Filipino athletes are taking international stage more and more as they should.
Now, we are heading for the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Philippines might have a chance to have its first-ever homegrown Filipino player in the NBA as the young athlete Kai Sotto declared for the coming 76th edition of the NBA draft.
Photo from Kai Sotto’s Instagram Account
To those who are not familiar with the term “NBA draft”, it is an annual event in which teams from the NBA can draft players who are eligible. These are mostly college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted, hence the possibility for Kai.
Kai stands at 7-foot-3 at just the age of 19. He was already making waves as he was named Australia’s National Basketball League’s Fans Most Valuable Player on his first season. He played with the Adelaide 36ers and finished the season with an average of 7.5 points and 4.48 rebounds on 50% shooting from the field, across 23 games with the 36ers.
Photo from Kai Sotto’s Instagram Account
He made the announcement on the possibility of the NBA’s in his Instagram account and also included his gratitude to the Adelaide 36ers, his family, his fans, media, sponsors, coaches, trainers and bloggers. He stated that an athlete like him doesn’t get to a certain point without the help and support of all these people.
“I have declared for the 2022 NBA Draft. Please pray and support me during my quest to fulfill my ultimate dream.”
– KAI SOTTO
The 2022 NBA Draft will take place on June 23, 2022, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The young Filipino basketball player has decided to take a step into realizing his dream and with a bright future ahead, he will surely be one of the Philippines’ pride in the future.
Remember that squirrel who in Ice Age who couldn’t catch a break to eat and obsess over his acorn for the life of him and ends up both being the cause of the problems and the bringer of solutions in the movie series?
Photo from Blue Sky Studios
Yes. I think we all do. Well, He finally did eat the slippery acorn he chased all over the era.
He is that type of character that will stick to your memory and if you didn’t know, his name is Scrat (squirrel+rat), a saber-toothed squirrel.
Scrat and his many misadventures have become the highlight of these films
But Lo and Behold as after 20 years, Scrat finally gets his acorn but it just might as well be like saying “goodbye”.
Photo from Blue Sky Studios
This is because Blue Sky Studios, of the Ice Age franchise, have closed down just last April 2021. They honored their mascot with a closure on the uneaten and unachievable acorn of Scrat through a video clip.
The short clip lasted for only 34 seconds where you can see the usual turn of events for Scrat starting with the sniffing around and finding an acorn. Typical Scrat, he grabs it and was about to slam it into the ground until he has an epiphany and made the one thing, we’ve all been saying to him for the last 5 films, he took a bite. He then pauses for a second, suspicious as misfortunes always arrive when he finds a nut but nothing happened and so he finishes it and leaves.
If you want that closure as well as we all do growing up to the Ice Age films, watch this special clip in YouTube released last April 14, 2022.
“In the final days of Blue Sky Studios, a small team of artists came together to do one final shot. This shot is a farewell, a send-off on our own terms.”
The closing down announcement is due to the economic impact of the pandemic. No worries though as Disney still owns its titles, and we can still watch the beloved series Ice Age: Scrat Tales on Disney+.
“For the past thirty-four years, we, like our single minded character Scrat, have reached for something that at times seemed unattainable. Yet time after time we’ve managed to get our arms around our own versions of that elusive acorn.”
– CHRIS WEDGE (THE CO-FOUNDER AND VOICE OF SCRAT)
Scrat has been dear to all our hearts along with the whole gang Sid, Diego, and Manny. We will never forget the lessons and joy it brough to us.
While the rest of the world focuses on achieving the Net-Zero 2050 Goals, the Philippine government is also accelerating its efforts to create a clean, sustainable economic system.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) recently held a demo run in Alabang, Muntinlupa to unveil the locally-made 23-seater electric jeepney (e-jeepney).
According to DOST, the EVAP engineers created the e-jeepney, with the DOST funding the research and development and prototyping for PHP4.9 million.
EVAP researched and created lithium-ion battery charging and switching technologies, as well as a functional operations template that includes fleet operations and daily loan amortization collecting.
During the launch, the agency also shared that private companies are beginning to adopt the technology. For example, a local company ToJo Motors has already committed to using the technology and producing the 23-seater jeepney. Other manufacturers are being encouraged to become early adopters.
Electric vehicle technologies and production standards are used in the e-jeepney. The e-jeepney would help lessen the country’s dependency on fossil fuels while also improving community air quality.
DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said that the DOST has been promoting environmentally friendly activities and alternatives.
Beginning in June 2022, Filipinos may expect greater payments to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
Following Malacaang’s directive, which reportedly took effect in January 2022, PhilHealth announced in a statement on Wednesday that the contribution rate will be increased to 4% for members earning P10,000 to P80,000 per month.
Premium rates should progressively climb under the Universal Health Care law, starting at 2.75% in 2019 and rising to 5% in 2024 and 2025. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered PhilHealth to defer the tariff rise to 2021.
“PhilHealth assures all members that legislated contribution schedule will continue to provide all Filipinos with adequate financial protection against hospitalization costs,”
Watching movies on the big screen is one pleasure we can’t precisely replicate at home. Sure, it’s more convenient to just lie down at home or pause the movie when we need to pee, but the ambiance, surround sound, and overall movie theater experience are all things we miss when we go to the movies.
Good news! Now that Cebu is under less restrictive quarantine status, Cebu’s largest mall SM Seaside City Cebu recently announced the re-opening of cinemas, which include our favorite Director’s Club.
For us to be able to see and understand a person’s past, we either read about them, or watch videos of them. One good example of this is Journalist-turned-filmmaker Sunshine de Leon.
Photo from Sunshine De Leon via Curiosity, Adventure & Love Official Website
Sunshine spent a decade checking through old photographs and other archives she could use for her documentary. This documentary is about her beloved grandmother, Jessie Lichauco, whom she fondly calls Nana.
With love and affection, these were evident in the recollection of Sunshine’s Nana’s story, entitled Curiosity, Adventure & Love.
This documentary tackles about the effects of World War II on the country’s families as well as the legacy of curiosity and adventure found in the deepest recesses of a devoted centenarian’s heart.
Photo from Sunshine De Leon via Curiosity, Adventure & Love Official Website
Nana, an American born in Cuba came to visit the Philippines when she was 18. She met lawyer Marcial Lichauco, her husband, who also happens to be the first Filipino graduate of Harvard in Washington D.C.
The country, from being a colony of rhe United States to being undwr Japanese rule, this film has showcased it. This textbook is unlike your other documentaries filled with dates. This is about a factual story about our past, but represented by real people.
Lichauco and her husband, during the war, opened a shelter for the refugees. This shelter was then turned into a hospital for over 2,000 people. Lichauco moved to Massachusetts after the death of her husband where she opened her home to Filipino students who needed shelter. In 2013, a law was aigned to proclaim her a citizen of the Philippines for her social contribution.
Photo from Sunshine De Leon via Curiosity, Adventure & Love Official Website
Directed by de Leon and Suzanne Richiardone, Curiosity, Adventure & Love has already been in multiple international film festivals. This documentary won Best Documentary Feature at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards.
On August 30 and 31, this documentary is set to screen at the U.P. Film Institute Film Center for the celebration of National Heroes and History Month. On September 11, this film is targeted to be launched digitally in the United States.
However, this is already available for pre-order on iTunes. This will also be released on:
DirecTV
Dish
INDEMAND
Vubiquity
Amazon
Vudu
XBox
Google Play
Youtube
Swank
When Sunshine was asked why she wanted to share this story to the global audience, she said:
“There are so many lessons I think we can learn from Nana. To remember that everyone is equal and the same no matter where we come from and each deserve to be treated and respected like a human being. That it is our responsibility to help people whenever we see an opportunity (no matter if big or small) to do so—and that you don’t need a lot of time or money to do this, you just need to open your heart and care. It is not always so difficult to make a positive difference in the life of someone else. We need to remember that someone has always helped us along the way and we should do the same. To be courageous and stand up for what you believe, and do what you think is right no matter what anyone else may tell you. She always says,
“Follow your heart, open your mind and things will fall into place.”
May this serve as a reminder for us of how important our past is.
Photo from Sunshine De Leon via Curiosity, Adventure & Love Official Website
By 2025, a Cebu-based steel manufacturing and property developer will have fully switched to renewable energy (RE) by partnering with First Gen Corp. as its power source.
Avion Open-Cycle Natural Gas-Fired Power Plant | Photo from First Gen Official Website
First Gen stated in a statement on Thursday that it is now delivering the Chioson Group of Companies’ whole power need of 2,100 kilowatts (kW) from geothermal power facilities operated by Energy Development Corp. (EDC), a subsidiary of First Gen.
This comes after Chioson Group renewed its contract with First Gen to provide 600 kW of sustainable energy to Puresteel Manufacturing Corp. in Mandaue City, Cebu.
The energy is provided by the EDC geothermal plant in Leyte.
Steel goods such as c-purlins, corrugated sheets, square tubes, rigid steel conduit pipes, and rectangular tubes are manufactured and distributed by Puresteel.
Santa Rita Combined-Cycle Natural Gas-Fired Power Plant | Photo from First Gen Official Website
Last year, First Gen and Chioson Group agreed to supply Chioson Development Corp. (CDC) with 1,500 kW of renewable energy from EDC’s geothermal plants in Leyte and Bicol.
First Gen’s renewable energy portfolio includes hydroelectric, wind, and solar, in addition to geothermal units. It also has a natural gas facility that it owns and manages.
These power plants have a total installed capacity of 3,495 megawatts for the firm.
Bernard Chioson, Puresteel’s chief executive officer and CDC’s chief operating officer, claimed the firm only started using green energy last year. The key motivation for converting to RE, he explained, is to have a cleaner manner of producing and manufacturing steel.
“We want to use green, renewable energy to lessen our carbon impact,”
E-sabong, or online cockfighting, has been banned by President Rodrigo Duterte.
He made the announcement during a Monday speech that was filmed, with Interior Secretary Eduardo Ao due to deliver the full details on Tuesday.
Photo from RTVMalacañang YouTube Channel
The P640 million monthly income generated by e-sabong activities, according to the President, is not worth the societal harm produced by gambling.
“Ang amin sana, buwis lang ang habol namin dito,” he said. “But may naririnig na ako, loud enough, loud and very clear to me that it was working against our values and ang impact sa pamilya at tao.”
Duterte has already directed the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to look into e-sabong activities, citing reports of individuals pawning their belongings simply to play the popular betting game. On April 19 and 20, the agency polled approximately 8,400 people, and 62 percent said they wanted to halt e-sabong.
Senators proposed suspending e-sabong in March, but the chief executive turned it down. The inquiry into the disappearance of more than 30 cockfight fans since April last year is ongoing.
Photo from putakputak.com
Senators applauded Duterte’s decision, despite the delay.
Meanwhile, once a comprehensive directive is issued, the Philippine National Police said it will organize an information push among personnel.
Oslob is one of the most sought-after destinations when traveling to Cebu as it is beautiful inside and out.
In its surface is the sparkling waters and fine white-sand beaches but the real wonder happened on its deep end where the whalesharks are waiting to meet you.
Oslob also has a bunch of fun water activities to offer and countless tourist spots to visit which makes it is ideal to book a place that has access to every need you have while exploring Oslob.
Photo from Oslob New Village Lodge Website
Located in San Jose St., Poblacion Oslob is Oslob New Village Lodge, a lush village garden surrounded by plants and trees that gives off a relaxing cool breeze and fresh air.
The huge property has a total of 17 rooms that can accommodate a maximum of 85 guests so if you’ll ever have a big family trip to Oslob, you can definitely check in here.
It even has a gazebo bar overlooking a koi pond in the middle of the property that can be used for small gatherings, dinners, or just on chill nights after a jam-packed day of activities.
It gives guests provincial vibes with its colors and designs being in warm tones of brown and green. Their rooms outside walls are made of “amakan”, but a neatly painted concrete on the inside.
Each room also has its own veranda where guests can sit and relax while sipping their coffee and just enjoying some cozy time with their loved ones.
Great Accessibility
It is very near the public market where restaurants and food places can fill your cravings and also has a common kitchen, available if guests prefer to cook their own food.
To those having a workcation, no worries as Free WIFI connection is available to guests everywhere on the property.
They offer tour packages for the tourist destinations within Oslob and neighboring towns like:
Swimming with the whale sharks
Tumalog falls
Sumilon island sandbar
Heritage park
Sardine run and turtles in Moalboal
canyoneering and Kawasan falls in Badian
Oslob is meant to be experienced thoroughly and Oslob New Village Lodge can give you that with a hassle-free comfortable stay, active experiences, and the peaceful ambiance of a garden.
RATES & OTHER INFORMATION
ROOM RATES:
Standard Double – P1,100 per night, good for 2pax
Deluxe Triple – P1,400 per night, good for 2pax
Deluxe Quad – P1,800 per night, good for 4pax
Executive Quad – P2,000 per night, good for 4pax
Fan room for 4 – P1,200 per night
Fan room for 8 – P1,800 per night
Deluxe QuadDeluxe TripleDeluxe DoubleExecutive QuadFan Room for 4Fan Room for 8
Exact location: San Jose St., Poblacion, Oslob, Cebu (about 200 meters away from Cuartel, Immaculate Concepcion Church, and the Heritage Park)
BY BUS: Go to Cebu City South Bus Terminal and ride on a bus bound for Oslob. Tell the driver to drop you off at Oslob Public Market. Ask around as the Oslob New Village is just a 2-minute walk from there.
BY CAR: Navigate with Waze or Google Maps and set your destination to “Oslob New Village Lodge” in Oslob. Large parking space is available.
The town of Cordova in Mactan Island gets the spotlight for being one of the towns that will benefit largely from the newly completed Cebu Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), Cebu City’s most iconic bridge and the country’s longest bridge.
One important supplement to this development, the Pilipog-Gabi Coastal Road Project, is still currently in the works in the effort to make this part of Cebu more accessible with lesser hassle from the heavy traffic.
Photo from Night Owl by Anna Lamentillo Facebook Page
The Pilipog-Gabi Coastal Road Project is the road that will receive the traffic from the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) endpoint in Cordova. It starts from Barangay Pilipog just after the boundary with Barangay Babag 2 of Lapu-Lapu City and ends in Barangay Gabi, at the border with Barangay Suba-Basbas, also of Lapu-Lapu City.
The said coastal road (rock causeway) project is a vital segment of the Cordova Circumferential Road. This national road is complemented by provincial, municipal, and barangays that networks all barangays of Cordova except the island barangay of Gilutongan. In an inventory, Cordova’s road networks have a total stretch of 30,150 meters or 30.15 kilometers.
Aside from the Pilipog-Gabi Coastal Road Project, the town of Cordova has also implemented various infrastructure projects funded out of its local funds and/or from the national government and through public-private partnerships. These projects include Cordova RORO Port, Cordova Public Hospital, and San Miguel Socialized Housing Project.
Newly opened roads
There were new roads as well that were opened in the past few years and these include the Kasadya Road (Poblacion); Ka Tura Road (back of Cordova Public Plaza, Poblacion); Datag Road (Catarman); Bangbang Road (back of Gaisano Grand Mall); Bantayan to RORO Port Road (Camolinas, Poblacion); Cordova Centennial Road; Coastal Road (Catarman); and Coastal Road (Camolinas – Intramuros).
The construction of the Cordova Coastal Circumferential Road has also commenced in the segments of Dapitan-Ibabao and Poblacion (Bantayan) – Catarman.
The Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway Project is a toll road linking Mactan Island to the rest of the Cebu province, complying with a high standard in regard to safety, comfort, and speed. This features a long-span high-level bridge that spans the navigable portion of the Cebu Strait, a viaduct to connect the main bridge over the tidal portion of the island, a causeway over the shallow area, minor bridges, and a roadway on an embankment.
Photo by GonzFerolino2022 via CCLEXPhoto by The Island Nomad via CCLEXPhoto by The Island Nomad via CCLEX
This ‘third bridge’ is also aimed to decongest traffic on the two existing bridges. The heavy volume of traffic in Cebu is a long-time dilemma for both commuters and motorists every day, affecting their productivity and income.
