National Live Events Coalition PH participates in Global Red Campaign

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The National Live Events Coalition PH (NLECPH), an alliance of various sectors from the Live Events community comprising Theater and the Performing Arts, Freelance Creative and Production Workers, Social and Weddings events, Gigs and Music Festivals, AVL (audio video lights) coverage and staging / fabrication suppliers, Agencies and Activations, Concerts, Conventions, Tradeshows and Venues will take part in an awareness campaign about the plight of the Live Events Industry.

Aptly titled: GLOBAL RED, this worldwide campaign in raising awareness of the plight of LiveEvents industry impacted by CoVid-19 on a global scale will be held on September 1, 2020.

The peaceful campaign in lighting arts and music venues in red started in Germany on June 22, 2020 called Night of Light. It quickly spread throughout the UK and Ireland thru a campaign called Light It Red and Red Alert with #WeMakeEvents. South Africa followed suit with #LightSARed. On September 1, 2020 the North American leg
will commence headed by Live Events Coalition USA.

NLEC PH’s campaign representing the Live Events industry in the Philippines and South East Asia will co-occur on that date to harmonize the cause worldwide.

The façade of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Main Building, Philippine International Convention Center, Fort Santiago, De La Salle Universities and several establishments & landmarks all over the Philippines will be illuminated in red color.

Our local campaign participation will kick off with a ceremonial lighting of the CCP Main Building façade followed by a convoy
motorcade of technical service providers, commencing from the CCP route via Roxas Boulevard ending in TM Kalaw, Manila.

In order to raise awareness in the Philippines, the NLEC-PH is encouraging technical providers and rental companies to join in the campaign “Light up in Red” on the same date and time in support for all live event stakeholders.

The CCP fully supports these initiatives; and, as convenor of the Association of Philippine Performing Arts Spaces (APPAS), enjoins all its member-art spaces to participate in solidarity with NLEC-PH and the live events industry.

The Live Events industry is a wide network of collaborators - planners, organizers, suppliers, talents, and freelancers. The industry was the first to be impacted by the CoVid-19 crisis and is projected to be the last to restart around the world.

NLEC-PH is the first multi sectoral alliance in Asia formed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its critical impact on the live events industry.

NLEC continues to amplify the voices, to empower, and to be advocates for every event practitioner.

While the NLEC-PH has made strides in coordinating with the government (with DOT, DTI, DOH and the Congress) in seeking support for the industry, thousands are
still unemployed and companies are still struggling. Millions of our counterparts across the globe in the live events industry are currently seeking aid, unemployment benefits and assistance from their respective governments.

Live Events is a global industry.

NLEC PH is in solidarity with the following organizations and movements currently raising an awareness campaign about the plight of the Live Events Industry:
#WeMakeEvents (United Kingdom)
Portuguese Association of Technical Services for Events (APSTE)
Live Events Coalition (USA)
Luz Ao Invisiveis (Brazil)
LightSARed (South Africa)
Freelancers Make Theatre Work (United Kingdom)
IATSE (USA and Canada)
#LetTheMusicPlay (United Kingdom)
#SoundOfSilence (Netherlands)

New Philhealth Chief is Suspected Davao Death Squad Member Dante's Gieran

Wazzup Pilipinas!

With regards to former NBI Director Dante Gieran being appointed as new Philhealth head

Just look at that photo and his fist bump....He is obviously a DDS.

Duterte's strategy is to appoint trusted allies, especially the ones from Davao, regardless of the lack of qualifications, in order to have loyal friends to protect him from any future uprising. Observe that majority of his cabinet members are from the military, or the ones who supported him throughout the past years or during his campaign for President, and the ones he could easily control. Survival instinct is priority regardless if the appointed ones are not fit for the job. So what do you expect of performance if most are not qualified and were brought out of retirement?

Naturally he'll pick his friends, who will be his ally. It doesn't matter to him if they"re old and nearing senility, still need to be trained or tutored of how to do their job, what matters most is his primary objective - keep every agency of the government under his control.

Gieran was pointed as a member of the Davao Death Squad (DDS) as accused by Edgar Matobato, a self-confessed member of the DDS, who once testified that Gieran led the capture and killing of a man who was fed to a crocodile.

Even when he was still mayor of Davao City, President Rodrigo Duterte was at the receiving end of allegations pertaining to violations of human rights.

He has long been linked to the infamous Davao Death Squad (DDS), a vigilante group alleged to be behind the extrajudicial killings in Davao City.

Matobato claimed that Duterte and his son, Davao Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, were behind some of the killings.

If the accusations is true, there could be other crimes committed by Gieran.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.abs-cbn.com/amp/news/09/15/16/dutertes-nbi-chief-linked-to-slay-of-man-fed-to-crocodile

https://rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/timeline-witness-lists-alleged-killings-duterte-davao-city

Philhealth is back to negative.

Ber Months: Jose Mari Chan Rewrites Song to be Apt with the Quarantined Times

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"Whenever I see girls and boys selling lanterns on the street I remember the child in the manger as he sleeps"

Ilonggo songwriter Jose Mari Chan has also “rewritten” his classic hit “Can We Just Stop and Talk Awhile” to lighten the mood amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He changed the lyrics to be appropriate for the new normal, adding words such as Internet, surfing and chat, FaceTime, and quarantine.

Chan is also known for his Christmas classic “Christmas in Our Hearts” which has been the subject of various social media memes.

BTW, this year marks the 30th year of Christmas in our Hearts and tomorrow is the start of the Christmas season here in the Philippines! I can't wait to hear Jose Mari Chan's voice again. I can almost hear his voice come September 1.

The 3 most famous characters during Christmas season:

1. Jesus Christ
2. Santa Claus
3. Jose Mari Chan

Hope we will have better days in the Ber months inspite of the Corona virus (Covid-19) still lingering in the air.

Pero bakit nung nakita ni Jose Mari Chan yung girls and boys selling lanterns on the street, ang naisip niya si baby Jesus,  at hindi yung unjust society that made kids have to work to survive? Lol!

Because probably baby Jesus is also a casualty of an unjust society. Being born on a stable manger due to poor parents.

According to the Bible stories, Joseph, a descendant of David, was born in Bethlehem. And in that time, a decree from Rome stated that there will be a census, so technically, Joseph and Mary were required to go to Bethlehem for them to be listed as part of the population.

The prophet Isaiah already prophesized that Jesus will be born in a manger? As per scripture, it is all in God's plan. Jesus was sent to earth not to fight the sin who is the real oppressor.

But most probably, it was also because of atrocities not highlighted by the church, like the Roman Imperial government requiring them to pay absurd taxes in Bethlehem. Why else would they travel at the height of Mary's pregnancy if it wasn't life and death. The child Jesus had to be born in a manger because there was no more room in any inn in Bethlehem during peak season because Joseph and Mary had to pay taxes to a foreign imperial government and mandatorily travel miles from the comfort of their home at the height of Mary's pregnancy.

Rumor has it that Jose Mari Chan romanticized child labor in that particular song. He is said to be a capitalist, and a union buster, a labor rights violator thus we should cancel him and find other Christmas songs instead because we shouldn't tolerate any capitalist.... and yes this is also political.

He and his family are in business and have been implicated in union busting since 2004.

Ahhh yes. The song is romanticizing poverty as if being poor is a gift from God kasi pag mahirap ka sa lupa, yayaman ka raw sa langit.

Baby Jesus was LITERALLY born in a manger, sabsaban. Not even in an inn. Is He not representative of an unjust society in His times? Ipapanganak ka pa lang may injustice na sayo, sa nanay mo?

Actually, you cannot separate Jesus and i justice. If you're a Christian and you understood and lived the life of Jesus - from his birth to his death, and even His disciples' ministry, you cannot separate the concept of social justice.

Injustice nga yun. Kakapanganak pa lang naka experience na ng injustice si Jesus. The greatest and last was His crucifixion.

Pero bakit pati kanta ginagawan ng issue? Ang tagal tagal na nito? I sold lanterns on the street when I was a kid but not because I had to... so, dapat di tayo nag-aassume agad. Hindi na lang din ako magka-caroling kahit kelan, kahit anong taon! Nakaka-stress na pala kahit ang Christmas songs ngayon. Just enjoy the memes. Lol!

The Filipino excitement for Jose Mari Chan in heralding the Ber Months can be a testimony of our overflowing love for Christmas, on which as his song goes, "This season may we never forget, the love we have for Jesus."

December 25 belongs to Jesus Christ.

But the days leading to that -- starting from September 1 up until the last minute of December 24 -- all these still belong to Jose Mari Chan.