Tugade Directs DOTr Offices, Attached Agencies to Efficiently Monitor, Respond to Typhoon-Hit Areas

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As Typhoon Ompong swept through Northern Luzon, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade directed all DOTr sectoral offices and attached agencies to exert their best efforts to mitigate risks and respond to areas and people affected by Typhoon Ompong by maintaining an efficient line of communication, coordination, and upholding the spirit of “bayanihan.”

 

Secretary Arthur Tugade has continuously assured the public that the DOTr and its attached agencies are properly coordinated and ready to offer its services, saying the DOTr is at everyone’s disposal.

In a meeting with both national and local government agencies in Tuguegarao, the transportation chief stressed the vital role of communications in times of disasters. 

“Kung may pre-emptive evacuation, dapat may pre-emptive information din. In that way, the public will know what is happening around them in real time. We need not only inform the public— we need to over-inform them through all platforms of media. Ito ang patakaran ko sa DOTr,” Sec. Tugade said.

Upon Secretary Tugade’s instructions, all communications platforms of the DOTr, as well as those of its attached agencies, were fully-utilized to share real-time and relevant information on the affected areas of the typhoon, such as trip advisories and condition of various transportation hubs.

Before the typhoon made landfall in Cagayan this morning, Secretary Tugade visited several evacuation centers in the area and met with local officials to ensure that disaster preparedness and response measures are in place.

 

Passenger and cargo vessel trips were cancelled in various ports of the country due to rough seas and heavy winds. Passengers affected by trip cancellations were properly accommodated.

 

In Negros Oriental and Siquijor, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) served hot Lomi and gave away hygiene kits, while those stuck in Dumaguete City were offered with free film showing and hot meals.

 

Employees from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Region 4-B personally distributed pansit and other cooked meals to stranded motorists.

 

Meanwhile, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport set up medical assistance stations at Terminals 1 and 2 to assist passengers with immediate medical needs in anticipation of diverted flights and stranded passengers.

 

Among all inspected facilities, the Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) of the Tuguegarao Airport was the worst-hit and extensively damaged by the typhoon. Secretary Tugade and other DOTr officials personally checked the safety of the airport personnel, as well as the state of the airport’s facilities.

Meanwhile, roof gutters, windows and glass doors of the LTFRB Region 2 office located at the Carig Regional Center in Tuguegarao were also damaged.

According to Sec. Tugade, one of DOTr’s priorities is to ensure that the resumption of normal operations in facilities affected by Ompong will be done as quick as possible.

Benilde Films Compete in Viddsee Online Tilt

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Three capstone projects from the Digital Filmmaking program of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts have been officially selected as finalists to the second Viddsee Juree Philippines. This is part of the Singapore-based online video platform's initiative to celebrate and support filmmakers and film communities in Asia.

The Lessons of the Night ("Ang Mga Turo ng Gabi") by Christian Rae Villanueva, As Time Flows By ("Sa Pag-agos ng Panahon") by Annika Yañez, and Stand Up ("Tayo") by Ron Dulatre and Elaiza Rivera, were chosen from more than a hundred short fiction, documentary and animated films submitted to the competition.

The Lessons of the Night focuses on Juanita (Sheenly Vee Gener), a teacher battling depression, who teams up with her delinquent student (Dylan Ray Talon) to retrieve her baby. The film earlier bagged Best Editing and Best Performance at Pelikultura: The CALABARZON Film Festival and was officially selected to the Diwa Filipino Film Showcase of Seattle, the inaugural Oriental Mindoro International Film Festival and Kaohsiung Film Festival in Taiwan this year. 

Meanwhile, As Time Flows By tells the story of Trish (Chase Salazar), a lesbian who is having a hard time coming to terms with her traditional Filipino father (Francis Mata). It previously won Best Feature, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Actor and Best Soundtrack at the 15th De La Salle University Indie Un-Film Festival.

In Stand Up, Reg (Karl Medina), a socially awkward comedian gets help from Alyssa (Veronica Reyes), his "special friend." However, when he is supposed to give the performance of his life, Alyssa suddenly disappears.

"We're glad and overwhelmed that our film was selected for the competition," Rivera, who was part of group behind the 2016 Sinenanay Film Festival award-winning film "Uyayi," said.

She and Dulatre teamed up with her "Uyayi" groupmate Joice Bay to work on their thesis.

"We're happy that we can show our film to the world and we wanted it to compete immediately to see what our film could do outside of Benilde," Dulatre shared.

His other comedy short film Family Drama ("Pamilyang Drama") recently competed at Sinepiyu, an annual intercollegiate digital film competition.

"It's my first time to know about this online video platform that caters to a larger audience. I'm happy Viddsee exists," said director/writer Yañez, who partnered with cinematographer/editor Janna Lejano for her "very personal" capstone project.

"The ultimate reason why we submitted to Viddsee is because of the sweet production grant," Yañez revealed. "Right now, it's our only chance to bring to life another short film. It would be a dream to create and share another short story," she added.

The Gold and Silver winners will get film production grants worth 160,000 and 80,000 pesos, respectively, plus audio equipment provided by RØDE Microphones.

The Gold winner will also be offered a five-day Global Film & TV Program course in Los Angeles sponsored by the Motion Picture Association.

Similarly, Villanueva was also motivated to join because of the prizes. "They will give a production grant for the winners, and as a young filmmaker, it’s everything for us because it's hard to find funding for a short film," he added.

Villanueva also wanted to share his film to a wider audience "because all films are meant to be seen. It has been a year since our pre-production stage. So, I want to give it to the world now."

The other finalists are Ah by AJ Virtuz, Divine XY by Ruel Lozendo, Ginhawa by Christian Lat, Igme and Gani by Ma. Jhayle Ann Marie Meer, In the Name of the Father by Patrick Rodil, Susing by Bea Felix and You are the Star to My Night by Brian Spencer Reyes.

All ten finalists, which generally deal with love, relationships, morality and sexuality, will receive a 12-month Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps subscription worth US$560 each.

The top two entries will be decided by a panel of judges made up of award-winning Filipino actress Cherie Gil, acclaimed Malaysian filmmaker and writer Amir Muhammad and Tribeca Film Festival shorts programmer Ben Thompson.

Finalists and out-of-competition films can also vie for the Audience Choice Award, which will be based on the most number of ‘likes’ it receives on Viddsee.com. The winning director for this award will take home an Apple TV.

Viddsee will hold a three-day program, featuring talks and public screenings, at the DLS-CSB SDA Cinema from September 27 to 29. Winners will be announced during the awarding ceremony scheduled on September 29 at the Cinematheque Centre Manila.

PhilPop Song Interpreters, Announced!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The country's premier songwriting competition, PhilPop has recently announced its roster of interpreters for the 2018 lineup. With the theme "Music. Powered by Pinoys," the foundation continues to defy expectations by championing homegrown talents from different backgrounds and music genres.

Handpicked to interpret the compositions of the top 30 semi-finalists are the following music acts: Davey Langit and the band for Kenneth John Pores' "AEIOU", Feel Day and Hans Dimayuga for Jeriko Buenafe's "Ako, Ako", Wincet Jacot and Medyo Maldito for Eamarie Gilayo and Jovit Leonerio's "Away Wa'y Buwagay", Michael Llave for his own song "Bumbero", Ferdinand Aragon for his own composition "Di Ko Man", RJ dela Fuente for Mark Jay Felipe's "Ikaw Ang Aking Pag-ibig", Jex de Castro for Carlo Angelo David's "Isang Gabing Pag-ibig", Acapellago for Philip Arvin Jarilla's "Kariton", Ataska and Nash for Sarah Bulahan's "Kelan Kaya", Carlyn Ocampo and Joshua Feliciano for Karlo Zabala's "kilabI", Leanne and Naara for Jeremy Sarmiento's "Korde Kodigo", Cacai Bautista for Elmar Bolaño and Donel Transporto's "Laon Ako", Russ Cabico for his own entry "LDR (Layong Di Ramdam)", Kyle Pulido for his own material "LGBT (Laging Ganito Ba Tayo?)", Bayang Barrios and Niliyagan for Agatha Marallos and Melvin Joseph Morallos' "Lilipad", BennyBunnyBand for Edgardo Miraflor Jr.'s "Loco De Amor!", Carlo Angelo David for his own track "Makisabay", Caleb Santos for Paul Hildawa's "Mahirap Magselos", Nitro for Marvin Blue Corpus' "Malilimutan Din Kita", Jeric Medina for Oliver Narag's "MMRA", Chud Festejo for his own composition "Nanay Tatay", Thyro Alfaro for Aikee Aplacador's "Oka", Jem Cubil for Barry Villacarillo's "Perfectly Imperfect Human", Julian Trono for Sean Gabriel Cedro and John Ray Reodique's "Pilipit", Yumi Lacsamana for Aikee Aplacador's "Promise Sorry Note", The Juans for Agatha Morallos and Melvin Morallos' "Pwede", Katrina Velarde for Michael Rodriguez and Jeanne Columbine Rodriguez's "Tama Na", Therese Villarante for Therese Marie Villarante and Henrick James Pestaño's "Unang Adlaw nga Wala Ka", Ignacio Dennis Roxas for his own song "Utang", and Eunice Jorge of Gracenote for Donnalyn Onilongo's "Yun Tayo (Formerly Taken)".

A video featuring the 30 interpreters was showcased during the Philpop Reveal and Listening Party last September 12 at the 2nd floor of Cafe 1771, Pasig City.

During the program, Festival Chairman and Philpop Board Member Mr. Ryan Cayabyab stressed the importance of regional inclusivity and giving voice to underrated artists whose compositions have the potential to impact the Filipino people's soul.

"This year, we are happy to launch 30 songs that represent stories, struggles, ambitions, and dreams of people like us. We look forward to listen and enjoy these wonderful compositions." Cayabyab also expressed PhilPop's advocacy promoting top-notch Filipino music that matters. "Rest assured that we will stay true to our commitment to look for talented songwriters and give them a platform to realize their dreams of seeing their songs across the nation."

Viva Records, for its part, supervised the official recording of the songs which will be available on platforms such as Youtube and Spotify on September 17 at 12 noon.


Road to Top 10

From the shortlisted Top 30 semi-finalists, only ten will advance to the final round. They will be judged according to the following criteria: 50% judges screening, 25% online streaming, and 25% Smart's People Choice Award voting through SMS and Twitter's conversational ad. The top 10 will be revealed via PhilPop's social media pages and website on October 22, 2018.

The finalists will be given a chance to showcase their original composition as interpreted by the chosen music acts on November 30 in the PhilPop Festival Finals Night that will be held at Capitol Commons in Pasig City.

Log on to www.philpop.com.ph for the complete instruction on how to vote for your favorite songs via SMS or Twitter.

Championing Filipino music through PhilPop

PhilPop takes pride in its advocacy to provide a sustainable platform for Filipino music acts to develop their skills through a world-class mentorship program, as well as introduce them to standard music industry practices and strategies that would harness their potential in the long run. "This year’s PhilPop campaign emphasized the meaning of unity, camaraderie, mentorship and most importantly, of generosity and the importance of giving back," PhilPop Executive Director Dinah Remolacio shares.

"Former alumni and bootcamp coaches now serve as producers, arrangers, and even interpreters to some of the compositions. What was once a rigid competition with a coveted grand prize became an avenue to build and strengthen relationships among competitors and coaches."

PhilPop 2018 is an initiative of the PhilPop Music Foundation, chaired by Mr. Manny V. Pangilinan. This year's PhilPop is supported by Mid Atlantic foundation for Asian Artists, Inc. (MAFFAA, Inc.), NYXSYS Philippines, Maynilad, Meralco, Smart, Viva Records, Ortigas and Co., Coke Studio, NCAA, OPM, Gabi Na Naman Productions, and PETA.