Catholic Student Councils, Student Leaders Push for SOGIE Equality Bill

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Student leaders from Catholic schools in Metro Manila will hold a press conference urging the public to support the SOGIE Equality bill in the Senate on Wednesday, March 14.

A big flower heart with the message #EqualityNow will be in display in the press conference as the students pose with heart hand signs and placards urging the passage of the SOGIE Equality Bill.  

The student leaders, advocates and allies will be launching the Fight for Love. Fight for Equality rally on Saturday, March 17, 2018 at 5PM in People Power Monument to show popular support for the bill protecting LGBT+ Filipinos from discrimination.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Wednesday, March 14, 2018, 10AM

Max’s Orosa, Ermita, Manila

Warriors Launch Chatbot on Global Messaging Platform Rakuten Viber

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"Warriors Become First NBA Team With Official Account On Rakuten Viber"

The 2017 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors are the first NBA team to launch an account on the messaging platform Rakuten Viber. The Warriors will use Rakuten Viber to communicate directly with fans on a global scale, including through tools such as a chat bot, a free sticker pack, and weekly trivia contests.

The Warriors’ chat bot will provide fans with instant access to schedule information, standings, team news, team videos, tickets and live in-game score updates. It is currently available in the following 10 languages, including the native languages of Warriors center Zaza Pachulia (Georgian) and Warriors forward Omri Casspi (Hebrew):

•         English
•         Bulgarian
•         Croatian
•         Georgian
•         Greek
•         Hebrew
•         Hungarian
•         Russian
•         Serbian
•         Ukrainian

The Warriors free sticker pack, which features every member of the Warriors roster, will be available to Rakuten Viber users beginning February 27. Stickers are a prevalent form of communication on Viber, and the Warriors sticker pack will provide users with the opportunity to express themselves with custom Warriors player images via messaging. Fans will also be able to participate in weekly trivia for a variety of exclusive prizes, including autographed memorabilia or a meet and greet with a Warriors player.

“Adding Rakuten Viber to our portfolio of digital marketing efforts is crucial for us to continue our global growth as a brand,” said Jennifer Millet, Golden State Warriors Vice President of Marketing and Digital. “As the game of basketball expands around the world, and especially with the international players on our roster, Rakuten Viber provides the perfect vehicle for us to directly interact with our fans around the world.”

Rakuten Viber, the official instant messaging and calling app partner of the Golden State Warriors, has reached more than 900 million registered users since 2010.

For more information on the Golden State Warriors 2017-18 season, presented by Kaiser Permanente, visit warriors.com.


Rakuten Viber connects people. No matter who they are, or where they are from. Their global user base has access to a range of features like one-on-one chats, video calls, group messaging, and updates and discussions with their favorite brands and celebrities. They ensure their users have a secure and free environment to share their emotions.

Rakuten Viber is part of Rakuten Inc., a world leader in e-commerce and financial services. It is the official communication channel of FC Barcelona, and the official instant messaging and calling app partner of the Golden State Warriors.

Join Viber today and enjoy the world’s best communication experience.

Interim Result of the Independent Audit and Assessment on the 48 Dalian Trains

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The audit and assessment of TUV Rheinland on the Dalian trains is substantially completed, but not yet concluded.

TUV Rheinland is the independent certified certifier contracted to audit and assess the entire MRT-3 system in general, and the Dalian trains in particular.

According to TUV Rheinland’s Interim Report, additional information and documentation on design and validation evidence are still being obtained, and further type and routine tests are still to be conducted.

Among the tests that TUV Rheinland recommended to be conducted is a weighing test of the Dalian trains in Manila, because the previous project team for the project failed to attend and witness the weight testing done in Dalian, China in November 2015. 

According to TUV Rheinland, the weighing test should be done to eliminate any doubts, and so DOTr MRT-3 can witness and formally sign off on the trains’ weight.

Assessing the Dalian trains’ safety, compatibility with MRT-3, and compliance with their Terms of Reference, through a highly qualified, independent, and ISO certified certifier, with extensive experience in the certification of trains, has always been the DOTr’s approach in resolving the Dalian trains issue, which is consistent with prudent international industry practice.

Knowing that the Dalian trains will affect the safety of hundreds of thousands of MRT-3 passengers daily, the DOTr and MRT-3 management will ensure that the necessary processes are observed in their assessment.

We will not leave stones unturned, especially on the issue of safety. WE WILL DO IT RIGHT THIS TIME.

Regardless of the independent assessment’s outcome, this administration remains committed in running after the officials that caused the current degraded state of MRT-3.