CALABARZON Dominates 2018 National Schools Press Conference, Festival of Talents

Wazzup Pilipinas!

SharCALABARZON brought home back-to-back victories after being declared the overall champion of this year’s National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) and National Festival of Talents (NFOT) held in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.

National Schools Press Conference 

CALABARZON (Region IV-A) has been bagging the NSPC championship for six years in a row. In 2018, it dominated the individual, group, and school paper contests held from February 19 to 23 at different venues, including Silliman University, St. Louis School-Don Bosco, Catherina Cittadini School, Asian College, and Dumaguete City High School.

Region III (Central Luzon) was the first runner-up, followed by the National Capital Region (NCR), Region V (Bicol Region), and Region IV-B (MIMAROPA).

The Department of Education’s (DepEd) Bureau of Curriculum Development (BCD), in coordination with Bureau of Learning Delivery (BLD), spearheaded the NSPC, with the theme, “Embracing ASEAN Integration: Campus Journalists’ Role in Advancing Inclusive Education.”

Individual contests included news, features, editorial, sports, Science and Technology, and column/opinion writing; photojournalism; copyreading and headline writing; and editorial cartooning, while the group contests were composed of radio script writing and broadcasting, TV script writing and broadcasting; collaborative desktop publishing; and online publishing.

The school paper contest awarded the best news, features, editorial, Science and Technology, and sports sections, as well as the best layout and page design, and the overall best school papers.

The outstanding campus journalists and school paper advisers per region were also given recognition in a separate awarding ceremony held on February 22.

National Festival of Talents 

CALABARZON also won the overall championship in the 2018 NFOT also held in Dumaguete City from February 20 to 22.

NCR won first runner-up, followed by Ilocos Region. Central Luzon and Central Visayas won third and fourth runners-up, respectively.

With the theme, “Pagkilala sa Kulturang Filipino Tungo sa Kapayapaan, Pagkakaisa, at Pagbabago,” NFOT showcased the richness of Filipino culture, as well as the diversity of skills and talents of secondary school learners, as well as learners from the Alternative Learning System (ALS), through their products, services, and performances.

The exhibition areas were categorized into five, namely: Technolympics; Sining Tanghalan; Pambansang Tagisan ng Talento sa Filipino; Special Program in Foreign Language (SPFL); and the National Population Development (PopDev) for Social Studies.

Events and contests on Technolympics included automotive servicing, electronics product assembly and servicing, and electrical installation and maintenance (Industrial Arts); cookery, dress making, and beauty care (Home Economics); food preservation and packaging, food processing, and landscape installation and maintenance (Agri-Fishery Arts); and webpage designing, technical drafting, and computer systems servicing (ICT). Each region also showcased the products and services of their schools and learning centers through their booths during the festival’s bazaar exhibit.

The Sining Tanghalan, meanwhile, showcased the learners’ skills and talents in dance, music, visual and media arts, creative writing, and theater arts, while the Tagisan ng Talentofeatured talents on impromptu speaking and interpretative reading. 

The contests for PopDev included debate, quiz, essay writing, poster making, and jingle writing and singing. Finally, the SPFL showcased characters on parade, singing idols, and quiz whizzes.

The banners of the two national events were officially turned over to Ilocos Region – the host of the 2019 NFOT and NSPC – during the awarding and closing ceremonies held at Lamberto Macias Cultural and Sports Complex on February 22 and 23, respectively.

The NSPC and NFOT are annual events of the Department, the former being dubbed as the “Olympics of campus journalism,” and the latter known as the official venue for the learners’ skills exhibition.

The complete list of winners shall be released through an official DepEd Memorandum.

Ringstar’s Michael Dasmarinas Shows PH Media What He's Made Of

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Ringstar’s Michael “Gloves on Fire” Dasmarinas, impressed the packed crowd at Kerry Sports at Shangri-La at the Fort, with his speed and strong punches, at an open media workout held recently.

He is set to take on French boxer Karim Guerfi on April 20, 2018, and both are eyeing the IBO world title in the main card of Ringstar’s ‘Roar of Singapore IV - Night of Champions’, to be held at the 10,000-seater Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Dasmarinas who is currently ranked 12th by WBC says, “Suportahan niyo po ako at pagdasal sa laban na ito sa April 20 sa Singapore, at sana po manalo tayo.  Hindi lang po ito para sa pamilya ko, para sa bansa din natin ito.”  (Please support and pray for my fight on April 20 in Singapore, I hope we win.  This is not only for my family, it is also for the country.

Ringstar Boxing, Asia’s fastest growing sports media property has now reached an overwhelming broadcast footprint of over a potential billion viewers across the globe, and is currently gearing up for its April 20 show, ‘The Roar of Singapore IV – ‘Night of Champions’, to be held at the 10,000-seater Singapore Indoor Stadium. 

Tickets are now available at www.sportshub.com.sg/RoarofSG4.  

Ticket prices for VVIP tables at SGD 5,000, with early bird rates at SGD 4,000, up to March 20, 2018.  This includes a 4-course dinner with free-flowing wine and beer, VVIP gift bag which includes Ringstar shirts, corporate branding on the table, half-page ad in the fight program, exclusive VIP entrance and red-carpet access and photo opportunities with top celebrities and world-renowned athletes.

Category 1 Seats are at SGD 48, with early bird rates at SGD 38.  While Stadium Seats are at SGD 38, with early bird rates at SGD 28.  

Promo code ‘RINGSTAR’ will entitle ticket buyers 50% off the rates, over and above the early bird rate, (for tickets only).  

Sponsors and Partners of ‘Night of Champions’ include Roomaif International and Alexandre Christie.

For more information on promo codes and ‘RoarofSG4’, please visitwww.sportshub.com.sg/roarofsg4 


Photo Caption: Ringstar’s Michael Dasmarinas who topbills ‘Roar of Singapore IV - Night of Champions’ at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on April 20, shows off his wares at a packed open workout at Kerry Sports at Shangri-La, BGC.

STEM Expo 2018: Innovations Expo to Provide Scientific Solutions

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Expo (STEM EXPO 2018) is happening this weekend, March 10-11, at the SMX Convention Center Manila

Proudly presented by the Philippine Society of Youth Science Clubs, DOSTv, Felta MultiMedia, SMX Convention Center Manila, and Unilab Foundation, the event is a two-day innovations expo aiming to provide scientific solutions to problems of society and the community. Open to the public!

Co-presented by Orange Segment Print and Design Studio and Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI), in cooperation with Enchanted Kingdom and John Robert Powers Manila, together with our official backpack partner Hawk, experience ideas, innovation, exhibits, robotics, talks, and film shows for as low as P120!

With our official ticket partner, SM Tickets, buy your tickets online via smtickets.com/events/view/6491 or purchase at any of its outlets nationwide! For inquiries and reservations, please call 470-2222.

This cool event is also brought to us by Kumu, Fennel, IdeaSpace Philippines, LEXI, Philippine Science Centrum, Museo Pambata, Adarna House, WIP PH, SouthRepublik, UP Materials Science Society, and Edukasyon.ph! See and check out their booths for cool, cool freebies and prizes!

Along with our official partner organizations, Association for Computing Machinery - UP Diliman Student Chapter, Inc., UP IECEP, Ateneo Electronics and Computer Engineering Society, Computer Society of the Ateneo ¤, JPCS - FEU Institute of Technology, and official media partners, DZUP 1602 Kasali Ka!, DLSU-D 95.9 Green FM, MAGIS Radio, TOMCAT (Tomasian Media Circle and Talents), UST Tiger Radio, Herotv, NoInk, philstar.com, SparkUp, Wazzup Pilipinas, and FlipScience, we're gonna get the culture of ideation and innovation started among the youth!

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/psysc.stemex for more updates!

#STEMEX2018 #Ideas2Innovation

Hitachi Vantara Labs Introduces Machine Learning Model Management To Accelerate Model Deployment and Reduce Business Risk

Wazzup Pilipinas!

New Capabilities Monitor, Test, Retrain and Redeploy Predictive Models, Enabling Greater Algorithmic Transparency and Faster Business Outcomes

Hitachi Vantara, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. ,announced last March 6, 2018 additional capabilities for machine learning orchestration to help data scientists monitor, test, retrain and redeploy supervised models in production. An innovation fromHitachi Vantara Labs, collectively known as “machine learning model management,” can use these new tools in a data pipeline built in Pentaho to help improve business outcomes and reduce risk by making it easier to update models in response to continual change. Improved transparency gives people inside organizations better insights and confidence in their algorithms. Hitachi Vantara Labs is making machine learning model management available as a plug-in through the Pentaho Marketplace.

As organizations transform digitally, their algorithms become a key competitive advantage – and potentially a risk. Once a model is in production, it must be monitored, tested and retrained continually in response to changing conditions, then redeployed. Today this work involves considerable manual effort and, consequently, is often done infrequently. When this happens, prediction accuracy will deteriorate and impact the profitability of data-driven businesses.

David Menninger, ‎SVP & Research Director, Ventana Research, said, “According to our research, two-thirds of organizations do not have an automated process to seamlessly update their predictive analytics models. As a result, less than one-quarter of machine learning models are updated daily, approximately one-third are updated weekly and just over half are updated monthly. Out-of-date models can create significant risk to organizations.”

New data science model management improves the process of machine learning deployments in three areas:

Get models into production faster: New machine learning orchestration steps support data and feature engineering. These steps evaluate models and improve their accuracy using real production data before going live. For further model tuning and to avoid overfitting, data operations teams can generalize models against production test data using a choice of cross-validation and holdout evaluation techniques. Algorithm-specific data preparation and cleaning tasks – also referred to as “last mile data prep” – are now automated. Operations teams can adjust model parameters using a simple GUI instead of writing and maintaining code, which frees data scientists to develop new models.

Maximize model accuracy, while in production: Once a model is in production, its accuracy typically degrades as new production data runs through it. To avoid this, a new range of evaluation statistics helps to identify degraded models. Rich visualizations and reports make it easier to analyze model performance and uncover errors. When updates or changes occur, new “challenger” models can be easily A/B-tested against the current “champion” models. Since test results are returned faster the model can be adjusted sooner.

Collaborate and govern model operations at scale:More organizations are demanding visibility into how algorithms make decisions. Lack of transparency often leads to poor collaboration in groups deploying and maintaining models including operations teams, data scientists, data engineers, developers and application architects. These new capabilities from Hitachi Vantara promote collaboration, providing data lineage of model steps and visibility of data sources and features that feed the model. This greater transparency allows data and data pipelines to be easily shared, standardized and reused across teams allowing new machine learning applications to be built faster. Benefiting from an enterprise-grade platform, the machine learning model steps are embedded into data pipelines and can run large data volumes in a highly available and secure environment.

“Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) are optimizing everything from customer interactions to enterprise operations. As these applications evolve, data scientist and IT operation teams will need to move newly trained models into production faster than ever before, which can jeopardize model accuracy, collaboration and governance,” said John Magee, VP, product marketing, Hitachi Vantara. “Hitachi Vantara Labs’ machine learning model management provides improved algorithmic transparency and automation so application teams can focus their efforts on innovating rapidly without risking model deterioration.”

From Mat to Cage: Garry Tonon Confident in Repeating BJJ Magic in Debut vs Filipino Talent

Wazzup Pilipinas!

For the past couple of decades, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been spreading like wildfire, gaining worldwide recognition and becoming the most well-known submission-orientated combat style among the grappling arts.

Since modern mixed martial arts opened its doors to Brazil’s concept of Jiu-Jitsu, the style has been put to the test against other extremely effective grappling arts in a variety of point systems and promotions.

Jiu-Jitsu is one of the most important elements of the sport, and many grapplers have made the successful switch from the mat to the cage.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon has racked up a boatload of accomplishments as a celebrated grappler, and he is now ready to take his talents to the ONE Championship cage to begin a mixed martial arts career.

Tonon’s journey as a professional mixed martial artist commences on 24 March as he is slated to make his debut in ONE Championship, taking on Filipino stalwart Richard “The Notorious” Corminal.

Both men are set to face each other at ONE: IRON WILL, which takes place at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

“It is the natural evolution in my career as a grappler,” Tonon said. “I have achieved all that I have set out to do in the world of Jiu-Jitsu, and now I am ready to take on a new challenge.”

A fixture in global grappling tournaments and widely considered one of the best submission grapplers in history, Tonon made his first appearance inside the ONE Championship cage when he took on Japanese legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki in the promotion’s first-ever Grappling Super-Match in May 2017.

The 26-year-old American grappling prodigy won the contest against Aoki impressively via heel hook submission.

Hailing from New Jersey in the United States, Tonon began wrestling in primary school, competing as an amateur before being introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 14.

Under the tutelage of coach Tom deBlass and the legendary Ricardo Almeida, Tonon would go on to win multiple IBJJF No-Gi world championships in different belts.

In September 2013, Tonon’s hard work on the mat finally paid off as deBlass and Almeida awarded him a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Shortly after, his professional grappling career began as Tonon would later win multiple titles at the Eddie Bravo Invitational and Metamoris professional grappling leagues.

Determined to make a name for himself in the next chapter of his martial arts career, Tonon will be making his highly-anticipated professional debut at ONE: IRON WILL on 24 March.

“I am excited to begin my ONE Championship career, and proud to showcase my skills on the biggest global stage of competition,” he stated.

In his maiden assignment under the ONE Championship banner, Tonon crosses paths with Corminal, a Filipino martial artist based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia who is training out of MuayFit.

Corminal holds a professional record of four wins and three losses, with each of his career victories to date coming by way of knockout.

In his most recent bout, Corminal succumbed to Frenchman Arnaud LePont by way of submission in the first round this past November.

Corminal now aims for redemption as he eyes to spoil the much-awaited first appearance of Tonon in ONE Championship.

“I do not know what will happen in the match, but I am so excited because I like challenges,” Tonon pointed out. “Success is a future for only those able to see the value in facing challenges. Surely, I will exert tremendous effort in this new career path of mine.”

On the mat, Tonon owns notable victories over mixed martial artists such as Aoki, Dillon Danis, Beneil Dariush, Marcin Held, Gilbert Burns, Vinny Magalhaes and Ralek Gracie.

With an illustrious grappling career behind him, Tonon seeks to emulate the success of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners like BJ Penn, Royce Gracie and Demian Maia, who rose to prominence by trading their Gis for four-ounce gloves.

“When I found Jiu-Jitsu, I realized that if I wanted to be good at this, I needed to put the actual work in. I will do the same thing in the new chapter of my martial arts career because I really do want to be the best at this,” he assured.

As the sport continues to evolve with the rise and incorporation of other martial arts disciplines, Tonon made it clear that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu will always have a high regard for him.

“By heart, I will always be a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner.  There are so many great athletes who paved the way for young competitors like me and made these two sports what it is today. I will represent the art of Jiu-Jitsu with pride inside the cage,” he ended.

​

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

It’s a Galileorrific Summer 2018!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Summer is fast approaching. Students are starting to anticipate their summer vacation -- which means freedom from homework, quizzes, and long tests. However, we all know the all too familiar story: after a week of playing games and watching television, they will be complaining that they are bored. Parents are also not too keen on letting the television and gadgets babysit their kids during the two-month break so as early as now, they are already on the look out for summer programs that will keep their students occupied, without sacrificing any learning opportunities.

In comes Galileo Enrichment Learning Program, which has been providing students with fun learning experiences all year round. Besides the regular enrichment programs in English, Math, and Singapore Math, Galileo also has summer programs that teaches important life skills. Galileo understands that the world is rapidly changing and students should be equipped with certain skills that are not usually taught inside the classroom.

                                                                  

The Summer Learning Camp: Zoofari is a program for young learners aged 2 to 4. Through themed modules of plants and animals, students will develop his/her fine motor skills, musicality, and creativity, while learning basic numeracy and literacy skills.

# of sessions	15 sessions per module
Module A	April 9-27, 2018 (Animals)
Module B	May 7-25, 2018 (Plants)
Fee	P 600 Registration Fee P 3,000 1 Module P 5,500 2 Modules

Kiddie Cooking Camp: Cooking with Numbers is a cooking and baking program for students aged 5 to 11 years old. Kids will develop their love for culinary arts and gain confidence in the kitchen while learning about different dishes from different countries around the world.

# of sessions	5 sessions
Module 1 Module 2 Module 3 Module 4 Module 5	Sweet Snack (England) Appetizer (Italy) Breakfast (France) Healthy Appetizer (Vietnam) Healthy Lunch Box (Japan)
Fee	P 5000

Money Smart Camp is a basic financial literacy and junior entrepreneur program for students aged 8 to 12 years old. Awareness and responsibility towards money should be taught at a young age

# of sessions	8 sessions per module
Module A	April 9-27, 2018 (Money Matters for Kids)
Module B	May 7-25, 2018 (Junior Entrepreneurs)
Fee	P 1,800

Now on it’s 5th year, the Digital Summer Camp touches on the technology side of learning. This program is in cooperation with Power Mac Center and is for students aged 9 to 14. This coding and STEM program teaches students innovation, creativity, and critical thinking through the use of digital tools and state of the art Apple devices.

# of sessions	5 sessions
Module 1 Module 2 Module 3 Module 4 Module 5	Robotics and Programming Animation Game Design and Development 3D Architecture Jr. Electronics
Fee	P 5,500

These programs are offered in select centers nationwide from April to May 2018. For more information and availability of slots, contact the Galileo Head Office at (02) 845-1234 or send an email to info@galileoenrichment.com.

Want Better Skin? Use These 7 Tips!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Better skin is an aspiration for many and can really give you a lot more confidence - so how do you achieve it?

1) Ditch Any Chemicals You Can:

Things like chemical peels or ingredients such as salicylic acid might be tempting to reach for if you want to clear up your skin problems. On the other hand, quite a few skin products that are chemically based not only have possibly harmful ingredients, they're also likely to exacerbate skin problems or dry out your skin excessively. If you want to take a kinder, gentler approach to fighting acne, choose natural ingredients you can use for spot-fighting, like manuka honey or tea tree oil. Manuka honey has both antiseptic and antimicrobial properties for spot-fighting, but also has the added benefit of being able to reduce the marks and scarring that spots might leave behind.

2) Utilize Makeup That Fights Spots:

Everyone knows what a bad skin day is like, the ones where you just want to hide yourself under many layers of makeup. On the other hand, whereas makeup might hide your spots for a short while, it can also exacerbate the problem. If you want coverage that boosts your confidence in your appearance but not your flare-ups, then choose for non-comedogenic makeup which doesn't clog pores. If you want to increase the spot-fighting powers of your cosmetics even more, then consider the use of any mineral makeup that contains zinc oxide, which fights against acne-causing bacteria.

3) Enjoy Sips Of Spearmint Tea:

Acne is typically the result of hormones known as androgens, which have the power to over-stimulate your sebaceous glands, meaning you wind up with oily skin, spots, and blocked pores. If you want to counteract such effects, you might be prescribed oral contraceptives, if you're a woman. While these contraceptive pills might prove advantageous in clearing spots, they also have side effects which range from inconvenient to dangerous. Fortunately, some research indicates that you can enjoy similar anti-androgen properties from spearmint tea, to better mitigate hormonal imbalances and reduce acne in women.

4) Reduce How Much Contact Your Skin Has With Bacteria:

You might be shocked to learn just how frequently your skin makes contact with germs and dirt that cause acne. When you're asleep, your pillow is in frequent contact with your makeup, saliva, and skin oils, which makes it a bacterial breeding ground that can make acne worse. In a similar vein, you can spread bacteria around your skin with unwashed makeup brushes. If you want to minimize how much contact your skin has with bacteria, be sure to change your pillowcases frequently and make sure that you wash all makeup brushes roughly every two weeks. Also, don't touch your face unless you have too. You might even want to clean your phone off with antibacterial wipes when you make or receive calls.

5) Clean You Skin Appropriately:

If you personally suffer from skin that is oily or even just acne-prone, you'll likely find it quite tempting to over-clean the skin to kill off bacteria and dry out oils. On the other hand, cleaning your skin too often or even using hard cleansers might dry your skin out, causing the very flakiness that clogs pores. It might even cause your skin to start more oil production in order to compensate. Rather, try washing your skin twice daily with a PH-neutral and gentle cleanser so you don't destroy your skin's acid mantle, which is what protects it against both bacteria and moisture loss. Remove your cleanser with a piece of muslin cloth so your skin is slightly exfoliated. According to Dore Aesthetics this care will also help with wrinkles in the longer term.

6) Alter Your Diet:

A balanced diet with a multitude of antioxidants and nutrients is among the key factors behind skin that looks beautiful. On the other hand, there do exist particular foods you should either cut back on or even eat more of if you want to reduce spots. Research indicates that dairy is a leading cause of acne thanks to the hormones in it. Food packaging and plastic water bottles also leach out chemicals that contribute to hormone imbalances. Swap out packaged foods for skin-friendly fresh produce, including copious veggies, fruits, and anything rich in the omega-3 fatty acids.

7) Manage Your Stress:

The Archives of Dermatology journal published research that indicates high levels of stress make acne much worse. It's thought that this might happen because stress stimulates more production of hormones that are known to boost oil production within the sebaceous glands of the skin. Stress is also known to expedite chemical release that triggers inflammation. If you want to help your skin stay clear and spot-free, try finding healthy ways to handle stress, be it pampering, exercise, or meditation. If you need help relieving worries, try talking through your problems with somebody else.

Portrait of Antonette Agnis
HMUA: Princeloyd Abella
Photography by Collin Yap

Benilde Film "Amy" Wins Back-to-Back at ASEANnale 2018, 9th Largabista Festival

Wazzup Pilipinas!

A short film on grief, memories, past experiences and a loved one, who has presumably died from a disaster, scored consecutive victories in the ASEAN Biennale or ASEANnale 2018 at the Asian Center in UP Diliman and at the 9th Largabista Film Festival in Tacloban, Leyte.

Amy, written and directed by De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Digital Filmmaking student John Craig "Jaig" de Guzman, tied for the Best Narrative Film award with Mission Accomplished by Eidref Kristin Faith Magpayo of Centro Escolar University-Malolos at the first ASEANnale Film and Multimedia Competition awarding ceremonies held last March 2.

De Guzman's entry also won Best Short Film and Best Editing at the Largabista Film Festival awards night held last March 3 onboard the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, which is docked at the Tacloban city port as part of its climate justice ship tour in Southeast Asia. The city is known as “ground zero” of the devastating typhoon where over 7,000 people died last November 8, 2013. 

Chloe Tabanda plays Amy, who now lives in the mind of her boyfriend Mark after dying from the havoc caused by Typhoon Yolanda, while Seaver Choyessays the role of Mark, who tries to seek answers to his existential questions while living in a state of delirium.

GMA news reporter John Paul Soriano, who represented the UP Film Institute, brought home the ASEANnale Best Film and Best Documentary Film for Recto while the ASEANnale Special Jury Award went to Pipo by Richard Legaspi of University of the East-Caloocan. 

Gilbert Baldoza, also from UPFI, won the top prize in the animation category for Kinalimutan Natin ang mga Bata while Edmund del Rosario's Beautiful Soul and Donnie Ray Ipan's Kapit, both from the University of Makati, took honorable mention.

Hide and Seek by Nur Anis Zulaikha binti Ahmad and Che Mat Ruzinoor bagged the Best Interactive Multimedia prize. Dr. Ahmad Hisham bin Zainal Abidin of Universiti Utara Malaysia received the trophy and cash prize on their behalf.

Meanwhile, Che de los Reyes of the Ateneo de Manila University and Jerald Yucot of the University of Makati bagged honorable mention awards in the documentary film category for Who's Behind the Trump's Effigy at the ASEAN Summit in Manila? and Puti (White), respectively.

Diwa by Ma. Daniella Louise Borrero from the UP College of Mass Communication and En-Route by Anna Ma. Elizabeth Cañas-Llamas of UP Los Baños also got honorable mention certificates in the experimental film category. 

In the public service announcement category, Nancy Galang and Lynda Garcia of Upholding Life and Nature won honorable mention for their PSA PWD Sensitivity Video.

ASEANnale gathered academics, experts, filmmakers, multimedia artists, and scholars celebrating the unique ASEAN perspectives and narratives. The three-day event centered on the theme Capturing the Spirit of ASEAN in the Digital Times and the sub-themes Diaspora, Disasters and Democracy.

ASEANnale 2018 Film and Multimedia Competition Director Arminda Santiago, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) International Affairs Staff Director Lily Milla and ASEANnale 2018 Organizing Committee Chair Dr. Grace Javier Alfonso facilitated the awarding of trophies, certificates and cash prizes.

Dubbed by Dr. Alfonso as "a festival of ideas in multi-modal and multi-textual spaces," ASEANnale is a composite of activities that showcases the creative and research works of higher education students and faculty from ASEAN member countries. It is a project of CHED, UP Open University, UP Asian Center, UP College of Mass Communication, TVUP and the UP System in collaboration with the UP Open University Foundation Inc. and the Philippines Communication Society.

Another Benilde film, Auntwo Susan, directed by Andrea Arias and Mia Rosero, won Best Cinematography for director of photography Yves Jamero and Best Actress in a Lead Role for Sherry Lara, who plays the title role. The short film tells the story of a 50-year old woman (Lara) who reconnects with her former neighbor (Kate Alejandrino) and together they settle problems about home. 

Other Benilde films which made it to Largabista's list of finalists are Kaming Mga Nakakulong by Michael Pagaduan and Obra ng Maestro by Anna Francesca Coronel. They competed with eight other short film finalists. 

Aaron J.P. Almadro, editor in chief and creative director of 8 Magazine, spearheaded the film festival along with fellow organizers Greenspeace Southeast Asia-Philippines, led by its country director Amalie Obusan, and Sinerangan, co-founded by film director Gianfranco C. Morciano.

Angat ang Sarap ng Kape with Krem -Top diba Alex Gonzaga?

Wazzup Pilipinas! 

Hello Alex! Kaya pala ma crema ang coffee collection ko hahaha. Ang daming chizmax kanina with the famous celebrity vlogger Alex Gonzaga #showbiz #wazzuppilipinas #coffee #angatangsarapwithkremetop #mybagongtimpla #alexgonzaga @kremtopph #vlogger #celebrity #blogger

I can say that the rise and fall benchmark of anybody's lovelife and career is just a substantial amount of coffee maybe. Kremtop coffee local creamer enhances its taste. The creamer the better... Kaya ang sarap nito visit facebook.com/kremtopph 

Gov. Imee Marcos Plans Senate Bid, Invites Tourists to Ilocos Norte 200th Anniversary

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos confirmed to media that she’s thinking of running for the Senate in 2019 but is still now “50/50” on this decision until final consultations with her mother Congresswoman Imelda Romualdez Marcos and other kin, she said this at Kamuning Bakery Café’s non-partisan Pandesal Forum. Despite the Feb. 6 fire which burned down Quezon City’s pioneer, iconic, 79-year-old Kamuning Bakery Café, the previously scheduled forum with media proceeded at a temporary venue.

Governor Marcos expressed her strong support for “the successful socio-economic, foreign policy and political reforms of President Rody R. Duterte” which she said have sustained, fast and more inclusive Philippine economic growth. One of the tangible benefits of the country’s robust economic growth is booming tourism not only nationwide, but also to Ilocos Norte such as the arrivals of Star Cruise tourist groups and others enjoying the historic, cultural and numerous unique eco-tourism wonders of Ilocos Norte province.

Governor Imee Marcos announced also that Ilocos Norte has launched their year-long celebration of the bicentennial or 200th anniversary celebration of the creation of the province starting in February 2018. She welcomes more tourists and investors to visit their province.  

In response to recent problems of Boracay, Governor Marcos said that her province of Ilocos Norte recognizes that it cannot accommodate many millions of mass tourists yearly but would prefer to cater to manageable numbers of tourists in order to enhance the ecology, nature, sustainability, and beauty of the province.

Governor Imee Marcos lamented the delays in the on-going election protest case of her younger brother former Senator Bongbong Marcos and expects a recount of provincial votes in Camarines Sur to start soon.

When asked if her running for the Senate in 2019 is due to their efforts to rehabilitate the legacy of their father the late President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, Governor Imee Marcos said that her possible running or the vice-presidential bid of Bongbong Marcos, all that have nothing to do with their father’s legacy. She stressed that President Marcos’ legacy can stand on its own based on his solid accomplishments in massive infrastructures, socio-economic welfare programs, a more independent foreign policy of the Philippines befriending all the world’s big powers, etc., and that nothing they---his children---shall do or not do, can change his legacy for future historians and future generations to judge dispassionately and objectively.

Governor Imee Marcos added that her family has endured 32 years of criticisms by critics and political foes on the alleged wrongs of their father’s administration, but they are also gratified that more people---especially millenials and the youth---are also giving due recognition to the numerous contributions of President Marcos to nation-building and development.

When asked why at the Panagbenga Festival, she and former Senator Bongbong Marcos were allegedly campaigning there, she said some critics are exaggerating the issue, but she and her brother were grateful for the warm welcome of Baguio people and they were very touched to witness that there’s still the “Solid North” unity of many Ilocano people.  

On the Marcos wealth issue, Governor Imee Marcos said that there is nothing concrete yet on this issue, but she hopes that proper representatives from their family and the government can thresh out something during the term of President Duterte, because she and her family trust that Duterte shall be sincere and capable in putting to good use for the public welfare whatever money to be returned. In reply to questions, she said she still had no idea the exact amount of money to be negotiated.

On what her top priorities shall be as possible Senator, Governor Imee Marcos cited these top 3 advocacies---First, the construction of better, modern nationwide and provincial public transportation systems to benefit rural development and economic development; Second, ensuring cheaper consumer prices and putting in place social safety nets for ordinary and poor families to protect them from high prives; Third, reforms to create millions of new jobs. She said that her advocacies mainly support the progressive, pro-people and comprehensive reforms by the strong-willed President Duterte. She urged all leaders and citizens to unite in supporting the government’s reform efforts.

On the recent controversy about the new Bagani TV series of ABS CBN, Governor Imee Marcos said she and Ilocos Norte province enthusiastically support “this beautiful, well-made, and interesting TV series” which was set and shot in the natural locations of their province. She believes this project doesn’t dis respe3ct our cultural minorities or indigenous peoples. Governor Imee Marcos encouraged the public to watch this new TV series, also congratulating Liza Soberano, Enrique Gil, Matteo Guidecilli, Sofia Andres and others behind the project for their good talents, their creativity, and professionalism.

Herself a former movie producer, head of the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines (ECP) and producer of classic Filipino films like Nora Aunor’s multi-awarded “Himala”, Governor Imee Marcos said she is thinking of again going into movie production to boost support for Philippine cinema and arts. She also welcomed local and international film producers and others to continue using the beautiful and “lucky” Ilocos Norte province as location for their projects, citing the box office successes and critical acclaim of many movie and TV projects shot there through the decades.