DOE Ups Power Supply to Typhoon-hit Areas

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The DOE and its partners are continuously bringing back power supply to typhoon-affected areas in Southern Luzon and Eastern Mindanao.

“We are maximizing our assets and resources for the resumption of electricity in the soonest possible time in the hard-hit areas, where hundreds of distribution poles went down,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines reported that all transmission facilities affected by Typhoon Nina have already been restored bridging generation facilities to distribution lines in the concerned towns and provinces in Bicol as of Jan. 9.

Power was also 100 percent restored in homes in the provinces of Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, Camarines Norte and Sorsogon.

Meanwhile, restoration of power facilities continues in the provinces of Quezon (84.62%), Oriental Mindoro (91.18%), Camarines Sur (58.9%), Albay (47.75%) and Catanduanes (18.92%).

Restoration of households already reached 76.34% or 1,311,828 households, in which 406,578 are still up for restoration.

There are only three transmission facilities in Siargao, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur that were affected by Tropical Depression Auring, according to the NGCP report.

These transmission facilities namely Butuan-Placer 138kV line 1, Placer-Madrid 69kV line, and Placer-Surigao 69kV line are already being restored.

“The energy sector is united in promoting consumer welfare by providing power supply to our kakabayans affected by the typhoons in the soonest possible time,” Cusi said. “We always have to be ready and prepared since these typhoons will continue to hamper our energy systems. We are trying to come up with better and effective measures every time we are faced with such challenges."

Traslacion 2017: Post Event Report on the Philippines' Biggest Religious Event

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The Philippines continue to hold the Traslacion eventhough there are so many reasons why it sends the wrong lessons to our people, especially the youth. The January 9 procession reenacts the image's Traslación (literally, "transfer") in 1787, or solemn relocation to the Minor Basilica from its original shrine in what is now Rizal Park.

A Spaniards' galleon was partly burned wherein the more than life size (sculpture) image of Jesus Christ of Nazarene was on board. Miraculously, the sculpture suffered lesser damage but has changed its original color into black. That was the original story about the "Black Nazarene."

CBCP Public Affairs Executive Secretary Fr. Jerome Secillano says the statue of the Black Nazarene was brough to the Philippines in the 17th century, but the devotion to statue only started in the 1950s. He says some of the sacrifices devotees go through during the Traslacion are part of the "purification process" they identify with on a personal level.

Less in number but not in fervor. There was a substantial drop in the number of devotees for this year's Traslacion. Still, tens of thousands make a vow – or panata – to take part in the most massive display of Catholic faith in the Philippines. This tradition is distinctly Filipino and is not part of the basic traditions of the Roman Catholic Church worldwide. The people's unwavering devotion to the Black Nazarene is a tedious and lengthy task with the Traslacion covering a 6.9-kilometer route starting from the Quirino Grandstand and ending at the Quiapo Church.

Devotees jostle for a chance to get near the Black Nazarene. The cross-bearing statue is believed to have healing powers, in the hope that the touching of towels would bless them and heal their illnesses. Helping pull the ropes of the carriage also has some sort of significance as the sacrifice is expected to bear bountiful rewards.

Anthony Engelen Prefers Step-by-Step Process in Securing Title Shot

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Mixed martial arts standout Anthony Engelen (5-2) acknowledges that there will be no shortcuts to achieving his dream of becoming a world titleholder in ONE Championship.

Engelen stressed that he is not in a hurry and would rather take the long road to a championship crack than prematurely contend for the gold-plated strap.

According to Engelen, there are certain aspects of his overall game that he has to improve and keep an eye on before getting an opportunity to vie for the coveted ONE Featherweight World Championship belt.

“I would like to remind myself to keep growing as a fighter. I always try to watch all my fights and constantly evaluate myself. I want to improve in the things that I was not happy about and work harder on it every time,” he said.

The 31-year-old Dutch Indonesian fighter believes that he has to prove himself worthy of a title shot as ONE Championship’s featherweight bracket has a long list of contender.

ONE Championship has a stacked featherweight division, which has been often described as a shark tank.

Vaughn Donayre Expects ‘Win-Hungry’ Vincent Latoel at One: Quest for Power

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Filipino fighter Vaughn “The Spawn” Donayre is not taking Vincent Latoel lightly as he expects his Dutch-Indonesian opponent to have a must-win mentality when they square off against each other on the undercard of ONE: QUEST FOR POWER in Jakarta, Indonesia on 14 January.

Latoel, a highly-decorated kickboxer from Deventer, Netherlands, aims to snap his two-fight losing skid at the expense of Donayre.

The 37-year-old mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran stumbled in two of his ONE Championship outings in 2016, yielding to former ONE Lightweight World Champion Kotetsu Boku in February before suffering the same fate at the hands of Filipino standout Edward Kelly last August.

According to Donayre, it is a no-brainer that Latoel is driven to put himself back on the winning track.

“It’s given that he wants to win because he lost two of his fights in 2016. I expect him to be hungry for that win,” he said.

Even though he has a win-hungry foe in front of him on fight night, Donayre is not allowing Latoel to ruin his goal of having his hand raised in triumph.

Netflix @ CES 2017 - The Entertainment Experience Keeps Getting Better!

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Netflix Button on LG’s 2017 Super UHD TV. Launching Netflix will now be as easy as turning on the television. With a single press of a button on the remote control, viewers can switch on the television and instantly access the entire catalog of TV shows and movies without the hassle of switching inputs or finding another remote. What's more, viewers have the ability to watch a wide variety of programming from Netflix in stunning 4K picture quality on LG's 4K TVs.

Netflix Now Supports 4K on Windows 10 with New Intel Core processors. We’re excited to bring Netflix support for Ultra HD 4K to Windows 10, making the vast catalog of Netflix TV shows and movies in 4K even more accessible for our members around the world to watch in the best picture quality. Read more here.

It’s clear that more devices than ever are supporting 4K and HDR, including the new Nvidia Shield, and Panasonic 4K OLED TVs (EZ1000). With over 600 hours of 4K content (including most live-action originals) on Netflix and a growing slate of HDR shows (including recently launched The OA and the entire Marvel slate), consumers will get the best and most exciting picture quality available today.

We’re off to a great start, and we’re looking forward to keeping you posted on the latest news as we dive into 2017!

Asia’s Special Forces with Terry Schappert Premieres in January on History

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Asia’s Special Forces with Terry Schappert premieres 22 and 29 January, Sundays, with back-to-back episodes at 7pm and 7:30 pm on History.

In this four-part special, host U.S. Special Forces veteran Terry Shappert takes an inside look into Asia’s Special Forces from the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan and the grueling training they undergo.

With comparative analysis from his experiences as a Green Beret, Terry examines in detail how Asia’s Special Forces equip themselves with highly specialized skills and brand new combat capabilities in preparation for today’s modern warfare. He discusses how loyalty has forged a bond among the members of these elite military units as they continue to protect one another and defend their countries at all costs.

HISTORY is available on Sky Cable Ch 67; Cable Link Ch 43; Dream Satellite Ch 30; Destiny Cable Ch 57; and Cignal Ch 125. HISTORY HD is available on Sky Cable Ch 165.

BGC Arts Center Festival: Revealing Facets Of Modern Filipino Performance Artistry

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Firing off a passionate start for 2017, the BGC Arts Center will celebrate its identity as the home of the Filipino artist. True to its word, it will launch a 2-day Arts Festival on January 14-15, hosting performances and events that will illuminate the many layers that modern Filipino artists are animating to give voice to the range of the human condition.

The BGC Arts Center is the centerpiece of BGC’s Cultural District. A project of the non-profit, Bonifacio Art Foundation, Inc., it is the first and only stand-alone theater established through private donations. It is dedicated to providing a cultural and educational experience that will inspire the public to explore their creative side and embrace Filipino artistry. A collaboration by award-winning architects and designers, the BGC Arts Center is composed of the Maybank Performing Arts Theater, the Alveo Central Plaza, and the Sun Life Amphitheater.

The BGC Arts Center Festival is aligned with how the Bonifacio Art Foundation, Inc. (BAFI) recognizes the integral role of culture, the appreciation of art and its meaning, in a city’s identity. Aiming to keep art alive and accessible through various cultural activities, BAFI endeavours to make art a way of life that everyone can share together.

Making BAFI’s mandate come alive is the range, from totally original Filipino creations to brilliant local adaptations of works with universal themes, that the BGC Arts Center Festival is offering.

As such, the festival will have children’s plays from Artist Playground and Kids Acts Philippines, several dance performances by STEPS, staged readings of selected scenes by The Egg Theatre Co., a performance of an original play by Artist Playground, a supremely engaging performance by a pioneer Filipino Improv group, SPIT Manila, an acclaimed local production from Twin Bill Theater, an award-winning original Filipino musical from Philippine Stagers, and opera pieces from MusicArtes, Inc.

Completing the Arts Festival are art talks, outdoor events such as BGC Art Mart that regularly feature the work of local artisans and other surprise offerings at the Sun Life amphitheater.

Check out the BGC Arts Center Festival event page on Facebook for the schedules and details of the performances.

NEC Appoints New President for NEC Philippines to Lead Next Phase of Growth

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NEC Philippines announced today the appointment of Elizabeth Tirona Pangan as its new President, with effect from today. She will be responsible for strengthening and growing NEC’ business in the Philippines.

Ms Pangan has 28 years of business management and operations excellence experience in the IT industry, having worked extensively in sales and operations roles in multi-national companies based in the Philippines.

She started her career at IBM Philippines in 1988 and held several management roles in back office operations. In 2000, Ms Pangan was appointed as Business Partner Relationship Manager where she honed her management skills in building partner and customer relationships which resulted in her achieving consistent sales targets in the organization.

From 2004 to 2012, she worked at Microsoft Philippines and held key roles where she was mainly responsible for business and marketing planning, and drove sales revenue. She later rejoined the company in 2014 as enterprise sales lead, developing and executing sales and organizational strategies for the Enterprise Commercial division of company.

Prior to that in 2013, Ms Pangan was Director of Sales and Marketing in NEC Philippines where she led and managed the Enterprise Sales, Channels and Marketing teams.

“It is an honor for me to be appointed as President of NEC Philippines. NEC Philippines has built a strong reputation in the industry and achieved steady growth by providing its technologies, solutions, services and expertise to the public and private sectors. I look forward to working with the NEC Philippines team to co-create social value with our customers and lead NEC’s next phase of growth in the Philippines,” said Ms Elizabeth Tirona Pangan, President, NEC Philippines.

Ms Pangan replaces Ms Agnes Gervacio who resigned the company in November 2016.

Vitaly Bigdash Dismisses Challenger's Fight Experience Ahead of Title Tiff

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A tough test awaits Vitaly Bigdash as he defends his ONE Middleweight World Championship title for the first time against Burmese mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Aung La N Sang.

The five-round championship clash is scheduled to headline ONE: QUEST FOR POWER, which takes place at the Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta, Indonesia on 14 January.

Bigdash was originally penciled to make his first title defense against Marcin Prachnio, but the highly-touted Polish prospect was forced to withdraw from the bout due to an injury.

Stepping up to the plate is Aung La, who is riding high on a remarkable four-fight winning streak in ONE Championship and has won three of his cage assignments in 2016.

Bigdash, who captured the intricately-crafted ONE Middleweight World Championship belt with a scintillating knockout victory over Igor Svirid in October 2015, is facing the most experienced foe in his nearly five-year prizefighting career.

Aung La has fought in 29 professional matches and has squared off with some of the top middleweight fighters across the globe.

Rene Catalan Expects Big Reward With Win Over Indonesian Foe

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As Rene Catalan crosses paths with a highly-touted prospect like Adrian Matheis, the Filipino fighter sees a big reward if he will play his cards right.

The 38-year-old Iloilo City native is set to square off with Matheis on the undercard of ONE: QUEST FOR POWER, which takes place at the Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta, Indonesia on 14 January.

Catalan hopes that if he secures a decisive win over Matheis, it will grant him a date with Yoshitaka Naito for the ONE Strawweight World Championship belt later this year.

“Every fighter dreams to become a world champion. I really hope that ONE Championship will give me an opportunity to fight for the title in the future. This fight might be the door to a world title fight. Let us all hope for the best,” he said.

Matheis is one of the possible options to lock horns with Naito after winning the ONE: TITLES & TITANS Strawweight Tournament this past August.

The 23-year-old Indonesian standout defeated compatriots Rustam Hutajulu and Roso Nugroho via scintillating knockouts to bring home the tourney trophy.

A victory over Catalan will only strengthen Matheis’ campaign to secure a date with the reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion in 2017.