Hontiveros Hits TESDA Chief for Sexist Remark

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director-General Guiling Mamondiong earned the ire of Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday for saying that women “don’t have time anymore for their spouses because they are powerful”. The TESDA chief made the remark to media while commenting on overseas Filipino workers’ plight abroad.

“We are not your servants”, Hontiveros declared. “On behalf of Filipino women, especially those who work abroad, I’d like to remind the Director-General that our empowerment does not come at men’s expense," she furthered.

Hontiveros, who is also the Chair of the Senate Committee on Women, said that Mamondiong may have an outdated view of women and gender-relations.

“I respectfully ask the Director-General to clarify his remark and his views on women. It is not within men’s rights to dictate what role women should play whether it is at home or work," Hontiveros said.

The senator also pointed out the irony of Mamondiong's remark that was made while the country celebrates Women's Month. “It seems that we still have a long way to go, not only in educating our people but also our public officials on gender sensitivity and equality”, she said.

“The TESDA chief's sexist outlook reinforces societal structures that deny women our rights and the implementation of policies that are oppressive to us," Hontiveros said.

Vibrainium: Set to Discover the Strongest Brain Marketing Approach

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Get ready to wear your capes of excellence and unleash the versatile superhero inside you! Break stereotypes in a world of ordinary mortals. Be the VIBRAINIUM!

A much awaited seminar entitled “Vibrainium: Discovering the Strongest Brain Marketing Approach” will be dominating on the 20th of March 2017, Monday at Polytechnic University of the Philippines Theatre, College of Communication.

The title itself is acquired from the Marvel’s highly acclaimed fictional term “Vibrainium” which is considered as the strongest metal across the universe. It is commonly known as one of the materials used to construct the shield of Captain America. As the term suggests the said seminar will unveil the strongest approach in brain marketing.

The event is organized by the 4-2nates Productions, an assembly of creative and talented marketing students from PUP Manila. It will explicitly set to commence with the Registration at 11:00AM. The program proper will start at 12:01PM up to 5:00PM.

"Palit-Ulo" Scheme Revealed in Philippines' War on Drugs

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Ma'Rosa, originally titled "Palit-Ulo" (a term referring to the backdoor exchange usually involving corrupt policemen and captured criminals), actually depicts a reality that is happening in the Philippines. We all know that story in this Indie film by Director Brillante Mendoza is really occurring especially in depressed areas.

“They (communities) told us of the ‘palit-ulo’ scheme which means ‘exchange heads’ where the wife, husband or relative in a so-called drug list will be taken if the person himself could not be found.” - VP Leni Robredo

Vice President Leni Robredo recently revealed that government forces use 'palit-ulo' scheme in drug war. She explained it as "substituting a relative if a drug personality fails to appear." She said that when police are not pursuing suspected drug users and pushers, they are allegedly rounding up innocent relatives of individuals on their drug lists. Relatives are snatched if the drug suspect is nowhere to be found! She seeks help from the international community against these "warrantless arrests."

However, Malacañang hit back at the Vice President for misunderstanding the police’s 'palit-ulo' scheme amid the war on drugs. Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Robredo’s statements are unfounded. They said that the 'palit-ulo' is to seek assistance from the drug personalities to squeal on a bigger fish in exchange of getting lighter charges. Malacanang said Robredo was misinformed. The Philippine National Police (PNP) urged Robredo to cite specific cases on the so-called “palit-ulo” scheme in the government’s war on drugs. They requested that she should have reported it first to them so they could conduct an investigation. But many are also demanding for her to recant the erroneous information.