and averaged 14.9 points and 3.7 assists per game.

Jones, 27, played the past four seasons with the Grizzlies after starting his NBA career by playing four years with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He put up career highs across the board last season with 10.3 points, 5.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game.

Morris, 33, averaged 11.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game with the Clippers last season and is owed $17.1 million next season.

Coffey, 26, averaged 3.4 points in 50 games (nine starts) last season, while Gallinari, 34, missed the entire 2022-23 campaign due to a torn ACL.

Muscala, 31, split last season between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Celtics, averaging 6.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 63 games (nine starts).

–Field Level Media/Reuters

EcoOil-La Salle moved one win away from defending its title as it fended off Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda University, 108-82, to draw first blood in the 2023 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup on Thursday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.

The Green Archers waxed hot right from the get-go, unleashing 31 huge points in the second quarter alone to take a 59-33 halftime lead. Prior to that, a Mark Nonoy trey sent La Salle to its biggest lead of 32 late in the second period, 59-27.

The Red Lions, though, staged an uprising in the third frame with James Payosing sinking a free throw to help cut their deficit to just 14, 68-54, before La Salle headed to the fourth with a 77-61 cushion.

Budding guard Jacob Cortez and big man Damie Cuntapay tried to pump life to the Mendiola crew with the latter drilling two big three-pointers that made it an 88-73 affair.

However, La Salle didn’t allow San Beda to create any momentum as Mike Phillips put the punctuation with a slam, 100-79.

Phillips led La Salle with 19 points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals while Mark Nonoy and Kevin Quiambao chipped in 16 and 12 markers apiece.

“Motivated ‘yung players namin kasi alam nila na nage-expect ang school ng championship yesterday and hindi namin nabigay. They’re just motivated to get it here in the D-League,” said assistant coach Gian Nazario, pertaining to their Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup finals loss to UP on Wednesday.

(“The players were motivated because the school was expecting to get the [Filoil] championship yesterday and we were not able to give it. They’re just motivated to get it here in the D-League.”)

The win was a revenge for the Green Archers, whose only loss in the elimination round came at the hands of San Beda. They will now look to sweep the series come Monday, June 26, for Game 2 at the same venue.

Scores:

EcoOil-La Salle 108 – Phillips M. 19, Nonoy 16, Austria 13, Quiambao 12, Gollena 9, David 9, Nelle 7, Abadam 7, Alao 5, Nwanwko 4, Cortez 4, Phillips B. 3, Manuel 0, Escandor 0.

Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda 82 – Cortez 18, Cuntapay 16, Payosing 13, Royo 13, Andrada 8, Alfaro 6, Visser 4, Jopia 3, Tagala 1, Puno 0, Alloso 0, Jalbuena 0.

Quarters: 28-18, 59-33, 77-61, 108-82.

—Bea Micaller/JKC, GMA Integrated News

The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) on Friday will celebrate the Olympic Day, which will be highlighted by the ceremonial turnover of incentives prepared for the Filipino athletes who bagged medals in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games last May in Cambodia.

POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino will lead the event held annually to celebrate the founding of the International Olympic Committee by Baron Pierre de Coubertin on June 23, 1894.

The Olympic Day celebration starts at 7 a.m. at the University of the Philippines Track and Field Oval in Diliman, Quezon City.

After the ceremony, checks will be given to the 260 SEAG medalists — from individuals, doubles, and team sports.

Represented by over 840 athletes, the Philippines copped 54 gold medals, the biggest haul in the country’s history in the biennial meet, alongside 85 silver and 117 bronze plums to finish fifth in the Cambodia Games.

—Bea Micaller/JKC, GMA Integrated News

Adamson University standout Trisha Tubu and three of her teammates are moving on from their collegiate careers as they joined Farm Fresh for the upcoming 2023 PVL Invitational Conference set on June 27.

Farm Fresh head coach and former Adamson mentor Jerry Yee confirmed the development to GMA Integrated News on Thursday.

Aside from Tubu, also leaving Adamson to play in the PVL are Kate Santiago, Ckyle Tagsip, and Cae Lazo, who are tipped to reinforce the Foxies that will be made up of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde core.

Tubu, who still has four playing years left, will join former NCAA MVP Mycah Go as well as other Benilde stars in opposite spiker Gayle Pascual, open hitter Jade Gentapa, and setter Cloanne Mondoñedo as they look to battle powerhouse teams in the PVL.

The move came weeks after Yee parted ways with the Lady Falcons, which arose after the seasoned mentor accepted the job to be at the Farm Fresh helm. Yee has also been named the new University of the East mentor for UAAP Season 86.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News

June 23, 2023 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Shares prices stayed in negative territory yesterday after US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stuck to his recent hawkish tone on the central bank’s likely interest rate path.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) closed at 6,404.91, down by 19.30 points or 0.30 percent, while the broader All Shares index slipped by 9.12 points or 0.27 percent to 3,417.69.

Mikhail Plopenio of Philstocks Financial said the local market followed the downturn in Wall Street overnight following Powell’s remarks in his testimony to the US Congress.

“Investors seemed to have been weighed by the hawkish statements from the Federal Reserve despite the anticipated rate hike pause from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas,” he said.

Last week, the Fed held its benchmark interest rate steady at between five percent and 5.25 percent, but officials projected rates will have to increase another half percentage point by year’s end to tame inflation.

Powell in his remarks to lawmakers in Washington said the outlook for two further 25-basis-point (bps) rate increases are “a pretty good guess” of where the central bank is heading if the economy continues in its current direction.

Kevin Cummins, chief economist at NatWest Markets, said Powell’s testimony didn’t shed any new light on the Fed’s thinking or the likely future path for monetary policy, adding that his tone was very similar to last week’s press conference and mostly leaned hawkish.

“It’s clear that the FOMC wants the market to understand that a hike will be on the table for debate at the next meeting. The Fed’s data-dependent approach in this tightening cycle suggests upcoming data releases could shift expectations.”

Atlanta Federal Reserve president Raphael Bostic said on Wednesday the Fed should not raise rates further or it would risk “needlessly” sapping the strength of the US economy.

The comments highlight the growing debate at the central bank over when and if the central bank should hike further.

“The next six months, as much as we would like to stop talking about the Fed, but it’s going to be the continued driver of sentiment in the market,” said Michael Dyer, investment director, multi assets at M&G Investments.

June 23, 2023 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Retail prices of goods in Metro Manila experienced the slowest growth in 11 months in May, largely due to slower upticks in food prices, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed the General Retail Price Index (GRPI) growth in Metro Manila decelerated to 4.9 percent in May from 5.4 percent in April.

The latest GRPI reading for the National Capital Region (NCR) is the lowest growth since the 4.7 percent increase in June last year.

The May GRPI growth, however, is higher than the 4.1 percent uptick in May last year.

“The primary driver of the lower annual growth of GRPI in NCR was the slower year-on-year increase in the heavily weighted food index at 10 percent during the month from 10.6 percent in April 2023,” the PSA said.

It said the continued decline in mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials at -12.8 percent in May 2023 from -8.4 percent in the previous month also contributed to the downtrend in GRPI growth.

Commodity groups with lower increases were machinery and transport equipment as well as beverages and tobacco.

On the other hand, commodity groups with higher mark-ups were crude materials, inedible except fuels; chemicals, including animal and vegetable oils and fats, and miscellaneous manufactured articles.

Manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials retained their previous month’s growth of 2.8 percent in May.

From  January to May, GRPI growth averaged 5.9 percent.

GRPI tracks the changes in the retailers’ prices to consumers or end-users.

The index is used for monitoring the economic situation of the retail sector, as well as for forecasting business in retail trade.

June 23, 2023 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Ropali Group of Companies’ Agribusiness Rural Bank Inc. (Agribank) has partnered with leading global fintech provider, Kiya.AI as part of its cybersecurity improvements and anti-money laundering efforts.

The bank subscribed to Kiya.AI’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) System to facilitate easier tracking, flagging, and detection of suspicious activities as part of its regulatory compliance.

Agribank president and CEO Danny Boy Antonio said the partnership with Kiya.AI would add value to the existing improvements in the bank’s compliance unit as this complements the bank’s long-term goal of offering customers a safer banking experience.

“We look forward to leveraging Kiya.AI’s expertise in enabling 360-degree customer profiling, eliminating false reporting, and streamline compliance operations,” Antonio said.

Rajesh Mirjankar, CEO of Kiya.AI said the company is committed to complementing the ongoing efforts of Agribank to empower and serve its customers against the constantly evolving threats of money laundering.

“We believe that cutting-edge, real-time financial monitoring technology can deliver the change needed to fight today’s sophisticated fraud and money laundering cases. Given the dynamic nature of the financial crime and regulatory landscape, we recognize that ensuring AML compliance is a continuous process, and we will fine tune and continue to strengthen our collaborative efforts together with Agribank,” he said.

Agribank chief compliance officer Norberto Tan said  it has been the bank’s aim to find the right system provider to collaborate with.

Kiya.Ai is a global digital solutions provider serving financial institutions and governments worldwide. Its expertise includes financial services, digital payments, governance, risk and compliance solutions along with market-ready processes that empower financial institutions to be equipped with future-proof strategies to serve an ever growing digital-first community.

It operates in 50 countries and has some 500 clients.

Agribank is a rural bank that is part of the Ropali Group of Companies with operations dating back to 1978 in Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya.

At present, the company has 21 branches nationwide offering deposits and loan products at competitive rates.

The Ropali Group of Companies, a mid-sized conglomerate focused on motorcycles and agriculture machinery, is headed by its founding chairman, businessman Roberto Alingog. 

June 23, 2023 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The poor and the middle-class segment of the society will likely bear the brunt of the proposed tax on salty and junk food, as well higher levy on sweetened beverages, amid the lack of affordable food options in the market.

Economists told The STAR that while the Department of Finance’s latest tax proposal seems to be a good measure, this may unduly burden the country’s low-income majority.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno recently announced that the DOF and the Department of Health are pursuing a junk food and sweetened beverage tax in a bid to generate revenues while addressing diseases related to poor diet.

Such a tax measure is seen adding some P76 billion to state coffers and reducing consumption of junk food by 21 percent.

Leonardo Lanzona, economist and professor at the Ateneo De Manila University, said covered products have very high price elasticity, especially if targeted to the poor and middle income groups.

This means that demand may likely fall and unlikely increase collection for the needed tax revenues for important socially-oriented programs to be achieved.

“I think that the demand for these products will fall, except for those targeted to the rich. So revenues generated from these taxes will not be sufficient,” Lanzona said.

“The government should not rely on these forms of taxes as these can also be regressive, as lower and middle income groups are the heaviest consumers of these products,” he said.

Under the proposal, the government plans to impose a P10 per 100 grams or P10 per 100 milliliters tax on pre-packaged foods lacking nutritional value, including confectioneries, snacks, desserts, and frozen confectioneries, that exceed the DOH’ specified thresholds for fat, salt, and sugar content.

The DOF also wants to increase the sweetened beverage tax rate under the TRAIN Law to P12 per liter regardless of the type of sweetener used. Currently, the rate is at a minimum of P6 per liter.

Research and advocacy group IBON Foundation, for its part, maintained that the supposed health benefits may not be achieved given the lack of affordable alternatives, especially amid low purchasing power of the majority of Filipinos.

IBON executive director Sonny Africa argued that revenues would be generated precisely because the DOF knows about the lack of alternatives and that even poor Filipino families would keep buying such foods.

“An additional consumption tax will also just further depress household consumption spending, which has been slowing for three consecutive quarters already,” Africa said.

On the other hand, ING Bank senior economist Nicholas Mapa said that the tax measure should help generate fresh funds for government coffers while also improving the health of Filipinos.

This, as the government moves to consolidate its finances given the limited fiscal space following the pandemic’s effect on revenues that has yet to fully recover.

“The estimated revenue take from this does look a bit modest versus total revenue collection for a year. But at this point, perhaps every additional revenue can count,” Mapa said.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort explained that the administration is proposing new taxes as inflation continues to stabilize.

“New and higher taxes during better economic times make sense, as well as the urgency to pay large debts incurred since the pandemic, though some of the debts are long-term in nature,” Ricafort said.

Ricafort added that the measure is not necessarily anti-poor as it is similar to sin taxes, which slaps levies on less essential products with health risks, such as tobacco and alcohol.

Diokno said the added revenues from the tax package would fund important socio-economic programs of the administration.

Mapa, meanwhile, said part of the proceeds should help promote healthier alternatives and support industries that produce healthier choices.

Still, IBON argued that if the DOF is really concerned about improving the diet of Filipinos, it should support wage hikes and provide ayuda that would increase the purchasing power and food consumption of millions of families.

It also called on the government to raise substantial revenues, without burdening ordinary Filipinos, through a wealth tax that could raise some P500 billion annually.

Lanzona agreed with this, noting that consumption taxes should be complemented with a wealth tax to provide more programs for the poor.

“The goods that the rich commonly purchase, such as luxuries, the demand may not decrease as much. So, the overall goal should be to make these taxes more progressive,” he said.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is set to undergo a transformation under its Secretary, Antonia “Toni” Yulo-Loyzaga, who wants the department to move away from its previous mandate of being a “regulatory” body to an agency that is science-led and which will focus more on “protection, enhancement, preservation, rehabilitation and regeneration of the environment.”

She said such a mandate would lead to a “reorganizational  transformation” that “needs to actually take place,” where in the past “people are used to, perhaps, the more punitive and  the more regulatory” agency, but this time around would be more “science-based and with more emphasis on what we need to do to actually maintain from ridge to reef our ecosystems so that they can support community life, business, and all the other activities that are really dependent on the use of natural resources.”

Loyzaga formally sat down with a group of business editors and writers Tuesday to outline some of her views regarding her department, and impressed all of us with her careful and intelligent approach to tackling and formulating policies that will govern the various sectors that her department has jurisdiction over  – from the extractive sector to the renewables sector —  that also overlap with the Department of Energy, climate and the environment, water resources  – that will also overlap with the still to be created Department of Water, as well as dealing with a menagerie of  abandoned and confiscated wildlife!

The DENR also manages the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center, which has amassed a “small” collection of animals that were either confiscated from illegal smugglers or abandoned by illegal collectors and include a pair of tigers.

^{‘We need minerals’}

The extractive industries sector is excited that Secretary Loyzaga acknowledges the practical need to resume the extraction of vital minerals and metallurgical resources that our economy needs, even as she carefully reviews existing policies and draws up the new framework that will govern the sector moving forward during her tenure.

“At this point we need to accept that we need minerals… we need minerals. Everything that we use on a daily basis comes from something that has to be extracted,” she said.

The DENR Secretary expressed the need for government to map out and confirm that the resources are there and determine if they can be sustainably extracted. She also stressed the need for government to resume exploration, noting that such activity has stopped, and that the private sector has that ability to track such resources, which the government should likewise be able to do.

However, Loyzaga continues to review past policies governing the extraction of resources such as coal, oil, minerals and metallurgical resources, and is still in the process of revising and improving the policy framework, as well as holding consultations with all stakeholders, that would govern such activities before releasing the new rules and  guidelines that will be followed moving forward.

She could, thus, only say that they would come out with the new policy framework “soon” that would allow the private sector to resume or invest in new exploration, mining and renewable energy activities.

On the controversial adoption of open pit mining, Loyzaga avoided an all out endorsement, but pointed out that new technology and  processes are now available and that there is greater emphasis on mitigation, rehabilitation and regeneration that has been used and accepted by other countries that engage in extractive industries.

She also astutely shut down claims that rehabilitation has not been a hallmark of the Philippine mining sector, citing for instance the rehabilitation done in Rio Tuba,  and more importantly that any activity in the extractive sector, by its very nature, will not result in something that has been disturbed will ever be exactly the same even with restoration or rehabilitation. But she does see the possibility of seeking compensation by investment.

Also a priority for Loyzaga are weather and climate change issues that have now gained more urgency globally, as different parts of the world now experience the damage wrought by climate disasters. DENR Undersecretary Carlo Primo “CP” David, whom she has worked with in the past, is helping her on those issues.

Loyzaga’s approach to her post stems from her professional background, having been the executive director of the Manila Observatory for nine years, from 2007 to 2016, even though her educational background is really in political science.

Grade school classmates

It was actually a reunion of sorts for Secretary Loyzaga, Grace Magno,  VP for corporate marketing of SM Supermalls, and myself last Tuesday, as we were all grade school classmates at Assumption Convent – Herran (ages ago), with both Grace and me vouching for Loyzaga’s good girl reputation in grade school and among the more diligent students…along with another former classmate, Sen. Loren Legarda.

It was also a good time to learn about that not-so romantic, but actually “boring” (as Toni herself describes it)  courtship of Toni by Chito Loyzaga …because, of course, we had to ask about it…wink…wink.

We wanted to know how the then popular college hearthrob athlete/ basketballer Chito won over Toni…not as it turns out by sweeping her off her feet, but rather a straight forward request by Chito for her to be his girlfriend. It turns out that she had known Chito for quite some time as he was a friend of her brother. She further reveals that Chito is  “methodical and constant” and “plays by the book,” as proven by his professional basketball career with the still popular Barangay Ginebra team.

Their union produced two girls and a boy, Joaquin, who is her “Asec, Anak ng Secretary” and executive assistant at the DENR, but who, unfortunately, is not into basketball but definitely inherited the good looks of his father.

Juan Luna at the Ayala Museum

Was fortunate enough to view Juan Luna’s long-lost painting, “Hymen, o Hymenee,” which won a bronze medal at the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris, France,  at the Ayala Museum last week. It is a beautiful work of art that makes one proud that a Filipino artist had the talent to create such a masterful painting that is recognized internationally.

It was also a good time to review Juan Luna’s colorful and controversial life, which of course, was glossed over in the beautiful audio-visual presentation that accompanied the exhibit, but reawakened my interest in the controversial artist.

It was also pleasant to reacquaint myself with the Ayala Museum that I had visited years ago when it relocated in the now commercial Greenbelt mall. I was again awed by the museum’s gold exhibit, and pleased with its new exhibits on textiles and ceramics and pottery.

I urge those who have not seen the exhibit to go visit the Ayala Museum and appreciate a pleasant morning or afternoon learning about Filipino art and heritage before or after a shopping and eating spree at the mall.

June 23, 2023 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center will gauge private sector interest in the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) concession through a market sounding activity next week.

In an advisory, the DPWH and PPP Center said they are inviting firms interested in the CLLEX concession to a market sounding event on June 27 at the PPP Center office in Quezon City.

The  event aims to gather feedback from relevant stakeholders as the DPWH undertakes the PPP project study for the CLLEX.

Through the event, the agencies said “DPWH aims to collect indications of private sector interest in the CLLEX concession from both domestic and international companies.”

DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral and PPP Center executive director Cynthia Hernandez will attend the market sounding event.

SMEC Philippines president Ricardo Yuzon Jr. will also be present at the event.

SMEC was tapped by the DPWH to carry out transaction advisory services to establish the viability of CLLEX Phase II, which will extend Phase I by connecting Cabanatuan City and San Jose City in Nueva Ecija.

CLLEX Phase I is a 30-kilometer expressway connecting the provinces of Tarlac and Nueva Ecija.

Construction for Phase I was funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, with counterpart funding from the Philippine government.

CLLEX Phase II, meanwhile, will involve the selection for a private proponent to finance, design and construct the project.

The private proponent will also operate and maintain both Phase I and II.

MANILA, Philippines — The Center for Global Best Practices will host a program titled “Resolving your Squatter Issues in Public and Private Properties” on July 20, 21 and 24, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

The program aims to protect your property from unlawful occupants and to efficiently utilize ejectment actions and provisional remedies available in the speedy recovery of your land or building to avoid further damage from prolonged dispossession. The lecture will include other special laws of great concern to land developers such as Republic Act 6552 (The Maceda Law) that governs sales on installment of real property, Presidential Decree 1517 (The Urban Land Reform Law), RA 7279 (The Lina Law), Tenancy Law, and more. It will also include essential updates on government initiatives against professional squatters and squatting syndicates.

This three-session training will be led by CGBP’s finest roster of lecturers that include Atty. Alvin Claridades, the author of 18 best-selling law books such as Land Titles and Deeds, Laws on Easement, Road Right-of-Way, Building and Setback, Agrarian Law and The Revised IRR of the National Building Code of the Philippines; Ret. Gen. Efren Fernandez, who has extensive experience in peacefully and effectively removing thousands of illegal dwellers and a former president and CEO of Public Safety Mutual Benefit Funds Inc. and undersecretary at the Department of National Defense; and Engr. Agustin Torres, who was part of the oversight committee on the crafting and implementation of the revised IRR of the Building Code of the Philippines and also serves as a program director at the CGBP and a consultant at the DPWH National Building Code Development Office and Quezon City LGU.

Registration is open to the general public. A must for property owners, land developers, lessors and brokers, bankers and financiers, prosecutors and judges, lawyers and consultants, property administrators, law enforcement officers, consultants, victims of squatting syndicates and anyone seeking effective solutions to illegal tenants, squatters and dwellers.

For more property-related training topics such as Best Practices Guide to Crafting Construction Law Contracts, Condominium Law of the Philippines, Building Code of the Philippines and How to Detect Fake Titles, visit www.cgbp.org or call Manila lines (+63 2) 8556-8968/69 or (+63 2) 8842-7148/59.

June 23, 2023 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Pangilinan-led upstream oil and gas firm PXP Energy Corp. is awaiting the awarding of service contracts (SCs) for three oil and gas prospects as it continues to explore new opportunities with promising potential.

During the company’s virtual stockholders’ meeting last Wednesday, PXP president Daniel Stephen Carlos said the company is “eagerly” awaiting the approval of three new SCs in Northwest Palawan, Sulu aSea and Recto Bank areas.

“These contract areas will play an important role in revitalizing our petroleum operations and diversifying our asset portfolio,” he said.

PXP and its unit Forum Energy Philippines Corp. are applying for a new SC covering the surrendered SC-6A in northwest Palawan and adjacent areas.

“Both PXP and Forum are participating in a new SC application that will cover the former SC-6A and addtional area to the east which was surrendered by the SC 74 consortium last year,” Carlos said.

“PXP and Forum will each have a participating interest of 6.84 percent in the new SC,” he said.

SC-6A was surrendered to the Department of Energy in March 2021 as the contract term is set to expire in February 2024.

The SC-6A joint venture partners consisted of Philodrill Corp. as the operator, Anglo Philippine Holdings Corp., Forum Energy Philippines Corp., PXP and Alcorn Petroleum and Minerals Corp.

“This has created a limited window of opportunity for us to drill an exploratory well and develop a field if a discovery is made,” Carlos said.

Meanwhile, PXP is also awaiting the awarding of the SC for a nominated area adjacent to SC 72 in Recto Bank and a pre-determined area in Sulu Sea.

“The first block is a nominated area adjacent to SC 72 and once awarded, our plan is to acquire new 2D seismic data complemented by marine gravity and magnetic data,” Carlos said.

“The second block is Area 7 in Sulu Sea which was offered by the DOE through a bidding round in 2019. Upon contract award, initial work will focus on the reprocessing of 3D seismic data,” he said.

Apart from these prospects, PXP Energy is continuously evaluating additional opportunities within the region “in line with our objective of expanding our presence in areas that show promising potential,” the company’s top official said.

PXP said the group would continue to pursue exploration work with respect to its other projects in the Philippines, including SC 40 and SC 74.

SC 74 is the Linapacan block in northwest Palawan, while SC 40 is the North Cebu block located in the Visayan Basin.

June 23, 2023 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has extended a P66.7-million loan for the construction of a waste treatment and disposal facility in Cebu.

DBP recently approved the P66.7-million loan to Pacific Mactan Renewable Environmental Systems Inc. (PMRESI), the local subsidiary of Canada-based EnEco WTE Pacific Inc.

The loan will be used to build the only fully-integrated waste treatment and disposal facility at the Mactan Economic Zone (MEZ) in Lapu-Lapu City.It will also cover the establishment of a pacesetting smart waste management and energy recovery system for more than 200 firms within the MEZ area.

The latest loan is under DBP’s Sustainable Waste Management for Enhanced Environmental Protection Financing Program (SWEEP), the bank’s flagship credit facility that aims to help address the growing problem of solid and hazardous waste management in the country.

The loan will partially finance the construction of a 2,000-square-meter hazardous waste treatment facility and the acquisition of waste-water treatment equipment.

DBP president and CEO Michael de Jesus said the bank aims to support building sustainable infrastructure to further accelerate environmental protection and economic growth in the country.

“Through this undertaking, we bolster commitment to support innovative technologies and approaches that would advance efficient solid waste management systems and practices,” De Jesus said.

The mother firm of PMRESI pioneered the entry of a waste gasifier technology in the Philippines called thermal oxidation process system (TOPS).

As such, the MEZ waste treatment facility is the first to employ the TOPS gasifier technology that uses a thermal gasification process to decompose carbon-based components of waste and reduce its volume by 97 percent.

The project, which will employ an integrated pollution prevention and control system, has been granted the first-ever environmental technology verification statement and report by the Department of Science and Technology.

Further, the facility is seen to produce carbon-free ash, which can be used as a concrete additive, and donated to nearby municipalities for their construction needs and generate additional power from waste product treatment.

DBP has so far approved P435.6 million in financing under its SWEEP program.

DBP is the eighth largest bank in the country in terms of assets. It provides credit support to four strategic sectors of the economy namely, infrastructure and logistics, MSME, environment, and social services and community development.

It looks like Dennis Trillo and Bea Alonzo’s series is coming very soon!

On Instagram, Dennis shared a new teaser photo for the series.

“#LoveBeforeSunrise,” the actor wrote.

Bea Alonzo and Dennis Trillo will team up after 20 years for GMA’s upcoming series “Love Before Sunrise.”

Sure enough, his followers got even more excited for the project, with one user commenting, “Can’t wait idol!”

Earlier, Bea also shared photos from the set of the upcoming series.

Similar to the photo posted by Dennis, Bea was dressed in medical scrubs, while the Kapuso Drama King was in a denim jacket.

Bea and Dennis play soulmates who haven’t found the right moment.

“Right love at the wrong time, ganun talaga. Minsan meron tayong mga TOTGA. So makaka-relate maraming tao sa istorya namin. It’s about taking a leap for the one that you love,” said Bea.

Joining Bea and Dennis in the cast are Andrea Torres, Sid Lucero, Nadia Montenegro, Sef Cadayona, Cheska Fausto, and Vince Maristela.

Dennis previously starred in the hit historical portal fantasy series, “Maria Clara at Ibarra,” which is now on Netflix. He is also part of the “Voltes V: Legacy.”

Bea, on the other hand, starred in “Start-Up PH” with fellow Kapuso stars Alden Richards, Yasmien Kurdi, and Jeric Gonzales.

“Love Before Sunrise” is a collaboration between GMA Network and Viu Philippines. — BAP, GMA Integrated News

June 23, 2023 | 12:00am

Inalam namin sa ilang staff ng isang weekly show kung ano talaga ang problema sa naturang show at bakit may naririnig kaming reklamo ng ilang artistang mainstay sa programang ito.

Meron na raw kasing nag-walk out na at mukhang wala nang balak bumalik dahil sa dismayado na raw ito sa pamamalakad sa show na ‘yun.

Ang dating sa kanila, may favoritism dahil iilan lang daw ang nagagamit, ang iba ay tengga at paminsan-minsan lang lumalabas.

Meron pa raw isang staff sa show na ‘yun na wagas daw kung mamahiya sa ibang artista.

Hindi raw nila ma-take itong staff na tila siya na ang nagku-control ng buong show.

Nagtanung-tanong kami sa ilang staff na maayos naman ang trabaho sa show na ‘yun, kinokontra nito ang isyu ng favoritism.

Paano naman daw nila gagamitin ang ilang performers, wala naman daw silang panahon mag-rehearse.

Hindi kagaya ng ilang mainstays sa show na ‘yun na kahit punung-puno ang schedule, talagang naglalaan daw ng oras para makapag-rehearse. Siyempre ‘yun na ang gagamitin nila dahil sumusunod sa usapang magbigay ng isang araw para sa rehearsal.

Baka nga masyado na silang marami sa show na ‘yun, kaya okay na ring mabawasan sila.

May isang regular sa show na ‘yun na ilang linggo nang hindi mapapanood dahil inisyuhan pala ito ng ‘fat memo.’

Nangyayari naman ito noon pa na kailangan maingat ka rin sa itsura at pangangatawan dahil ayaw naman nilang mapulaan itong pataba nang pataba.

Meron na rin daw na isang artist na magpapaalam na raw sa show na ‘yun dahil hindi na siya masaya.

Susubukan pa rin naming hingan ng pahayag ang ilang executive ng weekly show na ito para malinaw kung ano talaga ang nangyayari sa loob ng studio.

Allan K, tinanggihan ang dobleng TF

Mas mahalaga kay Allan K ang loyalty kahit doble pa ang talent fee na ibibigay sa kanya.

Inamin ng singer/TV host na inalok sila nina Jose Manalo at Wally Bayola ng Jalosjos siblings na magpaiwan sa Eat Bulaga, at dadag­dagan ang talent fee nito. Pero mas nanaig sa kanya ang loyalty kina Tito, Vic and Joey.

“’Yun nga. Inu-offer ka­ming tatlo na dobleng presyo ng talent fee namin,” pakli ni Allan K nang nakatsikahan namin sa nakaraang Media Day ng TVJ at Legit Dabarkads sa TV5.

“Sabi namin, sandali lang po ha? Pag-isipan talaga namin. Hindi ganun kadaling mag-isip. Ano ‘to? Bigyan mo kaming pera, okay na kami? Hindi.

“Give us time to decide,” dagdag niyang pahayag.

Binanggit daw niya ito sa TVJ at napapailing na lamang daw sila.

Pero nung nag-decide na raw sina Tito, Vic and Joey na mag-resign nung May 31, kaagad na nag-decide raw siyang mag-resign na rin at hindi na tatanggapin ang alok ng TAPE, Inc.

“Hindi talaga ako nagdalawang isip. Talagang at the back of my mind, No! Ganun talaga kaagad.

“Kasi, year of the dog ako ipinanganak. So loyal talaga ako. Kung saan sila pupunta, nakasunod ako with wagging tail,” sabi pa ni Allan K.

Masaya na raw siya ngayong balik-Kapatid network siya dahil nagkaroon din naman siya noon sa TV5.

Si Allan K ang isa sa unang host ng Sing Galing. Kaya malay natin baka sa pagbabalik ng Sing Galing ay si Allan K na uli ang host.

Ganundin naman ang gusto ng ibang Dabarkads na nakapag-show sa TV5. Gusto nilang balikan ang nagawa nilang show, kagaya ni Joey de Leon na puwedeng pabalikin ang Wow Mali at Si Ryan Agoncillo naman ang kanyang sikat na talent show dati na Talentadong Pinoy.

Sa July 1 na magsisimula ang noontime show ng TVJ at Legit Dabarkads, at sabi ni Bossing Vic, humble lang daw muna.

Hindi raw totoong gagawin daw sa Philippine Arena ang pilot show.

Sa dalawang studio ng TV5 lang daw sila at pinag­handaan na ito ngayon ng Kapatid network.

Alam mo ba pinakamasarap sa lahat ‘pag ‘yung matagal mo nang kilala naging matagumpay at hindi nagbago. Iyon bang kahit yu­maman na, ganun pa rin ang trato sa iyo.

Isa si Sylvia Sanchez sa mga nagtagumpay at never nabago ang ugali at pakikisama sa mga dating kilala.

Kung ano siya noon, ganun pa rin siya ngayon.

No wonder lahat ng suwerte nakukuha niya.

Kaya naman pati ang mga anak niya successful in their own way.

Talagang ipagluluto at ipaghahanda ka niya tulad ng dati niyang ginagawa.

How sweet of her na ngayon ay may anak na siyang isang Congressman, si Arjo Atayde.

At ang mga anak niya nag-aral at lumalaking mabuting mga tao tulad ni Ria.

Talagang when you are a good person, God will be kind and giving to you. Ganyan ang nangyayari kay Sylvia, punong-puno ng blessings, bongga.

 Ito ang isang magandang pangyayari na masasabi mo na kaya worthy siya sa blessings sa buhay niya dahil na nga sa magandang ugali niya.

Hay naku, dapat lahat ng artista ganyan ang attitude, hindi nagbabago kahit meron na silang lahat sa buhay at talagang yumaman.

Iba kasi talaga pag mabait ka at walang yabang sa katawan.

‘Wag lalaki ang ulo at mag-ilusyon na nasa itaas ka porke’t mapera!

Araw-araw ay may update si Sharon Cuneta sa ginagawa nilang pelikula ni Alden Richards.

Kahapon ay kasama naman nila si Jackie Lou Blanco.

Ang saya dahil laging magkayakap ang gaganap na mag-ina.

“Today!!! @aldenrichards02 @jackielou.blanco Yea kasama din namin si Jackie!!!!

Kasama rin nila si Tonton Gutierrez at may post din siyang kasama ang actor at si Miles Ocampo. (SVA)

June 23, 2023 | 12:00am

Ang ganda ng bagong soulful love song ni KZ Tandingan – Dito Ka Lang single na mapapakinggan na simula ngayong Biyernes (Hunyo 23).

Si KZ mismo ang sumulat ng kanta na inalay niya sa kanyang asawa na si TJ Monterde noong panahon na nasa tour abroad si TJ habang nanatili sa bansa si KZ.

Inareglo ni Theo Martel at prinodyus ni ABS-CBN Music creative director Jonathan Manalo ang bagong handog ng Star Music na may tunog soul, R&B at rap.

Ipinadala pa ito sa Amerika para i-mix ng Grammy winner na si Jackie Boom at i-master ng isa pang Grammy winner na si Jett Galindo ng The Bakery LA.

Sa media lunching kahapon ay tunog international ang kanta.

Ang ganda.

Saka talagang mahusay naman si KZ.

Tampok sa ilalabas na music video nito sa ABS-CBN Star Music YouTube channel sina Kobie Brown at Andi Abaya.

Pinag-usapan agad mula nang inanunsyo ang proyektong Dito Ka Lang ni KZ na mapapabilang sa upcoming full-length album niya na tatawaging Soul Supremacy II.

Sinusundan nito ang patok na Soul Supremacy album ng X-Factor Philippines grand winner na inilunsad ng Star Music taong 2017.

Bago ang Dito Ka Lang, nilabas ni KZ ang kanyang international singles na 11:59 at Winning.

Bumida rin ang Kapamilya artist sa New York Times Square billboard noong 2021 para sa EQUAL playlist ng Spotify.

Nagsilbi naman siyang isa sa mga coach ng The Voice Kids Philippines season 5 ngayong taon.

Mapapakinggan ang Dito Ka Lang ni KZ simula Biyernes (Hunyo 23) sa iba’t ibang digital streaming platforms at mapapanood din ang music video nito sa ABS-CBN Star Music YouTube channel.

June 23, 2023 | 12:00am

Malapit na malapit na ang July 1.

Ito ang araw na mag-uumpisa ang pagbabalik ng Tito, Vic and Joey sa free TV – TV5.

Pero bago ‘yan, nakasama muna ng TVJ si Aling Puring, ang brand icon ng Puregold, kung saan pumirma sila ng kontrata bilang pagpapatuloy sa kolaborasyon kasama ang kumpanya upang ipinagpapatuloy ang mahaba at makabuluhang pakikipagtambalan nila.

Sa pagsisimula ng kumpanya, noong mas kaunti pa sa 50 ang mga tindahan ng Puregold, nakipagtambalan na ang kumpanya kina Vic at Joey.

Ngayon higit 500 na pala ang mga tindahan ng Puregold sa buong bansa, at nasasabik sila na makamit ang marami pang mga tagumpay kasama ang buong TVJ.

Isa nga ito sa mga endorsement nila na naunang nag-declare ng suporta sa kanila noong nagkaproblema ang kanilang programa sa TAPE Inc.

June 23, 2023 | 12:00am

Bongga ang lineup ng stars sa pelikulang The Cheating Game, ang pinakaunang pelikula for 2023 ng GMA Public Affairs at GMA Pictures na mapapanood na sa big screen simula July 26.

‘An edgy, genre-bending romance about the games people play after getting cheated on’ ang tatakbuhin ng unang pelikulang pagbibidahan nina Asia’s Limitless Star Julie Anne San Jose at Total Heartthrob and Performer Rayver Cruz bilang sina Hope Celestial at Miguel Agustin.

Bahagi nga ng kanilang kuwento sina Martin del Rosario, Winwyn Marquez, Yayo Aguila, Candy Pangilinan, Phi Palmos, Thea Tolentino at Paolo Contis.

Mapapanood din dito sina Chef Jose Sarasola, Charlize Ruth Reyes, Roce Ordoñez, Aaron Maniego, Andrea So, Charm Aranton, Ida Sabido, Evan Tan at Roi Oriondo.

Nitong Lunes (June 19), ipinakita na rin ang official poster ng pelikula na mula sa direksyon ng best-selling author na si Rod Marmol.

Dolly de Leon makakasama sa serye si Nicole Kidman, Hollywood career ni Liza ‘di pa umaabante

Mukha ngang magtutuluy-tuloy ang Hollywood career ng Pinay actress na si Dolly de Leon.

Lumabas sa online reports na makakasama siya sa American TV series na Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 na pinagbibidahan ng Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman.

Nauna nang kumalat na kasama rin siya sa cast ng Amazon Original Movie Grand Death Lotto.

Nagsunud-sunod ang offer ni Dolly matapos ang nomination niya sa Golden Globe Awards at British Academy Film Awards para sa Oscar-nominated movie niyang Triangle of Sadness.

Habang nanalo naman siya sa Los Angeles Screen Awards.

Pero ginagawa rin ni Dolly ang movie with Kathryn Bernardo na A Very Good Girl.

Si Liza Soberano kaya anong update sa Hollywood career? Though naging cover girl siya sa isang magazine sa Singapore.

Lately ay lumabas ang photos na magkasama sila ni Enrique Gil sa kabila ng intrigang hiwalay na sila.

Nagbigay ng maigsing pahayag si Paolo Contis kaugnay sa engagement ng kaniyang ex-partner na si LJ Reyes sa non-showbiz fiancé nito na si Philip Evangelista sa Amerika.

Sa Chika Minute report ni Nelson Canlas sa GMA News “24 Oras,” inihayag ang text message ni Paolo nang hingan ng komento tungkol sa engagement ni LJ.

“Of course Im very happy for her. She deserves to be happy,” saad ng aktor.

Naghiwalay ang dalawa noong Setyembre 2021, at pagkatapos nito ay lumipad si LJ papuntang US kasama ang anak na sina Aki at si Summer, na anak nila ni Paolo Contis.

Una rito, nag-post si LJ sa Instagram ng ilang larawan sa nangyaring engagement nila ni Philip.

Sa comment sector, dumagsa ang pagbati ng mga celebrities para kay LJ.
—FRJ, GMA Integrated News

Alden Richards and Julia Montes just finished shooting their upcoming film, “Five Break-ups and a Romance.”

According to Aubrey Carampel’s report on “24 Oras,” Tuesday, the film was shot in 13 days.

Julia became emotional on their last shooting day, while Alden exchanged a hug with their director, Irene Villamor.

“Ang hirap niya i-goodbye hindi lang ‘yung character kundi ‘yung journey n’yo na magkakasama kayo as a group, ‘yung working relationship n’yo lahat di mo matatawaran ‘yun so dun ako nase-senti,” Julia said.

Alden, meanwhile, said that the film is not your usual love story.

“Realidad siya sa kung ano talaga ‘yung nangyayaring love story sa totoong buhay, hindi ‘to superficial,” he said.

“At saka siguro ‘yun ‘yung magic ni Direk Irene e, ‘yung papasukin talaga ‘yung emosyon mo,” Julia added.

GMA Network Senior Vice President Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes said she is excited for the film’s release.

“Nakita ko ‘yung mga rushes paunti-unti and wow ang galing-galing ng mga artista talaga nina Alden at saka ni Julia. Tingin ko isa pa itong masterpiece ni Direk Irene,” she said.

Direk Irene is the genius behind “On Vodka, Beers, and Regrets,” “Ulan,” and “Meet me in St. Gallen.”

“Five Break-ups and a Romance” is the first collaboration between GMA Pictures, Cornerstone Studios, and MYRIAD Corporation, Alden’s multimedia company.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News

May 31, 2023 | 12:00am

Naabutan namin si Paolo Contis sa FEU Hospital dahil dinalaw niya ang manager at nanay-nanayan niyang si Manay Lolit Solis.

Natawa na lang siya nang tinanong ko tungkol sa ipinost ni LJ Reyes sa proposal sa kanya ng non-showbiz boyfriend na si Philip Evangelista.

Bago ko siya kinulit para hingan ng pahayag tungkol sa dating karelasyon, ang dami na raw tumawag sa kanya para hingan siya ng reactin, pero hindi na siya nagbigay ng komento.

Pero malamang na mabubuhay na naman ang bashers niya. Pero bakas naman sa mukha ni Paolo na masaya siya sa dating karelasyon. “Masaya ako for her. Kasi, deserve niya maging masaya,” tipid na pahayag ni Paolo.

Ayaw na niyang magdagdag pa ng sasabihin, kahit alam naming ang tanging hangad lang niya ngayon ay makita na niya uli ang anak na si Summer, pati na rin ang dalawa pa niya kay Lian Paz na sina Xonia at Xalene.

Mas focus ngayon si Paolo sa trabaho.

Ang Bubble Gang at All-Out Sundays ang programa niya sa GMA 7.

Thankful siya sa Mavx Productions dahil sunud-sunod ang pelikulang gagawin niya. Tinatapos nila ngayon ang pelikulang pinagsamahan nila nina Kaye Abad at Patrick Garcia na wala pa ring napagkasunduang title. May mga eksena silang kinukunan dito sa Maynila, at ang kasunod ay sa abroad na.

Nakita namin sa ilang nai-post nila na nasa set nila si Ogie Alcasid. Ayaw pa nilang kumpirmahin sa amin kung may special participation ba si Ogie sa kanilang pelikula.

Bago pala lumipad sa ibang bansa sina Paolo para sa shooting nitong pelikula, magpu-promote muna siya ng pelikula nila ni Joross Gamboa na Pangarap Kong Oscars na magsu-showing na sa mga sinehan sa June 28.

Jeric, tanggap na si Aljur

Kasali pala si Jeric Raval sa bagong action comedy series ni Sen. Bong Revilla sa GMA 7 na Walang Matigas Na Pulis Sa Matinik Na Misis.

Natutuwa si Jeric dahil mapapanood na raw siya ngayon sa Kapuso network. Madalas kasi ay nasa Kapamilya siya, kaya nae-excite raw siya rito lalo na’t kasama niya si Sen. Bong.

Sa nakaraang mediacon ng naturang action-comedy series, muling naungkat ang isyung may apo na siya sa anak na si AJ Raval.

Ipinagkibit-balikat na lang ito ni Jeric, dahil hindi naman daw nila ito itatanggi kung totoo. Hindi raw malayong pagdudahan si AJ dahil sa nakukunan minsan na may bitbit siyang bata. “Kasi ganito ‘yan, ang apo ko lahat 11. Eleven lahat ang apo ko. E ang daming bata dun sa bahay. E si AJ minsan, kung sinu-sinong maliit na bata ‘yung karga, e lahat ‘yun anak niya,” napapangiting pahayag ni Jeric.

Kaya hindi na raw naapektuhan ang anak niya sa ganitong tsismis.

“Ang sinasabi ko lagi sa anak ko, kahit nung bago pa siyang mag-artista, pinasok mo ang pag-aartista, ready ka sa critics, sa bashers. Ready ka dapat sa intriga, handa ka dun. Kapag ikaw ay hindi matibay diyan, hindi ito ang mundo para sa ‘yo. Hindi maiwasan ‘yan. Walang perpektong mundo,” pahayag ng action star.

Nilinaw na rin sa amin ni Jeric na nasa Viva pa rin daw si AJ, pero hindi raw siya ganun ka-all out sa sexy roles. “Hindi na masyadong sexy, dahil ayaw na niya ng sexy. Isa lang ginagawa niya ngayon, medyo action, action sexy, pero hindi na kagaya ng dati,” pakli niya.

Okay naman daw sila ni Aljur Abrenica at minsan ay sinasamahan daw ng aktor kapag may raket si AJ sa out of town. “Hindi naman talaga siya kasama sa event,” sabi pa ni Jeric sa nakaraang mediacon ng Walang Matigas… na magsisimula na sa June 4, Linggo ng gabi.

Ngayong nagkakaroon na ng kolaborasyon sa paggawa ng mga proyekto ang ABS-CBN at GMA ay posibleng mas marami pang mga artista ng dalawang networks ang magkatrabaho.

Isa sa mga homegrown talent ng Kapuso network ay si Jillian Ward. Kung mabibigyan ng pagkakataon ay nangangarap ang aktres na makatrabaho si Kathryn Bernardo. “Magaling po talaga siya and sa amin rin pong mga teen, she’s a role model po talaga. And I heard super bait po niya talaga,” nakangiting pahayag ni Jillian.

Ayon sa Kapuso actress ay talagang nasubaybayan niya ang mga proyektong ginawa ni Kathryn sa telebisyon. “More on shows po ‘yung pinanood ko. Kasi hindi po ako nakakapanood ng sine. ‘Yung mga shows niya po iconic po lahat talaga,” pagtatapat niya.

Bukod kay Kathryn ay isang Kapamilya actor din ang gustong makatambal ni Jillian. “Sa mga kaedaran ko naman po na lalaki si Zaijian Jaranilla. Basta, abangan po ninyo kasi baka mayroon soon. Hindi pa po natin alam, pero tanungin n’yo rin po si Zaijian, pero what if?”  pagtatapos ng dating child star.

Jodi, nahirapan sa ginawa nila ni Joshua

Napapanood na gabi-gabi sa GMA Telebabad ang Unbreak My Heart na pinagbibidahan nina Joshua Garcia, Gabbi Garcia, Richard Yap at Jodi Sta. Maria.

Isa sa mga pinakaaabangan sa bagong serye ay ang intimate scenes na ginawa nina Jodi at Joshua. Sumailalim pa umano sa sensuality workshop ang dalawa bago lumipad patungong Europe para sa taping ng serye. “Doon namin nasabi ‘yung limits namin, ‘yung boundaries namin, hanggang saan lang ‘yung kaya naming ibigay.

“Of course as actors, we deliver what’s required for us and yes may intimate scenes between my character and Joshua’s character. Nakatulong ‘yung discussion about boundaries, and what you’re comfortable and not so comfortable to doing during the scene. It’s always reminding yourself na you are not doing it as you. You are in this scene as your character,” dagdag naman ni Jodi.

Aminado ang aktres na talagang nahirapan siya nang gawin ang intimate scenes nila ni Joshua.

Ayon kay Jodi ay matinding pagtitiwala ang kanyang inilaan sa lahat ng katrabaho para gawin ang maseselang eksena. “For me, intimate scenes are the most difficult to do. It will require certain level of vulnerability and trust from your scene partner and also from your director, from everyone na nandoon sa space na ‘yon do’n sa set. I’m just glad that na si Josh very respectful and he made the scene bearable and of course to our directors, Manny and Dolly na inalagaan din naman ‘yung eksena to make it artistic,” paliwanag ng aktres. — Reports from JCC

Ang cute naman ng anak nina Anne Curtis at Erwan Heussaff na si Dahlia. Mukhang nagmana ito sa tatay niya sa hilig sa pagkain at pagluluto.

Ngayon pa lang ay mukhang interesado na raw ito at lumalabas na ang talent sa pagluluto.

Ibinahagi ni Erwan ang video ni Dahlia na gumagawa ng strawberry sherbet para sa pinsan at best friend niyang si Tili na anak nina Solenn Heussaff at Nico Bolzico.

Makikita sa video na naghihiwa ng strawberries at naghahalo ng ingredients ang three-year-old daughter nina Anne at Erwan.

Ang caption nga ng mister ni Anne, “The little one making strawberry sherbet for her best friend.”

Sa dulo nga ng video ay nag-e-enjoy ang mga bagets sa pagkain ng sherbet. Comment nga ni Anne ay iyon daw ang pinakamasarap na sherbet na natikman niya.

Nag-trending naman ang nasabing video at umani ng mahigit isang million views sa Instagram.

Naninibago sa katawan…

Ewan ko ba anong nangyari sa eyes ko na ang kati-kati at medyo masakit. Sabi ng doktor epekto raw ng dialysis kaya very uncomfortable ako for two days na.

‘Kainis dahil nag-i-enjoy pa naman ako sa mga meetup namin. Talagang lately meron na akong mga bagay na ngayon ko lang nararamdaman. Kaya hindi ako maka-concentrate sa excitement nina Salve at Gorgy Rula sa Bruno Mars concert na dahil sa pagiging mabait ng mga taga-Net 25 talagang gusto nila na maging comfortable sila sa panonood ng Bruno Mars.

May 31, 2023 | 12:00am

Talagang tuloy ang drama sa totoong buhay ng dating mag-asawang Jason Hernandez at Moira sa social media na sinalihan ng dating malalapit sa kanila.

Naunang nag-post si Jason kasama ang isang mystery girl pero biglang kambyo dahil hindi pa sila annulled kaya binaling niya ulit kay Moira sa pamamagitan ng isang bagong kanta na ginamit ang mga photo and video nila ni Moira.

Sumagot ang kapatid ni Moira sa ginawa ni Jason.

Pero mas matindi ang pinakawalan ng kaibigan nilang si Lolito Go na isa palang composer.

At kahapon si Moira na ang nagsalita sa pamamagitan ng isang statement sa social media na itinatanggi ang mga sinabi sa post ni Lolito Go na diumano’y may ghostwriter siya sa mga kanta, cheater siya etc. etc.

Mahaba ang sagot ng singer / composer : “I never imagined that I would find myself in a situation where I have to explain and defend my decision to leave a marriage, as well as justify the state of my mental health.

“It is truly disheartening that I am being questioned and asked to prove my worth as a songwriter and artist. However, despite the overwhelming circumstances, I feel a strong inner calling to stand up for myself and protect my integrity.

“I want to set things straight once and for all. Let me be clear: I have never employed a ghostwriter. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate enough to collaborate with immensely talented artists who treat each other with respect and acknowledge the contributions we all bring to the table. Every song I have created is a true reflection of my deepest emotions and experiences. I am fully prepared to provide evidence that supports this truth, including screenshots of conversations and recordings of my songs, which will undoubtedly validate and disprove the harmful accusations made against me.

“I did not cheat on Jason. It is unfair that I find myself in a position where I have to defend my name and even explain why I did not deserve to be cheated on.

“Currently, my focus is on the path towards healing, as the weight of trauma still lingers heavily in my heart. This process is not only essential for my own well-being but also for the well-being of those dear to me who have unwaveringly stood by my side throughout these challenging times–my loving family, my dedicated band, my friends, who have all been my source of emotional support. Their presence has been my anchor, grounding me during these turbulent moments.

“I hold onto hope that, one day, when the dust settles and clarity is restored, I will have the capacity to embrace a love that is faithful and genuine.

“I take solace in the knowledge that I am Moira – an artist – who will bravely navigate these challenges and emerge stronger than ever.”

Pero mabilis ang sagot ulit ni Lolito Go. Marami raw siyang hawak na resibo.

Pati ang message ng mother ni Moira na si Rocky ay inilabas nito at sinagot ng “Kahit umabot po sa demandahan, mapaninindigan ko ang laban na to. Nung kasagsagan ng campaign, nagpagawa sya ng song sa akin for Leni. Parang umorder lang ng pansit. She tweaked a few lines tas 50-50 na kami. Akin ang words at music! Sa mga stage binanggit nya na it is an original song, pero walang banggit sa akin. She posted it twice sa official fan page nya, nakalagay pangalan nya lang. Tinatamad sya ilagay name ko? I gave her the benefit of a doubt. Palagi! Pinagtatanggol ko pa yan sa asawa ko. “Wag kang jugmental kay Moi!” (Libertine will speak up soon.)

“When the song was finally uploaded in Spotify, nagulat ako dahil wala pa rin ang name ko. Then she said, OMG KUYA THAT’S NOT WHAT I SUBMITTED.”

May nauna pa siyang post na “Deactivated na ang account. Wala na yung name. But the truth can never be deactivated.

“P.S. Nowhere in my post did I say a ghostwriter was “employed.” The operative term I used was “offered.” Inalok.

“Kasi kung employed ako, may NDA–di ko na sana madidisclose ito.

“Masaya ako sa chat na yan, kasi iniisip ko, kahit di na ako marecognize at least bayad ako.

“More resibos to follow,” sa pinakitang convo sa social media.

Talagang damay ang maraming netizens sa kanilang mga hanash.

May 31, 2023 | 12:00am

Sabog agad sa social media ang engagement ni LJ Reyes sa isang non-showbiz guy, si Philip Evangelista.

Bible quote lang ang caption ni LJ sa series of photos nung lumuhod ang karelasyon para alukin siya ng kasal. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Jeremiah 29:11 NLT”

May photo na umiiyak si LJ na pinupunasan ng boyfriend.

Maraming masaya for LJ kabilang na sina Marian Rivera, Gary Valenciano, Cristine Reyes, Gary Valenciano, Carla Abellana, Andrea Torres at marami pang iba.

Early 2021 nang maghiwalay sina LJ and Paolo Contis dahil sa diumano kay Yen Santos.

Pumunta noon sa New York si LJ kasama ang dalawang anak kina Paulo Avelino at Paolo (at another P ngayon).

Naka-private ang account ng fiance ni LJ kaya walang mapulot na info sa kanya.

Samantala, inabutan nga namin si Paolo sa dialysis session ni Nay Lolit Solis kahapon sa FEU Hospital.

Halos ayaw mag-comment ng actor tungkol sa engagement ni LJ.

Ganundin sa naging statement ni former Gov. Chavit Singson kay Yen.

Parang manifesting naman ang ex ni Carlo Aquino na si Trina Candaza sa nangyari kay LJ matapos itong magpost ng “One day, this pain will be my testimony.”

Former ONE world champions Eduard Folayang and Joshua Pacio were ecstatic to hone their boxing skills at the famed Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California.

Known for being home to Filipino boxing Manny Pacquiao for many years, the mixed martial artists from Baguio relished every moment they spent at the gym during their visit to the USA.

“I am so glad I was able to shake the hands of Coach Freddie. He’s one of the greatest trainers in boxing history, and it’s an honor to meet him in person,” said Folayang, who is touted as the face of Philippine MMA.

“It’s a surreal experience. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would train in a gym that has produced many world champions in boxing. It was another day of learning new techniques,” Pacio added.

Both fighters trained under the tutelage of Roach’s deputy and Filipino coach Marvin Somodio.

Folayang and Pacio have been in the USA since April to train with various mixed martial arts gyms spending their first month at the renowned Jackson Wink MMA in New Mexico.

Both fighters made headlines together with ex-world champions Kevin Belingon and Honorio Banario last March when they announced their departure from Team Lakay.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News

NBA

Nick Nurse, who guided the Toronto Raptors to the 2019 NBA title, has agreed to become the new coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, ESPN reported on Monday.

Nurse and the Raptors split in April after his fifth season guiding the Canadian club, which included him winning the NBA Coach of the Year award in 2020.

According to the report, which cited unnamed sources, Nurse will take over a Sixers squad that pushed Boston to seven games before losing in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, which prompted the firing of coach Doc Rivers earlier this month.

The 76ers had lost in the same round of the playoffs three consecutive seasons under Rivers.

Philadelphia last won the NBA title in 1983 but the Sixers have NBA Most Valuable Player and scoring leader Joel Embiid of Cameroon and star guard James Harden as they try to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2001.

Nurse and 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey know each other from Nurse’s two seasons coaching the top development club of the Houston Rockets while Morey was general manager of the Rockets. — Agence France-Presse

NBA PLAYOFFS

Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, Caleb Martin added 26 and the Miami Heat became the second No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals with a convincing 103-84 victory over the host Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday night.

Butler was named MVP of the series after averaging 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists.

Bam Adebayo recorded 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as Miami bounced back after losing the previous three games. Teams that held a 3-0 series lead improved to 151-0 all-time in the NBA playoffs.

Jaylen Brown had 19 points and eight rebounds and Derrick White scored 18 points for second-seeded Boston, which was just the fourth team in NBA history to force a Game 7 after losing the first three games.

Jayson Tatum had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, but he turned his left ankle during the game’s first possession and hobbled throughout the contest.

The Heat will face the Western Conference champion Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals. Game 1 is Thursday in Denver.

The New York Knicks (1999 postseason) are the only other No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals.

The other three teams to force a Game 7 after falling behind 3-0 are the New York Knicks (lost to the Rochester Royals in the 1951 NBA Finals), Denver Nuggets (fell to the Utah Jazz in the 1994 second round) and Portland Trail Blazers (lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2003 first round).

Miami shot 48.8 percent from the field, including 14 of 28 from 3-point range. Duncan Robinson and Gabe Vincent added 10 points apiece. Martin made four treys and collected 10 rebounds and Butler also had seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.

The Celtics connected on 39 percent of their shots and were 9 of 42 from behind the arc. Boston went 16 of 77 from 3-point range over the final two games of the series.

Brown was just 8-of-23 shooting and committed eight turnovers.

Boston trailed 52-41 at halftime and Game 6 hero White kept the Celtics in the contest with 13 third-quarter points.

White scored eight straight points as Boston trimmed a 16-point deficit in half with 8:29 remaining in the third. The Celtics were unable to creep within less than seven and Martin’s short baseline jumper with 1.5 seconds left gave the Heat a 76-66 lead heading into the final quarter.

Miami started the fourth quarter strong with a 3-pointer from Martin and back-to-back baskets by Butler to push the lead to 17. Later, four straight points by Adebayo pushed the advantage to 21 with 6:55 remaining. Miami’s advantage topped out at 23 points.

Boston missed its first 12 3-point attempts as Miami controlled the first half, leading by as many as 17 points.

—Field Level Media/Reuters

The Philadelphia 76ers have reached an agreement to make Nick Nurse their next head coach, ESPN reported Monday.

Nurse, 55, was dismissed by the Toronto Raptors in April after five seasons as their head coach, a tenure that included the 2019 NBA title in his first season at the helm.

He was in Toronto for the past 10 seasons overall, starting as an assistant coach from 2013-18. Nurse had a 227-163 record in five seasons as the Raptors’ head coach. He is also the head coach of the Canadian men’s national team.

Nurse will be tasked with replacing Doc Rivers, whose 76ers made the NBA playoffs in each of his three seasons as head coach before losing in the second round each time. The 76ers fired Rivers on May 17 after the 76ers bowed out in seven games to the Boston Celtics.

He inherits a team anchored by league MVP Joel Embiid. Nurse and Embiid have some history as opponents, and after a 76ers playoff win over the Brooklyn Nets last month, Embiid said the Nets “kind of took the Nick Nurse route of begging for free throws.”

Nurse’s Raptors eliminated the 76ers in seven games in the 2019 Eastern Conference semifinals.

ESPN reported that the Phoenix Suns were also interested in Nurse for their head-coaching vacancy.

—Field Level Media/Reuters

Former world champion Jerwin Ancajas will make his return inside the ring on the undercard of IBF world super flyweight champion Fernando Martinez vs. Jade Bornea bout on June 24 at a yet-to-be-announced venue.

Ancajas, 33-3-2 with 22 knockouts as a professional boxer, is coming off back-to-back defeats at the hands of Martinez last year. His upcoming bout will be in the 118-pound bantamweight division.

“From what  I see, Jerwin is now ready for the 118-pound division,” Ancajas’ manager and trainer Joven Jimenez said.

The 31-year-old Ancajas was on the brink of making ten world title defenses until he came across Martinez in February 2022 where he lost by way of unanimous decision. A rematch took place eight months later where he lost on points again.

Following two consecutive defeats for the first time in his career, Team Ancajas previously acknowledged that it is time to move up in weight stating that the fighter’s body had overgrown the 115-pound division.

—JMB, GMA integrated News

PLDT has secured a huge boost ahead of its campaign in the PVL Invitational Conference next month as the squad got the services of veteran open hitter Royse Tubino, the team announced on Tuesday.

“More fire. More power. Just what we needed,” said PLDT on its Facebook post.
“Veteran outside hitter Royse Tubino joins the High Speed Hitters for the upcoming PVL Invitational Conference!”

The former NCAA MVP was coming off a three-year stint with the Army Lady Troopers, who have yet to see the end to their 21-game losing streak since the Invitational Conference last year. But in those woes, Tubino served as among the bright spots, leading the squad in scoring as they finished last in the previous All-Filipino Conference.

However, Army has decided to skip the upcoming Invitational tilt, leaving Tubino available to join other teams.

In PLDT, the former University of Perpetual Help System DALTA standout will bolster an already stacked PLDT wing that features Michelle Morente, Mean Mendrez, Erika Santos, Jules Samonte, Fiola Ceballos, and Jovie Prado.

PLDT wound up fourth in the previous conference, falling to F2 Logistics in their battle for third place.

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News

Rhenz Abando marked his return to the Philippines the same way he left it — with a championship.

The high-flying Filipino import and his Anyang KGC team reigned supreme in the Korean Basketball League (KBL), dethroning defending champion Seoul SK as Abando added another title to his growing trophy collection.

Prior to leaving for Korea, Abando steered Colegio de San Juan de Letran to a Season 97 sweep to deliver the school’s back-to-back NCAA titles while also helping University of Santo Tomas to a UAAP Season 82 finals appearance before he decided to transfer to Muralla.

And the 6-foot-2 cager has his fruitful collegiate stint to thank for the opportunity to make a name for himself in the international scene.

“Sobrang laking tulong sakin na maglaro [sa] collegiate kasi kung hindi ako naglaro dito, hindi naman ako makikilala at [makakapunta] sa abroad,” said Abando, who was feted by the Collegiate Press Corps as the 2021-2022 Basketball Player of the Year on Monday night.

Rhenz Abando shares how his collegiate stint in the Philippines helped him reach his status now

“Sobrang laking bagay kasi kung ‘di ako nakapag-college dito… siguro ‘di ako mabibigyan ng opportunity na makapaglaro overseas, ‘di rin ako makikilala.” #CollegiatePCAwards pic.twitter.com/D15w25N5xH

— GMA Sports (@gmasportsph) May 30, 2023

(“Being able to play collegiate ball was a big help because if I didn’t play here, I wouldn’t have been scouted and gone abroad.”)

Aside from Abando, also given the same award were Thirdy Ravena (2019-2020) and Ange Kouame (2022-2023) while Tab Baldwin, Goldwin Monteverde, and Bonnie Tan were hailed the top coaches for steering their respective teams to championships in UAAP and NCAA.

Tan, who was the architect behind Letran’s three-peat feat, said that timing matched with resources are a recipe for success.

“If you have the chance to prove yourself… go for it. Right timing, right materials, right resources, malaking chance na mananalo tayo,” said Tan who parted ways with Letran a month ago after three seasons to focus on NorthPort in the PBA.

(“If you have the chance to prove yourself… go for it. Right timing, right materials, right resources, there’s a good chance we’ll win.”)

In the volleyball scene, the only Rookie MVPs of the UAAP women’s division – Bella Belen of National University and Angel Canino of De La Salle University – were hailed as the Collegiate Volleyball Players of the Year for 2022 and 2023, respectively.

In the NCAA, Benilde’s Mycah Go and Gayle Pascual received the annual honor for years 2022 and 2023, respectively, after continuing the Lady Blazers’ dynasty with back-to-back championship sweeps in Seasons 97 and 98.

“Sobrang thankful din kasi hindi namin ineexpect kasi maraming players ang UAAP. So it’s a blessing kasi napasama kami dito,” said Belen.

(“I’m so thankful because we didn’t expect because there are a lot of players in the UAAP. So it’s a blessing that we were able to be part of this.”)

—JMB, GMA Integrated News

Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda secured the top seed and an outright semifinals ticket after eking out an 81-72 victory against CEU in the 2023 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup Tuesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

The Red Lions led by as much as 17 points, 42-25, late in the opening quarter before the Scorpions staged a late rally with Franz Ray Diaz burying a triple to make it a 70-69 deficit for CEU in the fourth.

But an 11-3 closing run helped the Mendiola crew seal its fifth win in six games.

Third year player Jacob Cortez led the way for San Beda with 15 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals, and one block while Peter Alfaro, Yukien Andrada, and Clifford Jopia each poured in 11 markers in the victory.

“The incentive of being No. 1 and being in the semis is of course a welcome for us but at the same time, hindi kami pwede mag-relax. Tataas ‘yung laro sa playoffs so we have to be prepared,” said coach Yuri Escueta.

(The incentive of being No. 1 and being in the semis is of course a welcome for us but at the same time, we can’t afford to relax. The level of play will be higher in the playoffs so we have to be prepared.”)

The scores:

Marinero-San Beda 81 – Cortez 15, Alfaro 11, Andrada 11, Jopia 11, Payosing 9, Visser 8, Cuntapay 7, Tagle 5, Puno 2, Royo 2, Jalbuena 0, Tagala 0, Gallego 0.

CEU 72 – Tolentino 25, Santos 15, Diaz 12, Balogun 6, Bernabe 5, Borromeo 4, Puray 3, Cabotaje 2, Peñano 0, Joson 0, Ferrer 0, Anagbogu 0.
Quartescores: 19-13, 42-31, 60-57, 81-72.

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News

PBA

Phoenix Super LPG has shipped big man Ben Adamos to NLEX as the Fuel Masters acquired the rights to another bruiser in Tzaddy Rangel as well as Reden Celda in a trade approved by PBA on Tuesday.

With the move, Adamos will get to reunite with Road Warriors head coach Frankie Lim, who helped him unleash his true potential during his days at the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA in the NCAA.

He will join an NLEX frontcourt led by Gilas Pilipinas member Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Michael Miranda. NLEX finished with a quarterfinals appearance in the 2023 Governors Cup, where they collected seven wins and four losses.

Meanwhile, Rangel and Celda will look to boost Phoenix’ roster as they eye to pick up where they left off in the previous conference, where the Fuel Masters wound up eighth before bowing to eventual champion TNT in the quarterfinal round.

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA Integrated News

Kurt Reyson saved the day as Wangs Basketball @27 Strikers-Letran kept its top-two hopes alive with a 62-61 squeaker against University of Perpetual Help System Dalta in the 2023 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup Tuesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

The veteran guard drilled a crucial layup off the glass in the final seven seconds before Cyrus Nitura missed a potential game-winning basket for the ALTAs to give the Knights the narrow victory.

Letran improved to 3-2 ahead of an all-important clash against defending champion EcoOil-La Salle (4-1) on Thursday with both teams looking to book the second seed and the final outright semifinals ticket.

Perpetual, on the other hand, dropped to an even 3-3 card.

“May pag-asa pa sa semis. Ginusto ng mga bata na manalo this game para sa tsansa na ‘yun. They worked hard for this,” said coach Rensy Bajar.

“In the end, our veteran players lead us to this win. Isa doon, si Reyson. Reyson is a born-winner. He’s our leader. Kumbaga, binigay na namin sa kanya at luckily, na-shoot niya sa huli.”

Team captain Reyson poured in 13 points off the bench together with six rebounds, three assists, and three steals while Kobe Monje chipped in 15 markers, eight boards, one steal, and a block.

Pao Javillonar and Kint Ariar each chimed in with 10 points.

The scores:

Wangs Strikers-Letran 62 – Monje 15, Reyson 13, Ariar 10, Javillonar 10, Fajardo 4, Santos 4, Alarcon 3, Tolentino 2, Cuajao 1, Go 0, Guarino 0.

Perpetual 61 – Roque 12, Nitura 11, Boral 8, Pagaran 7, Razon 6, Abis 6, Ferreras 5, Nunez 2, Ramirez 2, Barcoma 2, Movida 0.

Quarterscores: 11-20, 29-39, 48-49, 62-61.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News

THE Asian Institute of Maritime Studies (AIMS) renewed its partnership with Pukyong National University (PKNU) in South Korea to further its academic collaboration, research and development undertakings, and technology transfer.

In an official statement, AIMS Chief Executive Officer Felicito Dalaguete said the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the two institutions was renewed late last year.

“AIMS is the only Philippine Maritime Higher Education Institution (MHEI) chosen for the PKNU International Partnership together with 257 universities from 48 countries. We have sent six international students,” said Dalaguete.

AIMS was part of the Philippine delegation that attended the Korea-Philippine Maritime International Cooperation, Technology Exchange Seminar and Partnership in Busan, South Korea last April 10 to 14, 2023.

The delegation also included representatives from the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development-Department of Science and Technology (Pcieerd-DoST), and the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (Soname).

The group visited four universities, a training ship and several research centers with industry-academe project cooperation in South Korea.

Oh Eun-Taek, mayor of Namgu District; Dr. Ryu Jeeyeol, president of PKNU LINC 3.0; and Lee Jung Wan, chairman of Busan Marine Engineering Association and Korean Offshore and Shipbuilding Engineering Cooperative (BUEA/Kosec), warmly greeted the Philippine delegation with the assurance of commitment for the partnering and academic collaboration, undertakings in research and development, and technology transfer.

“The presentations made by the Philippine delegates provided further insights on the Research and Development as well as Science and Technology Innovations needed in the Philippine Maritime Industry geared toward transforming advanced technology in shipbuilding, ship repair, naval architecture and marine engineering testing facilities.

“On the other hand, the Korean Delegates presented the LINC 3.0 Business Areas of Development. This included the PKNU specialized Areas, Industry-University Convergence Education, Technology Transfer and Start-up Support, Community Cooperation, LINC 3.0., and ICC-defined mutual cooperation-exchange programs for the Philippines.

“It also presented, as per its framework, the second stage in the establishment and operation of ICC for Regional Cooperation of Technology Transfer: Specialized Field Education, Technology Exchange session, and Technology transfer,” Dalaguete explained.

AIMS also signed a MoA with Soname during the Cebu Maritime Sector Expo 2023 to fully support Research and Development and Science and Technology Innovations within the Maritime Industry and Transport Sector Development Plans.

THE importance of collaboration and networking in achieving gender equality in the maritime sector took center stage at the Global Conference of the IMO Women in Maritime Associations held at the IMO Headquarters in London on May 18-19.

The need to tackle the lack of visibility of women in the maritime industry; the need for individual women and organizations representing them to work in partnership to achieve more; the importance of having men as allies; and the need to engage with girls during their school years to attract them into roles in maritime were issues raised repeatedly.

Members of the IMO’s eight Women in Maritime Associations (WIMAs) from around the world and international partner organizations came together to explore the theme of this year’s International Day for Women in Maritime held on May 18 — “Mobilizing networks for gender equality.”

IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim described gender equality as “a prerequisite for a thriving and resilient maritime industry” that would bring with it innovation, creativity and sustained growth.

“We need the best talent. And that means embracing diversity and ensuring that any barriers to participation are broken down. By investing in the future of women in maritime we unlock a wealth of talent that will drive our industry forward,” Lim said.

An agreement on the Sustainable Maritime Transport Cooperation Women Project, the aim of which is to enhance gender equality in developing countries, was signed by Lim and South Korean Ambassador Yoon Yeocheol, permanent representative of the Republic of Korea to the IMO.

The agreement provides funding worth $3 million for five years.

Ambassador Yeocheol hoped the accord would be a milestone and pledged his country’s continued support for women in the sector.

He said, “I sincerely hope that the agreement will promote more participation of women in the maritime sector and lead to a more diverse and inclusive culture in the maritime industry.”

The conference heard from all eight WIMAs about their objectives, achievements and plans. Associations have been established in Africa (three WIMAs), the Arab States, Asia-Pacific (two WIMAs), the Caribbean, and Latin America to challenge some of the institutional barriers and the cultural stigma facing women who enter the maritime industry.

In a session on the work of Wista International, its president, Elpi Petraki, spoke of empowering women “to claim what they deserve” which, she said, would benefit both women and men. She also highlighted the continued challenges that face women working onboard ships.

“Full equality onboard is a long way off,” Petraki said. She announced a follow-up next year to the 2021 IMO-Wista Women in Maritime Survey which she hoped would give a more accurate picture of gender diversity across the sector.

Other sessions included one on the IMO GENder Network and how networks of the IMO training institutes, the World Maritime University (WMU) and the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI), and mentorships can be used to best effect.

There was a remote presentation from Canada by Humberto Carolo, executive director of White Ribbon, which describes itself as the world’s largest movement of men and boys working to end violence against women and girls. He spoke about the need for society to challenge the propagation of male stereotypes that ensure women continue to be underrepresented in management roles.

During a panel discussion called “Breaking the glass ceiling,” Africa’s first female dredge master, Capt. Londy Ngcobo, ship navigator, founder of Global Maritime Youth, and director of Womaritime Experts, said she had decided to make a visible statement about her success in the maritime industry.

“I wore my uniform today. I have claimed my captaincy. To a young star looking at me — she comes with natural hair and brown skin: I too can become a captain. It’s not rocket science.”

The conference ended with a working session on the development of a draft Global Strategy for the IMO WIMAs.

MANILA, Philippines — The bill seeking to create the Maharlika Investment Fund — touted by its advocates as a vehicle for economic progress and doubted by critics over potential abuses — passed the Senate on Wednesday with major changes, moving the contentious proposal closer to becoming a law.

Senate Bill No. 2020 received 19 votes in favor, one vote against and one abstention, giving the Maharlika fund’s more than four-month journey through the upper chamber’s legislative mill a sweet ending for its proponents.

Only Sen. Risa Hontiveros voted against the measure while her only colleague in the minority, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III, was not present. Sen. Nancy Binay abstained from voting.

The Senate immediately passed the measure on third reading after its approval on second reading as it was certified as urgent by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

With the Senate’s approval of the Maharlika fund bill, the ball is back with the House of Representatives, with senators hoping that it will adopt their version of the measure to hasten the enactment of the proposal.

But Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said a bicameral conference committee composed of members from both chambers of Congress will meet Wednesday at 11 a.m. to thresh out differences between the House and Senate versions.

Bicameral conference committee meetings are typically closed to the public and lawmakers may revive provisions that have been stripped from earlier iterations of a bill or introduce new ones that were never tackled in plenary.

The Maharlika fund was identified as a priority measure by the Marcos Jr. administration which it requested Congress to pass before the president’s State of the Nation Address in July.

Pension funds at risk?

Lawmakers assured that pension funds and social security will not be used to bankroll the controversial sovereign wealth fund. That specific provision, which civil society and academia lambasted in November, was removed in the first iteration of Maharlika proposed in the House. 

SB 2020 contained a provision that allowed government financial institutions to still pitch into the fund following the approval of its board of directors.

During the period of amendments, the Senate accepted senators’ proposal to explicitly prohibit the Government Service Insurance System, the Social Security System, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., the Home Development Mutual Fund, the Overseas Welfare Workers Association and the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office from investing in Maharlika.

Sonny Africa, executive director at local nonprofit IBON Foundation, has called out lawmakers in passing the bill.

“Proponents can’t even be clear on what the mandate of the Fund really is and confusingly say that it ranges from promoting socioeconomic development to getting the best financial returns on its investments,” Africa said in a Viber message. 

“The best safeguard on scarce public resources is to put them to best use where they currently are and according to whatever measures are currently in place on funds of the national government, GOCCs or GFIs like LBP and DBP. The Maharlika Fund proposal bypasses these existing measures and, being so extremely politicized, only goes through the motions of putting safeguards in place,” Africa added. 

Even BSP Governor Felipe Medalla said that the Maharlika has now evolved into a “national development fund.”  

‘No rush’

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III earlier raised the constitutionality of Marcos’ certification of the Maharlika bill as urgent, saying there is no calamity or emergency that necessitates its immediate passage.

After his nearly two-hour turno en contra speech on Tuesday, Pimentel attempted to send back the Maharlika fund bill to the committee level for further discussions. 

But this motion failed as 16 senators backed Zubiri’s ruling that the issue on the committee referral of the measure has been tackled by the plenary before.

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, however, said Marcos’ certification of the bill as urgent is “in order” as the president has the power to define what a calamity or emergency is.

Villanueva has denied that the Senate rushed in passing the Maharlika fund, contrary to accusations from minority lawmakers.

Funding for Maharlika

The Senate’s version of the touted investment fund stated that the Maharlika Investment Corp.’s funding will come from government financial institutions. Broken down, the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines will pitch in P50 billion and P25 billion each.

The national government is contributing P50 billion, composed of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ dividends. For the first two years of the fund’s existence, the central bank will need to remit all its declared dividends to the fund.

After that, those dividends will be split evenly, with 50% each bankrolling the Maharlika’s funding and the BSP’s capitalization.

The government’s share from state-owned Philippine Gaming Corp., pegged at 10% yearly lasting five years, also joined the funding mix. 

The capital stock will comprise P500 billion, divided into 5 billion shares priced at P100 apiece. It will be built by 3.75 billion common shares, equivalent to P375 billion, and 1.25 billion preferred shares (P125 billion).

‘Improvement’

Africa noted that the latest version was an improvement from earlier proposals already.

“The form that we are passing now, I think satisfies our thirst for transparency and accountability on this measure,” Zubiri said as the period of amendments closed. “I think the number of amendments that we placed here will assure the Filipino people that this fund will be used properly, efficiently and effectively.”

Senators led by Sens. Grace Poe and Risa Hontiveros introduced stiffer penalties for violations of the law.

The Senate’s version also indicated that the Maharlika cannot invest in “areas” that violate laws and conventions that the Philippine government has signed. 

The House’s version stated barred the Maharlika from taking on controlling stakes in its investments, but that provision was absent in the Senate’s iteration.

On the other hand, the composition of Maharlika’s board underwent several changes. In Senate Bill 1814, the board of directors numbered at 15 but the current version trimmed it to nine directors, with three coming from the private sector. 

“The proponents not being able to find it in themselves to deliberate on the proposal rationally does not give confidence that the Fund will not be vulnerable to misuse, corruption and undue influence,” Africa said.

PSE [PSE 164.00 unch] [link] notified the market that it received an assessment from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) that it owed P189.2 million in alleged tax deficiencies, penalties, and interest, coming from calendar year 2017. The PSE said that it would dispute the BIR findings. Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said that the BIR was “just doing their job.”

MB Quick Take

Getting the BIR’s attention is never a good thing, but it’s important to put the potential size of this assessment in context with the PSE’s financial standing and performance. According to its Q1 earnings report, the ?189.2 million is about 93% of its quarterly profit, but the PSE has over P2 billion in cash and cash equivalents on the balance sheet that it could use to take the hit. It’s a weird situation that should cause some behind-the-scenes process adjustments, but this isn’t an existential threat by any means.
 

Boulevard Holdings [BHI 0.07 33.3%; 1304% avgVol] [link] had its 110-day suspension lifted after it finally submitted its annual report for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2022, and the following three quarterly reports. BHI surged 33% on massive volume after the suspension was lifted.

MB Quick Take

Play if you want to play, but be warned that BHI is very casual with its reporting and is often suspended for failing to do the bare minimum with respect to its reporting obligations. BHI also seems to be alarmingly comfortable in a state of suspension, which is a massive red flag to me.
 

Alliance Global [AGI 13.34 0.5%; 573% avgVol] [link] is losing the Hong Kong-based Genting as its foreign partner in the local gaming industry. AGI revealed that it is buying Genting’s entire stake in Newport Wold Resorts project.

MB Quick Take

As I’ve said before, I’m not comfortable in my analysis of the gaming sector, so I’m not really sure what to make of this news. To an outsider like me, it just sounds like a pretty big deal to lose such a powerful 40% stakeholder in one transaction, but I’m not really sure what this means for Andrew Tan, AGI, and the Newport project. Any guest analysts interested in providing some context, please send me a note!
 

MJC Investments [MJIC suspended] [link] disclosed that its board authorized the conversion into equity of P2.4 billion in “deposits for future subscription” made by HK Strategic Investors and Manila Jockey Club [MJC suspended]. The unusual deposits were made way back in 2021.

MB Quick Take

As an investor, I hate seeing these massive pending transactions on the books that fester for years. The depositors will get 2.2 billion shares out of the conversion, which is a 69% increase in the outstanding shares of MJIC. That’s a substantial change.

—

Merkado Barkada’s opinions are provided for informational purposes only, and should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any particular stock. These daily articles are not updated with new information, so each investor must do his or her own due diligence before trading, as the facts and figures in each particular article may have changed.

Repower Energy Development [REDC pre-IPO] [link] notified the exchange yesterday that it would extend its “book-building period”, but Merkado Barkada has learned from a source with first-hand knowledge that this is because REDC found a listed Japanese company that confirmed it will buy the majority of the REDC IPO as an anchor buyer.

REDC did not say whether the extended book-building period would impact the tentative schedule of the IPO. 

MB BOTTOM-LINE

This is a fresh development that has many potential benefits to REDC both for this transaction, and going forward post-IPO. Typically an anchor investor can help build confidence in an IPO because it helps validate of the business model and support the valuation.

That information could be useful to potential buyers, as the thought of a huge chunk of shares being off the market does increase the scarcity of the remaining float. I’m curious to learn the identity of the buyer, to learn more about the relationship between the parties, and to see if there are any strategic benefits to REDC beyond this deal. Of course, I’m also curious to learn the price, but there’s plenty of time for that.

—

Merkado Barkada’s opinions are provided for informational purposes only, and should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any particular stock. These daily articles are not updated with new information, so each investor must do his or her own due diligence before trading, as the facts and figures in each particular article may have changed.

Euro-med Laboratories Phil., Inc. will be holding its annual meeting of stockholders on June 21, 2023, 10:00 am, Wednesday virtually via http://meeting.euromedlab.net

A copy of the official announcement published in Manila Bulletin broadsheet is shown below:

WATCH

Miguel Tanfelix, Matt Lozano, and Radson Flores enjoyed bonding together in a cable wakeboarding adventure!

In Miguel’s latest YouTube vlog, the three “Voltes V: Legacy” stars went to Decawake Clark Cable Park in Pampanga for some water sports.

Previously, Miguel shared short clips of him wakeboarding on Instagram.

Miguel and Matt said they both started the sport back in 2013, apparently visiting the same wakeboarding place in Batangas.

Matt, however, said he hasn’t been able to wakeboard in five years, while Miguel also said is returning to the sport after quite a while.

Radson and Matt arrived together after Miguel and his friends, and they all had great fun gliding across and sometimes falling into the water.

Miguel also tried to perform some tricks in the kicker, but he could not quite execute them yet.

The boys eventually called it a day and went to chill on a pool.

Meanwhile, their fellow “Voltes V: Legacy” co-star Ysabel Ortega also made a cameo near the beginning and the end of the vlog.

Miguel went on a video call with the Sparkle actress before the wakeboarding session began, and Ysabel wished him good luck. While he was relaxing on a hammock after the session, he once again called Ysabel.

Miguel plays Steve Armstrong in “Voltes V: Legacy.” Radson and Matt play Mark Gordon and Big Bert, respectively, while Ysabel plays Jamie Robinson.

“Voltes V: Legacy” airs weekdays on GMA Telebabad at 8 p.m. after “24 Oras.” It is also livestreamed on the GMA Network YouTube channel and GMANetwork.com/KapusoStream.

Can’t watch in real-time or do you live outside the country? Check this out for more information on where to watch “Voltes V: Legacy.”

—MGP, GMA Integrated News

VATICAN CITY — Barbara Jatta, the first woman to head the Vatican Museums, wants visitors to avoid being suffocated by the crowds and take in the lesser-known—but spectacular—attractions she helps to oversee.

The Vatican Museums, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that closed or limited openings during the COVID-19 pandemic, have almost returned to their pre-pandemic level of about six million visitors a year.

Many, particularly day trippers on fast-paced package tours of Rome, head straight for the Sistine Chapel, bypassing the museums’ other wonders.

“Not everyone in the Sistine Chapel. Please! We are much more,” she told Reuters at the opening of an exhibition of ceramics within meters of Michelangelo’s frescoed masterpiece.

“We have so many things that speak of history, it is important to get to know them too,” added Jatta, 60.

They include a 17th-century pharmacy and apothecary that was run by Benedictine nuns in the Monastery of St. Cecilia in Rome’s Trastevere district.

Open to the public since May 25, the pharmacy that served the public until 1936 has been reassembled with contents dating from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Cabinet shelves are filled with dozens of finely decorated blue-and-white ceramic jars that once held medicinal plants and herbs used to treat anything from insect bites to urinary infections.

The exhibition also includes tools for cutting and pressing the plants and extracting their essential essences. The nuns fashioned a large stone mortar from the capital of an ancient Roman column.

“This is an incredible patrimony of history, art and medicine,” said Luca Pesante, one of the curators of the exhibit, which also includes medieval floor tiles and decorative plates, some made from designs by Raphael.

Jatta, appointed by Pope Francis in 2016, said she and her staff has set as a priority to give visitors “the most marvelous visit possible” and that they should not be suffocated by too many people.

She added that the museums, which close at 6 p.m. on most days, may extend opening hours. Already, they stay open later on Fridays and Saturdays.

Nearly all tickets are booked online and are often sold out weeks in advance.

The need for extended opening hours may increase during the 2025 Holy Year, when millions more people than usual are expected to travel to Rome to participate in religious pilgrimages, she said. — Reuters

MANILA, Philippines — The ticket selling for Grammy winner Sam Smith’s upcoming concert in Manila this October is approaching, and fans can grab a chance at earlier pre-selling.

Smith’s “Gloria the Tour” at the Mall of Asia Arena will be the British singer-songwriter’s third visit to the Philippines, having last visited in 2018 for their “The Thrill of It All” tour.

The Asia leg of the tour — having started in Europe and soon North America — will begin in Bangkok in early October, and after Manila Smith will head over to Singapore.

Ticket prices range from P2,750 (General Admission) to P16,000 and P16,250 (Floor areas).

Regular selling of tickets begins on June 1 at 12 p.m. via SM Tickets, but UnionBank cardholders can purchase tickets as early as May 30 while Live Nation Philippines members can participate in an exclusive Live pre-sale the following day from 10 a.m. until midnight.

“It feels like emotional, sexual and spiritual liberation,” said Smith about their latest album from which the tour takes its name. “So, it was beautiful, with this album, to sing freely again, for me. It feels like a coming of age.”

“Gloria” is Smith’s fourth album and includes the singles “Love Me More,” “I’m Not Here To Make Friends,” and the Grammy-winning collaboration “Unholy” with Kim Petras.

Smith is also known for their previous hits “Stay With Me,” “I’m Not the Only One,” “Lay Me Down,” “Money on My Mind,” “Too Good at Goodbyes,” “How Do You Sleep?,” “Latch” with Disclosure, “Dancing with a Stranger” with Normani, and the Oscar-winning Bond song “Writing’s on the Wall.”

RELATED: Unholy works for non-binary Sam Smith

The Philippines will not apologize for the shelters it provided distressed social workers fleeing their employers in Kuwait, the Department of Foreign Affairs has said.

According to JP Soriano’s report on “24 Oras”, this developed even after the country announced the indefinite suspension of visas for Filipino skilled workers.

It has also taken steps to enter into agreements with other countries that could provide migrant workers.

“Hindi tayo hihingi ng tawad..? Eh pinoprotektahan lang natin yung mga kababayan natin,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said.

(Why should we apologize..? We’re just protecting countrymen.)

The Kuwaiti government last week confirmed it suspended all new visas for OFWs “indefinitely” due to the Philippines’ reported violations of their bilateral labor agreement signed in 2018.

Among the violations, the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry said, are the housing workers in shelters, searching for runaways without involving state institutions, communicating with Kuwaiti citizens without permission from authorities, and pressuring Kuwaiti employers to add clauses to employment contracts.

The ban came three months after Manila suspended its deployment of household service workers to Kuwait due to cases of abuse, including the death of OFW Jullebee Ranara, a household service worker whose body was found burned in the middle of a desert in Kuwait.

She was reported to have been raped and impregnated by her employer’s 17-year-old son.

“It’s their prerogative, they’re sovereign. They’re free to do that and besides as far as migration is concerned we also recognize na the skills of the Filipinos have are at-par globally,” Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Paul Cortez said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier rejected the idea of imposing a total deployment ban against Kuwait, saying the Philippine government would continue to negotiate with the Gulf state to improve the situation.

For its part, the Department of Migrant Workers said several countries have expressed interest in employing skilled Filipino workers to fulfill their vacancies including Austria, Guam, Portugal, Romania, Saudi, Hungary, and United Arab Emirates.

Saudi Arabia has announced that it needed over one million Filipino skilled workers in two years.

These include those in construction, hotel and restaurants, resorts, and healthcare workers.

“The estimate is one million new jobs for Filipino workers in 18 to 24 months so for filipino workers,” DMW Undersecretary Patricia Yvonne Caunan said. —Sundy Locus/NB, GMA Integrated News

Hit online role-playing game Genshin Impact will visit several local universities through a “Philippines’ University Roadshow” event.

“From June 2023, we will be heading out to multiple campuses to meet with Travelers,” it announced on social media on Tuesday.

It added that the list of lucky schools will be revealed in due time.

“The specific locations and schedule of the event will be announced in successive updates. We ask Travelers to continue exercising patience,” it said.

It is believed the event will mainly promote the fifth in-game nation of Fontaine, which is anticipated to go live on all servers later this year.

Last year, a life-size replica of a teleport waypoint appeared in Pasay City on the same day that the fourth in-game nation of Sumeru went live.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News

Spoiler warning for those who have not yet watched the latest episode!

Fans of “Voltes V: Legacy” let their tears flow on Tuesday evening as the series aired its most heartbreaking scene.

Dr. Mary Ann Armstrong, played by Carla Abellana, made the ultimate sacrifice to save her sons Steve, Big Bert, and Little Jon, who were all piloting the Voltes V robot.

Voltes V was fighting Boazanian beast fighter Vaizanger, but it got trapped in chains and was unable to free itself. Meanwhile, Camp Big Falcon was also under attack from the Boazanian skull ship.

Mary Ann flew a fighter jet herself to help her sons, refusing to return to base even when her colleagues tried to stop her from going on the suicide mission.

She crashed her aircraft right into the head of Vaizanger, allowing Voltes V to finally break free from the chains.

The Armstrong brothers wept, but Steve (played by Miguel Tanfelix), channeled his grief and rage to pummel Vaizanger with Voltes V’s fists and eventually finish him off with the laser sword.

Fans were all praises for the actors, tweeting their reactions under the hashtag #V5LegacyRiseArmstrongBrothers, which reached no. 1 on the Philippine trends.

The hashtag #VoltesVLegacy, Miguel Tanfelix, and Mary Ann were also among the trends list.

“This is one of the most tear jerking episodes in Philippines TV history!” said one fan.

“Sobrang sakit. Damang-dama ko ‘yong pag-iyak ni Big Bert at Lil Jon,” said another.

Miguel and Carla received huge props as well for their performances.

“Miguel Tanfelix showcases his acting prowess. Binitbit niya talaga ang lahat ng requirements para sa karakter ni Steve Armstrong,” one fan wrote on Twitter.

“Wala talaga akong ibang maisip na artista na pwedeng gumanap sa role ni Dr. Mary Ann Armstrong kundi si Carla Abellana lang. Sobrang fit sa kanya ang role,” added another.

“Voltes V: Legacy” airs weekdays on GMA Telebabad at 8 p.m. after “24 Oras.” It is also livestreamed on the GMA Network YouTube channel and GMANetwork.com/KapusoStream.

Can’t watch in real-time or do you live outside the country? Check this out for more information on where to watch “Voltes V: Legacy.”

—MGP, GMA Integrated News

Paolo Contis is happy to hear that his ex-partner, LJ Reyes, has recently become engaged.

The Sparkle actress made the announcement on Instagram, sharing photos of the moment her non-showbiz boyfriend, Philip Evangelista, popped the question.

In Nelson Canlas’s report on “24 Oras,” Tuesday, Paolo sent his reaction to the news via text message.

“Of course I’m very happy for her. She deserves to be happy,” the actor said.

Paolo and LJ have a daughter together named Summer, but the couple separated in 2021.

The actor admitted that there was a third party in their relationship, but denied the involvement of his “A Faraway Land” co-star Yen Santos.

Paolo confirmed his relationship with Yen earlier this year.

Shortly after his split with LJ, the actress migrated to New York with Summer and Aki, her son with ex-boyfriend Paulo Avelino.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News

Crab meat is one of the tastiest delicacies enjoyed by seafood lovers.

If you love sushi, for example, crab stick is one of the staple ingredients. But what if you’re not satisfied with just a small piece of kani?

Do you want to know what’s the biggest kind of crab that we can eat?

According to Kuya Kim on Tuesday’s “24 Oras,” it’s the king crab native to the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, which can grow up to 11 kg.

The largest male king crab recorded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weighed 10.886 kg. The largest female, meanwhile, weighed 4.763 kg.

In the Philippines, the municipality of Caluag in Quezon Province holds a Crab Festival every year.

The celebration includes the Heaviest Crab Contest. This year, Anabella Pareja was hailed the winner with her crab weighing 2.695 kg.

Anabella said she took care of the crab for seven months. She was able to sell it for P1,560.

Meanwhile, the most expensive crab sold at an auction is a snow crab in Tottori, Japan. The buyer paid a total of 5.4 million yen or over P2.1 million.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News

OPI, considered in the industry to be the Ferrari of nail polishes, is back with more affordable prices, four collections, and nationwide distribution (before, the brand was exclusively available at salons).

The US brand made its name with trendy colors that were so pigmented your manicure was done after two coats.  I love their witty shade names like Do You Lilac It, Pink-ing of You, and Can’t Be Beet.

Current collections include the OG Nail Lacquer, which is how OPI started — high-quality polishes that last for up to seven days and are the most affordable, at P495.

OPI Ph brand manager Mel Ledesma-Cruz says each collection has a different-colored cap to distinguish them from each other; the original nail lacquers sport black caps.

Then there’s the vegan line, Nature Strong, plant-based nail polish with gray caps made of recyclable material.  At P595, Cruz says they’re significantly cheaper than in the US, since OPI Philippines wanted affordable luxury for all here, and they agreed. “So now everyone can try OPI,” Cruz says.

For P100 more, Infinite Shine is OPI’s gel-like 3D nail polish. “OPI came up with a three step routine that doesn’t need UV light, and the finish is gel-like,” Cruz says. “It lasts up to 11 days, and the cap is silver.”

At present OPI has 250 colors, 300 SKUs, and typically release new collections every quarter, but since they’re making up for lost time here, next month they’ll issue a new collection.

The brand also offers nail care (the bestseller is the nail and cuticle oil for P595), polish removers and Pro Spa skincare for hands and feet. This is great news because these products, which were exclusive to salons before, are now widely available so you can achieve professional-quality mani/pedis at home.

* * *

OPI is available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source, Beauty Bar, Watsons, Landmark, Robinsons, Lazada, and Shopee.

This J-Beauty brand’s mascara is a cult fave

Kiss Me, one of the Japanese brands Beautybox Corp. has brought to the Philippines, recently celebrated its first birthday.

Kiss Me made its name with its Heroine Make mascara, which is so good it’s become a cult favorite among beautistas. What I love is that it comes with a Curl Keep mascara base that thickens sparse Asian lashes before you apply the Heroine Make Long Up Super Waterproof mascara, which is the only mascara I have that doesn’t smudge, no matter how sweaty or oily I get! Kiss Me even offers a Speedy Mascara remover to take it all off at the end of the day.

Another product I highly recommend is Sunkiller Perfect Water Essence SPF50+ PA++++, an alcohol-free sunscreen that is so lightweight and refreshing to put on — no white cast or greasy feel. They also have Kiss Me Other Kiss Me products worth trying are Heavy Rotation Coloring Eyebrow mascaras, Heroine Make Rich Jewel eyeliners and Kiss Me medicated hand cream, which comes in portable tubes perfect for popping into your purse.

* * *

Kiss Me products are available at Beauty Bar, Mitsukoshi, Watsons, The SM Store, Rustan’s The Beauty Source, Landmark, Look, Chimes and Island City Mall, or shop online at Shop.beautyboxcorp.com.

Self-refreshing skin tints

After the success of their Synchro Self-Refreshing foundations, Shiseido released Synchro Self-Refreshing Tints with broad-spectrum SPF 20, which offer the ideal combination of color, coverage and care. Infused with 70% skincare ingredients, the tints provide 24 hours of weightless hydration and come in 12 shades to match any skin tone.

* * *

Available at the Shiseido boutiques in Mitsukoshi and leading malls.

Homegrown makeup company completes range

Since the last time I featured them, Issy & Co. has had about four launches, and the brand now has a complete range of makeup products, all boasting innovative formulations and colors for Asian skin.

I love the texture of their Ode to the Sand Crème Cheek Bronzers, which feel soft to the touch and are so lightweight they just melt into the skin to give a natural-looking, sun-kissed glow. These come in four shades at the unbeatable price of P349.

Issy brow products include clear Brow Fixing gel to set unruly brows; colored Brow Volumizing gels to fill in, add volume and create fluffy brows; Brow Detailing Pen, a micro-filling liquid liner to create hairlike strokes with a built-in spoolie to style; and my fave, the Brow Pencil Trio, which features a fine-tipped pencil to outline and fill in sparse areas, a triangular-tipped pencil to shade and add depth, and a built-in spoolie to blend and groom brows (all P349).

Issy & Co. also improved and expanded their popular Active Skin Tint and Concealer range, which now offer 12 shades of the oil-free, niacinamide-enriched tinted moisturizer (P499) and 24 shades of the oil-free, hyaluronic-acid fortified concealer (P399). They also added True Flex Powder Foundation, skin-blurring pressed-powder compacts (P549) and my fave, True Flex Illuminator, luminous complexion enhancers that amp up your glow (P349).

Finally Issy launched its Lip Bullets, 21 shades of lipstick (P349 each) in three different finishes (matte, velvet and satin) of seven shades each. These bullets come with a thoughtful, built-in mirror so you’ll never have to dig around in your bag or use your phone as a mirror again.

* * *

Issy & Co. is available at Shopee and Lazada.

Ultra-affordable, multi-tasking cream blushes

Ever Bilena’s Pillow Pop cream blushes are bouncy, cream-to-powder blushes that give your skin a radiant pop of color. Enriched with vitamin E, they’re fragrance-free and very blendable and buildable. In three shades — Dreamy Coral, Dreamy Rose and Dreamy Peach — I enjoy these blushes’ plush, lightweight texture, the fact that they’re multitaskers you can also use on your lips and eyelids, and their ultra-affordable price (P195 each).

* * *

Available at SM Beauty and the Ever Bilena shops on TikTok, Shopee and Lazada.

Matte lippies that moisturize

Hate the feel of matte lippies that dry out your lips? Careline has solved that with its Powder Matte Lip Tints, four pretty shades that help moisturize your lips with shea butter and glycerin (P180 each). If that level of moisturization isn’t enough, Careline also has a Serum Clear Gloss enriched with antioxidants and natural oils for a plumper, healthier pout.

* * *

Careline is available at Watsons, Shopee, and Lazada.

Imagine what a typical day would be like for Senator Loren Legarda. It would undoubtedly involve the gods of tasks and a landscape of paperwork — waking up very early, finishing late in the evening, with seemingly infinite toil in between, and then doing it all again the following day. But the people in her circle know how the senator finds the gaps between grueling sessions in the Senate to recharge, de-stress, and reemerge. 

“Despite the busy schedule, I always take time to find solace in the beauty of nature,” she says. “I have always been a lover of the environment. I happily tend to my backyard farm and vertical garden, where I plant the vegetables and fruits that I eat.”

For Loren Legarda, it has been a long and gratifying journey to go from being a journalist to becoming a senator, congresswoman, and now Senate President Pro Tempore. But before that, there was this young girl in Potrero, Malabon, who was guided by influential female figures: one sang opera in the bathroom and was the epitome of “class, elegance, intellect, foresight, grounded-ness and compassion,” and another who “carried half of the sky” for the young Loren.  

“My late mother, Bessie Gella Bautista, influenced my love for culture. She understood the real value of the handmade, the creative product, and kept colorful, hand-woven textiles protected in a baul or a chest,” remembers the senator. 

Nanay Fely, who raised Loren, had tenacity, discipline, loyalty, unconditional love and innate talent. Loren amplifies, “Nanay Fely instilled my love for nature at an early age — observing butterflies and birds, immersing in our gardens and surroundings, and engaging in crafts and activities in nature.”

That young girl would never outgrow her love for nature, culture, and all the things that remind us Filipinos of what we essentially are.

“Culture is what binds us as a nation,” she explains. “Our cultural heritage is what we will pass on to our future generations. But it is in flux because we are confronted with new challenges and the danger of falling to unsustainable life ways. This is why it is essential to define what being a Filipino means comprehensively. We need to build a nation that is fully aware of and proud of its rich and diverse cultural heritage, valuing and understanding the cultures that connected us to our land. In this way we can build true patriotism, take back the good things we lost, and innovate for our current needs in the right direction. When we know where we came from, our strong sense of identity will result in inclusive and lasting progress.”

Senator Legarda has spent most of her life advocating for the protection and preservation of our environment. She has authored the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, Philippine Clean Air Act, Renewable Energy Act, Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, National Environmental Awareness and Education Act, Climate Change Act, and Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, among other environmental measures.

Aside from passing key pieces of legislation in relation to art and culture (such as cultural heritage laws, as well as the Act Strengthening the National Museum), she has initiated projects such as Hibla (a pavilion of indigenous textiles and weaves) and Likha-an (a resource center for Philippine living traditions); conceptualized documentaries such as Dayaw (a series on Philippine indigenous peoples and culture); and orchestrated the return of the Philippines to the Venice Biennale (the Olympics for contemporary art and architecture) after a 51-year hiatus, collaborating with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and getting the support of the Department of Tourism (DOT). She has even filed a bill that seeks to institutionalize Philippine participation in the biennale.  

The Philippines opened last May 18 its Pavilion with the exhibition titled “Tripa de Gallina: Guts of Estuary” at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. The exhibition, according to Senator Legarda, highlights the critical role of esteros in communities as a “symbol of life, an essential element for human activities and practices, and a catalyst for community development.”

If hard work and sacrifice come, can accolades be far behind?

In February 2016, Senator Legarda was named Chevalier (Knight) dans l’Ordre National de la Le?gion d’Honneur by the Government of France, and in February of this year, she was conferred the award of “Commendatore” to the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in appreciation of her role in strengthening bilateral relations between the Philippines and Italy.

“As a staunch advocate of promoting Philippine culture and the arts, I have experienced our vibrant, diverse, and meaningful culture. I learned that culture has a fundamental role as the foundation of our nation. I have authored and sponsored several laws for the preservation of our culture, and I learn every day that we can tap into age-old practices to show us the way around our current challenges. Still, we must keep developing our country’s unique culture by enacting more laws to safeguard intangible and tangible cultural heritage.”

A fitting culmination to May, the National Heritage Month, was the passage of the Cultural Mapping Bill (amending Republic Act No. 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009), a measure proposed by Senator Legarda to enhance the preservation of the Philippines’ cultural assets through increased participation and involvement of local government units and communities. This law mandates all local government units to conduct a cultural heritage mapping of their respective areas, covering all tangible and intangible, as well as natural and built heritage. 

“Cultural mapping is a systematic way of listing down the cultural assets of a community,” she explains. The lists of cultural assets that are generated from the process will be consolidated so that the data and information can be used for planning, building community strategies, and initiating programs in the realm of arts, culture, education, tourism, and many other aspects of governance.

Culture mapping employs a grassroots approach because the ones who will conduct the cultural mapping are the community members themselves. They can be teachers, community leaders and barangay officials, even students, or just anybody interested to participate in this civic activity. 

“Let us remember that the preservation of our cultural heritage is not solely the responsibility of the government or cultural institutions,” she says. “Each of us has a part to play in protecting and promoting our cultural heritage. Whether we are artists, educators, community leaders, or ordinary citizens, we can all contribute to the preservation of our cultural heritage in our own ways. Cultural heritage, after all, is our source of pride and identity as Filipinos.”

NCCA chair Victorino Manalo issued a resolution expressing appreciation and gratitude to the senator for the ratification of the cultural mapping law and for nurturing national identity and creativity through her work in Congress and in the Senate. Manalo writes that the Cultural Mapping Bill wouldn’t have passed in record time if not for the senator’s astute leadership.

Senator Loren would tell you that the work and responsibilities of an elected official may seem fathomless, but the rewards are immeasurable.

“I find strength in seeing lives change because my advocacies made a difference,” she concludes. “When I see laws impact real lives or how extending support can turn dreary situations for the better, all the efforts to fight for my advocacies, all the sacrifices and struggles become worthwhile. The sense of fulfillment is incomparable. Every single advocacy has a story on the ground where a life is made better and a big policy story has impacted so many people.”

These advocacies (interconnected, complementary) form “a tapestry of everything our country needs to meet our challenges.”

And the fabric — threaded with resiliency and perseverance, woven with hard work and inspiration — keeps expanding, becomes all encompassing.